When it comes to pizza, people love to debate the best toppings, perfect combinations, and hidden gems. But if you ask me, one ingredient is the most underrated pizza topping: hot honey.
Now, let’s be clear—classic pizza usually calls for two things: tomato sauce and mozzarella. But after that, the possibilities are endless. But honestly, even those “basics” aren’t necessary; you can skip the tomato sauce for white sauce, pesto, or ricotta and swap mozzarella for other cheeses. But today, we’re not here to discuss those substitutes. I want to focus on an ingredient that, in my opinion, elevates any pizza: hot honey.
Hot honey has gained popularity over the last few years, with brands like Mike’s Hot Honey leading the way. Funny enough, I’ve never actually tried Mike’s—I prefer supporting local suppliers, and I even make my own hot honey these days. My homemade version is decent, but I’m always experimenting to make it spicier. The best and spiciest hot honey I’ve ever tasted came from a local supplier who used ghost pepper chillies; now that was hot.
If you’re thinking, “Honey on pizza? Isn’t that even weirder than pineapple?”—you’re not alone. But as I mentioned in my pineapple post, you can’t really judge until you try it. And trust me, this is coming from someone who’s picky and honestly a bit hesitant to try new foods. The unique combination of sweet, spicy, and savoury flavours is something you just can’t replicate. It has the same sweet-and-salty appeal as pineapple, but the sweetness is more neutral and lacks the strong fruit flavour, which might appeal more to the general crowd.
I’ll admit, I go a bit overboard with the hot honey, drizzling on enough to almost shift the flavour profile toward sweet. Every time I introduce someone to this pizza, it’s a hit. Friends, family, and even my professors have all tried and loved it. Almost everyone who tries it asks, “How did you come up with this?” The truth is, I didn’t. I saw the idea online, gave it a try, and was hooked. Since then, it’s become my signature topping.
People who come back to eat my pizza always ask, “Are you making the hot honey one?” or “Can I have more of that hot honey pizza?” It’s become a crowd-pleaser, and I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t love it. Even people who dislike pineapple on pizza seem to appreciate hot honey’s sweet-spicy kick.
And the best part? You can pair it with almost any type of pizza. It works on a white pizza, adds a punch to a Margherita, and tastes incredible on any meat pizza—especially with pepperoni or salami. Making it is also super simple: just heat the honey with chilli peppers, and voilà! If your peppers aren’t as spicy as you’d like, add hot sauce to boost the heat.
So, there you have it—my pick for the most underrated pizza topping: hot honey. Give it a shot, and you might just find your new favourite way to top your pizza.
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