Hot honey is on restaurant menus, in fast food drive-throughs and all over your social media feed. Here’s how to make the best version yourself.
If you’ve eaten out lately, you’ve seen hot honey on the menu. McDonald’s launched a hot honey menu in January. Einstein Bros. followed with a hot honey cream cheese shmear in February.
And Shake Shack, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell all got there before them.
When fast food chains and bagel shops are racing to put something on their menus, you know it’s fully crossed over into the mainstream.
But here’s what nobody tells you: the store-bought versions are fine. The homemade version is on another level entirely. And if you have a smoker, you can make something that no bottle on a grocery store shelf can touch.
I make hot honey two ways. Here’s how both work.
Version 1: Gochugaru Hot Honey (Stovetop)
This is your quick, everyday hot honey. Under 10 minutes, three ingredients, lives on your counter all summer.
The move that makes this one different is swapping standard red pepper flakes for gochugaru , which are Korean chili flakes made from sun-dried peppers.
Gochugaru has a fruitier, more complex heat that’s less sharp and more layered. It makes a noticeably better hot honey, and it ties directly into the Korean-inspired flavor trend that’s been building alongside the swicy movement.
Gochugaru Hot Honey
Gochugaru hot honey is a Korean-inspired twist on the classic. Made with Korean chiles, it’s ready in minutes and perfect for grilling season.
Version 2: Smoked Hot Honey
This is the version that makes people stop mid-bite.
The key is chipotle powder, which layers beautifully with cherry wood smoke and adds a slow, earthy heat. You’ll make it entirely in a disposable aluminum pan on the smoker, no stovetop involved.
Smoked Hot Honey
Learn how to make smoked hot honey on your smoker. Ready in 45 minutes and incredible on ribs, chicken and pizza.
How to Use Both
Reach for the stovetop version on weeknights. Drizzle it over grilled chicken thighs, pizza, biscuits or a cheese board.
Reach for the smoked version when the smoker is already running. Brush it over ribs in the last 15 minutes of a cook, toss wings in it right off the grate, or pour it over brie at your next cookout and watch it disappear in minutes.
You can store both at room temperature in a glass jar or squeeze bottle for up to two months.
Hot honey had its breakout year in 2025. Now you know how to make the best version of it yourself.
