Spicy Hot Honey Sauce (2024)

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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 Hot Honey Sauce (1)

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

Spicy Hot Honey Sauce (2)
  • 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

Spicy Hot Honey Sauce (3)
  • 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 our Ricotta Pizza, Karaage Chicken, or BBQ 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.

Spicy Hot Honey Sauce (4)

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 spatulato 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. If you are looking for other honey based sauces, try our honey dijonnaise.

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 (9)

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5 from 8 votes

Spicy Hot Honey Sauce

Spicy Hot Honey Sauceis asweetandspicycondiment made with just4 ingredientsin5 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

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

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 spatulato 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

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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