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Hot honey has been having its moment for a while now, for good reason. It’s delicious on pretty much anything. Pizza, avocado toast, fried chicken, roasted vegetables, baked brie. The list is endless. You could buy a bottle and drizzle it on all of those things. Or, you could make it at home for a fraction of the cost, with ingredients you probably already have.
All you need to make the best Homemade Hot Honey are 4 ingredients: honey (obviously), chilies, apple cider vinegar and salt. The last 2 aren’t even mandatory. It only takes 10 minutes, and it’s good in the fridge for up to 3 months.
What I really love about making my own hot honey over store-bought alternatives is that I can adjust the spice level to taste or depending how I want to use it. Or even switch up the kind of chilies I use for different flavor profiles.
My favorite chilies for this recipe are Bird’s Eye, or thai, chilies. Fresh chilies will give you a super spicy honey, so start with less and add more to taste if you want it spicier. You can also use milder peppers like jalapeños, or different hot peppers like habaneros or Scotch bonnet peppers. Fresh chilies are my go to, but I use dried chili flakes when I don’t have fresh on hand.
Dried chilies will give you a slightly less spicy honey (unless you use a LOT). They’re a great option if you want to make this recipe using pantry staples. They also give you hot honey that lasts longer in the fridge than honey made with fresh chilies.
Once you give homemade a try, I promise you’ll never go back to store-bought.
Homemade Hot Honey (4 Ingredients and 10 Minutes)
Equipment
- 1 glass jar or heatproof container
Ingredients
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tsp chilies such as Bird's Eye chilies or chili flakes or more to taste (see Note 1)
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Combine the honey, chilies and salt in a small saucepan
- Bring to a simmer over low heat
- Let simmer for 5 minutes; do not increase the heat or it could burn
- Dip a spoon into the honey and let it cool then taste it; if you want it spicier, add more chilies and let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes (see Note 2)
- Remove from heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar
- Strain into a jar or heatproof container (you can skip straining it, but it will get spicier over time especially with fresh chilies)
- Let cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge; for fresh chilies, use within 1 month and for dried chilies, use within 3 months
Notes
Nutrition
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