• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Grain Free Table logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • Let's Connect
  • Work With Me
  • About
×
Home » Recipes » Basics

Homemade Hot Honey Sauce

Published: May 3, 2023 · Modified: Oct 16, 2024 by Meeta Arora · Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy here.

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
hot honey sauce in a mason jar

This homemade hot honey sauce is the perfect sweet and spicy topping to drizzle over everything from pizza to wings and even make some hot honey fried chicken.

Looking into a jar of homemade hot honey sauce sitting on a brown plate next with a small honey stick.

Don't overpay for little bottles of store-bought hot honey sauce anymore because all you need is a few ingredients and a few minutes, and you will have a perfectly sweet and spicy homemade hot honey sauce to drizzle on anything you want.

Jump to:
  • What is hot honey?
  • What does hot honey taste like?
  • Ingredients.
  • Steps.
  • Adjust the heat.
  • Tips and tricks.
  • Make it your own.
  • Ways to use hot honey.
  • Storing.
  • More recipes.
  • 📖 Recipe

What is hot honey?

Hot honey is simply honey that has been infused with chili peppers to make a sweet, spicy, and sticky sauce. Different sauces can vary by spice levels depending on the type and amounts of chilis used.

What does hot honey taste like?

Hot honey simply tastes like spicy honey. The flavors will vary depending on the type of honey and chilis used to infuse the honey.

Ingredients.

Have you ever gone to buy bottles of hot honey and had sticker shock at the prices over $15.00 a bottle? Did you know you can easily make some homemade hot honey for a lot less? You can, and I can bet that you probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen.

  • Apple cider vinegar. - The apple cider vinegar adds just a hint of acidity that adds more flavor and depth to the hot honey. If you don't have apple cider vinegar, you can also use white wine vinegar or even rice vinegar.
  • Honey. - This homemade hot honey sauce works best with lighter honey. Darker honey with a stronger flavor can impact the overall taste of your hot honey sauce. Do not think you have to use the most expensive honey. You can even use honey that has crystalized since the heat of making the sauce will break down the honey crystals.
  • Chili peppers - You can use either fresh or dried chilis to make hot honey. I tend just to use simple red pepper flakes because they are inexpensive, and I always have them on hand. You can also use chili powder, cayenne pepper, or even a bit of smoked paprika. If you want to use fresh peppers, you can use jalapeno, serrano, or habanero. Use a chili pepper that you like the flavor and heat levels of.
Homemade hot honey sauce ingredients, including honey, chili peppers of choice, and apple cider vinegar.

Steps.

There are just a few simple steps needed to make this recipe for a homemade version of Mike's hot honey.

  1. Add the honey and chili peppers to a small skillet or saucepan.
  2. Bring the honey mixture to a simmer on low for a few minutes.
  3. Remove it from the heat and add the apple cider vinegar.
Add the honey and spices to a pot. Let the honey and spices simmer on low for a few minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the apple cider vinegar.

Adjust the heat.

When it comes to deciding the best chili pepper to use to make hot honey, it usually comes down to the level of spice. Let's break down the heat level.

For dried peppers:

Milder

  • Gochugaur, also known as Korean pepper flakes.
  • Anaheim chili peppers. - They are usually dried whole. These chilis are mild, and typically the hotter ones are similar in heat to mild jalapenos.
  • Ancho chili peppers. - Ancho chili peppers are dried poblano peppers. It has a sweet and smokey flavor similar to paprika. Ancho chilis can actually calm down spicier peppers with mixed.
  • Guajillo Chili Peppers - These dried red peppers typically need to be rehydrated. They have a spice level similar to a medium jalapeno.

Hotter

  • Dried or dehydrated jalapenos. - Dried jalapenos are just normal jalapenos that have usually been smoked and then dried. Just like regular jalapenos, the spice level can vary from milder to spicier.
  • Red pepper flakes. - Red pepper flakes are sold in the spice section. They are usually a mixture of peppers, most commonly from peppers like jalapenos, bell peppers, fresno peppers, anaheim peppers, and cayenne peppers.

For fresh peppers:

For milder fresh peppers, you will want to use anaheim, guajillo, or jalapenos. If you want more heat, you can use chipotle or habanero peppers. If you really want extra spicy hot honey, you can use a chile de arbol pepper that is very spicy.

Tips and tricks.

  • Use honey that you love. - Honey can vary greatly in flavor, so always use honey that you like before adding any chili peppers to it.
  • Use a pepper suitable for the spice level that you want. - Using a really spicy chili pepper is going to make your hot honey sauce spicier. Always err on the side of milder to start. You can always add more heat if needed.
  • Don't boil the honey. - You want to make sure to keep the heat at a medium-low temperature so you don't boil the honey. A light simmer is all it needs to infuse the honey with the chili peppers. Boiling the honey can cause it to crystallize.
  • The longer your simmer the honey and chili peppers, the more spicy the hot honey sauce will be.
  • You can strain the chili peppers out of the honey if you desire. Just note if you don't, the chilis will continue to infuse the honey, and it will get hotter over time.
  • If you make your hot honey sauce too spicy, simply add more honey to the pot. This will dilute the chili pepper and reduce the overall heat.

Make it your own.

It's easy to add more delicious flavor to this hot honey recipe.

  • Butter. - You can use either salted or unsalted butter. Just add equal parts butter to your honey. The melted butter adds richness to the hot honey and adjusts the thickness of the sauce.
  • Add a mixture of chili peppers. - If you want more flavors, use a combination of chili peppers. You can even add a combination of dried and fresh if you want.
  • Garlic. - You can use garlic powder or even some fresh or roasted garlic in your hot honey sauce to make a hot honey garlic sauce..

Ways to use hot honey.

There is no wrong way to use this homemade hot honey. Here are my favorite ways to use hot honey sauce.

  • I love drizzling it over my gluten-free fried chicken or adding more heat to my spicy, gluten-free fried chicken.
  • It's delicious when drizzled over some gluten-free cornbread or biscuits.
  • Use it as a dipping sauce for your favorite gluten-free chicken nuggets.
  • Add a sweet and spicy flavor to roasted vegetables.
  • Brush on grilled corn.
  • Add to your favorite gluten-free bbq sauce for some hot honey bbq sauce.
  • Add to a snack board or charcuterie tray; it's delicious on cheese!
  • Use it to toss and dip some gluten-free wings into, making it the perfect hot honey wing sauce.
  • Drizzle it over some gluten-free pizza; trust me, just do it!
  • Mix over some roasted nuts for a bit of extra flavor.
  • It's even great on its own as the perfect homemade gift.
A jar of homemade hot honey sauce sitting on a brown plate with a small honey stick dripping off into the jar.

Storing.

You can store this hot honey sauce recipe either at room temperature or in the fridge.

  • If you plan on storing it at room temperature, be sure to use sterilized jars. In sterilized jars, hot honey will stay good stored in a dark place for up to three months.
  • If you use fresh chili peppers, I suggest storing your hot honey in the fridge. When stored in the fridge, hot honey will stay good for up to three weeks.

More recipes.

Sometimes homemade versions are just better than store-bought. Check out some of my favorites to make at home instead.

  • Homemade avocado oil mayonnaise in a mason jar sitting on a counter surrounded by a bottle of avocado oil, egg shell, a half of a lemon and an immersion blender.
    Homemade Mayo
  • homemade pizza sauce
    Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce
  • Watermelon cut it three different ways, wedges, watermelon sticks and watermelon cubes on a wooden cutting board.
    Easy Ways to Cut a Watermelon
  • Gluten-free spinach pesto in a small white bowl next to some pistachios.
    Gluten-free Pesto without Pine Nuts

📖 Recipe

A jar of homemade hot honey sauce sits on a brown plate next to more spices and a small honey stick.

Homemade Hot Honey Sauce

Meeta Arora
This homemade hot honey sauce is the perfect sweet and spicy topping to drizzle over everything from pizza to wings and even making some hot honey fried chicken.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 10 minutes mins
Course Baics, condiment
Cuisine American
Servings 16
Calories 49 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Cup Honey
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Dried Chilli Flakes Substitute the dried chilis for fresh ones. Just note that the more seeds you add, the more heat your hot honey will have.
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
  • ¼ - ½ Teaspoon Cayenne Optional or extra heat.

Instructions
 

  • Add the honey, chili pepper flakes, and the cayenne, if you are using it, to a small skillet or saucepan.
    1 Cup Honey, 1-2 Tablespoons Dried Chilli Flakes, ¼ - ½ Teaspoon Cayenne
  • Bring the honey to a slight simmer over medium-low heat.
  • Let the honey simmer and infuse with the chili flavors for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove the honey from the heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar.
    1 ½ Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Strain the hot honey sauce if desired before allowing it to cool and storing it.

Notes

Tips and tricks.
  • Use honey that you love. - Honey can vary greatly in flavor, so always use honey that you like before adding any chili peppers to it.
  • Use a pepper suitable for the spice level that you want. - Using a really spicy chili pepper is going to make your hot honey sauce spicier. Always err on the side of milder to start. You can always add more heat if needed.
  • Don't boil the honey. - You want to make sure to keep the heat at a medium-low temperature, so you don't boil the honey. A light simmer is all it needs to infuse the honey with the chili peppers. Boiling the honey can cause it to crystallize.
  • The longer your simmer the honey and chili peppers, the more spicy the hot honey sauce will be.
  • You can strain the chili peppers out of the honey if you desire. Just note if you don't, the chilis will continue to infuse the honey, and it will get hotter over time.
  • If you make your hot honey sauce to spicy, simply add more honey to the pot. This will dilute the chili pepper and reduce the overall heat.

Nutrition

Calories: 49kcal
Keyword homemade hot honey, hot honey fried chicken, hot honey sauce
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Check these out next!

  • Bbq pork dry rub for ribs in a jar.
    Homemade BBQ Spice Blend
  • Steak marinated in a garlic steak marinade cooked to medium sliced on a bed of mashed potatoes and a side of green beans.
    Gluten-free Garlic and Herb Steak Marinade
  • Up close look of a bowl of balsamic bruschetta being served with slices of gluten-free french bread.
    Gluten-free Balsamic Bruschetta Dip
  • Up close of a mason jar filled with a homemade gluten-free cream of chicken soup.
    Gluten-free Cream of Chicken Soup
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Print

Reader Interactions

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Leave a comment. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Meeta Arora, writer at Grain Free Table

Welcome to Grain Free Table! I’m Meeta- a busy wife, mom of two girls, and lover of food. Here you’ll find lots of easy and delicious gluten & allergy-friendly recipes, info about my favorite food & products, for a gluten-free way of life!

More about me →

WANT TO STAY CONNECTED?

SIGN UP for emails and updates!

POPULAR

  • Up close on a piece of gluten free chicken fried steak on a bed of mashed potatoes, with green beans and sausage country gravy.
    The BEST Gluten-free Chicken Fried Steak
  • Up close look at some gluten-free chinese bbq pork sliced on a serving board.
    Gluten-free Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu)
  • A bowl of gluten-free red beans and rice made with cauliflower rice.
    Gluten-free Louisiana Red Beans and Cauliflower Rice
  • Up close look at a plate of gluten-free swedish meatballs and gravy.
    Incredibly Easy Gluten-free Swedish Meatballs
  • A slice of grain-free chocolate in a white plate
    The ULTIMATE Grain-free Chocolate Cake
  • gf bbq beef jerky spread on a parchment paper
    Sweet and Tangy BBQ Beef Jerky
  • St louis pork ribs sliced and being served with gluten-free bbq sauce.
    Gluten-free BBQ Pork Ribs in the Oven
  • Up close look at square slices of gluten-free deep dish pizza sitting on a cutting board.
    Gluten-free Deep Dish Pizza
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • My Favorites
  • Let's Connect
  • About

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Portfolio

Disclaimers

  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Nutrition Disclaimer
  • Photo/ Recipe Policy
  • Comment Policies

Contact

  • Contact
  • Subscribe

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Grain Free Table

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.