Quick and easy to make, this sweet and spicy hot honey sauce is sure to become your favorite drizzle and dipping sauce! This recipe is a copycat of the famous Mike’s Hot Honey ingredients.
This hot honey sauce goes great on toast, pizza, fried chicken, biscuits, roasted veggies, or drizzled on cheese and crackers. Whip up your own hot honey in under 10 minutes. You will be glad you did!
What Is Hot Honey?
Hot honey sauce is a sweet and spicy condiment that combines honey with hot peppers or chili flakes. The sauce has a smooth texture and a spicy, sweet taste with a subtle heat. Making hot honey at home allows you to make the heat intensity a little or a lot.
The sweet-heat combo of honey and peppers makes a great dipping and drizzling sauce. Perfect kick on chicken wings, fried chicken, and waffles, drizzled over pizza and on sandwiches.
How do you use hot honey?
Once you learn all the great ways to enjoy hot honey, it will surely be added to your favorite foods list!
- Toss on Chinese salt and pepper chicken wings recipe.
- You will really enjoy hot honey in this Honey Chicken Recipe.
- Drizzle over baked brie
- Hot honey would be a great addition to one of these healthy charcuterie board ideas.
- Add hot honey to your favorite tea, mocktail, or cocktail.
What Ingredients Are In Mike’s Hot Honey
Mike’s hot honey ingredients are listed on their jars. Making Mike’s Hot Honey copycat is all about the step-by-step process.
- Chilis: This recipe requires crushed red pepper chili flakes with seeds. These are small dried chili peppers that have been crushed into small pieces. They are readily available in most grocery stores and provide moderate heat.
- Vinegar: White vinegar mellows the sauce’s sweet heat just a bit. Mike’s Hot Honey vinegar is in their ingredients list. However, you can leave this out if you want a sweeter sauce.
- Honey: Be sure to buy high-quality honey. Here are a few tips to help you know what to look for when buying pure honey.
Tips For Buying Quality Honey
- Look for raw honey: Raw honey has not been pasteurized or filtered, so it retains its natural enzymes, pollen, and other beneficial nutrients. Look for honey labeled as “raw” or “unpasteurized.”
- Check the source: Look for honey sourced from reputable beekeepers or companies that use sustainable and ethical beekeeping practices. You can also look for certified organic honey, which means it has been produced without harmful chemicals or pesticides. One of my favorites is raw wildflower, honey.
- Check the color and texture: Good quality honey should have a consistent color and texture throughout the jar. Avoid crystallized honey or visible air bubbles, which may indicate that it has been processed or diluted with other ingredients.
- Check the label: Look for honey with a simple ingredient list with no added sugars or artificial sugar. You can also check the label for the country of origin and any certifications or quality standards.
Step-By-Step How To Make Hot Honey Sauce?
Step one: In a small saucepan, pour in honey.
Step Two: Add the red pepper chili flakes and seeds to the pan of honey. Using a rubber spatula, stir the pepper flakes into the honey.
Step Three: Heat the mixture over medium-low heat until the honey is warmed. Be very careful you do not get the honey to the boiling point. It’s best to continually stir, so you will not burn the honey while heating. In order to liquefy honey, it is best to heat it at 35-40°C (95-104°F). The temperature should not go beyond 40°C (104°F) to avoid overheating. This will take about 4 minutes.
Step Four: Stir in the vinegar and cook the mixture for an additional 1 minute.
Step Five: Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the hot honey sauce steep for 10 minutes.
Step Six: Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain the flakes and seeds from the honey. This will remove any solid pieces and leave you with a smooth sauce. Be sure to press the solids with a spoon or spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. *Note: If you want a hotter honey sauce, do not strain the pepper flakes and seeds. However, it will get hotter when in storage.
Step Seven: Transfer the hot honey sauce to a jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Place the hot honey in a cool, low-light, dry place for up to 12 months.
Safety Tip: Remember it’s best to wear gloves and handle red pepper flakes. If you accidentally get the oils from the chili peppers on your hand and then touch your face, they can cause skin irritation and burning sensations if not handled properly.
Is hot honey spicy?
Yes, hot honey is spicy. Hot honey is typically made by combining regular honey with chili peppers or chili flakes, adding heat and a spicy flavor. The level of spiciness can vary depending on the type and amount of chili peppers used in the recipe.
Can I make hot honey with fresh chilies?
Yes, you can make hot honey with fresh chilies. However, remember fresh real chili peppers have a higher water content than dried chilies or chili flakes, which can affect the consistency of the hot honey sauce. Additionally, fresh chilies can vary in heat level, so you may need to adjust the chili peppers you use based on your preference.
Can I make my hot honey spicier?
Yes, you can make your hot honey spicier by increasing the amount of red chili peppers you put in the recipe and the time you let the chili flakes and seeds steep in the honey.
Can I leave the pepper flakes and seeds in homemade hot honey?
You can leave the seeds and flakes in the hot honey if you prefer a more textured sauce. The seeds and flakes will add heat and flavor to the honey and give the sauce a unique appearance. However, if you prefer a smoother consistency, you may want to strain the seeds and flakes out of the hot honey.
How long does hot honey last?
Hot honey can last up to 12 months if stored properly in an airtight container in a cool, low-light, dry place. However, if the hot honey has been opened or exposed to air, it may crystallize or become cloudy over time, affecting the texture and flavor.
More Recipe Ideas For Hot Honey
- Make a cocktail like this Sicey Hot Honey Margarita.
- Drizzle over homemade biscuits and cornbread biscuits.
- Hot honey makes a great topping for ice cream. It’s the perfect balance of creamy cold sweet, and sweet heat.
- Drizzle over your favorite cheese and crackers.
- This cast iron pizza recipe is drizzled with hot honey for the perfect sweet heat topping.
Need to make a big batch? I can help. In the recipe card below, all you have to do is tap 2X to double or 3x to triple this recipe. The amounts for each ingredient will change, then hit the print button. Here is another tip: slide over the sleep mode tab in the recipe card to prevent your phone screen from going dark while you are making the recipe. It’s that easy!
Mike’s Hot Honey Sauce With Chilies Copycat Recipe
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey, Choose a good quality raw honey. (how to tips in the post
- 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes and seeds, More or less depending on how much heat you enjoy.
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, pour in honey.1 cup honey
- Add the red pepper chili flakes and seeds to the pan of honey. Using a rubber spatula, stir the pepper flakes into the honey.2 tablespoons red pepper flakes and seeds
- Heat the mixture over medium-low heat until the honey is warmed. Be very careful you do not get the honey to the boiling point. It’s best to continually stir, so you will not burn the honey while heating. In order to liquefy honey, it is best to heat it at 35-40°C (95-104°F). The temperature should not go beyond 40°C (104°F) to avoid overheating. This will take about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the vinegar and cook the mixture for an additional 1 minute.2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the hot honey sauce steep for 10 minutes.
- Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain the flakes and seeds from the honey. This will remove any solid pieces and leave you with a smooth sauce. Be sure to press the solids with a spoon or spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. *Note: If you want a hotter honey sauce, do not strain the pepper flakes and seeds. However, it will get hotter when in storage.
- Transfer the hot honey sauce to a jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Place the hot honey in a cool, low-light, dry place for up to 12 months.
Notes
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Good recipe!
My brother-in-law and I are bee keepers and I wanted to try making some hot! We harvested close to 60 gallons last season and we just give to friends.
I need to find an ultra fine sieve to get all the solids out so it doesn’t get much hotter over time.
Can’t wait to experiment with other dried peppers and steep times.
We had hives too. Mostly Italians and Carniolans. My son loves to put whole raw garlic in 1/2 pint honey jars. He lets them sit for 6 months or so and then drizzles it on snacks and meats. Let me know how other dried peppers work.