Hot Honey Recipe

5 from 1 review

This homemade hot honey recipe combines pure honey and fresh or dried chiles to create an irresistible spicy-sweet condiment.

Course Basics, Condiment, Dip, Sauces, Seasoning

Cuisine American

Keyword hot honey, hot honey recipe, how to make hot honey

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Infuse for 10

Total Time 20

Servings cup

Calories 1079kcal

1 cup honey
2 tablespoons dried chili flakes (crushed red pepper flakes) or 1 (one) fresh jalapeño, sliced *see notes
1- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

In a small saucepan, combine the honey and dried chili flakes (or the fresh jalapeño slices). Heat over medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes or just until small bubbles start to surface around the edges of the saucepan. The honey should simmer but not boil.
Remove the mixture from the heat and, if using, stir in the apple cider vinegar or citrus juice.
Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes so the chili peppers have time to infuse the honey.
Serve immediately or store in a clean glass jar or airtight container as is (with the dried or fresh chiles) or strain it through a fine mesh sieve before serving or storing.

You can use red chili powder or hot sauce as an addition to the recipe above. Both ingredients should be added into the saucepan with the honey and the dried chili flakes or fresh chili peppers.

Instead of using dried chili flakes (or fresh jalapeño slices), combine honey and hot sauce in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes or just until small bubbles start to surface around the edges of the saucepan. Don't allow the mixture to boil.
Remove from the heat and cool slightly before serving it or storing.

First, allow the honey to cool before storing. Hot honey made with dried pepper flakes or red chili powder with or without apple cider vinegar can be stored in a clean jar or airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place for 3 months.
Hot honey made with fresh chili peppers such as jalapeño, serrano peppers, habaneros, etc) with or without apple cider vinegar or fresh citrus juice, can be stored in a clean jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Different varieties of honey such as clover honey, wildflower honey, orange blossoms honey, alfalfa honey and manuka honey can be used.
The honey and chili peppers need to be heated up over gentle heat to prevent scorching.
Don’t let the honey come to a boil.
Hot honey made with fresh chili peppers and/or fresh citrus juice (strained or not) is perishable and should be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
If using fresh chili peppers, it's best to strain the peppers before storing it in the refrigerator.
Hot honey made with red pepper flakes or dried chili flakes or chili powder can be stored at room temperature in a cool and dry place for 3 months.
Hot honey made with red pepper flakes or dried chili flakes and not strained will continue to get spicy as time goes by.
If you add other spices such as cinnamon or dried rosemary, do so towards the end (before removing from the heat).
If using fresh chili peppers, use 1 (one) or 2 (two) peppers such as serrano or jalapeño or 1 (one) habanero. Stem and slice them thinner without removing the seeds.