USE INFUSED HOT HONEY TO ADD A KICK TO YOUR FAVE MEALS THIS SUMMER

Infused hot honey is a delicious and trendy new ingredient. But what is it exactly? Hot honey is a type of infused honey, usually utilizing hot chili pepper flakes or dried peppers. Other types of infused honey use savory ingredients or refreshing herbs. These unique flavor combinations are ideal for many different dishes and various applications. These types of honey are great as a topping, marinade, sauce, and component of many foods and cocktails. We’ll take a look at the health benefits, different levels of spice, and other kinds of honey with a different sort of kick (if you’re not a fan of capsaicin).

Health Benefits

Honey alone is a great natural sweetener that can be used as an alternative for sugar and provides several health benefits. It contains trace amounts of vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc, and potassium. Some types of infused honey use raw honey that may also contain bee pollen. These tiny granules of gold have been touted for various health-boosting benefits, including anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing properties comparable to over-the-counter medications. There are also some claims that bee pollen may help with allergies, but we caution against consuming it if you are allergic to bees. (Just double-check with your doctor to be safe!)

The spicy peppers in hot honey are also beneficial for your health. The spice from hot peppers is derived from a phytochemical called capsaicin. This is found on the inside of the pepper and is strongly concentrated in the veiny areas. It is this hot chemical that provides positive benefits to your health. Like honey, capsaicin also has anti-inflammatory properties because it boosts adipokines that help reduce inflammation associated with type II diabetes and heart disease. There has also been research that suggests capsaicin can help decrease blood pressure too.

Can You Take the Heat?

There are a variety of peppers with different levels of heat. Whether you are just dipping a toe into making spicy food, or are a daredevil, a quick guide to the different types of peppers and their spiciness might be helpful! 

The chart above is a great reference to determine how much heat you want in your homemade hot honey. The Schoville heat scale measures the spiciness of peppers. At one end are bell peppers with no spice; at the other end is the Carolina Reaper with a maximum of 2,200,000 Schoville heat units. If you are just starting, you may want to make your honey with peppers that have medium heat, such as jalapeno or serrano peppers, and gradually work your way up with each subsequent batch. 

Easy HOT Honey

We love this spicy, savory honey because it has only three ingredients and is easy to make! All you have to do is combine the ingredients in a jar and let it sit. Really! There’s no need to remove it from heat; place it in a small saucepan, nothing like that. We think it’s the perfect summer recipe because there’s no need to heat the stove or oven!

Chipotle Garlic Honey:

1 pint locally-sourced Kentucky honey (We love Rock Bridge Farmstead in Winchester!)

4 cloves whole, peeled garlic (NOT the jarred, chopped up stuff in the grocery store; trust me!)

1 tbsp. crushed and dried chipotle pepper

Store in a clean, dry pint-sized mason jar for at least three weeks. The longer you let it sit, the stronger the infusion will be! I recommend a quick flip of the jar every day to make sure the honey is evenly infused with the garlic and chipotle. 

Curious about the kinds of dishes you can make with hot honey? Let’s cook up some ideas on how to use your new concoction…

Fried Chicken and Waffles

Spice up a Southern staple with sweet heat by drizzling spicy and savory honey over fried chicken and waffles. The contrasting textures and flavors of the crispy, tasty chicken with smooth, sweet, and peppery honey are perfect for each other.

Plus, it makes a nice change from plain fried chicken and the traditional maple syrup on top of waffles. Drizzle the honey over the chicken and waffles as soon as they’re done cooking!

Pizza

One dish that is highly recommended with hot honey? Pizza! Drizzle the sweet and spicy condiment on classics like pepperoni to add a little zing to your pie. We can imagine this topping would be extra delicious on artisan-inspired pizzas with specialty cheese, figs, and more!

One particular brand of hot honey had its beginnings as a pizza topping. The creator of Mike’s Hot Honey studied abroad in Brazil and noticed one of the local pizzerias had jars of honey with chile peppers sitting on the tables. He brought the idea back home to the United States and worked on crafting and perfecting his twist on it. As an apprentice at a Brooklyn pizzeria, he would drizzle his signature hot honey on the pizzas, and it quickly became a popular topping. Now Mike’s Hot Honey can be found in restaurants and on retail shelves across the United States and is an excellent option if you want to save time making your own from scratch.

Ice Cream

Adding this unique topping to your ice cream definitely puts a twist on the traditional hot fudge sundae. Plus, the spice adds a little bite to offset the sweetness of both the honey and the ice cream. 

Another benefit is that the ice cream itself can tone down the spice so it doesn’t get too intense.  Ice cream is a milk-based product that contains a protein called casein that helps break down the capsaicin that gives chili peppers their heat.Whether you are just making a vanilla cone a little less plain or are creating a mouth-watering sundae with all the fixings, this topper makes a great alternative to classic caramel.

Charcuterie Board

There is something about a charcuterie board that we just love. (Is it because it’s an adult version of the classic Lunchables we ate as kids?) They can be customized to fit your tastes or preferences that your guests or partygoers may have if you are putting one together for a party. Some of the typical dips or sauces used are olive oil, jam, or chutney. But we think hot honey would make the perfect addition to your next charcuterie board.

It is ideal for drizzling over any cheese, smoked meat, fresh fruit, crunchy crackers, and other delicious components of these sophisticated platters. It pairs well with both sweet and savory nibbles and will impress your guests.

Classic Sweet Honey with a Twist

If the idea of hot, savory honey makes you break into a sweat, no worries! We have a recipe for a sweet mint julep infused honey that is easy to make and goes great with many different dishes! Plus, it still adds a kick with a bit of bourbon. 

Mint Julep Infused Honey:

1 pint locally sourced honey (Check out Rock Bridge Farmstead or any KY Proud honey)

1 tbsp. bourbon (As always, we recommend Kentucky bourbon; check out the selection at Justin’s House of Bourbon!)

4 sprigs of fresh mint (pick some fresh from your garden or get it from your local farmer’s market)

Combine all the ingredients in a clean, dry pint-sized mason jar and let it sit for at least three weeks. When combining the ingredients, ensure that the mint has been fully immersed in the honey to prevent spoilage.

Are you short on time but still want to try a sweet infused honey? We recommend the lavender-infused honey from Honey Bear Farms because the lavender oil and honey are sourced in Kentucky. It has also not been pasteurized and contains all the original pollen so that you can reap the health benefits from this super ingredient.

Sweet Tea

A summer menu staple here in Lexington? Southern sweet iced tea, of course! Our mint julep infused honey makes a perfect addition to this refreshing beverage.

We love this recipe from Sustainable Cooks because it includes one of the secret ingredients to smooth iced tea: baking soda! Just substitute the raw honey in the original recipe for our mint julep honey for a Kentucky twist on this traditional summer drink. 

Happy Hour

Another excellent use for our infused honey? Cocktails! This flavor enhancer is the perfect addition to mixed drinks as it can add complexity to the different ingredients. A word of warning though, honey itself doesn’t mix into cold liquids well as it tends to clump. We recommend making a honey simple syrup that is easy to mix and will stay smooth. We love this recipe for homemade honey simple syrup by Against the Grain.

When it comes to cocktails, we have to recommend Kentucky bourbon. Pour yourself a refreshing gold rush cocktail. It features honey, bourbon, and lemon for a grown-up spin on lemonade. 

Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

For a delicious and healthy breakfast option for your honey, try drizzling it over gluten-free lemon poppy seed scones! Honey and lemon always go hand-in-hand, and scones are no exception. 

We love this recipe by Joyful Healthy Eats, which also includes another recipe for a lemon glaze to top the scones. Try experimenting with topping the scones with just the honey or combining the glaze with the honey! 

We hope we’ve given you some ideas on how to use hot and infused honey in various recipes. We also encourage you to come up with your own recipes for a delicious infusion. We’ve seen a variety of ingredients incorporated in honey infusions, including truffle, black garlic, espresso, hibiscus flowers, lavender, and more!

A quick tip to remember: any fresh ingredients (not dried) MUST be fully submerged in the honey to prevent spoilage and mold. You don’t want to mess with the possibility of a spoiled infused honey!

Infused honey is perfect for so many dishes throughout the year, and we’ve only scratched the surface of the creative culinary masterpieces you can make with it. We would love to hear about the infusions you come up with! Tag us on Instagram with @lbvcooking to share your creations with us!

We love incorporating interesting ingredients to keep our clients’ palates guessing and mix up their meals so that they don’t get repetitive. Do you feel like you’ve gotten into a rut with your cooking and meal planning and just feel burned out? Consider our personal chef services. We’ll handle the meal planning, grocery shopping, prepping, cooking, and delivering your meals to you. Get back to enjoying the good life, and we’ll take care of the rest. Not a fan of spicy foods? No problem! We’ll customize your meals to fit your tastes and nutritional needs.

Disclaimer: We are not medical professionals, and the information we have provided is solely for educational and entertainment purposes, and is not intended to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult a healthcare professional to address any concerns or questions you may have regarding your diet or overall health. La Bonne Vie is not liable for any risks or issues associated with acting upon the information we have provided.