Hot honey is one of my favorite condiments, and it couldn’t be easier to make. With only two ingredients, you can literally have your hot honey ready to drizzle over your favorite meal in less than a minute. You never have to worry about a meal lacking complexity or vibrant flavor when you have hot honey. Just garnish your meal with a quick drizzle of this secret sauce for an instant pop of flavor.
The contrasting flavors in hot honey make it the perfect garnish to bridge sweet and savory elements in a dish, making it an extremely versatile condiment. Hot honey is right at home paired with a wide range of flavors and recipes — salads, sandwiches, crêpes, roasted vegetables, grain bowls, eggs, pizza, chicken wings, shrimp, cheese boards, fruit salad, even ice cream, it’s all fair game. Whip some up whenever you need, or keep a little jar of hot honey on your counter (it’s completely shelf stable). Either way, having this condiment in your arsenal to liven up your cooking on a moment’s notice is a trick that you’ll want to keep around.
The Flavor
The beauty of this versatile condiment is in its inherent balance and tension. Hot and sweet contrast each other, while at the same time building off of each other. Hot sauce adds a bright pop of heat and savory flavor, while honey’s sugar tempers the spice. The contrasting flavors build intrigue on the palate and keep you coming back for more. Is it sweet? Is it savory? The transcendent fusion renders the question moot — just add it to whatever you want.
The Process
Are you ready? Make sure you’re taking notes now. Add the honey to a bowl. Add the hot sauce to that same bowl. Whisk them together until smooth. Now you have hot honey! If that was too easy, there are some customizations you can make. I have a preferred level of spice, but that may not be the same as yours. That’s why I recommend a restrained initial level of spice, tasting the mixture and adding more hot sauce to taste. If you prefer more hot sauce and you feel that the final consistency is too fluid, you can easily heat the hot honey either in the microwave or on the stovetop to thicken it.
You can further personalize your hot honey with mix–ins too. My favorites are sesame seeds, or any version of dried pepper flakes. Some other great options include everything–bagel spice, granulated garlic, or slivered candied ginger. Feel free to experiment though; any dried herb or spice could end up being your next favorite creation.
No matter how easy the recipe is, having the right tools will always make your kitchen tasks even more enjoyable. I use these silicone spatulas and small whisk almost everyday. The shape, weight and design allow for such ease of use and efficient cleanup that just using them practically puts a smile on my face. If you’re looking to update or upgrade similar cooking utensils, then I highly recommend these options.
The History
Honey is the original sweetener. There are references as far back as 3,000 B.C. from ancient Egypt. It’s easy to understand the appeal — once the golden, sweet substance was discovered it was the sweetest flavor anyone had ever tasted. Since it requires no processing, all one needed to do to acquire the naturally occurring sweetener was pilfer a beehive. Honey was a highly coveted resource, used by cultures from ancient Egypt to feudal Europe as both a form of currency as well as tribute to the gods. At times even the location of beehives was fiercely guarded. Despite millennia of cohabitation between humans and bees, it wasn’t until the mid 19th century that the collateral hive was invented for beekeeping, allowing individual combs to be removed to collect honey without destroying the entire hive.
With the presence of a concentrated, naturally occurring sweetener dating so far back, it’s no wonder that every culture has its own tradition of incorporating sugar into its cuisine. The fact that virtually every culture also has a version of pairing sugar and spice further proves the virtue of combining the two flavors. Think Mexican hot chocolate, Thai sweet chili sauce, kung pao sauce, fruit chutneys, bbq sauce, even the more gentle spice of glühwein or masala chai.
Clearly, sweet and spicy foods have a storied history, and for good reason. So don’t waste another minute, stir up some hot honey and enjoy it on your next … anything!
Hot Honey
Ingredients
- 1 cup Honey
- 2-6 tablespoons Hot Sauce, (such as Tabasco, Crystal, or Frank’s Red Hot)
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, (optional)
Instructions
- Add honey and 2 tablespoons hot sauce to a medium bowl; whisk until combined. Taste, adding more hot sauce 1 tablespoon at a time, until hot honey reaches your desired level of spice. If using, mix in pepper flakes. Transfer to an air–tight container and store indefinitely at room temperature.
I appreciate your reuse of Bonne Maman jam jars. I have an ever-growing stockpile myself.