Easy Homemade Hot Honey
The irresistible mix of sweet and spice in this Easy Homemade Hot Honey can be drizzled on everything from fried chicken to pizza. Hot Honey is super simple to make and ready in 5 minutes.
What is Homemade Hot Honey?
Homemade Hot Honey is simply a spicy honey sauce made by infusing the flavor and heat of chili pepper flakes (or fresh Thai red chilies) with vinegar and whisking that into regular honey. The spiced honey combination creates a sweet-heat condiment that’s endlessly versatile. Making a honey hot sauce recipe from scratch gives you complete control over the heat level and flavor.
How Long Will Hot Honey Keep?
Pure honey is naturally shelf-stable because it’s about 80% sugar and only 17–18% water, making it tough for bacteria and mold to grow. Once you add fresh chilies, you introduce water and organic matter that dilute honey’s natural defenses, creating conditions where yeast or mold can grow. For safety, refrigerate fresh chili-infused honey and use within 2–3 weeks. Dried chili flakes are a safer option since they don’t add moisture, allowing the honey to last for several months in the refrigerator. This source explains it in greater detail.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: ready in 5 minutes.
- Customize your spice level
- This recipe works with both fresh and dried chili peppers, giving you the flexibility to choose what you have on hand.
- A hot honey drizzle elevates a basic pepperoni pizza, adds dimension to roasted Brussels sprouts, and is a perfect pairing to chicken and waffles or freshly baked cornbread.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Honey: Regular honey is best; you don’t need to use fancy honey for this recipe.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: It adds brightness and depth.
- Chili Pepper Flakes: or fresh Thai red chilies
- Salt: Balances the sweetness
Refer to the printable recipe card below for ingredient quantities and detailed instructions.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can substitute Thai red chilies for the dried chili peppers. You will need about 5 for regular spice and 6 for extra heat.
- Thai red chilies will give you a subtle fruity flavor, whereas crushed chili pepper flakes are more shelf-stable. Either way you choose, the recipe will give you a delicious peppered honey profile.
How to Make Hot Honey Sauce
1. Simmer vinegar and chili flakes until reduced by half.
2. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
3. Whisk honey and a pinch of salt into the reduced chili vinegar.
4. Pour hot honey into a sterilized jar and refrigerate.
Ways to Use Hot Honey
- Use it with my Hot Honey Halloumi Salad
- Drizzle over fried chicken or grilled pork chops
- As an accompaniment to a charcuterie board (especially tasty with calabrese).
- Spooned over salty feta (a spicy honey with a strong-tasting cheese is always delicious).
- As a dipping sauce for chicken wings or tenders
- Drizzle over warm Banana and Blueberry Oat Muffins for a sweet-spicy twist that balances fruit and heat.
Storage & Shelf Life
Pure honey’s high sugar and low water content make it naturally shelf-stable, preventing bacteria and mold growth. Adding fresh chilies introduces extra moisture and organic matter, which weakens honey’s defenses and can allow yeast or mold to grow. This source explains it in greater detail.
- Hot honey made with fresh chilies: Refrigerate and use within 2–3 weeks.
- Hot honey with chili pepper flakes: More shelf-stable. It can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed jar for several months.
- Has your honey crystallized? Heat up honey in a bowl of hot water, and stir it to make it smooth again.
★ Expert Tips
- Sterilize Jars: Make sure to sterilize your jars before adding the spicy honey sauce
- Avoid Overheating: Only add the honey once you’ve removed the saucepan from the heat. Overheating can make honey thicken like caramel.
- Customize Spice Level: Use 3 teaspoons of dried chili pepper flakes, or 5 for more spice. If using fresh Thai red chilies 5 for medium heat or 6 for more spice.
Recipe FAQs
It’s inevitable that over time, your honey will tend to crystallize. Once it’s been made, store the honey chili sauce in a tightly sealed jar, and if crystallization does occur, place the jar in a bowl of hot water and stir until it’s back to normal.
In its natural state, honey is shelf-stable and will not spoil. The high sugar and low water content make it inhospitable for bacteria to grow. However, when you add things like fresh chilies, that extra moisture and organic matter affect this. Dried chili pepper flakes present less of a problem than fresh, but anytime you infuse honey with an ingredient, it is no longer as shelf-stable as pure honey. To preserve freshness, it is important to refrigerate your homemade hot honey sauce.
When overheated, honey shifts from smooth and pourable to thick and caramel-like, making it difficult to use. It is important not to let the honey boil, which is why I recommend removing the saucepan from the heat before whisking in the honey. Following the recipe instructions will leave you with perfect hot honey every time.
Easy Homemade Hot Honey
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 teaspoons dried chili pepper flakes or 5 fresh Thai red chilies
- 1 cup honey
- Pinch of salt
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the vinegar and chili peppers in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Allow the mixture to simmer until the vinegar is reduced by half (about 5-6 minutes)
- Pour the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup. Discard the chili peppers.
- Add the honey and a pinch of salt to the liquid and whisk until combined.
- Pour the homemade hot honey into a sterilized glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate until needed.
To make hot honey using fresh Thai red chilies:
- Cut the chili peppers in half horizontally (along the long edge)
- Continue with steps 2 through 5. (You won’t need a sieve if using fresh chilies; simply remove them before adding the honey.)
Notes
This easy homemade hot honey has a way of transforming ordinary meals into something special. Once you try this simple recipe, you’ll never want to be without a jar in your kitchen. If you make it, leave a comment below — and don’t forget to check out my Hot Honey Halloumi Salad for the perfect pairing!
