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If you’ve ever tried Mike’s hot honey, you know it’s the perfect combination of sweet and spicy flavors. I love drizzling this versatile sauce on pizza, chicken breasts, buttermilk biscuits, roasted broccoli and more. There’s pretty much nothing I don’t love to add it too!
But as much as I love hot honey, I don’t love the price tag of the store-bought version so I decided to make it myself and was SHOCKED at how easy it is! Seriously, you only need 3 ingredients and you can have a whole jar for less than $5!! Trust me, you taste buds and wallet will thank you for this one!
Why You’ll Love This Honey Hot Sauce Recipe
- Easy to make: Made with only 3 simple ingredients!
- Cost-effective: Way cheaper than the store-bought stuff.
- Customizable: You can easily adjust spice level or amount of sweetness.
- Great gift: Makes a great homemade gift! Just bottle up in cute jars and give to friends, teachers or co-workers!
- Versatile: You can seriously add this spicy honey sauce to just about anything! Pizza, chicken, breads and more!
- Honey: Use your favorite kind of honey here! I normally use regular honey like clover honey but use any type of honey you prefer. Just make sure it’s good quality honey. I definitely recommend using local honey if you can!
- Chili pepper flakes: Adjust the amount of chili pepper flakes to desired heat preference, anywhere from mild (about 1/4 teaspoon) to hot (about 1 tablespoon). If you don’t have chili pepper flakes, you can use crushed red pepper flakes.
- Apple cider vinegar: The apple cider vinegar helps cut the sweetness of the honey just a bit. You can also use red wine vinegar or a vinegar based hot sauce. Adjust the amount of apple cider vinegar to your taste preferences or omit completely.
Give this hot honey a beautiful orange tint! To do this, use a vinegar based hot sauce (like Franks Red Hot, Texas Pete or your favorite hot sauce) in place of the vinegar.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Add the honey, chili pepper flakes and pinch of salt to a small saucepan or pot. Simmer for 1-2 minutes to infuse the peppers in the honey. Be careful not to let it boil.
2. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes.
3. Drain the honey through a fine mesh strainer and discard the chili flakes (or leave the chili flakes in there if you wish).
4. Stir in the vinegar. Let cool and store in a glass jar.
Let hot honey sauce cool to room temperature. Then place honey in a sealed glass jar and store at room temperature.
Ways To Use Hot Honey
- Pizza: One of my favorite ways to enjoy hot honey is to drizzle it on pizza or this pizza casserole!
- Biscuits and breads: Drizzle honey on a warm biscuit or these homemade crostinis!
- Sandwiches: If you love sweet and savory, drizzle this hot honey on my bang bang chicken minis, egg white grill, or chicken sandwich.
- Vegetables: Add a drizzle of hot honey to your favorite roasted vegetables like broccoli or carrots and cauliflower..
- Chicken: It doesn’t get much better than adding hot honey to fried chicken. Try it on top of my breaded chicken, chicken schnitzel, chicken wings or pecan crusted chicken tenders.
- Dips: Serve hot honey as a dipping sauce on your next charcuterie board, or drizzle it on top of my whipped feta.
- Salads: Add a touch of sweet heat to your favorite salad or add some to your favorite salad dressing for a touch of heat
Can I use raw honey to make this homemade hot honey recipe?
Yes you can use raw honey for this easy hot honey recipe. You can also make a vegan version by using agave nectar.
How long does this hot honey sauce recipe last?
Honestly, this hot honey will last pretty much forever! Since the honey and apple cider vinegar are preservatives and chili flakes also last forever, there really is no expiration date on this recipe. Just make sure you store it well in an airtight container, in a dry cool place and you should be good to go!
Can I use fresh peppers to make hot honey sauce?
Yes, you can also use fresh chile peppers (such as jalapeños, serranos, habanero peppers or fresh chilies) to add heat to this recipe. You may have to let the fresh peppers simmer a little longer depending on your preference of heat level. Also, if you make this easy hot honey sauce with fresh chili peppers you will need to store it in the fridge (up to 3 months) instead of at room temperature.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Homemade Honey Hot Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey (168g)
- 1 tsp chili pepper flakes see notes
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar see notes
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Instructions
- Add the honey, chili pepper flakes and pinch of salt to a small saucepan or pot. Simmer for 1-2 minutes to infuse the peppers in the honey. Be careful not to let it boil.
- Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Drain the honey through a fine mesh strainer and discard the chili flakes (or leave the chili flakes in there if you wish). Stir in the vinegar.
- Let cool and store in a glass jar.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
