A spicy kick to a classic sweetener.
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When it comes to healthy sweeteners the most obvious is honey, a gift from bees that is thick, sweet, and soothing. I love honey, it is nature’s candy, and it adds much-needed sweetness to so many things. I use honey in my tea, in my oatmeal, I even use honey to sweeten my coffee. But the sweetness of honey can be blended with other flavors to make delicious sauces, spreads, dips, and marinades. I know you have seen honey blends out and about, honey barbecue sauce, honey mustard, and my personal favorite hot honey. If you are unfamiliar hot honey is that beautiful smooth honey blended with chili peppers to spice it up and can be found on the menu at many hot chicken restaurants.
Adding chilies to honey has been a custom in Italy for some time, and it has also been a trend in Brazil for many years, too. Hot honey, as we call it in the US, exploded in recent years with brands like Mike’s Hot Honey being available in grocery stores and in restaurants since 2003. As soon as you taste hot honey you understand why it has become so popular. When it hits your mouth you get the sweet forward flavor of the honey, then some heat that creeps into the back of your throat, and finally a slight tangy flavor from the vinegar. Setting off your tastebuds throughout your mouth, hot honey is the ideal dip, spread, or marinade.
Is Hot Honey Healthy?
Honey is of course our main ingredient and is high in natural sugar, but honey also has many benefits, honey is loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, it aids in throat soothing, can help protect cells, aids in heart health and digestive health, and has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Chili flakes also have benefits, they help reduce cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation, aid in digestion and help boost immunity with vitamins A and C.
Is all honey the same?
The simple answer is no, but we are not here for the simple answer. There are over 300 varieties of honey available worldwide all with their own unique color and flavor. I know that seems daunting but do not let it be, each honey made from a specific flower becomes a unique variation of honey. The most common honey found in the United States is clover honey, it has a light amber color, a deliciously sweet floral flavor, and very little aftertaste. Clover honey is perfect for this recipe and since you will more than likely be getting your honey at the grocery store it’s the most likely honey you’ll use.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Infuse
Combine warm honey and chili flakes.
Rest
Leave mixture to infuse.
Strain
Remove chili flakes and add vinegar.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
To store your hot honey let it cool to room temperature and put it into a sealed jar such as a mason jar. Since this recipe calls for dried chili flakes and vinegar you can store it at room temperature. You will want to keep it out of direct sunlight and away from extreme temperatures, so I recommend storing it in the pantry. Your hot honey should be good for up to 3 months.
The key to organic honey is no additives, no chemical residues, hives must be made of natural materials and if painted the paint must be non-toxic. Most organic honey is non-certified as it is difficult to determine the flowers the bees are pollinating.
You can, but I don’t recommend it. If you are using fresh chilies you will need to store your hot honey in the refrigerator to keep it from oxidizing.
Serving Suggestions
The beauty of hot honey is its versatility. You can easily use it as a glaze on pork, turkey or the chicken in these Caribbean Chicken Bowls. You can use it as an ingredient in a cocktail to add some spice to your alcoholic beverages.
I personally love to drizzle some hot honey on a pizza. Try this Cauliflower Pizza with Greek Yogurt Pesto for instance. Anything you would like to give a kick of sweet and spicy can get just that with hot honey.
Hot Honey Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar optional
Instructions
-
Combine honey and chili flakes in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat, being careful not to bring to a boil. Small bubbles should form along the edge of the saucepan.
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Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to infuse.
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Strain the honey through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the chili flakes, then stir in the apple cider vinegar if a balance of sweetness and acidity is desired.
Nutrition
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