Cayenne peppers are a fine middle ground for those who want hot peppers, but not at the incendiary level. About ten times hotter than Jalapeno peppers, Cayenne pepper is rated at 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units, plenty warm enough to add spice to sauces and dressings. Most people recognize cayenne pepper as a dried product, either in powder form or as flakes. Left on the bush, cayenne peppers turn a dark red at maturity.