December 2025 - Hot & Spicy
Some people collect hot sauces… others just like to put them on everything. Either way, this month’s Hot & Spicy Box turns up the flavor with craft chocolate, bold pretzels, and small-batch sauces that bring serious heat and personality to your kitchen. It’s the perfect gourmet food subscription for anyone who loves a little burn with their bites.
🌶 Fun Fact: The Power of Heat
Hot sauce is more than a condiment. Capsaicin—the compound that makes chili peppers hot—has been shown to help boost metabolism, relieve pain, and reduce inflammation. With the rise of plant-based eating, hot sauce has also become a go-to way to add big flavor to vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Fine & Raw – Brooklyn Bonnie Habanero Salt Chocolate
Are you on a beach in Mexico, sipping tequila by a bonfire—or just biting into this bar? This 70% dark chocolate is sprinkled with sea salt and a touch of habanero heat, giving you a slow, satisfying burn that keeps you coming back for one more square.
Fine & Raw started in a Williamsburg, Brooklyn artist loft, where founder Daniel Sklaar delivered small-batch chocolate by bike. Today, they still craft organic bars with obsessive attention to flavor, texture, and pure chocolate joy—and this spicy little number is one of their most addictive.
Stellar Snacks – Sweet & Sparky Pretzel Braids
These aren’t your average pretzels. Sweet & Sparky Braids start off with a hint of sweetness, then hit you with a zesty buffalo-style heat that builds with every crunchy bite.
Vegan, bold, and seriously snackable, they’re perfect for game night, happy hour, or straight from the bag. If you love spicy snacks that actually deliver on flavor and fire, this one’s going to the top of your snack rotation.
Redlaw Sauce Co. – Serrano Scorpion Hot Sauce
Turn up the volume on heat with Serrano Scorpion Hot Sauce—a fiery blend of serrano and scorpion peppers designed for true heat seekers. Serrano brings bright, fresh chili notes, while scorpion pepper adds intense, lingering heat.
Balanced with lime juice, garlic, cilantro, and other natural ingredients, this sauce is all about bold, clean flavor without artificial colors or preservatives. Splash it on tacos, eggs, stews, grilled meats—or anything that needs a serious kick. If you’ve been looking for “next level” hot sauce, this is it.
Redlaw Sauce Co. – Blueberry Ghost Pepper BBQ Sauce
Meet your new favorite BBQ conversation starter. This award-winning sauce layers smoky heat from ghost pepper with the juicy sweetness of blueberries for a rich, complex flavor that’s spicy, tangy, and just a little wild.
Brush it on ribs or chicken, drizzle over burgers, or use it as a dipping sauce for fries and tenders. It’s bold enough for adventurous eaters, but balanced so the heat never overwhelms the fruit and smoke. A true showstopper for backyard BBQs and winter oven-bakes alike.
Why We Love This Hot & Spicy Box
December is the season of cozy comfort—and for some of us, that means turning up the heat. This Hot & Spicy Box brings together craft chocolate, crunchy snacks, and small-batch sauces that showcase how nuanced “spicy” can be: sweet, smoky, tangy, and fiery all at once. It’s a perfect gift for the spice lover in your life—or a fun way to warm up your own winter table.