Fruit Hot Sauce: Flavor First, Heat Second

A fruit hot sauce starts with real fruit and lets the peppers follow. Here is what that means, how hot each of ours gets, and what to put them on.

What is a fruit hot sauce?

A fruit hot sauce is built on fruit, not only on peppers. In ours, pineapple, mango, blueberry, peach or papaya is the base, and habanero, ghost pepper or Carolina Reaper brings the warmth. You taste the fruit first and the heat second.

Why flavor first?

Heat on its own fades fast. Fruit gives a sauce sweetness, body and brightness, so it works as a glaze, a marinade, a dip or a finishing drizzle, not only a few shakes on eggs. When we asked one customer how our sauces compare to the average bottle at the supermarket, his answer was simple: "Way more flavor profile."

Our fruit hot sauces, mild to hot

Sauce Fruit and peppers Heat Best on
Peach Basil Bourbon Peach, bourbon, fresh basil Mild Pizza, pasta, eggs, grilled chicken
Pineapple Mango Habanero Pineapple, mango, habanero Mild Tacos, fish, rice
Peach Habanero Peach, habanero Mild Wings, grilling, dipping
Blueberry Carolina Reaper Blueberry, Carolina Reaper Mild Pancakes, ice cream, salads
Mango Ghost Pepper Mango, ghost pepper Medium-hot Nearly everything
Papaya Carolina Reaper Papaya, Carolina Reaper Medium-hot Seafood, red meat
Dragon's Blood Papaya, Carolina Reaper, ghost pepper Hot Chili, wings, bold dishes

Want the full picture? The heat guide maps every sauce by heat and flavor.

How to taste them

Start with the mildest and work your way up, the same way we set up our tasting table. If one flavor stands out, go back to it after a hotter one. A fruit sauce also opens up when it is warm: put a little in a bowl, warm it for a few seconds, and dip a chip.

Where the peppers come from

Every sauce is made on Long Island, New York, and we grow ghost peppers and Carolina Reapers in our own garden there. You can watch the harvest.

Where to start

Sauces in this guide

Taste reactions

Watch people try them

See every reaction

  • “Wait, that was really good.”

    Strangers try a fruit hot sauce

  • “A real big hit of mango at first.”

    Flavor first, heat second

  • “Way more flavor profile.”

    Supermarket hot sauce vs ours

  • “That blueberry surprised me.”

  • “It does taste like duck sauce.”

    Like a spicy duck sauce

Questions people ask

What is the difference between fruit hot sauce and regular hot sauce?

A fruit hot sauce uses fruit as its base, so you taste sweetness and real fruit flavor before the heat. Many classic hot sauces lead with peppers and heat alone.

Are fruit hot sauces sweet?

They lean sweet up front, then the pepper warmth follows. Blueberry Carolina Reaper is the sweetest in our lineup; Papaya Carolina Reaper tastes more like a classic hot sauce.

Is fruit hot sauce less spicy?

Not always. The fruit softens the first hit, but the heat depends on the pepper. Our lineup runs from mild Peach Basil Bourbon to Dragon's Blood with Carolina Reaper and ghost peppers.

What foods go with fruit hot sauce?

Tacos, fish, chicken, pork, wings, pizza, eggs, salads and even ice cream. See what to put fruit hot sauce on and our recipes.

Does fruit hot sauce need to be refrigerated?

Refrigerate after opening to keep the fruit flavor and color at their best. Check each bottle for its best-by date.