We Tried 7 Brands of Hot Honey and This Is the Swiciest

Like many busy cooks, I’m always on the lookout for ingredients that make life easier. Sure, I could make condiments like spicy mayo, Thai peanut sauce and pesto from scratch, but I’m just as happy to take the shortcut and buy a jarred version from the store. Hot honey falls squarely into this category. I reach for this blend of honey and spicy chiles all the time, adding a kick to hot honey Brussels sprouts or enlivening cocktails like hot honey peach Bellinis.

And I’m clearly not the only one. Hot honey’s growing popularity has increased the number of options on the supermarket shelves. To see which ones performed best in hot honey recipes, our Test Kitchen tackled the sticky work of tasting several hot honey brands. We found one that hit the perfect sweet-to-spicy ratio, plus a specialty option that seriously brought the heat and a budget-friendly runner-up we’d definitely buy again.

What We Look For in Hot Honey

We sampled seven brands of hot honey in our Test Kitchen taste test: Berryhill (an Aldi exclusive brand), Mike’s Hot Honey, Halifax Honey, Trader Joe’s, Nate’s Honey, Melinda’s and Desert Creek. Each one used varied ingredients, like different chiles or types of honey as its base, so we tested more for balance than specific ingredient choice. To ensure we could really hone in on the spice level, we tasted the honey straight off a spoon without introducing any other flavor elements.

The best hot honeys showcased honey’s distinctive floral character instead of just tasting sweet. They had enough heat to cut through the syrupy base and live up to the “hot” label without being so spicy that they blew out our taste buds. Our least favorite brands were cloyingly sweet, artificial-tasting or had sour notes.

Since hot honey is often used straight from the bottle, we also noted the honey’s consistency. Some brands didn’t drizzle well, either pouring too quickly to control or so slowly it was like molasses. We also considered the bottle shape and pour spouts, but they were all fairly similar. It ended up not being a deciding factor between brands.

Our Testing Panel

• Allison Cebulla, Culinary Producer
• Ellie Crowley, Culinary Producer
• Sarah Farmer, Executive Culinary Director
• Monica Ganos, Culinary Assistant

Best Store-Bought Hot Honey

Best Overall: Mike’s Hot Honey

Mike’s Hot Honey is one of the best-known brands, and it lived up to its reputation in our taste test. The tasters noticed the honey’s floral aroma first and foremost, then the heat landed. They thought the spice was somewhere between mild and medium—subtle, but lingering for a minute or two to make its presence known. Allison said it would be “good for those that can’t handle a lot of heat but want a flavor boost.”

Overall, we found it to be a great everyday option, especially for use straight from the bottle. Monica said it had the “perfect drizzle texture”—smooth and thick, but still thin enough to prevent clogging the tip. Ellen said she’d use it to finish pizzas or other cheesy dishes, while Sarah felt its mild kick could work in marinades or anywhere you don’t want spice to dominate.

Best for Heat Seekers: Halifax Honey

Have a spice lover in the family? They’ll probably love Halifax Honey Stingin’ Hot Honey as much as our tasters did. Everyone agreed this one delivered the pure taste of honey plus an assertive, zinging heat that felt noticeably spicier than the other options. The label doesn’t specify which chiles are used in the brand’s “signature hot pepper mash”—just that they’re pickled before being infused into the honey—but they clearly pack a punch.

Monica especially enjoyed the honey’s “instant kick and lingering finish,” but noted that it brings more than just spice. The intensity was balanced with honey’s natural floral notes, creating a complex, layered flavor. Sarah agreed that this one had real depth, calling it “the most intentional and premium of the group.” She suggested using it as a finishing honey so the flavor would really shine. Ellen added that it would be fantastic on ice cream or a fruit and cheese platter with creamy cheeses like Brie.

Best Value: Berryhill Hot Honey

If you live near an Aldi, Berryhill is a solid budget option. Taste of Home editor Hayley Schueneman has praised it as a must-have Aldi ingredient, and our tasters agreed. They ranked it as a close second to Mike’s Hot Honey, saying it had a clean honey profile, a sweet, floral finish, and a balanced but not overpowering heat. Sarah said, “It delivers exactly what you expect—sweetness first, followed by a pleasant, controlled heat.” It’ll add a little zing whether you drizzle it over biscuits or use it to make hot honey chicken tenders.

Tips for Using Hot Honey

• Keep it at room temperature: Unless your packaging says otherwise, store hot honey in a dry, cool place (like a pantry or cabinet) instead of the refrigerator. Honey crystallizes over time, but cold temperatures speed up that process and make it hard to get the honey out of the bottle. If it does start to crystallize, you can decrystallize honey by placing it in a warm water bath to return it to a liquid.
• Pay attention to the spice level: After our taste tests, we can absolutely confirm that no two hot honeys are the same when it comes to spiciness. Even within brands, there may be mild, medium and extra-hot offerings. Before you leave the store, take a minute to check the label. If you see habaneros or ghost peppers, be prepared for a fiery sauce.
• Keep the pour spout clean: Most of the hot honey brands we tested used a similar twist or flip-top lid, and they all got sticky pretty quickly. To ensure you don’t get a build-up of hardened honey, wipe the spout clean with a damp towel before putting it back in the pantry.