Indulge in Sweetness: Hot Honey Infused Desserts to Try!

Hot honey adds chili heat to honey’s sweetness. These six dessert ideas use it in chocolate cake, gingerbread, cheesecake, custard, grilled peaches and pecan pie.

Recipe note: These original suggestions have no documented kitchen-testing record. Keep the stated quantities and treat baking times as estimates. The crème brûlée formula does not specify ramekin capacity or yield, and the optional cheesecake water bath lacks a water depth and starting temperature. Those omissions limit how precisely the methods can be reproduced; use a tested recipe when you need a predictable result.

Using hot honey in desserts

Chocolate and spiced desserts can carry more chili heat than a delicate fruit tart or soufflé. Start with a heat level you enjoy. In a recipe already made with plain honey, replacing 1/4 of that honey with hot honey is a flavor experiment; adjust a later batch to taste.

That experiment does not establish a sugar substitution. Replacing dry sugar with liquid honey changes a baking formula. King Arthur Baking explains how liquid sweeteners affect baking. Follow a recipe-specific formula instead of adding flour, milk, water or oil by appearance, or automatically lowering every oven setting.

Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves are possible flavor partners. Add small amounts to taste. For a separate preparation guide, read How to Make Hot Honey From Scratch.

Egg dishes and refrigeration

Use a food thermometer for desserts containing eggs. The FDA gives 160°F for dishes containing eggs. A set edge, slight jiggle or clean toothpick is a texture cue, not a temperature measurement. The original timing ranges below do not certify that every pan or ramekin reaches that temperature.

Refrigerate perishable desserts promptly at 40°F or below. FDA advises keeping cooked egg dishes out of the refrigerator for no more than two hours, or one hour when temperatures exceed 90°F. Cooling and serving time count toward that limit; the chilling times below are time in the refrigerator. Keep cheesecake, custard and homemade pecan pie refrigerated until serving. Use leftover cooked egg dishes within three to four days.

Hot Honey Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup hot honey
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line its bottom with parchment paper.
2. Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
3. Stir the hot honey into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture.
4. Beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl until pale and fluffy. Gradually mix in the chocolate-honey mixture.
5. Sift in the cocoa powder and salt. Fold gently until no dry streaks remain; avoid overmixing.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven. The original estimate is 25–30 minutes, with set edges and a slight center jiggle. Check the egg-containing center with a food thermometer against the safety guidance above; visual cues alone are insufficient.
7. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Follow the refrigeration limits above. Serve at room temperature within those limits or slightly chilled, with optional cocoa powder, powdered sugar or an extra drizzle of hot honey.

Sweet & Spicy Gingerbread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup hot honey
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup hot water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
2. Cream the softened butter, hot honey and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and molasses until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
5. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, alternating with the hot water. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix only until combined.
6. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven. The original estimate is 30–35 minutes, with a clean toothpick as a texture cue. Follow the egg-safety guidance above.
7. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Slice into squares. Serve warm, optionally with powdered sugar or whipped cream; refrigerate perishable toppings and leftovers promptly.

Hot Honey-Infused Cheesecake

Crust ingredients

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling ingredients

• 3 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup hot honey
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cayenne and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden, then let cool within the handling limits above.
2. Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing gently after each. Stir in the vanilla, hot honey, sour cream and lemon juice without overmixing.
3. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top. The original optional water-bath method is withheld because its water depth, starting temperature and springform depth are unspecified.
4. Place in the preheated oven and bake. The original estimate is 50–60 minutes, with set edges and a slight center jiggle. Follow the thermometer guidance above; that jiggle does not establish safe doneness.
5. The original method allows about an hour of gradual cooling in the switched-off oven with the door cracked. Count that cooling toward the unrefrigerated holding limit and refrigerate promptly; do not add unlimited counter cooling. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
6. Remove the springform ring when ready to serve. Optional finishes are extra hot honey, fresh fruit, whipped cream or cinnamon. Keep the cheesecake refrigerated until serving and return leftovers promptly.

Hot Honey Crème Brûlée

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 5 large egg yolks
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup hot honey
• Extra sugar for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
2. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it simmers, then remove from the heat.
3. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl until pale and thick.
4. Gradually pour the hot cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly.
5. Stir in the vanilla and hot honey.
6. Fill ramekins about three-quarters full. Place them in a baking dish and add hot water halfway up their sides. The original formula gives no ramekin capacity or count; container size and custard depth affect baking time. Use cookware suitable for the method.
7. Place the water-bath dish in the preheated oven and bake. The original estimate is 30–35 minutes, until set with a slight center jiggle. That estimate is not validated for an unspecified ramekin. Check the custard with a food thermometer using the egg-dish guidance above.
8. Remove the ramekins from the water bath. Refrigerate promptly within the holding limits above, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
9. Before serving, sprinkle a thin layer of the extra sugar on each custard and caramelize it with a kitchen torch. The original alternative is brief broiling while watching closely; use that option only with ramekins their manufacturer identifies as broiler-safe.

Hot Honey Grilled Peaches & Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 4 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup hot honey
• Fresh mint leaves for garnish
• Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
2. Brush the cut sides of the peach halves with the olive oil.
3. Grill cut-side down for about 4–5 minutes, until tender with grill marks.
4. Flip the peaches and drizzle the hot honey over the cut sides. Grill for another 2–3 minutes, watching to keep the honey from scorching.
5. Remove from the grill and let cool for a minute. Serve warm, optionally over vanilla ice cream. Keep ice cream frozen until serving.
6. Top with the fresh mint leaves.

Hot Honey Pecan Pie

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup hot honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Fit a store-bought crust into a 9-inch pie pan according to its package directions. For homemade dough, roll it out, place it in the pan and trim the excess.
3. Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently until golden and fragrant.
4. Whisk the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, hot honey, vanilla, salt and optional cinnamon until combined.
5. Stir the toasted pecans into the filling.
6. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and spread the pecans evenly.
7. Place in the preheated oven and bake. The original estimate is 50–60 minutes. A set, slightly puffed filling, slight jiggle and clean toothpick are the original texture cues; follow the thermometer guidance above to check egg safety.
8. Cool on a wire rack and refrigerate promptly within the holding limits above. The original instruction to cool for at least 2 hours is not permission for extended room-temperature storage. Keep the pie refrigerated until serving. An extra drizzle of hot honey is optional.

For separate recipes with specified equipment and yields, see King Arthur Test Kitchen’s Classic Crème Brûlée and PJ Hamel’s Easy Cheesecake. Their formulas differ from these hot-honey suggestions; follow the linked recipes as written rather than importing their equipment or timing into the formulas above.

More hot honey recipes

Read Hot Honey in Baking: Sweet and Spicy Dessert Ideas or Keep Warm This Winter With These Hot Honey Recipes for more ideas.