Alarm Your Mouth with Spicy Honey

If you have perused the shelves of a gourmet kitchen shop in the past three years, odds are you’ve come across a jar of spicy honey. Spicy honey, perhaps more colloquially known as hot honey, is one of those condiments you just can’t quit. Like harissa mayo or onion jam, once you add a squirt of spicy honey, what would otherwise be a yawn of a breakfast instantly perks up. With the back of your tongue tingling, you’re suddenly aching for another slice of avocado toast. While you can of course drop $12 on jar of some fancy-looking spicy honey, let me first tell you how simple it is to put together. Make it yourself, and save your cash for some other artisanal condiment.

Spicy honey will keep for months, so when I make it, I go for a pretty big batch. Scoop 2 cups of honey into a small saucepan, then toss in 3 Fresno chiles or red jalapeños. If you’re worried about the honey accidentally getting too hot, slice open and remove the seeds from 2 of the peppers. Hang onto the seeds because you can add them in later if you decide you want more heat.

Heat the honey and chiles over medium-low, until the mixture begins to simmer. Turn the heat down to low and let the honey and chiles steep for about an hour. Taste the honey; if you think it could be spicer, stir in ¼ teaspoon of the reserved seeds. Turn off the heat and let the honey infuse for 20 minutes, then strain into a jar with a tightly sealable lid. If kept in the fridge, it’ll stay fresh for about 3 months.

Drizzle spicy honey over avocado toast, butter-slathered biscuits or muffins, Greek yogurt (topped with an egg and some greens, or granola and fruit), BEC sandwiches, and vinaigrettes—and please do let me know how much more tasty you find your breakfast has become.