Chili Garlic Hot Honey (Gift Idea For Pizza Lovers)
Know someone who orders their pizza extra spicy or keeps a bottle of hot honey on the table at all times? This is the homemade gift they didn’t know they needed. This chili garlic hot honey is sweet, spicy, and garlicky. It’s the perfect drizzle for pizza, flatbreads, sandwiches, fried chicken, and roasted veggies.
Hot honey is everywhere right now. You’ve probably seen it all over restaurant menus, cooking magazines, and food-centric gift shop shelves. Perhaps you’ve even seen it here on Cheap Recipe Blog (hot honey pizza muffins, anyone?)
Store-bought bottles can be expensive, but the good news is that you can make delicious, flavor-packed hot honey at home for much less.
This chili garlic hot honey is sweet, spicy, and aromatic thanks to the toasty garlic. It has that perfect balance of heat and flavor that makes every bite of pizza (or anything else you put it on) instantly better.
What You’ll Need
You’ll need 4 simple ingredients to make chili garlic hot honey at home (apologies for leaving 1 crucial ingredient out of the photo, above.)
- Honey: No need to buy anything fancy. Look for the regular, runny honey at the grocery store. Avoid thick, pale honey. This recipe is best with the runny, liquid honey.
- Red chili flakes: Look in the spice section of the grocery store. These are the same kind of red chili flakes served at pizza restaurants.
- Chopped dried garlic: Look for larger chunks of garlic – not garlic powder or garlic salt
- Apple cider vinegar: Optional but highly recommended! This adds more flavor.
The Process: How To Make Chili Garlic Hot Honey
- Place honey, chili flakes, and garlic in a medium saucepan
- Turn heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; Add apple cider vinegar
- Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let the honey cool to room temperature
- Strain out most (but not all) of the red pepper flakes and garlic (I like to keep some in for texture and visual appeal)
- Store in jars, refrigerated
Scroll down for the detailed recipe.
A Perfect Homemade Gift
A jar of chili-garlic hot honey is great for Christmas gifts, host gifts or food-lover gift boxes. It’s budget friendly, easy to make in batches, and looks beautiful in small jars. I picked up decorative jars at a craft store, ideal for gifting. Small Mason jars also work wonderfully.
For an ideal gift, pair this garlic hot honey with:
- A gift card to a local pizza place
- A wheel of brie of goat cheese
- Artisan bread
- Good-quality olive oil
- Homemade spice blends
How To Use Chili Garlic Hot Honey
- Pepperoni or sausage pizza
- Flatbreads or calzones
- Grilled or fried chicken
- Roasted vegetables
- Ricotta or goat cheese on toast
- Breakfast sandwiches
- Cornbread or biscuits
- Vanilla ice cream
If a dish needs a final burst of flavor, this hot honey is the perfect finishing touch.
Why Make Trendy Sauces At Home?
Making your own homemade sauces is one of the easiest ways to save money in the kitchen. While artisanal hot honey can cost up to $15 for a small jar, you can make your own in minutes and for far less money.
Making it yourself also allows you to:
- Adjust the heat level to your liking
- Control the sweetness
- Add flavors like garlic, smoked paprika, chipotle or citrus zest
- Create multiple variations using the same base ingredients
And my favorite part? Homemade sauces also make fantastic gifts! People love receiving something homemade from the kitchen, and it’s the type of gift they’ll actually use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need to refrigerate garlic hot honey?
A: Yes. Any infused honey containing fresh or dried garlic should be refrigerated. This prevents bacterial growth and keeps the flavor fresh and bright.
Q: Can I adjust the heat level?
A: Absolutely. For a milder honey, reduce the red chili flakes or strain more out after simmering. For a hotter version, add extra chili flakes or stir in a small amount of chili crisp or cayenne.
Q: What kind of honey is best for hot honey?
A: Use a runny, liquid honey – the standard grocery store variety works perfectly. Thick or crystallized honey doesn’t infuse as evenly and may burn more easily.
Chili Garlic Hot Honey
I like to strain out a lot of the chili flakes and garlic pieces to make a smoother honey. Leaving some in adds texture and visual appeal.
Ingredients
- 40 oz honey
- 3 tablespoons red chili flakes
- 3 tablespoons dried garlic flakes
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Place honey in a large saucepan. Add chili flakes and dried garlic pieces. Turn on heat to medium-low.
- Bring honey to a low simmer, stirring occasionally. Add apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Place a strainer over a clean bowl. Pour honey into strainer to capture chili flakes and garlic.
- Pour honey into sanitized jars. Spoon in desired amount of reserved chili flakes and garlic. Keep in refrigerator.