Super Easy Homemade Bourbon Hot Honey
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Making homemade hot honey is so much easier than you think. And this one is even better because it has fresh peppers and a splash of bourbon for a sweet, spicy, and smoky flavor! Save this recipe for your next pizza nights with friends, homemade holiday gifts, to drizzle over a charcuterie board, and so much more.
The first time I had hot honey was drizzled over a soppressata pizza at a local restaurant here in Reno. And ever since, I always have at least one jar in the pantry. I’m obsessed! I drizzle it over whipped goat cheese, these crispy bacon corn fritters, and even my famous garlic butter chicken wings.
So needless to say, it was about time that I learn how to make my own. But, it’s me, so I also added a splash of bourbon! The combo of caramelized honey, spicy peppers, and oaky bourbon is just ridiculous.
Here’s just a few more reasons I absolutely love this recipe!
- It takes literally 5 minutes of prep. So beyond easy.
- This recipe uses fresh peppers which adds lots of flavorful spice.
- Pour this honey in jars for the cutest homemade holiday gift.
- Drizzle this honey over everything from chicken to pizza.
Only 3 ingredients needed
You only need 3 simple ingredients to make this recipe – honey, hot peppers, and bourbon. Make sure to pick a good-quality honey because it will make a big difference flavor-wise.
When it comes to the peppers, keep in mind that the type of chiles you use will affect the spice-level. My go-to is Fresno chiles because I think they have just the right amount of heat and I like their fruity flavor. But you can also try jalapeños, serranos, cayenne, Thai chiles, Bird’s eye, or Habanero.
Chiles can have a pretty big spice range! So if you’re sensitive to spice, use less chiles, remove the seeds, or start with something on the lower end of the spice chart like jalapeños.
Make this recipe
Feel free to taste the honey as it simmers and adjust the ingredients if needed. If you like the spice level after 15 or 30 minutes, you can always pull it from the heat!
The honey will foam up a bit as it gets hotter. Just stir the honey to keep it from burning and the foam will melt away as the honey cools. If there’s any leftover, feel free to skim it off!
Use this honey on everything
If you’re not sure how to use hot honey, the answer is simple. Just put it on everything?? Ok, maybe not everything but it really is amazing drizzled over all kinds of dishes! Here’s a few of my favorites.
- Fried chicken, chicken tenders, or chicken sandwiches
- Waffles, flaky biscuits, or cornbread
- Pizza or grilled cheese
- Cheese and crackers or charcuterie
- Ribs, pulled pork, or any BBQ
- Grilled or roasted veggies
How to store
To store leftovers, simply pour the honey into a jar or airtight container. Refrigerate the honey for up to 3 months. If you use dried peppers, you don’t need to refrigerate the honey! Just store it in a dark pantry or cupboard. Honey will theoretically last forever but I think it tastes best within 3 months.
After some time, you might notice that the honey will start to crystalize. But it’s easy to fix if you’re not a fan of the texture! Here’s what they taught us to do when I was in culinary school. Just place a jar of crystallized honey into a bowl of warm of water and stir until the crystals dissolve, about 1 minute. Easy!
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Super Easy Homemade Bourbon Hot Honey
Ingredients
- 454 milliliters honey (16 ounces)
- 42 grams sliced Fresno chiles, about 3-4 chiles (1/2 cup)
- 30 milliliters bourbon (2 Tablespoons)
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Fine mesh sieve
- Jar, for storing
Instructions
- Add the honey and chiles to a saucepan and stir to combine. Set the pan over medium heat and cook the honey, stirring often, just until it comes to a light boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer the honey for at least 45 minutes and up to 1 hour. Stir the honey occasionally to prevent it from burning. (It might foam up a bit, that's totally normal.)
- Remove from pan from the heat heat and add the bourbon. Stir well. Then, strain the honey through a fine mesh sieve and discard the leftover chiles. Pour the honey into a jar and let it cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
xo Sara Lynn
Song of the day – Here Comes the Cowboy by Mac DeMarco
Originally posted on May 24, 2019.
If a cant find fresh chilis here can i use dried chilis and if so how much?
Hey, Crystal! I have never tried dried chiles in this recipe so I can’t be sure, but I think it would work great! I would try 2-4 chopped, small dried chiles (depending on how spicy you want the honey). You could also use about 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes and add more to taste. Hope you enjoy it!
Why is the honey only good for 3 months? Is it because of the heating process and bourbon? Is refrigeration required? This looks delicious.
Thanks so much, Cali! As long as you strain the peppers out of the honey, it is actually shelf-stable for longer (6-8 months). I just usually find that it starts to crystallize after about 3 months! If you’re using fresh peppers, I would recommend refrigerating it. But, if you’re using dried peppers, it can be stored at room temperature. Hope that helps! xx.
First time I tried it. I used scorpion peppers super hot, flavors delicious. However, it’s solidified to an almost gummy substance after it cooled. Only cooked it for 30 minutes but maybe I had it on too high of heat? Only left one edge of the pan over low heat. So I didn’t think it was too hot. Any recommendations to keep it a honey consistency.
Hi Brad, that’s so odd! I’ve never had honey do that, it always cools back to honey consistency. It sounds like it may have crystallized which happens faster with some brands. I would put the jar in a bowl of warm/hot water for 10-15 minutes and give it a good stir!
Hi, we are bee keepers and have harvested our first batch of honey. Delicious! We have purchased bourbon infused honey from other vendors but want to make our own. Would we simply leave the peppers out, and add the bourbon?
Thanks for any info you can share
Hi Jenny, that sounds amazing, I love fresh honey! Yes, you can heat the honey until it bubbles, remove it from the heat, and add bourbon to taste. 🙂 No need to simmer the honey since you’re not infusing it!
love this recipe, I made a double recipe so i had lots left over. I put this on everything!
Thanks so much, Maria! I love hot honey on everything too! xx.