Hot Honey Is Everywhere—Here's What To Do With It

Over the past few years, hot honey has gone from being a novelty at the trendier restaurants in your neighborhood to a commonly listed ingredient on fast food menu boards. It’s a part of the “swicy” trend, where sweet and spicy flavors commingle to create an interesting condiment you can drizzle on… well, basically anything. But still, many sauce lovers are lost when it comes to how to incorporate it into their own cooking.

I recently got my hands on some spicy Nugget Honey from Heatonist, and I’ve been experimenting with the mildly spicy condiment. As it turns out, there’s not much it’s not good on, but it especially shines on some specific dishes. This list can help you figure out how to use your own bottle of hot honey, but don’t stop here. Feel free to get creative and try drizzling it onto whatever you’re craving. Until then, check out these hot honey ideas that’ll have you thinking about spicy, savory and sweet flavors in completely new ways.

1. Drizzle it over chicken and waffles

There is perhaps no better canvas for hot honey than chicken and waffles. There’s already the savory and sweet element going on here, and a touch of heat can make things even more interesting. Sub it for syrup, or add both for an extra-decadent dish.

2. Give pizza some sweet heat

Forget the crushed red chili flakes—hot honey adds that same touch of spice while providing a subtle sweetness to your slice. Hot honey is particularly delicious on pizza that features crispy pepperoni.

3. Make fruit salad pop

A bowl of cut fruit is a great way to start the day, but if you really want to make it pop, drizzle some hot honey on top. I think the condiment works especially well on stone fruits, like peaches and nectarines.

4. Add it to a charcuterie board

Hot honey shines on a charcuterie board, where it can be used for both drizzling and dipping. I especially like pairing it with salty cured meats, which are tempered by the honey’s sweetness.

5. Mix up some hot honey butter

Honey butter—which is just honey and butter mixed together into a sticky spread—is among the greatest condiments humans have ever created. So why not give your honey butter a kick of spice by using hot honey instead of the standard stuff? Use it in recipes that call for honey butter, or simply spread it on a slice of toast for tasty, unfussy results.

6. Make a frozen breakfast sandwich into something special

You probably don’t think of a frozen breakfast sandwich as a luxury breakfast experience, but adding a drizzle of hot honey to even the most basic of brands can transform it into something special. That savory and sweet experience is only heightened by the heat.

7. Give your mac and cheese a kick

Mac and cheese, while delicious, can sometimes be a bit one-note. If you want to make things more interesting, add a drizzle of honey honey to the top of your mac and cheese bowl. You may never go back to plain mac again.

8. Use it on roasted vegetables

Drizzling hot honey on roasted vegetables like carrots and Brussels sprouts gives them a complexity you can’t get from other sweet ingredients, like brown sugar, alone. Veggies usually get sweeter when they’re roasted, so they’re primed for pairing with a similarly sweet condiment.

9. Drizzle it on cornbread

Hot, buttered cornbread is among the culinary wonders of the world, and it’s only improved when hot honey is slathered on top. The heat of the honey pops against the slight sweetness of the cornbread.

10. Make vanilla ice cream more complex

Have some plain vanilla ice cream in the freezer and don’t know what to do with it? You can make it infinitely more interesting by drizzling some hot honey on top. Of course, you don’t have to stop with vanilla—don’t be afraid to experiment with other ice cream flavors as well.

11. Whip up your own spicy BBQ sauce

Store-bought BBQ sauce is fine, but sauce is at its best when it’s homemade. You can take an average BBQ sauce recipe up a notch by adding hot honey, which will give your sauce that stickiness you’re looking for while simultaneously delivering a mild heat.

12. Transform a boring bowl of oatmeal

If you’re tired of your same old, same old oatmeal routine, add some hot honey to your bowl. It can enhance unadorned oatmeal, but it’s at its best in a fully loaded bowl with fruit and other toppings of your choice.

13. Brew some spicy tea when you’re sick

There’s nothing worse than that scratchy feeling at the back of your throat when you’re starting to get sick, but hot honey tea might just cure you. Brew a cup of tea as you normally would, and instead of adding in plain honey, use hot honey for an extra bit of heat for maximum sore throat relief.

14. Add it to avocado toast

Whether you prefer plain avocado toast with just bread and avocado or you deck out your avo toast with eggs, smoked salmon and the works, hot honey can deliver an interesting element of flavor to the final dish.

15. Make grilled cheese taste better than ever

Grilled cheese is at its best when it’s paired with a sweet ingredient, like jam, but I prefer hot honey because of its added touch of spiciness. It’s an easy addition to any standard grilled cheese sandwich.

Samantha Maxwell is a food writer and editor based in Boston. Follow her on Twitter at @samseating.

Hot Honey Is Everywhere—Here’s What To Do With It