Sweet heat pickles made from kosher pickles, red pepper flakes, garlic, herbs, and sugar are a delicious crazy twist on traditional pickles. They are a fabulous balance of sweet and spicy flavors, perfect for layering on burgers, and sandwiches, served on charcuterie boards, or just eating right out of the jar!
Pin This Recipe For Later
Sweet, spicy, crunchy, and totally addictive – that’s what’s going on with these pickles! They are called by a couple of names – Sweet Heat Pickles, or Fire and Ice Pickles, but for me… I call them one thing. OVER THE TOP, DELICIOUS!
Here’s Why I Love These Crazy Good Pickles:
- They’re loaded with garlic and fresh herbs marinated in a sweet, spicy brine.
- These pickles are super easy to make with simple ingredients that are turned into something deliciously unexpected.
- This recipe doesn’t require any special canning equipment or fancy ingredients.
- They are delicious on their own as a snack and deliver a punch of flavor to burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, salads, and are great on a meat and cheese platter.
I absolutely love food, especially when it brings something extra to “the party,” if you know what I mean. Pickles, sauces, dips, and drizzles are among the best ways I can think of to add flavor and texture to any dish or meal together.
Ingredients To Make Sweet Heat Pickles
- Dill Pickles – for this recipe, this is the only type of pickle that works. You can purchase whole pickles, spears, or slices.
- Granulated Sugar – sugar substitute can be used, but make sure it’s a brand with a 1:1 ratio.
- Garlic – use fresh minced garlic for the best flavor.
- Fresh Jalapeño Pepper
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Fresh Parsley
Scroll Down For Measurements And Instructions
More Easy Quick Pickle Recipes
Pickling is a wonderful way to preserve vegetables and fruits by marinating them in a brine that can be salty, sweet, or a combination of both.
- Quick Pickled Sweet Red Pepper And Onions
- Refrigerator Cucumbers And Onions
- Pickled Corn And Red Onions
- Southern Pickled Shrimp
How To Make Sweet Heat Pickles
To make sweet heat pickles, you will need a few key ingredients, including dill pickles, sugar, jalapeños, garlic, parsley, and chili flakes. The pickles are first drained and then sliced into bite-sized pieces.
Next, begin by layering the ingredients into a large glass jar. Start with the sliced pickles, then top with sugar, minced garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, and chopped jalapeño. Repeat layers until all pickles are used.
Cover the jar and store it on the counter for about an hour, or until the sugar begins to liquify. Stir or shake to mix the pickles well, and pull any undissolved sugar up from the bottom. Cover and leave on the counter for several more hours, or overnight. Stir and refrigerate until ready to use.
Often Asked Questions And Answers
Dill pickles are the best choice for making sweet heat pickles. They have a nice crunch and are not too sour, which allows the sweet and spicy flavors to shine.
Homemade sweet heat pickles can last up to a month in the refrigerator.
Absolutely! Experiment with different spices and herbs to create your own unique flavor profile. Some popular choices include dill, and mustard seeds.
To make the pickles less spicy, reduce the amount of chili flakes used in the recipe. If you prefer spicier pickles, increase the amount of chili flakes or use a hotter variety of chili pepper.
Ways To Serve These Delicious Pickles
I love eating these babies right out of the jar, but these “fire and ice pickles” can be added to various dishes to enhance their flavor. Here are some ideas for serving them:
- Serve them as a side dish with Crock Pot Country Style Pork Ribs, Roast Beef Sandwiches or Air Fryer Chicken Legs.
- Chop them up and add them to Southern Ham Salad or Avocado Chicken Salad for an unexpected zesty kick.
- They are great to serve with Air Fryer Hot Dogs, and pasta salad for an easy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1 large jar (about 46 oz) plain Dill pickles , about 6 cups sliced (not kosher dill – they do not work with this recipe – this is important)
- 2 cups sugar
- 6 cloves garlic – minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh jalape̱o Рchopped less depending on how much heat you like
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons parsley – chopped
Instructions
- Drain pickles and discard juice. Save the jar to store pickles in later. Slice pickles into ¼ to ½ inch.
- Begin layering into a larger jar: 1-½ cup of pickles per layer. Top the pickles with ½ cup sugar, 2 cloves of garlic sliced or chopped, ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon of chopped jalapeño.
- Repeat layers until all pickles are used. Pour any remaining sugar on top.
- Cover jar and store on the counter for about an hour, or until the sugar begins to liquify.
- Stir or simply shake to mix the pickles well, and pull any undissolved sugar up from the bottom.
- Cover and leave on the counter for several more hours, or overnight. Stir and refrigerate 1 to 2 additional days.
Notes
- Homemade sweet heat pickles can last up to a month in the refrigerator.
- To make the pickles less spicy, reduce the amount of chili flakes used in the recipe. If you prefer spicier pickles, increase the amount of chili flakes or use a hotter variety of chili pepper.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in February 2016 and updated in April 2023.
Want more?
Then grab my Ebook!
1 Week of Family Favorite Menus
7 menus, 29 recipes, 41 pages, tons of tips!
Ideas, recipes, and strategies to make easy meals loaded with flavor. Each of these recipes is affordable and simple to prepare using common ingredients.
Subscribe So You Never Miss A Menu
FREE Email Bonus: Get ready for your tastiest fall ever
Hi Donya,
I first came upon your recipe about 10 years ago. I believe they were called Game Day Pickles. I’ve made them ever since, and have a batch on the counter right now. I thought I’d finally say thank you and let you know that they’re always a hit with everyone who tries them!
Thank you for following all this time! Love that you are here and cooking with me.
~Donya
Your description says kosher dills but your recipe says don’t use koshe- they don’t work… which is it?
It says Kosher pickles.
Enjoy the recipe,
~Donya
easy and very tasty
Do you know if you can use a sugar substitute….Do you think it will work
Hey there Shannon!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I think you’re really going to love it! I’ve never personally tried using a sugar substitute in this recipe, but it’s definitely worth a try, Splenda would probably be a good option since it’s so finely granulated. I hope this helps, let me know how it turns out, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
I have a problem in that the pickles shrivel up. What did I do wrong?
Hey there Tillman!
I’ve honestly never run into that problem with this recipe, so I’m not quite sure how to solve it. If I had to guess, they might be shriveling up because the sugar isn’t liquifying properly and there isn’t enough moisture in the jar. I would recommend reserving about 1 to 2 tablespoons of pickle juice and leaving that at the bottom of the jar to help the sugar dissolve, though you may have to experiment to find the perfect amount of pickle juice to add. I hope this is helpful, let me know if you have better luck the second go round. I really appreciate your support, if you have any other questions about a recipe I’d be more than happy to help!
~Donya
Hi! I’d love to make these but curious what pickles you’d recommend?
I am having a hard time finding pickles that aren’t kosher.
Thank you!
Hey there Taylor!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a terrific question! There are a couple different pickle brands that have a non-kosher dill pickle, I usually use either the Mt. Olive Hamburger Dill Pickle Chips or the Heinz Brand Hamburger Pickles, both work well in this recipe. I really hope this helps, let me know how everything turns out, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
Thank you so much!!
I can’t wait to try these!
I’ve made these but added a jar of hot pickled peppers to the mix instead of fresh. They are wonderful. Thankyou for such an easy recipe.
Hey there Carolyn!
Thank you so much for your kind words, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! I bet adding hot pickled peppers was delicious, I’ll have to try that! Thank you for your support, if you ever have any questions about a recipe feel free to reach out!
~Donya
Looking forward to tasting these. Just made them but have to wait a couple day 😩 No mention of when to add the parsley so just added it with the other spices. They sound delicious 😋😋
Hey there Sharon!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I add the parsley at the same time as the other spices, you were absolutely correct. You’ll have to tell me what you think once you try them, and if you have any questions feel free to reach out! Thanks so much for your support!
~Donya
Loved these but the sugar did not completely desolve. I used granulated Stiva which is suppose to be a 1 to 1 substitute. I will try again with less sugar. Have you heard about anyone else having this problem?
Hey there Paula!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe as well as this fantastic rating! I haven’t personally experienced this issue, but I think that using less sugar should work better, I would recommend about 1.5 cups instead of 2. If that doesn’t work you can also try blending your sugar, in either a Cuisinart or a blender, to try to break it up into even smaller granules. Let me know how your second batch turns out, I hope you enjoy!
~Donya
I just discovered your recipe. It sounds delicious! I can’t wait to try it. I was wondering how long you can keep these in the refrigerator. You mentioned putting them on the refrigerator for one or two days, so I wasn’t sure if you meant that two days is the limit.
Thanks,
Judi T. Howell
Hey there Judi!
Thanks for this sweet comment, I appreciate your interest in this recipe! These pickles will keep in the refrigerator for about 3-4 weeks, although they never tend to last longer than a few days sitting in my fridge. I hope you enjoy this recipe, if you end up making it let me know how it turns out!
~Donya
Why can’t you use kosher dill?
Hey there Juli!
That’s a fantastic question! I don’t recommend using kosher dill pickles for this recipe because the flavor of the brine they’re already soaking in doesn’t mix as well with the flavors of the brine we make in the recipe. You can absolutely use Kosher Dill pickles, it’s just going change the flavor a little bit. I hope you try this recipe, let me know how you like it!
~Donya
Hi! What kind of other pickles should I use? I can’t seem to find non kosher dill pickles
Hey there McKenzie!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I think you’re really going to like it! If you can’t find non-kosher dill pickles anywhere then you can use kosher dill pickles, the flavor will just be slightly different then the original recipe. I hope this helps, let me know how everything turns out if you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
Hi, Just found your article when I was looking at making pickle at home. Very well written and worth reading this article. I am planning to make this with my sister.
Wish to see more in coming days
Hey there!
Thank you so much, this was such a sweet comment to read this morning! I’m so glad you enjoyed this article, it’s a fun recipe to make. Thank you for your support and your fantastic rating! I hope you enjoy, let me know how it goes!
~Donya
I’m sure I’d love these. I buy something similar at our local Piggly Wiggly and made by Wickle’s. Maybe, I’ll get around to your recipe during 2018.
These look delicious! I love pickles with a little bit of heat on them. Really great for hamburgers! Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome, Billy. I agree on hamburgers.
XO,
~Donya
I don’t have a gallon glass jar can I use a plastic gallon jar .
Hey there!
That’s a great question! You don’t need to use a glass jar, I would just make sure that you have a jar large enough to layer all your pickles in. I really hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know how it turns out!
~Donya