Hot Honey Recipe
This hot honey recipe is the perfect sweet and spicy condiment to add to just about anything. It takes pizza and sandwiches to a whole new level of deliciousness.
I’m not quite sure how I only just recently found out about hot honey, but my life has been changed and it’s one of my favorite things now. Hopefully it will become one of your favorites, too.
This recipe results in the perfect blend of sweet, spicy, and savory–due to the addition of salted butter. Honey and butter are always a great pair.
Another factor in choosing to add butter was that I was testing this hot honey recipe on my Hot Honey Chicken Sandwiches, and without the fat from the butter, the hot honey sauce almost instantly soaked into the breading on the sandwiches.
So the butter is definitely there for flavor, but it also serves a functional role in the sauce to help prevent your food from becoming soggy.
Ingredients for Hot Honey Recipe
Honey: I used local, raw honey from Reeder Bees. I think the flavor and consistency is far superior to what you can find at the grocery store. However, any type of honey will work for this recipe.
Butter: I almost always use salted butter in my recipes. The salt from the butter really does pull out the sweetness from the honey.
Red pepper flakes & cayenne pepper: These two peppers put the “hot” in “hot honey.” I love a good bit of spice, but I intentionally designed this recipe to have a very mild spice level that could easily be adjusted based on preferences.
How to Make Hot Honey Recipe
Making your own hot honey is very simple.
- Heat the honey and the spices. Combine the honey, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper in a small saucepan and heat on low for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add the butter. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Let the butter melt completely and stir until the sauce is a smooth consistency.
- Let cool. The the honey cool slightly before serving or storing in the refrigerator.
Notes & Tips
Substitutions & Additions
- This honey sauce has a mild spice level. If you prefer lots of spice, you can double the amount of red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper and/or let it cook on low for double the time.
- Also note that as the honey sits and is stored, more of the spice will be released into the sauce.
- If you prefer to leave out the spice, you can totally do that. This would be a delicious honey butter sauce on its own.
- If you don’t have red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, you could substitute about a half teaspoon hot sauce.
- For more complex, herby flavor, try adding dried sage, rosemary, or thyme.
What to Pair with Hot Honey
A drizzle of hot honey can really elevate so many different dishes. Try adding it to:
- Pizza, like this Detroit Style Pizza
- Sandwiches and burgers
- Eggs
- Toast, biscuits, and cornbread
- Avocado toast
- Fried chicken
- Baked chicken, like these Hot Honey Chicken Sandwiches
- Pasta and lasagna, like this Deconstructed (Sheet Pan) Lasagna
- Bacon
- Salads
- Soft Pretzels, like these Pizza Dough Pretzels
- Goat cheese with crackers
- Vegetables
- Vanilla ice cream
Storage
This hot honey sauce should be stored in the refrigerator between uses. It is good for up to six days in the refrigerator. Simply rewarm for 15-30 seconds in the microwave to soften and bring back to liquid consistency. I would not recommend freezing this hot honey sauce.
Other Recipes You Might Like…
- Hot Honey Chicken Sandwiches
- Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
- Sweet Potato, Coconut, and Chili Soup
- Caramelized Mushrooms and Onions
- Spicy Udon Noodles
Hot Honey Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat the honey, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper on low for about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted and fully incorporated.
- Let cool slightly, then serve or store in the refrigerator for up to six days.
Notes
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