If there’s one ingredient that instantly wakes up a dish, it’s hot honey. That perfect balance of sweetness with a slow-building kick? It transforms the ordinary into something seriously crave-worthy in seconds.

A glass jar of hot honey with a honey dipper rests on a wooden surface, near a blue-striped cloth, crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl, and a bottle in the background.

This easy homemade hot honey recipe is one of my kitchen staples — and once you make it yourself, you may never go back to store-bought. I love recipes like this because they’re simple and completely customizable — sort of like my bread and butter! You control the heat, the sweetness, and the intensity. Just a few pantry staples working their magic.

A small saucepan on a light countertop contains oil, red pepper flakes, hot honey, and a splash of orange-red liquid, likely hot sauce.
A small metal saucepan filled with chili oil and a hint of hot honey, showing red pepper flakes and seeds suspended in the oil, sits on a light-colored marble surface.
A metal strainer containing red chili flakes and oil for making Hot Honey sits on a light, textured surface.
A small glass bowl containing a reddish-brown hot honey sauce, placed on a light-colored, textured surface.

What is hot honey?

Hot honey is exactly what it sounds like — pure honey infused with chili peppers or red pepper flakes to create a sweet, spicy condiment that’s as versatile as it is tasty. It’s been popping up on restaurant menus everywhere, but making it at home is incredibly easy and means you can tailor the heat level exactly to your liking.

A honey dipper drizzles hot honey into a small glass jar on a wooden surface, with a small bowl of red pepper flakes and a blue cloth nearby.
A jar of hot honey with a honey dipper, a small bowl of crushed red pepper flakes, a blue cloth, and a bottle of hot sauce on a wooden board and light surface.

It takes no time to make, stores beautifully for months, and works as a tasty topping for so many dishes. I’m a total spice girl, so I love cranking up the heat — and a good drizzle goes a loooong and delicious way! Try it on my Harvest Grilled Cheese, Mini Corn Dog Muffins, Smashed Parmesan Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Veggies, Healthy Chicken Tenders, Pecan-Crusted Chicken Fingers or even a drizzle over my Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken Pizza or High-Protein Scrambled Eggs. It makes EVERYTHING better. 

A honey dipper drizzles hot honey into a small glass jar on a wooden surface, with a bottle of honey, a bowl of red pepper flakes, and a blue cloth nearby.

Try my Honey Mustard Sauce!

A honey dipper drizzles hot honey into a small glass jar on a wooden surface, with a small bowl of red pepper flakes and a blue cloth nearby.
(5 stars) 2 ratings

Hot Honey

This homemade condiment is just the right mix of hot and sweet. It combines honey with fiery red pepper flakes and hot sauce.
Yield: 0.5 cup
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Inactive Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
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Ingredients
 

  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Instructions
 

  • Mist a small to medium saucepan with oil spray and warm over medium heat. Add honey, red pepper flakes and hot sauce, and stir to combine.
  • When gentle bubbles start to form around the edges, remove from heat and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes (the red pepper flakes will infuse spice into the honey as it sits).
  • Strain honey by pouring it through a mesh colander or strainer. Discard leftover red pepper flakes.
  • Use hot honey on chicken, eggs or roasted veggies, spread on toast or even drizzle over ice cream or pizza. You can store leftover honey at room temperature for at least several months (three or more).

Notes

Nutrition information provided per teaspoon.
Author: Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information per serving

Serving Size: 1 tablespoonCalories: 20Carbohydrates: 6gProtein: 0gTotal Fat: 0g— Unsaturated Fat: 0g— Saturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 10mgFiber: 0gTotal Sugar: 6g— Natural Sugar: 0g— Added Sugar: 6g
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.
I’m hoping you loved this recipe! If you made it and want to share feedback, I’d be so grateful to hear from you. Please leave a review below or tag @joybauer on Instagram!