About the Recipe
Ditch the Store-Bought Stuff: Your New Go-To Sweet Chilli Sauce
Let's have a real talk about those bottles of sweet chilli sauce sitting on supermarket shelves. Have you ever flipped one over and read the label? If you have, you'll know that refined sugar is usually the star of the show, often listed as the second or even first ingredient! Most commercial sweet chilli sauces are absolutely loaded with the stuff, plus a whole bunch of preservatives, additives and ingredients you can't even pronounce.
Here's the thing: when you're trying to build healthy habits and nourish your body properly, those sneaky sources of refined sugar really add up. A couple of tablespoons of regular sweet chilli sauce can contain as much sugar as a biscuit! And we all know how easy it is to be a bit generous with the drizzle.
That's why I'm so excited to share this homemade version with you. By swapping refined sugar for honey, you're getting natural sweetness along with some actual nutritional benefits. Honey contains antioxidants, has antibacterial properties, and doesn't spike your blood sugar quite as dramatically as refined sugar does. Plus, you're in complete control of how sweet you want it.
The best part? This sauce takes less than 15 minutes to make, uses simple whole food ingredients you probably already have at home, and tastes absolutely incredible. No weird aftertaste, no chemical preservatives, just fresh, vibrant flavour that makes everything it touches taste amazing.
Ingredients
1-2 fresh red chillies (depending on your heat preference)
1 garlic clove
100ml water (just under ½ cup)
50g honey (about 2 tablespoons)
20ml white vinegar (about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon)
½ teaspoon salt
Preparation
Blend it up: Pop the red chillies, garlic, water, honey, vinegar and salt into your food processor. Blitz until everything is beautifully smooth and well combined.
Cook it down: Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat. Once it's bubbling away, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You'll notice it thickening up nicely and the flavours really coming together.
Cool and store: Remove from the heat and let it cool completely. The sauce will thicken a bit more as it cools. Transfer to a clean jar or bottle and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Tips
If you'd like a thicker sauce, you can simmer it for a few extra minutes until it reaches your desired consistency
Want it sweeter? Add an extra tablespoon of honey
Love it hot? Keep the seeds in your chillies or add an extra one
This sauce is gorgeous drizzled over grilled chicken, fish, vegetables or used as a dipping sauce for spring rolls
Enjoy your homemade refined sugar free sweet chilli sauce! It's so much better than the shop bought versions and you know exactly what's gone into it.