Tantalize your taste buds with the savory, sweet, sassy flavors of this Hot Honey Pimento Cheese. This creamy dip packs all the familiar flavors of the caviar of the south, and so much more. Spread it on crackers, scoop it up with slices of apples, or eat it by the spoon. This will be your new favorite dip of the summer.
There is something magical that happens when you combine beloved pimento cheese with the sweet heat of hot honey and the bright tang of pickled jalapenos. Chik-fil-A was on to something when they combined these flavors in their limited sandwich creation.
This recipe for honey pepper pimento cheese delivers on those flavors in a way that will have you wanting to scoop and top all of the things with this decadent dip. Just like Buffalo Pimento Cheese, it’s an instant classic. With no cooking required and easily accessible ingredients, this appetizer is destined to become your go-to for entertaining.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make. There is absolutely no cooking required for this pimento cheese recipe. Aside from just a little chopping and grating your cheese, this is just a dump it and mix it recipe. Anyone can make it.
- Balance of flavors. While traditional southern pimento cheese is insanely delicious, it’s also often a little one note and can lean towards the salty (but delicious) side. The addition of hot honey to this recipe gives it more depth of flavor and opens up the possibilities of how you can serve it. Add it to a fruit tray with sliced apples and pears. Top slices of grilled sausages with it, spread it on your morning biscuit.
- Make ahead. Creamy, luscious cheese for meal prep? Yes please! Not only can you make this pimento cheese several days in advance, but the flavor actually gets better as it refrigerates. Make this for a weekend party and enjoy it throughout the week.
Ingredients
- Creamy Base – The base for this hot honey pimento cheese starts with a combination of tangy mayonnaise and thick, smooth cream cheese. Make sure you use a high-quality mayo for this. In the south, Duke’s Mayonnaise is the only right answer.
- Cheese – Just like you’ll want to use a high-quality mayo with this recipe you will also want to pick a high-quality block cheese…no pre grated cheese please! I used a combination of sharp white cheddar and extra sharp cheddar but play around with your favorites.
- Hot Honey – Hot honey and cheese just work, it’s why it’s so delicious on hot, ooey, gooey pizza. Use your favorite.
- Pimentos – You can usually find these in the pickle/condiment aisle of your grocery store. They’re incredibly mild, a little sweet, and have a tang from their brine.
- Add Ins – Sweet onions, ideally Vidalia when in season, and pickled jalapenos bring another layer of flavor and also texture to this pimento cheese. Feel free to add a little more if desired.
- Flavor Accents – Worcestershire sauce adds a hint of salt and umami and Dijon mustard gives a little zip that plays well with the sweet heat of the honey and helps balance the richness of the cheese.
- Seasonings – Garlic powder and paprika add a savory and smoky note.
Substitutions and Variations
- Have fun playing around with the cheese combination. Because of the sweet note of the honey, you can add bolder cheeses. Love extra sharp cheddar? Use all extra sharp. Make it smoky by replacing some of the cheddar with smoked Gouda. More of a mild cheese fan? Use mild cheddar. Play of the pepper notes and replace some of the cheese with pepper-jack. Make it your own!
- Instead of sweet onions use green onions.
- This pimento cheese recipe just has a mild kick. Make it spicier by using fresh diced jalapenos or adding a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Replace the pimentos in this recipe with a freshly roasted red bell pepper.
How to Make Hot Honey Pimento Cheese
- Let your cream cheese come to room temperature. This is key to making sure your pimento cheese mixes up smooth and creamy.
- Grate your cheese. This is literally the only step that will take a few minutes, but it will give the best flavor and texture. Use the large size holes on your grater.
- Mix together the cream cheese and hot honey. This will help smooth out the cream cheese, making it lump free, before adding the mayo.
- Stir in the mayo, flavor accents, and seasonings.
- Fold in the add ins and drained pimentos. Make sure they’re evenly distributed.
- Fold in the cheeses.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. This recipe doesn’t call for any salt because most of the actual ingredients are salty. Give it a taste and see if you need a pinch. You might just want another shake of Worcestershire or Dijon mustard.
- Let refrigerate. I know, you just want to dive in with a spoon, and that’s totally ok too. But if you have the time, let this honey pepper pimento cheese refrigerate for an hour to allow the flavors to deepen.
- Serve it up. Plate your pimento cheese into a serving bowl. Drizzle on a little additional hot honey and top with more pickled jalapenos if desired.
How to Serve Hot Honey Pimento Cheese
- The favorite way to serve pimento cheese in the south is with butter crackers or saltines.
- There’s something so fun and comforting about the rich creaminess of the pimento cheese combined with the fresh crunch of crudites. Celery, sliced cucumbers, carrots, and sweet peppers are all excellent options for dipping and topping.
- The hint of sweet in this pimento cheese begs to be paired with tart apples and crunchy sweet pears. Serve this up with your favorite seasonal fruit.
- One of my favorite ways to serve this is with salty grilled sausages. All of the flavors just play so well together.
- Spread this on your favorite sandwich. Make an updated classic pimento cheese sandwich or add it to your burger or chicken sandwiches.
Tips From the Beach
- Because there are so few ingredients in this, the quality of the ingredients truly matters. Use good cheese. Pick a hot honey that you love.
- Hand grate your cheese. The already grated stuff has a coating on it that while it keeps it from clumping together will also give the pimento cheese dip a gritty, grainy texture. It also won’t have the same depth of flavor.
- Let your cream cheese come to room temperature. This will ensure your dip is creamy and lump free.
- Skip the mixer! There is no need to get out the hand mixer or stand mixer for this. Using a mixer tends to break up the cheese and give lest texture to the finished dish. Plus, it makes more dishes.
- Because of the cream cheese thickens up and hardens as it refrigerates, you may want to let this sit out for 15-30 minutes prior to serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is hot honey pimento cheese spicy?
This pimento cheese recipe has a very mild heat to it. The hot honey adds more sweetness than kick, and the pickled jalapeno is on the mild side, giving a tangy, bright note. If you want more heat add a pinch of cayenne. If you don’t like any heat, use regular honey.
How do I store pimento cheese?
Because it is dairy based it need to be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How long does homemade pimento cheese last?
Unlike store bought pimento cheese, this homemade version has no preservatives. You will want to consume it within the week.
Hot Honey Pimento Cheese
Tantalize your taste buds with the savory, sweet, sassy flavors of this Hot Honey Pimento Cheese.
- Prep Time: 15
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, Duke’s recommended
- 2 tablespoons hot honey, plus additional for serving
- 7 ounces diced pimentos, drained
- 1 tablespoon pickled jalapenos finely chopped, plus additional for serving
- 1 tablespoon sweet onion minced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar, grated
- 8 ounces extra sharp cheddar, grated
Instructions
- Make sure your cream cheese is fully at room temperature and softened.
- Hand grate your cheese.
- Add the cream cheese and hot honey to a large bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Add the mayo, Dijon, Worcestershire, and seasonings. Stir until smooth.
- Fold in the drained pimentos, onions, and pickled jalapenos.
- Carefully fold in all the cheese.
- Taste and add additional seasoning if needed.
- Let refrigerate for an hour before serving.
- To serve, drizzle additional hot honey over the top. Garnish with pickled jalapenos and serve both on the side if desired.
Notes
Keep refrigerated in an airtight container. It will last up to a week.
If desired, allow the pimento cheese to sit out for 15-30 minutes to slightly soften, making it easier to spread.