Hot Honey

Get ready to meet your new favorite condiment! Hot honey is sweet but spicy and made by infusing honey with chili flakes and vinegar. It adds a kick of heat to anything from cornbread to fried chicken and is a fun way to spice up your favorite dishes.

Once you start making sauces from scratch, you won’t go back! Not only do they taste better, but you can customize them however you’d like! If you like sauces with some kick, you’ll have to try homemade buffalo sauce and horseradish sauce next!

Hero image of hot honey served in a glass cup.

Homemade Hot Honey

The first time I had hot honey was on a Detroit-style pizza. It was pretty lifechanging! It has the perfect texture and sweetness but tasty heat as well. Hot honey has a smooth, sticky texture and can be drizzled over pizza, fried chicken, or used as a dipping sauce. The sky is the limit, really! It’s also perfect for cornbread and biscuits and adds an extra pop of flavor. Mike’s Hot Honey is absolutely delicious, but when you don’t have any on hand, just know you can easily whip some up at home! It only takes 2 simple ingredients. 3 if you want to add my secret ingredient which is apple cider vinegar!

If you’re looking for a delicious and easy hot honey recipe, you’ll have to give this one a try. It has the perfect sweet heat and pairs perfectly with wings. Just drizzle some over your favorite fried chicken or mix it into your wing sauce for a delicious twist on traditional chicken wings. (Speaking of wings, these air fryer chicken wings are absolutely delicious and so easy to make!) Give it a try and see why it’s a staple in so many different dishes! Trust me, you’re going to love it.

Hot Honey Ingredients

No need to get hot honey from the store anymore because it’s so easy to make at home! It only takes a couple super simple ingredients to whip up. You’re going to love having it to use for pizza and wings! If you’re looking for exact measurements, they can all be found below in the recipe card.

  • Honey: This is the base ingredient for hot honey. Its sweet flavor balances out the heat from the chili flakes. The type of honey used can impact the overall flavor of the hot honey, so feel free to experiment with different kinds! I typically go for raw honey because it has a deeper flavor and no added sugars.
  • Red Chili Flakes: Chili flakes add the spicy kick to hot honey. You can adjust the amount of chili flakes based on your desired level of heat.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: Vinegar can be added for a slight tanginess. It also helps to balance the flavors. If you prefer a sweeter hot honey, feel free to omit the apple cider vinegar.

How to Make Hot Honey

Hot honey comes together in just a few minutes. It’s so easy to make! You’ll have to try it out on a chicken sandwich. It’s the best!

  1. Combine Ingredients, Heat: Add the honey and chili flakes to a small pot. Heat together over medium heat. When small bubbles barely start to form along the edge of the pot then remove the pot from the heat. Be careful not to boil the honey because it will become too sticky.
  2. Rest: Let the honey mixture rest in the pot to infuse the flavors for 20 minutes. For spicer honey, you can infuse it for longer.
  3. Strain: Strain the honey through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean container.
  4. Add Apple Cider Vinegar: Then stir in the apple cider vinegar to cut the sweetness if you prefer. 
  5. Serve: Drizzle hot honey on corn bread, fried chicken, pizza, or anything you desire to have a sweet and spicy kick!
Hot honey being poured into a container.

Ways to Use Hot Honey

Really, the options are endless. Fried chicken and pizza are always a must, but hot honey is great for desserts as well! Hot honey is also perfect for drizzling over roasted vegetables and salads. Here are a few tasty recipes to try out with your freshly-made hot honey. You’re going to love having it on hand! It adds the best kick of sweet but spicy flavor.

Storing Leftovers

Good news! As long as you store your honey in an airtight jar, it should stay good for 6 months to a year. Keep in a cool, dry place for best results.

Drizzling honey over cornbread.

More Delicious Homemade Sauces

Sweet, savory, and creamy, here are a few more delicious recipes you need to try out! They’re quick and easy to whip up and add the best pop of flavor to any dish. Find my full list of dressings, sauces, and dips here.

Print

Hot Honey

Get ready to meet your new favorite condiment! Hot honey is sweet but spicy and made by infusing honey with chili flakes and vinegar. It adds a kick of heat to anything from cornbread to fried chicken and is a fun way to spice up your favorite dishes.
Course condiments, Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword hot honey, hot honey recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 16
Calories 69kcal
Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

  • 1 cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons red chili flakes
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, optional

Instructions

  • Add the honey and chili flakes to a small pot. Heat together over medium heat.  When small bubbles barely start to form along the edge of the pot then remove the pot from the heat. Be careful not to boil the honey because it will become too sticky.
  • Let the honey mixture rest in the pot to infuse the flavors for 20 minutes. For spicer honey, you can infuse it for longer.
  • Strain the honey through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean container.
  • Stir in the apple cider vinegar to cut the sweetness if you prefer.
  • Drizzle hot honey on corn bread, fried chicken, pizza, or anything you desire to have a sweet and spicy kick!

Notes

For spicer honey, stir in additional chili flakes after it is strained.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.05g | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 445IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.3mg


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