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Smoky Apple Chipotle Hot Sauce

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My smoky chipotle apple hot sauce simmers sweet apple, chipotle peppers in adobo, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup together in one pot, then blends into a smooth, glossy sauce. The apple mellows and sweetens the heat while smoked paprika deepens the smokiness, so you get real flavor without blowing your head off. Just a saucepan and a blender is all you need!

A glass bottle of apple hot sauce sits on a wooden surface beside a red apple, dried peppers, and a spoon with spilled sauce.
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My New Favorite Fall Sauce

I’ve written two hot sauce cookbooks, The Fermented Hot Sauce Cookbook and Hot Sauce Cookbook for Beginners, and I created and moderate a large hot sauce Facebook group, so I’m not exactly new to this. I eat hot sauce with nearly every meal, and lately I’ve been having fun building seasonal flavors into new sauces, like my peach tajin hot sauce. With fall right around the corner, I knew I wanted to play around with an apple hot sauce next, and I thought chipotle would be the perfect pairing. I was right. The result is subtly sweet, tangy, smoky, and spicy all at once, a mild to medium sauce that’s become my new everyday drizzling sauce.

Kristen Wood
Enjoy!
~Kristen
A bottle of reddish apple hot sauce, a spoon with sauce, two apples, and dried chili peppers on a wooden surface.

Key Ingredients

A few quick notes on the ingredients that matter most. Find the full ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Chipotle peppers in adobo: These are available in small cans at most grocery stores. Two peppers plus one tablespoon of adobo sauce give the hot sauce a solid medium heat. Use just one pepper for a milder version.
  • Apple: Leave the peel on. It breaks down completely in the blender and adds body along with a little natural sweetness that balances the chipotle’s heat. I like to use Red Delicious, but any red apple variety will do.
  • Maple syrup: This rounds out the acidity from the vinegar without making the sauce taste sweet on its own. Honey works as a swap if that’s what you have on hand.
A bottle of reddish apple hot sauce sits on a wooden surface next to a red apple, a spoon with sauce, and three dried peppers.

What to Serve With It

A bottle of apple hot sauce, a fresh apple, dried peppers, and a spoon with sauce are arranged on a wooden surface.

Two Things to Adjust to Your Taste

  • Add water gradually if it’s too thick. Start with one tablespoon at a time after blending until the sauce pours the way you want it to.
  • Control the heat with the peppers, not the adobo sauce. Adobo sauce carries more tang than heat, so if you want it spicier, add an extra chipotle pepper rather than more sauce.
A bottle of reddish-brown apple hot sauce sits on a wooden surface, accompanied by two apples, dried peppers, and a spoonful of sauce beside it.

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A bottle of reddish apple hot sauce, a spoon with sauce, dried peppers, and an apple rest on a wooden surface under bright light.

Smoky Apple Chipotle Hot Sauce

Author: Kristen Wood
10kcal
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Prep 5 minutes
Cook 10 minutes
Total 15 minutes
This smoky apple chipotle hot sauce blends sweet apple, chipotle peppers, and tangy vinegar into a glossy sauce that's subtly sweet, smoky, and spicy. It comes together in about 15 minutes with just a saucepan and a blender.
Servings 24 servings
Course Condiments
Cuisine American, Mexican-Inspired
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
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Ingredients

  • 1 medium red apple cored and chopped, peel on
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
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Method

  1. Add the chopped apple, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, water, maple syrup, garlic, smoked paprika, and salt to a small saucepan.
    White bowl with diced apples in a reddish apple hot sauce, possibly a marinade or tangy condiment, with a metal spoon resting inside. The bowl is partially lit, highlighting the ingredients.
  2. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apple has softened and a fork can pierce it easily.
    Bowl with cubed fruit and dried chilies in a red apple hot sauce, stirred with a black spoon, on a wooden surface.
  3. Carefully transfer everything to a blender and blend until completely smooth and glossy.
    Close-up of thick, red-orange apple hot sauce with bubbles and streaks on the sides of a blender container.
  4. Cool completely, then transfer to a clean bottle or jar, then refrigerate. Enjoy!
    A spoon with reddish-brown apple hot sauce on a wooden table, next to dried chilies and a whole peach.

Notes

 
  • Use one chipotle pepper instead of two for a milder sauce, or add a third for more heat.
  • If the sauce is thicker than you’d like, add one tablespoon of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
  • Store in an airtight jar or bottle in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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Nutrition

Serving1tablespoonCalories10kcalCarbohydrates2gProtein0.04gFat0.2gSaturated Fat0.02gPolyunsaturated Fat0.02gMonounsaturated Fat0.1gSodium178mgPotassium16mgFiber0.3gSugar1gVitamin A26IUVitamin C0.4mgCalcium3mgIron0.1mg

Nutritional information is automatically calculated using a third-party calculator and is an estimate only.

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Kristen is a writer, photographer, recipe developer, and certified functional nutrition expert. She is also the author of Fermented Hot Sauce Cookbook, Vegetarian Family Cookbook, and Hot Sauce Cookbook for Beginners. Her work has been featured in various print and online publications including Elle, NBC, Chicago Sun-Times, Martha Stewart, MSN, New York Daily News, Healthline, and many more. Kristen is also a syndicated writer for The Associated Press.

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