How To Cut The Sweetness Of Homemade Hot Honey

Naturally perfect honey sweetness tempered with flavorful spice and heat — is there a better condiment than hot honey? It instantly elevates whatever you use it with, and there are indeed so many things you can add hot honey to, from pizza and ice cream to popcorn and hot toddies. The only thing you might wish to adjust the dial on when it comes to homemade hot honey is that aforementioned sweetness. For some, honey can border on cloying, which is not what you want for this dream topping.

Luckily, this is super easy to control. While hot honey pops up in more stores every day, you still might not find it when you want it most, and even when you do find it, it can be pretty pricey. Making hot honey at home is an affordable snap, and it also means that you have the final say on how sweet the end result is. The secret to adjusting its sweetness lies in vinegar.

Technically, the only two absolutely mandatory ingredients for hot honey are the honey and the heat, whether you decide to supply that with red pepper flakes, chilis, or jalapeños. It's just a matter of letting these two elements simmer on the stove to fully incorporate. But if you leave it at that, you could end up with a hot honey that's too sweet for your liking. Give it a few minutes to simmer, then add a splash of vinegar to cut the sweetness with acidity, funk, and tang.

You will want to use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar for hot honey. Derived from the fermentation of apple juice, apple cider vinegar's sourness is balanced by some of its own fruit sweetness and warmth, whereas white vinegar (from the fermentation of grain alcohol) could be too sharp and bright for honey. You can also use red wine vinegar, another ingredient that you can make right at home. When you're adding vinegar, use one or two teaspoons to taste. Figure out how sweet the honey is turning out to be and add as much or as little vinegar as you prefer.

You can use this taste test to control other elements of your hot honey too — you can turn up the spice volume with more peppers or different kinds of peppers, like scotch bonnet or habanero, or you can even stir a few drops of your favorite hot sauce right in. Really, any other seasonings are fair game as well; it's all about building your ideal flavor profile. Incorporate cinnamon, ginger, rosemary, black pepper, cardamom, or coriander — just keep tasting as you go to make sure there's not too much of anything and that no flavors are getting lost. Another potential addition could take the place of vinegar: fresh lime juice. It's bright and brings in some citrus. Just remember to store your hot honey in the fridge if you choose lime juice.