Quick Look: Hot Honey Sauce
- What it is: A quick sweet-and-spicy sauce made by mixing honey with hot sauce.
- Why Make THIS Version? You only need 2 ingredients and 1 minute. There's no cooking, heating, or infusing required.
- Key Ingredients: Honey and a vinegar-forward hot sauce.
- Total Time: 1 minute.
- Best For: Pizza, crispy halloumi, roasted vegetables, Whipped Feta Dip, and cheese boards.
- Dietary Info: Vegetarian and Gluten Free.
Jump to:
Made this for the halloumi wraps my friend linked me to on IG and I am now putting it on literally everything. so good. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐-Jannet
BRI's NOTE
Why I Make This Almost Every Week
This is the version I reach for when I want hot honey right away—and I make it almost every week.
It’s an easy finishing touch for Roasted Squash Tart with Feta and Honey, Air Fryer Halloumi Fries, or quick appetizers like Whipped Ricotta Dip.
Some hot honey recipes warm honey with fresh or dried chiles, then let it infuse. This version skips the cooking, steeping, and straining: just stir honey with hot sauce and it’s ready to use.
Ingredients (and Substitutes)
You only need 2 ingredients to make this Hot Honey Sauce recipe. Red pepper flakes are optional for extra heat.
- Honey: Use a pourable honey so it’s easy to mix and drizzle. I like a mild honey, such as clover, so the hot sauce can shine. If your honey has crystallized, gently warm it until runny before mixing.
- Hot Sauce: I recommend Frank’s RedHot Original. It has a thin texture and vinegar-forward flavor that balances the sweetness of the honey. Another Louisiana-style hot sauce, such as Crystal or Louisiana, is the closest substitute. Other hot sauces can work, but the heat, acidity, sweetness, and thickness will vary.
- Red Pepper Flakes (optional): Add these for more heat without adding much more liquid to the sauce.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
How to Make Hot Honey Sauce
This no-cook sauce takes about 1 minute to make. Just stir the ingredients together and adjust the heat to taste—no saucepan or microwave needed.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
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Bri's Expert Tips
- Warm crystallized honey first: If your honey is thick or crystallized, gently warm it until pourable before mixing. This makes the sauce much easier to stir and drizzle.
- Use a thin, vinegar-forward hot sauce: Frank’s RedHot Original is my go-to. Other Louisiana-style hot sauces work well too. Different brands vary in heat, acidity, sweetness, and thickness, so adjust to taste.
- Start with less hot sauce: Everyone’s spice tolerance is different. Start with less, taste, then stir in more until it’s as spicy as you like.
- Use red pepper flakes for extra heat: They add more spice without thinning the honey as much as adding more hot sauce.
- No Louisiana-style hot sauce? Make my Honey Sriracha Sauce instead. It’s a different, richer sauce made with sriracha, butter, and garlic.
- Make extra and store at room temperature: This sauce is easy to double and keep on hand. When made with Frank’s RedHot Original—which the manufacturer says doesn’t need refrigeration after opening—store it in a clean, airtight container at room temperature. If using another hot sauce, check its label for storage instructions.
Ways to Use Hot Honey Sauce
Hot Honey Sauce works as a drizzle, dip, or finishing sauce. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:
- Pizza: Drizzle it over pizza after baking, or serve it on the side for dipping the crust.
- Halloumi: Try it in these Halloumi Wraps with Hot Honey, or drizzle it over crispy Halloumi Fries.
- Creamy dips: Spoon it over Whipped Feta Dip or Whipped Ricotta Dip.
- Roasted vegetables and savory tarts: Drizzle it over roasted squash, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, or sweet potatoes. For a spicy twist, swap some of the regular honey for Hot Honey Sauce on my Air Fryer Honey Roasted Carrots. It’s also the finishing touch on my Roasted Squash Tart with Feta and Honey.
- Appetizers and salty snacks: Serve it with cheese boards, biscuits, crackers, or other salty snacks.
- Eggs and toast: Add a small drizzle to fried eggs, scrambled eggs, or Easy Eggs on Toast.
- Sandwiches and wraps: Add sweet heat to veggie sandwiches, grilled cheese, or wraps.
Hot Honey Sauce FAQs
Not quite. This Hot Honey Sauce is made by simply stirring honey with hot sauce. Chile-infused hot honey is usually made by infusing honey with fresh or dried chiles, often using heat and extra steeping time. Both give you sweet heat, but the ingredients and method are different.
Yes. For the closest result, use another thin, vinegar-forward Louisiana-style hot sauce, such as Crystal or Louisiana. Different brands vary in heat, acidity, sweetness, and thickness, so start with less and adjust to taste.
If you only have sriracha, try my Honey Sriracha Sauce instead. It’s a different, richer sauce made with butter and garlic.
Not when made as written with Frank’s RedHot Original. Frank’s says its Original hot sauce doesn’t need refrigeration after opening, so you can store the finished sauce in a clean, airtight container at room temperature.
If you use another hot sauce, check its label for storage instructions.
Honey keeps for a very long time. Penn State Extension says “honey basically is good indefinitely.” Frank’s also says its Original RedHot doesn’t need refrigeration after opening.
Because the two ingredients haven’t been lab-tested together for a specific shelf life, I don’t give an exact number of weeks or months for the finished sauce. I’ve used mine weeks later with no issues—but honestly, it usually gets eaten long before then!
Store it in a clean, airtight container at room temperature and always use a clean utensil. Discard the sauce if you notice mold, unexpected foaming, or an alcohol-like or otherwise off smell.
Honey naturally crystallizes over time, especially in cooler temperatures. It’s still usable. Set the container in hot—not boiling—water until the sauce becomes runny again, then stir well.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 review below!
📖 Recipe
2-Ingredient Hot Honey Sauce (No Cook!)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Franks Red Hot sauce (or similar Louisiana-style hot sauce, see note 1)
- red pepper flakes (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Mix: In a small bowl, stir ¼ cup honey and 2 to 3 teaspoons Franks Red Hot sauce until smooth. Add red pepper flakes to taste, if using.
Notes
- Hot Sauce: Frank’s RedHot Original is my go-to. Otherwise, use another thin, vinegar-forward Louisiana-style hot sauce, such as Crystal or Louisiana. Start with less hot sauce, taste, then add more as desired. For even more heat, add red pepper flakes instead of too much extra hot sauce, which can thin the honey.
- Serving Suggestions: Drizzle over pizza, whipped feta or ricotta, crispy halloumi, roasted vegetables, sandwiches, or cheese boards. Or serve as a dip.
- Storage: When made with Frank’s RedHot Original, store in a clean, airtight container at room temperature. Frank’s says its Original hot sauce doesn’t need refrigeration after opening. If using another hot sauce, check its label for storage instructions. If the honey crystallizes, gently warm the container in hot—not boiling—water until pourable again.
- Yield: Makes about 5 tablespoons.
Jannet says
made this for the halloumi wraps my friend linked me to on IG and I am now putting it on literally everything. so good.
Bri Beaudoin says
Hi Jannet! Woohoo, so happy your friend found my halloumi wraps recipe on IG. Glad you're enjoying the hot honey sauce. Would love to hear what else you end up using it on!
Terri Clifford says
How many weeks will the hot honey sauce last?
bri says
Hi Terri! I have successfully used mine after weeks. The recipe ingredients are shelf-stable at room temperature. So it could last longer. However, if you make substitutions or if the hot honey sauce gets contaminated (with food crumbs, etc) that would reduce the shelf life. Hope this helps! Let me know if you give this recipe a try.