This Caribbean style chili sauce recipe is made with a mix of spicy Caribbean chilies with peaches in syrup, brown sugar, and molasses, sweet meets heat!

Homemade Caribbean-Style Sweet Chili Sauce
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!

Let's discuss how to make this sweet chili sauce, shall we?
Caribbean-Style Sweet Chili Sauce Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Red Chilies. Use a good mix like ghost peppers, Scotch Bonnets, habaneros, or even milder peppers - or a combination of them all!
- Peaches in Heavy Syrup. Canned.
- Yellow Mustard.
- Brown Sugar.
- Molasses.
- Distilled White Vinegar.
- Spices. Cumin, ginger, salt, black pepper.
How to Make Caribbean-Style Sweet Chili Sauce - the Recipe Method
- Roast the Peppers. 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.
- Peaches. Add peaches to a food processor and process until fairly smooth.
- Add the Rest. Add chili peppers, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, and ginger. Process until smooth.
- Strain or Not. 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.
- Mingle the Flavors. Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to mingle.
Shout out to my good friend, 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:
Storage Information
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

Kevin Kearney says
Use this as a base to many of my favorite sauces by mixing up the peppers I use. Generally enjoy using fresh peaches from our back yard as the fruit component. Ripe/Red Serrano, Fresno, Aleppo and jalapeno are some of my favorite versions and bring less heat.
Mike Hultquist says
I love it! Thanks, Kevin!
Marj says
This is my 3rd time making this and it never fails to be a hit. We grow a variety of peppers and were lucky enough to have gotten an abundance of peaches from our tree this past summer and came across your recipe. My husband and siblings rave about the sauce as well. Looking forward to trying it out with the mango one day.
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Thanks, Marj!
maz says
This sounds delightful and next on my Chilli Pepper Madness recipe. I'm glad someone mentioned using fresh fruit rather than canned. I love the fact that pears make a great choice too. Thank you so much for your recipes.
Mike H. says
You are so welcome, Maz. Enjoy it!
Jack Kirchhoff says
I'm making a batch of this sweet Caribbean pepper sauce with fermented Anaheims. Going for not hot, as you can see. My question: Should I add the syrup the peaches are in to the food processor? I hate to not use it.
Mike Hultquist says
Jack, you can add it, yes. You might want to add just a little, process, then taste and see how you like it. You can then add more if you'd like. Let me know how it turns out!
Jack Kirchhoff says
As it happens, and for one reason and another, I ended up using the fermented Anaheims in two batches of green tomato chutney (good batches; those fermented peppers are brilliant). My wife ate the peaches. I'll definitely get to that sweet Caribbean pepper sauce some day. It's on my pepper bucket list.
Mike Hultquist says
For the future!
Elaine van Zyl says
Incredibly tasty!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Elaine!
Christopher B. says
Awesome hot sauce! The cumin and molasses make this a very distinctive hot sauce. 5 peppers (stars) all the way!
️️️️️
Mike Hultquist says
Great!! Glad you enjoyed it, Christopher!
Chilli enjoyer says
Made this with Aji Amarillos. It’s the best chilli sauce I have made to date!
Mike H. says
Love hearing it. Thank you!
TJ says
Your recipe says to use 1 pound of chilli peppers. Is that right?? It just feels like a lot since most other recipes involving ghost peppers on this website only call for a handful of peppers at most!
Mike Hultquist says
TJ, yes, this particular recipe uses a lot of peppers. However, you can swap in other peppers for the ghosts to round things out. For example, use 2 ounces of ghost peppers and 14 ounces bell peppers for milder heat.
Jack Kirchhoff says
Can this sauce be made using dried peppers? Rehydrated, of course. I'm thinking of arbols, specifically, but also dried cayennes and other hot – but not ghost-pepper hot – chilis.
Mike Hultquist says
Absolutely, Jack. I made hot sauce from dried peppers all the time. Enjoy!
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!