There's an exciting new craze spreading across the culinary landscape, and it's all about the distinctive heat of hot honey. If you are someone who enjoys a combination of spiciness and sweetness, this trendy ingredient is a must-try. Whip up your own hot honey by blending local honey with Calabrian chiles, or explore a variety of prepared options readily available at grocery stores.

The applications of hot honey are impressively vast. Drizzle it onto cheese, treat a scoop of ice cream, spice up your fried chicken, or elevate crackers, pizza, and grilled meats. Turn a simple block of warmed cream cheese into an indulgent appetizer or transform ordinary chicken fingers into a dish with a captivating flavor profile.

A delectable air-fried chicken recipe, with a well-seasoned flour coating, is made even more enticing by pairing it with hot honey. This honey is mixed with flavorful guajillo chile and apple cider vinegar for an added smoky and tangy twist. Alternatively, you can feast on sweet, buttery wings seasoned with lemon pepper, fried until crispy, and then generously doused with hot honey. A beautiful garnish of cilantro provides a striking color contrast and adds brightness to the dish.

Cheese sliders with layers of arugula and roasted red bell pepper are a quick and easy party dish. The sliders get a build in flavor from the mixture of Calabrian chile-spiked honey marinade, with the buns and sliders both brushed with more hot honey for accentuated taste.

Hot honey also enhances simple, comforting dishes. For instance, toasted sourdough spread with creamy labneh, topped with roasted red grapes and walnuts, and a drizzle of hot honey creates a play of flavors that will leave you wanting more. Chicken thighs cooked in rendered fat and seasoned with hot honey-lemon drizzle and crumbled feta is another delectable choice.

The spicy-sweet element of hot honey further brings a twist to roasted sweet potatoes, with smoked paprika and homemade pickled onions. In another dish, fiery Calabrian chiles are paired with soppressata and hot honey for a divine pizza.

Finally, chicken wing drumettes are presented as a playful handheld appetizer, crispy on the outside and tender inside, made even more tantalizing with a drizzle of mildly spicy hot honey. Hot honey-glazed roasted carrots served on ricotta-smeared naan link delicious flavor and fun presentation in one dish.

In creating or enhancing delightful dishes, hot honey proves to be an innovative and versatile ingredient that marries sweetness and heat together, appealing to eclectic palates.