During a trip to Brazil in 2004, Mike Kurtz first sampled pizza topped with chile-infused honey and fell in love with the flavor. He enjoyed the distinct sweet-and-spicy taste so much that he began developing his own version of hot honey when he returned to Brooklyn, New York. He experimented with various formulas using different types of chile peppers until he perfected his hot honey recipe, which he bottled for personal use and to share with friends.

In 2010, while working at Paulie Gee’s Pizzeria in Brooklyn, Mike brought his hot honey and generously drizzled it over the pizza. Customers loved it and asked to buy bottles of the honey for home use, so Mike sold his hot honey by the bottle from the pizzeria. Eventually, word spread about Mike’s Hot Honey, and when Whole Foods became interested in his product, Mike realized its huge potential. Since then, sales have steadily increased each year for the condiment, and in 2025, the brand’s revenue is projected to reach $60 million. 

Like Mike, I also experimented with various types of red peppers for my Mike’s Hot Honey copycat recipe, and Scotch Bonnet peppers worked the best. These chilies have a Scoville rating similar to that of the Brazilian peppers Mike uses, so the heat level should be very close.

After removing the stems and seeds from the peppers, simply purée them in a blender and then mix the concentrated pepper juice with honey and vinegar. This will yield about ½ cup of homemade hot honey for you to use as you see fit.

Find more of my copycat recipes for condiments here.