diff --git a/conda_build/build.py b/conda_build/build.py
index 9bce326305..b759f84967 100644
--- a/conda_build/build.py
+++ b/conda_build/build.py
@@ -2886,6 +2886,15 @@ def warn_on_use_of_SRC_DIR(metadata):
             )
 
 
+@deprecated(
+    "3.16.0",
+    "24.7.0",
+    addendum=(
+        "Test built packages instead, not recipes "
+        "(e.g., `conda build --test package` instead of `conda build --test recipe/`)."
+    ),
+    deprecation_type=FutureWarning,  # we need to warn users, not developers
+)
 def _construct_metadata_for_test_from_recipe(recipe_dir, config):
     config.need_cleanup = False
     config.recipe_dir = None
@@ -2893,11 +2902,6 @@ def _construct_metadata_for_test_from_recipe(recipe_dir, config):
     metadata = expand_outputs(
         render_recipe(recipe_dir, config=config, reset_build_id=False)
     )[0][1]
-    log = utils.get_logger(__name__)
-    log.warning(
-        "Testing based on recipes is deprecated as of conda-build 3.16.0.  Please adjust "
-        "your code to pass your desired conda package to test instead."
-    )
 
     utils.rm_rf(metadata.config.test_dir)
 
diff --git a/conda_build/deprecations.py b/conda_build/deprecations.py
index f691b5192d..cf87b4f25c 100644
--- a/conda_build/deprecations.py
+++ b/conda_build/deprecations.py
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ def __call__(
         *,
         addendum: str | None = None,
         stack: int = 0,
+        deprecation_type: type[Warning] = DeprecationWarning,
     ) -> Callable[[Callable[P, T]], Callable[P, T]]:
         """Deprecation decorator for functions, methods, & classes.
 
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ def deprecated_decorator(func: Callable[P, T]) -> Callable[P, T]:
                 remove_in=remove_in,
                 prefix=f"{func.__module__}.{func.__qualname__}",
                 addendum=addendum,
+                deprecation_type=deprecation_type,
             )
 
             # alert developer that it's time to remove something
@@ -128,6 +130,7 @@ def argument(
         rename: str | None = None,
         addendum: str | None = None,
         stack: int = 0,
+        deprecation_type: type[Warning] = DeprecationWarning,
     ) -> Callable[[Callable[P, T]], Callable[P, T]]:
         """Deprecation decorator for keyword arguments.
 
@@ -149,6 +152,7 @@ def deprecated_decorator(func: Callable[P, T]) -> Callable[P, T]:
                 addendum=(
                     f"Use '{rename}' instead." if rename and not addendum else addendum
                 ),
+                deprecation_type=deprecation_type,
             )
 
             # alert developer that it's time to remove something
@@ -181,6 +185,7 @@ def action(
         *,
         addendum: str | None = None,
         stack: int = 0,
+        deprecation_type: type[Warning] = FutureWarning,
     ) -> ActionType:
         """Wraps any argparse.Action to issue a deprecation warning."""
 
@@ -203,7 +208,7 @@ def __init__(inner_self: Self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
                         else f"`{inner_self.dest}`"
                     ),
                     addendum=addendum,
-                    deprecation_type=FutureWarning,
+                    deprecation_type=deprecation_type,
                 )
 
                 # alert developer that it's time to remove something
@@ -263,6 +268,7 @@ def constant(
         *,
         addendum: str | None = None,
         stack: int = 0,
+        deprecation_type: type[Warning] = DeprecationWarning,
     ) -> None:
         """Deprecation function for module constant/global.
 
@@ -281,6 +287,7 @@ def constant(
             remove_in=remove_in,
             prefix=f"{fullname}.{constant}",
             addendum=addendum,
+            deprecation_type=deprecation_type,
         )
 
         # alert developer that it's time to remove something
@@ -310,6 +317,7 @@ def topic(
         topic: str,
         addendum: str | None = None,
         stack: int = 0,
+        deprecation_type: type[Warning] = DeprecationWarning,
     ) -> None:
         """Deprecation function for a topic.
 
@@ -325,6 +333,7 @@ def topic(
             remove_in=remove_in,
             prefix=topic,
             addendum=addendum,
+            deprecation_type=deprecation_type,
         )
 
         # alert developer that it's time to remove something
@@ -379,7 +388,7 @@ def _generate_message(
         prefix: str,
         addendum: str | None,
         *,
-        deprecation_type: type[Warning] = DeprecationWarning,
+        deprecation_type: type[Warning],
     ) -> tuple[type[Warning] | None, str]:
         """Generate the standardized deprecation message and determine whether the
         deprecation is pending, active, or past.
diff --git a/news/3192-deprecate-testing-recipes b/news/3192-deprecate-testing-recipes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1ea0d425ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/3192-deprecate-testing-recipes
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+### Enhancements
+
+* <news item>
+
+### Bug fixes
+
+* <news item>
+
+### Deprecations
+
+* Mark `conda_build.build._construct_metadata_for_test_from_recipe` as deprecated. Test built packages instead, not recipes (e.g., `conda build --test package` instead of `conda build --test recipe/`). (#3192 via #5352)
+
+### Docs
+
+* <news item>
+
+### Other
+
+* <news item>
diff --git a/tests/test_build.py b/tests/test_build.py
index f7c3f2ba8c..d94df2dd93 100644
--- a/tests/test_build.py
+++ b/tests/test_build.py
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@
 from conda_build import api, build
 from conda_build.exceptions import CondaBuildUserError
 
-from .utils import get_noarch_python_meta, metadata_dir
+from .utils import get_noarch_python_meta, metadata_dir, metadata_path
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from conda_build.config import Config
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
@@ -351,6 +354,14 @@ def test_copy_readme(testing_metadata: MetaData, readme: str):
     assert Path(testing_metadata.config.info_dir, readme).exists()
 
 
+def test_construct_metadata_for_test_from_recipe(testing_config: Config) -> None:
+    with pytest.warns(FutureWarning):
+        build._construct_metadata_for_test_from_recipe(
+            str(metadata_path / "test_source_files"),
+            testing_config,
+        )
+
+
 @pytest.mark.skipif(not on_win, reason="WSL is only on Windows")
 def test_wsl_unsupported(
     testing_metadata: MetaData,