Save Money On Hot Honey: Grab 2 Ingredients To Make Your Own

How do you like your honey? We like it hot. Hot honey is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, and has been having quite the moment in recent years. You can drizzle this stuff on pretty much anything, from pizza to paninis and even a dollop of ice cream if you're feeling adventurous. You can find the stuff stored in beautiful jars at farmers markets and grocery stores alike. It may seem, on its golden surface, to be a real artisanal product, requiring intricate knowledge of all kinds of cookery. Really, however, it's a matter of a touch of skill and two simple ingredients: honey and chile flakes.

To make, pour honey (about ½ to 1 cup depending on how much you want) into a pan over low-to-medium heat on the stove. Stir your honey until it thins out, then add in chile flakes. You can add as much or as little as you want depending on your preferred taste and texture. Once you stir in your flakes, remove your pan from the heat and get to drizzling and dipping. Store in an airtight container at room temperature to prevent altering the honey's texture. It should keep for about three months (though honey never really goes bad, so this sauce can last quite awhile) — just toss if it shows signs of spoilage.

This isn't the only way to make hot honey on the fly. If you're pressed for time as well as ingredients, you can always microwave your honey (mixed with chile flakes) for 15 seconds. This helps you suffuse the spices of your chiles throughout your honey. Keep in mind when concocting your batch that your hot honey gets spicier the longer it sits, so a three-month-old jar may be more peppery than a freshly made batch.

You can also add a variation of flavors to your hot honey, though this pushes your recipe past the two-ingredient mark. Adding a hot sauce, such a sriracha, can give a bit more complexity. You can also add a bit of apple cider vinegar for acidity. Garlic also makes a great addition if you want your sauce to veer on the savory side, or if you wish to pair it with purely savory dishes. If you do add more ingredients, use your sauce within a week or two since they increase the risk of contamination. Garlic in honey, for example, can increase risk of botulism.

Now comes the matter of picking your honey and your chile flakes or dried peppers. In terms of honey, there are a few primary choices. One of the most popular is clover honey; it's light in color with a very mild, but sweet, taste. This is a great pick for anyone who doesn't want a complex honey taste, but does want its sweet touch. Orange blossom honey is another great choice, but it has a more floral, orange fruit taste. This is especially great for batches of hot honey meant for use on desserts (think of it drizzled over vanilla ice cream or orange and olive oil cake). If you're looking for a challenge, try buckwheat honey. Often compared to blackstrap molasses, buckwheat honey is intense in flavor and quite bold. This honey would work beautifully with chipotle chile peppers, which offer up a smoky touch. Use this intense hot honey to top your next batch of hummus for a truly showstopping snack.

Other dried chile peppers to consider include ancho chile peppers, which also have a bit of smokiness (with some sweetness to back it up). Chile de Árbol peppers are a super-spicy choice for those who want to really scorch their tastebuds. You can mix and match your chiles with your honey to make a harmonious or challenging blend. There is a whole world of hot honey to explore. You just have to try a few combinations and see which one you love the most.