Make your own hot sauce at home with this sweet Caribbean style chili sauce recipe.
As I was working on a new superhot cookbook, I experimented with a number of homemade hot sauce recipes. That is the fun part of running a food blog, especially one dedicated in large part to chili peppers in general. I get to make all sorts of spicy recipes, particularly hot chili sauces.
So very fun for me!
When making hot sauce, it is easy to work up large batches and even different types of chili sauces at the same time because you can use a little bit here, a little bit there, save some and combine it with something else for an entirely different result.
This particular chili sauce is a Caribbean style sweet chili sauce recipe that uses a combination of Bhut Jolokia chili peppers (aka Ghost Peppers) and some Scotch Bonnets, though I also included several long red cayenne peppers because I had them on hand and wanted to use them up.
I'm tagging different types of chili peppers here because you can use a variety of them, depending on your personal preference. You don't have to go superhot. You can go mild if want. I've made this hot sauce entirely with ghost peppers for something truly HOT.
I've made it with Scotch Bonnets, Fatalii peppers, habaneros, and even sweet peppers from the garden. Experiment on your own. The true sweetness in this one comes from the can of peaches. As an alternative, try sweet pears. Very good to me!
Shout out to my neighbor, Matt. He loves this chili sauce. I always love to hear that. I hope to make another batch soon!
Patty's Perspective
Yes, hanging out with our neighbors last night and we were all craving grilled cheese sandwiches. I wanted mine spicy, so Matt grabbed out this hot chili sauce from the fridge and spiced it up. Delicious!
Frequently Asked Hot Sauce Questions
Here are answers to some of the most common questions I get on other sauces:
How long will this sauce keep?
It should keep a few months easily in the fridge, or even longer. It's all about the acidity. To be technical, target level ph for shelf stable foods is below 4.6 ph, but should probably be lower for home cooks, around 4.0 or so, to account for errors. If you're concerned, add more vinegar to lower the ph. Sauces made with fermented chili peppers will last even longer.
The best ph meters that I recommend are from Thermoworks. Get yourself a ph meter from Thermoworks today. I am a happy affiliate.
Where'd you get that sauce bottle?
I find them locally sometimes, but I also order through Amazon. Here is a link to some bottles I like (affiliate link, my friends!): Swing Top Glass Bottles, 8.5 Ounce - Set of 4
. If you like the smaller bottles that most hot sauce makers use, here's another link: Hot Sauce Bottles, 5 Oz - 24 Pack
.
Can I process this hot sauce for longer storage?
Absolutely. Just be sure to use proper canning/jarring safety procedures.
What should I do with hot sauce?
Aside from drizzling it over anything you please, here's a post I did about How to Cook with Hot Sauce. As if you need even MORE reasons to eat hot sauce. LOL. I hope you find it helpful!
Check out more Hot Sauce Recipes or learn more about How to Make Hot Sauce.
Homemade Caribbean-Style Sweet Chili Sauce - Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound red chili peppers chopped (see comments above - try ghost peppers, Scotch Bonnets, habaneros, or even milder peppers - or a combination of them all!)
- 1 8- ounce can sliced peaches in heavy syrup pears works well, too
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Set oven to broil.
- Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and set them onto a baking sheet. Broil them about 15-20 minutes, or until the skins char and blister. Don’t get too close to the heat source. Remove, cool, and peel.
- Add peaches to a food processor and process until fairly smooth.
- Add chili peppers, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, and ginger. Process until smooth.
- At this point, you can strain through a food mill if you want a silkier style sauce. Or, simply pour directly into a bowl or jar and cover.
- Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to mingle.
Notes
Nutrition Information
M.Heinrich says
I just made this one with a combination of cayanne and basket of fire peppers my neighbor shared with me along with my home canned peaches. This is my favorite hot sauce so far and I'm looking forward to sharing it for Christmas!
I didn't peel the peppers as the basket of fire are pretty small and I always run my sauce through a sieve anyway.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Very happy you enjoyed it!
Tom Wagner says
Would I be able to ferment the peppers first? If so should I put the peaches in the fermentation?
Mike H. says
Yup. In fact, sauces made with fermented chili peppers will last even longer.
Roderick Hasse says
I made this recipe with panameño peppers. I doubled the molasses and added a bit of liquid smoke. I also simmered the whole concoction for 30 min before cooling and bottling. Yum! Love this website!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Wonderful! Thanks, Roderick!
Laura says
Can I avoid the broil and peeling seems odd to me peeling a chilly
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Laura, you can just cook them down. Roasting peppers give them a different type of flavor, so I would consider it. Also, when you roast the peppers, the skins often get papery and the texture doesn't lend itself to sauces. Hence, the peeling. I hope you enjoy it.
Leslie says
Can you use fresh peaches instead of canned with syrup? Would extra liquid need to be added if using fresh?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Absolutely, Leslie. The result won't be as sweet, but still delicious. A bit of water or citrus would help if you need to thin it out. Enjoy!
Barbara says
Can this recipe be water bath canned/
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Barbara, yes, but check the acidity. It should be 3.5 pH or lower ideally for home preserving. Add a bit more vinegar or citrus if needed, and be sure to follow proper water bath procedures. Enjoy!
WENDY Broome says
Can i use Jamaican honey if i do not have molases
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Wendy, honey is a GREAT substitute. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Nancy says
Just picked one last ghost pepper and a few habaneros to add to the last of the peppers for the season. Not bad for November in the northeast! This sauce is fantastic. I am on my second batch and it is quite addictive, I've been putting it on everything. Thank you!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Very nice! Glad you like it, Nancy! Thanks.
Lisa says
This is super tasty...mine is MUCH darker than the one pictured. What would be your perfect recipe/dish you'd use this hot sauce for?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Glad you enjoyed it, Lisa. This is an all-purpose sauce, great with anything. I enjoy it with grilled chicken a lot.
Scott Haymaker says
Mike
I LOVE all the recipes and this is the first time I've made hot sauce and so far have made 4 different typs, 2 of which are fermenting right now.
My question is how can I thin out the sauces? I made this one and its pretty thick...but i dont want to lose any of the flavor.
THANKS
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hey, Scott. Great! Love to hear it! You can either strain the sauce or add in more liquid, such as water or vinegar, then process it more. Or a combination. You can save the pulp from straining to dehydrate and make chili powder: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/seasonings-from-hot-sauce-pulp/. Let me know which method works best for you! Enjoy!
Pat Bennett says
Hi Mike
Just wondering if apple cider vinegar will suffice instead of distilled white vinegar? I am about to give this sauce a crack but can't find any distilled white vinegar.
Regards
Pat
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Pat, absolutely. Apple Cider Vinegar will work great here. It has a touch of sweetness. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Judith says
Can you still make this sauce but not using hot peppers. Can I use sweet red or yellow peppers?
REPLY: Judith, absolutely. You can try a mix of peppers. Let me know how it turns out for you. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Sam C. says
I didn't peel the peppers since it was too difficult. I hope that doesn't make too much of a difference! It looks great!
Aimee says
Amped the recipe up with a handful of Scotch bonnets to go with our homegrown Serranos and jalapenos, and it made my husband seriously cry it was so hot even for him, so I ran it through the sieve. Used honey from our bees instead of brown sugar and home-canned peaches in juice instead of the 'heavy syrup' style (sorry can't get myself to buy that canned syrupy stuff from the store) and its doing just fine.
Helpful tips:
* I simply cut the peppers in half and tossed them in the food processor. No need to chop the heck out of them as the processor will do the brunt of the work, plus it keeps the evil pepper oils off your hands if you're careful.
* As someone else said, dairy is the best solution for getting this off your hands, etc. We drink almond milk at home which is of course useless, but do eat yogurt so my husband kept a jar of yogurt next to us and literally just spooned it on his hands as "soap" before rinsing them off. Because I wear contacts and learned my lesson on this years ago, I am extraordinarily cautious, and even put a cloth over the top of the processor and keep the dishwasher open so everything can go straight from the counter to the dishwasher. Nothing like Scotch bonnet seeds sitting in your kitchen sink drain after you think you've cleaned everything up...
Richard says
How much (ml) does one unstrained batch make? Thanks in advance.
REPLY: Richard, you should be able to get at least a couple cups or more. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
ShonaDMF says
Bicarbonate of soda toothpaste for chilli fingers - just spread on thick and leave to dry. Take some paracetamol too!. Should resolve itself in around 24 hours. Next time wear gloves.. I'm going to when I try this recipe!
Nic says
Just made this using several different types of chili, not all red so the colour is very dark.... I haven't strained it as i like a thicker sauce. I tasted it and the molases taste is very strong... did i do something wrong?
REPLY: Nic, that's odd, and sorry it didn't turn out as you'd hoped. You can lower the amount of molasses next time, but for this batch, you can try to dilute the undesirable flavor with more ingredients, like more peach or more peppers. Let me know if this helps. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
Mark says
This is an awesome recipe! I'll be making more as my chili peppers ripen in the garden. Grilled the peppers instead of broiling them, worked just the same. Just the right amount of heat and sweetness for even my kids.
Jimbob says
How long does this sauce last once made? Also, does the whole blended mixture not need cooking? Thanks.
REPLY: Jimbob, this will easily last you a month or more. No need for cooking, but you CAN cook it over low heat in a pot after processing and see how the flavors develop for you. Then bottle. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness
Vicky says
OMG! Pretty apricot sized habaneros reduced to date size-after blistering. 1 hr to skin...fingers still on fire (couldn't use gloves as too fiddly) I was about to taste a teaspoon full of "sweet chilli sauce" my husband suggested a fingertip taste. Thank goodness!coughed and choked, took my breath away! I've strained pulp out. Now have a pint of what looks like vindaloo sauce. Thinking I may add peach jam or something to reduce heat. Recipe said paprika but ingredients said black pepper which I used. Was a pound of chilis correct? Any other ideas how to reduce heat? Oh and from my fingers...ice water didn't work. Chili Madness extreme, now what to do with the jalapeños my husband is growing... Phew!
RESPONSE: Crazy! You can reduce the heat by using fewer peppers or a mix of milder peppers to round out the body of the sauce. Or, dairy fights the heat as well. Yes, black pepper! -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness
Dan says
I always use my leftover pulp to make Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (adding garlic if necessary).
Mike from Chili Pepper Madness says
Bob, you can try to process that leftover mash and see if you can squeeze a bit more out of it, though in the end, you do wind up throwing some out. I've found that a food mill actually helps to squeeze out as much as possible, leaving very little pulp.
Bob says
Awesome sauce! Quick question - I strained it for a smoother texture, but am wondering if there's something I can do with the leftover mash? smells too nice to toss.
Carol says
Will be making this week....I will make a batch with peaches and a batch with mangoes. Can't wait!
Stephaney says
I can't wait to make this! I have long cayenne and chocolate habaneros growing like crazy with this hot summer. Any experience with jarring a sauce like this? Or fresh to the fridge is the only recommendation?
Mike from Chili Pepper Madness says
Clark, I do keep mine refrigerated since it has fruit in it. Kimo, glad you like it. I think Pomegranate Molasses would be a welcome ingredient, as long as it isn't too thick. Any sweeter syrup could work.
Kimo says
I made this recipe and loved the flavor. It reminded me of when I went to the Caribbean. I wonder what the flavor would be if I used Pomegranate Molasses? Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Clark says
Does this have to be kept refrigerated?
Chicory App says
Looks like an awesome chili sauce recipe for die-hard chili fans like me.
Love your blog & concept! Are you interested in becoming a Chicory Recipe Partner?
harvey says
I love the recipe. I decided to roast my peppers, at 375 for 30 minutes, instead of broiling. For a different Caribbean flavor I used pineapple instead of peaches. I also made the same recipe using 2 large fresh mangoes that I roasted after peeling and pitting. My next foray is going to try both the mango and pineapple together.