Hot Honey Sauce Recipe

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Easy and delicious homemade Hot Honey Sauce recipe! No cooking is required and it takes just a few minutes to make! Use it as a dipping sauce or drizzle it over your favorite meals.

Hot honey is in a mason jar on top of 2 plates. A hand holds a spoon with hot honey.

What is Hot Honey?

It’s honey that is infused with peppers and vinegar, creating a perfect combination of sweet, spicy and tangy. It's a condiment that has gained some popularity over the last year or so.

Hot honey is in a mason jar on top of 2 plates. A honey dipped sits next to the jar.

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What is Hot Honey?
Why You Will Love This Homemade Hot Honey Recipe
Ingredient Notes
Instructions
Substitutions & Variations
Storage
FAQ
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Why You Will Love This Homemade Hot Honey Recipe

No cooking required. As the hot honey sits over time, the chili flakes will naturally infuse into the honey. I tested a cooked version and didn't notice a huge difference in flavor.
Quick and easy. You just need 4 simple ingredients and a few minutes!
Make it as mild or as spicy as you'd like. Tailor the heat level to your taste by adjusting the amount of chili flakes, cayenne pepper and hot sauce.
Delicious on nearly everything. This Hot Honey can be served on pizza, toast, whipped feta, fried chicken, bbq meats, salmon, roasted vegetables, your charcuterie board and soooo much more. I especially love drizzling it on my Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits!

Biscuit with a bite taken out of it is on a plate. A honey dipper with hot honey is also on the plate.

Ingredient Notes

Here are some notes about all the ingredients used. Quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below!

Hot honey ingredients, which include honey, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and hot sauce.

Honey - Use real, high quality honey for best results.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - Adds a bit of a spicy kick.
Ground Cayenne Pepper - Adds heat.
Hot Sauce - Vinegar based hot sauce will help cut the sweetness from the honey, making the perfect balance of sweet and sour.

*See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make this easy Hot Honey Recipe! Please find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Hot honey ingredients mixed together in a small bowl with a spoon.

Step 1. Add honey, chili flakes, ground cayenne pepper and hot sauce to a small bowl.

Tip! Save a bowl and mix everything into a clean glass jar. I used a bowl to show the ingredients more clearly. 😊

Step 2. Stir everything until well combined. Taste and add more red pepper flakes, ground cayenne pepper or hot sauce to your taste. Store into an airtight container and enjoy!

Substitutions & Variations

Honey - Make sure to use real honey. You can also use raw honey.
Chili Flakes - For a spicer hot honey sauce, you can use a spicer chilli such as Carolina Reaper or ghost pepper flakes. For a more of a mild sauce, red pepper flakes will just do!
Hot Sauce - You can use any vinegar based hot sauce such as Franks Red Hot, Red Rooster or Tapatio.
Vinegar - Popular Mike's Hot Honey contains vinegar, so you can also use apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or red wine vinegar instead of hot sauce.
Other Spices to Add - Feel free to add a bit of garlic powder, onion powder or smoked paprika.

Storage

Store in an airtight container in a dry, cool place for up to 6 months. Do not refrigerate as the honey will crystalize.

FAQ

Is hot honey very spicy?

I would say the spice level is mild to medium, making it ideal for many dishes. However, you can make it spicer by adding more cayenne powder, hot sauce and chili pepper flakes.

Should I strain my Hot Honey?

It's up to you! I don't strain it because I love getting an extra spicy kick from the chili flakes and it gets spicer as it sits.

Can I use fresh chilies?

Since this is a no-cook hot honey, I haven't tested this recipe with fresh chili peppers. I assume that you could, but I don't recommend it. Fresh chilies contain water content and water can spoil honey when stored at room temperature. You'll need to store it in the fridge, but it will cause the honey to crystalize.

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