Hot honey is a delicious condiment to keep in your pantry for when you want to add a touch of sweet and spicy magic to your dishes. Yes, you can buy it premade in a store but why bother when it’s so easy to make at home and tastes even better? This simple yet flavor-packed recipe will not only tantalize your senses but also become a versatile companion in your kitchen. Whether you’re drizzling it over pizzas, glazing meats, or mixing it into dressings, this homemade hot honey is bound to become a staple in your culinary repertoire. Get ready to experience the irresistible allure of homemade hot honey—a concoction that effortlessly blends the warmth of honey with the fiery kick of chili peppers.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Makes a delicious drizzle for pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and more.
- Easy and quick to make – no special cooking skills required.
- Tastes better and is cheaper to make than store-bought.
- Stays good for a long time.
What Ingredients Do I Need
This recipe only requires 2-3 simple ingredients.
- Honey – I prefer a medium as opposed to a dark honey but any honey will work.
- Chili Flakes – I use dried chili as it stores better but if you use fresh chilies make sure to strain them out before storing.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – I love the mild tangy taste it adds and the vinegar makes the honey more shelf stable but you can omit this if you want. It just won’t keep as long.
How To Make Hot Honey
- Simmer honey with chili flakes (or sliced fresh chilies) – bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the heat from the chilies to infuse the honey.
- Add vinegar (if using) – remove the honey/chili mixture from the heat and add the apple cider vinegar. Stir well.
- Cool – Allow the honey mixture to cool before pouring into a clean jar.
Recipe Tips and Tricks For Success
- Don’t allow the honey to boil. Boiling can make it bitter. Make sure to only bring it to a simmer.
- If using fresh chilies, strain honey before storing for maximum shelf life.
Recipe Variations
I use dried chili flakes for ease and because the honey will stay fresh longer, however you can also use almost any type of fresh chili peppers if you’d like. Keep in mind the kind of chilies you use will affect the final heat level of the finnished hot honey. For a milder hot honey try jalapeno, poblano or mirasol. For medium heat try habanero, scotch bonnet or Thai hot peppers. If you like it hot, try red savina habanero or Indian tezpur. And if you REALLY like it HOT, try ghost pepper or Carolina reaper but don’t say I didn’t warn you!
What To Use Hot Honey On
- Drizzle it on cooked pizza
- Drizzle over fried chicken or chicken tenders
- Use it to make candied bacon
- Use as a condiment in sandwiches
- Drizzle over cornbread
- Drizzle it over vegetables like roasted carrots or Brussels sprouts
- Use it to flavor a stir-fry
Storage Tips
If you use dried chili flakes you can keep hot honey in a covered jar in a dark cupboard. It will keep for up to six months this way. If you use fresh chilies, make sure to strain them out and store the honey in the fridge. It will keep for up to a month. If stored in the fridge the honey may crystalize. Warm it up in a small bowl of hot water until it becomes liquid again.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS; Does boiling honey ruin it? Boiled honey can become bitter due to a negative chemical change. Boiling it also destroys some of honey's health benefits. It's best to keep it at a light simmer or under 40 degrees celsius (140F). Is it okay to microwave honey? It's not the ideal way to heat honey. Due to it's viscous nature honey does not heat evenly in a microwave and may develop hot spots which can destroy the taste and health benefits of honey. How do you keep honey from crystallizing? Keeping honey at room temperature, away from sunlight in a dark cupboard helps prevent it from crystallizing.
Hot Honey
Ingredients
- 177ml (3/4 cup) liquid honey
- 4g (2 tsp) dried chili flakes (or 2 fresh chilies)
- 14ml (3/4 tbsp) apple cider vinegar (optional)
Instructions
- Pour honey into a small pan.
- Add chili flakes (or sliced fresh chili peppers if using) to honey and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes making sure not to boil the honey.
- Remove honey mixture from the heat, add vinegar and stir well.
- Allow the honey mixture to cool before pouring into a clean jar. At this point you can strain the chili flakes (or fresh chili slices) out if preferred.
Notes
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And if you’re looking for more easy and quick recipes check out my Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce and my Authentic Greek Tzatziki Sauce.
In every Indian household you will find it handy. But I liked that you had shared the important parts of this as well.
I love honey in my hot tea. It is so delicous. I never thought you could use honey as a spread there are so many different ways you can use honey.
I have used honey in some of my dishes before, but I haven’t tried preparing my own honey. I would love to. Thanks for the recipe.
I have never thought of adding/ drizzling this on food. We just use honey mostly for our tea. Thank you for sharing this idea. Would love to try it. Appreciate the storage tips too.
I love the idea of making my now hot honey! This is perfection and I am pinning this recipe next so I can make this for my chicken and waffles and more!
The hot honey is something I’ve never heard of before. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I will definitely give this a try
this sounds absolutely delish and so innovative.. i know i will be trying it out soon
I do like a little bit of a kick with my sweet drinks or dishes sometimes, this would be perfect when I’m having trouble hunting down spicy honey
Hot honey does sound interesting. I’ve not tried it before but would love to try it.
Wow! This looks absolutely delicious and tasty! I really love honey my kids love it too
This actually sounds really good. I haven’t had it before, so I’ll have to give it a try.
This honey sounds delicious. I need to make it and drizzle it over my pizza.
I must make this. I enjoy hot honey on my chicken sandwiches.
Honey! One of my favourite food! I usually use it as a bread spread though.