This homemade hot honey recipe calls for just 3 ingredients and is SO EASY to make!

Drizzle it on fried chicken sandwiches, pizza, or roasted sweet potatoes. It's the perfect way to add a sweet and spicy kick to all of your favorite foods.

A jar of honey with a honey dipper on the side and crushed chiles on the counter.

If you've seen hot honey on your favorite restaurant menu or the aisles of the grocery store, I'm sure you're wondering one thing: can you make homemade hot honey? Well, I'm happy to tell you that the answer is YES!

Not only can you make your own spicy honey, it's shockingly easy, and it's the best way to add sweet heat to your favorite dishes.

Everything from fried chicken to pizza, hot honey is the ultimate drizzle-worthy condiment. Serve it with chicken nuggets for an adult-ified version of a childhood classic - trust me, it's worth it!

Why You'll Love It:

Tastes amazing on everything. If you like a spicy-sweet kick, you'll want to add this to ALL of your favorite dishes.
Budget-friendly. Making your own hot honey sauce is less expensive than buying it. It's worth the extra effort!
Better than store-bought. Many of us have fallen in love with Mike's Hot Honey, but trust me when I say homemade is WAY better.

You Will Need:

A jar of honey, a container of crushed chiles, and a small bowl of apple cider vinegar.

Honey: Select good quality honey without crystallization. We recommend seeking out local honey whenever possible.
- Raw honey can be used if desired, but it will be warmed in the process, so it will not maintain its "raw" status if that's important to you.
Crushed red pepper flakes (AKA crushed chilies): Dried and crushed peppers are used for this recipe to keep the water content to an absolute minimum. This increases the shelf life of the honey.
- Basic crushed red peppers (dried chili flakes) are a budget-conscious option and widely available!
  - Other dried peppers can be used as long as they are crushed first.
Apple cider vinegar: This mellows out the spicy flavor and also helps ensure the honey is easier to pour or drizzle. We tested with and without, and the flavor of the honey WITH apple cider vinegar was far superior.

Tools and Equipment

Fine mesh strainer (metal preferred)
Large glass measuring cup
Small saucepan

How to Make Hot Honey

If you're anything like the rest of us, you're going to want to have a jar of hot honey on hand at all times! Thankfully, it's made with pantry staples and is a cinch to whip up.

With just a few simple ingredients and some regular honey, you can have your own spicy condiment that's worth its weight in gold.

Step one: Add 1 ⅓ cups of honey to a small saucepan. Warm it over medium low heat until the honey is a thinner liquid and warm.

Adding dried red pepper flakes to a saucepan with honey.

Step two: Once the honey is warm, add ¼ cup of crushed dried peppers. Heat for an additional 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and "steep" for 10 minutes.

Pouring infused honey through a fine mesh strainer.

Step three: Set a fine mesh strainer over a glass measuring cup or bowl and pour the honey through the strainer.
Discard the dried pepper flakes after straining.

Note: If the honey is thick or difficult to strain, it can be reheated on the stovetop for just a minute or so, which should make it easier to strain.

Pouring apple cider vinegar into a measuring cup full of honey.

Step four: Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the strained honey, and stir gently until well combined.
Transfer the honey to a clean glass jar and cover the lid with a coffee filter secured with a rubber band.
Allow the honey to cool to room temperature before adding a lid.

A weck jar filled with honey, with a honey dipper on the counter, along with crushed red pepper.

Fresh or Dried Peppers?

For the best results with the longest storage time, we recommend using dried peppers. Fresh peppers can be used to infuse honey, but since that introduces moisture, the honey has to be stored in the refrigerator and has a much shorter storage time (about 2 weeks).

If you want to make different types of honey, you can source all kinds of dried hot peppers! Just crush them with a mortar and pestle or food processor before adding them to the honey.

Depending on the heat level you're looking for, try dried serrano peppers, Carolina Reaper, jalapeno, ancho, etc. These can be found in specialty food shops or online.

Storing Homemade Honey

After straining, transfer your infused honey to a clean glass jar (or airtight container). To avoid condensation, the honey must cool to room temperature before adding a jar. To keep bugs and dust out, I like to cover the lid with a coffee filter secured with a rubber band.
Once the honey has cooled down, add a lid and label the jar.
Store at room temperature in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight (I like to keep it in my spice cupboard).
Hot honey made with dried peppers can keep at room temperature for up to 6 months. Discard if there are any signs of spoilage.

If your honey crystallizes: Don't worry! This is a variation of normal. You can use it as-is, or warm it up in the microwave to make it easier to drizzle.

Note: If fresh chilis are used, you should not store your honey at room temperature. It should be stored in the refrigerator and closely monitored for any signs of spoilage.

A jar of honey with a honey dipper in the jar.

Expert Tips

Use hot, soapy water. Working with honey is sticky! To make clean-up even easier, I use a non-stick saucepan, and have a sink of hot, soapy water ready to add all utensils, strainers, etc. The honey comes off much easier if it's not left to harden.
Discarding the leftover chilies. After using a spoon to work the honey through the chilies in the strainer, I transfer the leftovers to several layers of paper towel, bundle them up, and place them in the trash. Keeping the solids contained means less mess in the trash can.
Definitely add the ACV! We tested hot honey without apple cider vinegar, and it just didn't taste as well-balanced. Added acidity yields a better flavor, and makes the honey more pourable.

Ways to Use Hot Honey

Fried chicken
With goat cheese (or halloumi)
As a dipping sauce
Spicy hot toddy
On homemade pizza

Chicken wings
Salad dressings
On roasted sweet potatoes
Cheese boards (or charcuterie board)
Drizzled on vanilla ice cream

Try These Recipes with Hot Honey:

If you loved this recipe for homemade hot honey, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.

A jar of honey with a loaded honey dipper, and scattered crushed red pepper flakes on the counter.

Hot Honey

This homemade hot honey recipe calls for just 3 ingredients and is SO EASY to make! Drizzle it on fried chicken, pizza, veggies, and more!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 5

Total Time: 25

Servings: servings

Calories: 70kcal

Author: Dorothy Bigelow

Equipment

Fine mesh metal strainer or good quality plastic
Mason jar with lid

Ingredients

▢ 1 ⅓ cup honey
▢ ¼ cup crushed chili flakes also known as red pepper flakes
▢ 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Add the honey to a small saucepan and warm it over medium-low heat just until it warms and is very easy to stir.
Add in the crushed chili flakes and stir them in.
Reduce the heat to low and heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and allow to "steep" for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes have passed, place a fine-mesh strainer (metal preferred) over a bowl or measuring cup.
Pour the chili flakes and honey through the mesh strainer. The hot honey will collect in the bowl below, and the chili flakes in the strainer. You may need to carefully stir the honey and chili flakes to encourage the honey to flow through.
Note: If the honey is very thick, it will be difficult to strain. A brief re-warming over low heat should help the honey flow if needed.
Discard the chili flakes, and add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the honey. Stir gently to combine.
Transfer the honey to a clean mason jar and cover it with cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Secure with a rubber band.
Allow the hot honey to cool to room temperature before adding a lid.
Store at room temperature for up to 6 months. Discard if there are any signs of spoilage.

Did you try this recipe?Tag me at @dashfordinner and share your photos!

Notes

Yield: About 1 cup of finished hot honey. Some of the honey will adhere to the chilies, so extra is used to ensure you still get a good-sized portion.

Storing hot honey: Because dried chilies were used (not fresh), the honey can typically be stored at room temperature. Using fresh ingredients introduces water, which can easily cause mold or other forms of spoilage. Store your hot honey at room temperature only if you followed the instructions and used dried chili flakes. Be sure to discard it if any mold, off-color appearance, unpleasant smell, or unusual flavor is present. Always use clean utensils when retrieving honey from the jar, and don’t “double dip.” Waiting for the honey to cool before adding a lid also reduces the risk of condensation/moisture, so do not skip that step.

Why apple cider vinegar? Apple cider vinegar prevents the honey from setting up too thick, making it easier to drizzle. The acidity balances the heat and flavor. We tested hot honey both with and without the apple cider vinegar, and taste testers agreed – it’s better with.

My honey crystallized. What do I do? Crystalized honey is a common issue, especially if it has been heated and then cooled again. Crystalized honey is typically fine to eat (as long as there are no signs of spoilage), and gently warming the amount needed will make the honey pourable once again.

Nutrition

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