Hot Honey
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Making hot honey at home couldn’t be easier. This recipe can be adapted to everyone’s liking: Use your favorite honey, adjust the level of heat to your preference or choose between dried or fresh chili peppers.
And, what about turning it into an edible Christmas gift?
How to make hot honey at home
You will need honey of your choice, dried chili pepper flakes and apple cider vinegar.
Tools You’ll need:
- Saucepan – 1-quart (1-liter) is sufficient for this recipe.
- Measuring spoons and cups – Technically, you could just eyeball it, especially if you can handle the heat.
- Spoon or spatula for stirring, straining as well as getting all the hot honey out of the pot.
- Fine mesh strainer – to strain the chili flake pieces (This is optional)
- Glass jar with a lid – Make sure that both are clean. For gift giving, it is best to sterilize them. You will need one that holds at least 8 ounces (240 milliliters) of liquid. 8 or 10-ounce (240 or 300-milliliter) jars are perfect options.
Step-by-step process
The process is very simple. All you need to do is heat the honey and chili flakes for a few minutes. You don’t want it to boil. Just slowly simmer.
Then, you can stir in the vinegar and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
Where to use hot honey?
There are so many recipes you can use this condiment in.
It goes well with fried chicken or popcorn chicken, glazed salmon, whipped feta dip or fig tart, just to name a few.
If you like a spicy kick in your meals, add it to any marinade, salad dressing or vinaigrette that calls for regular honey.
Serve it in a bowl with a spoon and make it part of a cheese board. We also enjoy hot honey drizzled over a butter board!
It pairs well with roasted vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, etc.) as well as brie appetizers.
Recipe Q&A
Homemade hot honey will last several months.
No. Keep it in a glass jar covered with a lid in a cool, dry place.
Red or white wine vinegar will work just as well. Rice vinegar is also an option.
Julia’s tips
- This recipe calls for dried red pepper flakes. It is possible to use fresh hot peppers such as jalapenos, but they need to be removed from the honey after infusing. Dried chili flakes don’t.
- Remove the dried chilies if you prefer a milder heat level.
- Honey can crystallize – This is a sign of good-quality honey. If this happens, you can bring it to a liquid form by placing the jar in a saucepan of simmering water and slowly reheating it.
- When making this recipe for the first time, I recommend removing the pepper flakes from the honey before pouring it into a jar. That way, you will know for sure how hot your honey is. If you leave them in, they will continue to infuse the honey more.
Other condiments you might like
- Parsley Pesto – Pasta with homemade pesto is just delicious.
- Garlic Aioli – A delicious sauce for all kinds of meats!
- Avocado Mayo – It’s delicious on toast.
Watch how to make hot honey
Hot Honey Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey of your choice
- 2 teaspoons dried chili flakes see note 1
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar see note 2
Instructions
- In a 1-quart (1-liter) saucepan, combine honey and dried hot pepper flakes.
- Slowly bring it to a simmer (on low heat) and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in apple cider vinegar.
- Turn off the heat. Let it infuse for 15 minutes before pouring into a jar.
- To maintain the heat at the same level, remove the chili flakes by straining them (if using fresh hot peppers, you must remove them from the honey before pouring the hot honey into jars).
- Keep in a cool, dry place.
Notes
- It is possible to use fresh hot chilies. The type and size are up to you, but I would start with less rather than more when making it for the first time. Additionally, you should not leave fresh chilies in the honey. You will need a strainer to get clear honey.
- Apple cider vinegar can be substituted with white wine, red wine or rice vinegar. They all have slightly different flavor profile but they work the same way in the recipe.