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.
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!
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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
- 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
- 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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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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Spicy Hot Honey Sauce
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon togarashi or chili powder optional
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
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
- 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.
- 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.
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