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    The Heirloom Pantry » Dressings and Sauces

    Spicy Hot Honey Sauce

    Published: Jul 16, 2022 · Modified: Sep 30, 2023 by Kathleen Higashiyama · The following content may contain paid links. When you click and shop the links, we receive a commission.

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    Pinterest pin for spicy hot honey sauce for pizza, sandwiches, charcuterie, and more.

    Spicy Hot Honey Sauce is a sweet and spicy condiment made with just 4 ingredients in 5 minutes! Drizzle it on pizza, sandwiches, fried chicken, biscuits, and more for an extra kick or gift it to family and friends.

    Spicy honey sauce in a jar with honey dripper.

    This spicy honey sauce is the perfect addition for just about everything. Charcuterie boards, salmon (like these Broiled Salmon Collars), Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread, the possibilities are endless! Most hot honey sauce recipes take hours or days to infuse the honey, but our method takes only 4 ingredients and 5 minutes. You can choose to strain the chili flakes or leave them in for even more flavor and texture.

    Not only is this one of the most delicious hot honeys we've tried, but it's also economical and can be made at a fraction of the price that hot honey retails for. Put hot honey in cute jars and gift it during the holidays or next time you go to a dinner party!

    Jump to:
    • About Hot Honey
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Instructions
    • What to Serve with Hot Honey Sauce
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Storage
    • Top Tips
    • Related Recipes
    • Did You Like This Recipe?
    • Spicy Hot Honey Sauce

    About Hot Honey

    • Taste - The combination of honey, spices, and apple cider vinegar is uniquely delicious.
    • Texture - The honey is soft and gooey, yet light enough to drizzle.
    • Effort - This easy recipe requires minimal effort. Just cook the honey briefly with the other ingredients then let it cool.
    • Time - It takes just a few minutes to cook the honey then a couple minutes for it to cool down.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for hot honey sauce, including honey, red chili pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, and togarashi or chili powder.
    • Honey - Honey is a sweet and thick base for the sauce. Use an unflavored honey so the other ingredients don't clash with the honey.
    • Chili flakes, togarashi, and chili powder - The mixture of red pepper flakes, togarashi, and chili powder adds a unique spiciness.
    • Apple cider vinegar - Apple cider vinegar provides tanginess.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Substitutions

    • Fresh chili peppers - You can use sliced fresh chili peppers, just be aware of how many seeds the peppers have because seeds will make the hot honey sauce extra spicy.

    Variations

    • Extra Spicy - Add more chili pepper flakes, togarashi, or chili powder or switch it up and use cayenne pepper or smoked paprika.
    • Garlic powder - Add a little garlic powder to the add the pungent aromatic flavor.

    Instructions

    Step to make spicy hot honey sauce, including simmering the honey, stirring in apple cider vinegar, and pouring it into a sanitized jar.
    • Cook honey - Add honey, chili flakes, and togarashi in a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce begins to simmer. Do not let it reach a boil. (Photo 1 and 2)
    • Simmer then cool - Allow the honey to simmer for about 3 minutes, then remove it from the heat. Stir in the apple cider vinegar and allow to cool. Pour into a clean, sterilized jar and store. (Photo 3 and 4)

    Pro tip: To sterilize a jar for honey storage, place a clean jar in boiling water for 10 minutes. Let the jar completely air dry or dry with a clean paper towel before transferring honey. Any moisture good cause the honey to go bad.

    What to Serve with Hot Honey Sauce

    Our favorite way to enjoy this gluten free hot honey is drizzled over pizza, fried chicken, or BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs. It also makes a zesty addition to breakfast sandwiches, biscuits, ice cream, baked brie cheese, or a charcuterie board.

    Recipe FAQs

    What do you do if your honey crystalizes while stored?

    If your honey develops crystals, just run the jar of honey under some hot water until it reaches its original consistency. Do not microwave it.

    How spicy is hot honey?

    This recipe makes a moderately spicy honey. When the honey is spread on a pizza, the spice is diluted. You can also control the spice level by changing the amount of chili flakes, togarashi, and chili powder you use.

    Why is hot honey so popular?

    In the past few years, hot honey has become very popular in the US. This is because it is versatile and combines classic tastes that people love: sweet and spicy.

    Where does hot honey come from?

    We don't know exactly where hot honey originated from or how many cultures enjoy it. But the popularity of hot honey in the U.S. can be linked to the introduction of Mike's Hot Honey in the U.S. in 2003. In 2003, Mike Kurtz discovered hot honey at a pizzeria in Brazil then began selling hot honey in the U.S

    What types of chili peppers are used in hot honey sauce?

    We prefer our hot honey with just chili flakes and togarashi or chili powder. But you can use cayenne peppers, jalapeños, or even habaneros. Just be sure to strain out any fresh peppers before jarring the hot honey.

    Final shots of sweet and spicy honey in a jar with chili flakes and a honey dripper.

    Storage

    Store this homemade spicy honey at room temperature in a sterilized glass jar for up to 1 year. After that, the honey should still be safe to eat, but it may be lower quality. Do not refrigerate or freeze the honey or it will crystalize. If your honey crystalizes, run the lidded glass jar of honey under some hot water. This will melt the honey and make it more liquid.

    Top Tips

    • Use a spatula to scrape all of the sauce from the mixing bowl and eliminate food waste.
    • Keep an eye on the sauce to ensure the honey doesn't boil. If it boils, it can crystalize.
    • Strain the hot honey through a clean and sterilized mesh strainer to remove the chili flakes, if desired.
    • Place in sterilized jars and wrap with twine or ribbon to give as gifts.

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    Did You Like This Recipe?

    Love this spicy honey recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below & consider leaving a comment below. Thanks!

    Sign up for THP's newsletter and keep in touch on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube. If you make this recipe, tag #theheirloompantry so we can see your creation!

    Spicy hot honey sauce in a jar with honey dripper overhead.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 8 votes

    Spicy Hot Honey Sauce

    Spicy Hot Honey Sauce is a sweet and spicy condiment made with just 4 ingredients in 5 minutes! Drizzle it on pizza, sandwiches, fried chicken, biscuits, and more for an extra kick and gift it to family and friends.
    Prep Time2 minutes mins
    Cook Time3 minutes mins
    Total Time5 minutes mins
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 66kcal
    Author: Kathleen Higashiyama

    Equipment

    • 1 Measuring spoons
    • 1 saucepan
    • 1 silicone spatula
    • 1 glass jar

    Ingredients 

    • 1 cup honey
    • 1 tablespoon chili flakes
    • 1 teaspoon togarashi or chili powder optional
    • 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Cook honey - Add honey, chili flakes, and togarashi in a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce begins to simmer. Do not let it reach a boil.
      1 cup honey, 1 tablespoon chili flakes, 1 teaspoon togarashi or chili powder
    • Simmer then cool - Allow the honey to simmer for about 3 minutes, then remove it from the heat. Stir in the apple cider vinegar and allow to cool. Pour into a clean, sterilized jar and store.
      2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

    Video

    Notes

    Storage
    • Store spicy honey at room temperature in a sterilized glass jar for up to 1 year. Do not refrigerate or freeze the honey or it will crystalize. If your honey crystalizes, run the glass jar full of honey under hot water until it decrystallizes.
    Top Tips
    • To sterilize a jar for honey storage, place a clean jar in boiling water for 10 minutes. Let the jar completely air dry or dry with a clean paper towel before transferring honey.
    • Use a spatula to scrape all of the sauce from the mixing bowl and eliminate food waste.
    • Keep an eye on the sauce to ensure the sugar doesn't boil. If it boils, it can crystalize.
    • To remove chili flakes, strain the hot honey through a clean and sterilized mesh strainer.
    • Place in sterilized jars and wrap with twine or ribbon to give as gifts.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Keyword: hot honey, hot honey recipe, hot honey sauce, spiced honey, spicy honey, spicy honey recipe, spicy honey sauce
    Tried this recipe?Mention @theheirloompantry or tag #theheirloompantry!

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    About the Author

    Kat Higashiyama and Alec Totto are recipe developers, food photographers, and the authors behind The Heirloom Pantry. Since 2017, they have shared recipes inspired by their Japanese and Italian heritage and California and Hawaii roots. They reside in San Jose with their two dogs, Peeps and Paisley. Read More…

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    Alec and Kat with Paisley and Peeps on the beach

    Welcome! We're Kat and Alec, the recipe developers, food photographers, and food writers behind The Heirloom Pantry. Here you'll find approachable elevated recipes and tips for weeknights and entertaining.

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