A quick and easy homemade hot fudge sauce recipe. This chocolate sauce can be prepared in 15 minutes, and it’s perfect to serve warm over vanilla ice cream! Recipe includes a how-to video!
It’s like a little black dress for your ice cream sundae.
Funny how it never occurred to me until recently that this was something I could make at home. Hot fudge sauce is an ice cream sundae staple, but I hate the artificial taste of the kinds you can buy at the store. This fudge sauce is thick, glossy, and made with two different types of chocolate (cocoa powder and chocolate chips) for the richest chocolate flavor. It’s kinda a big deal.
It’s also probably Zach’s favorite recipe on the whole blog! He’s been making it almost non-stop since I perfected the recipe, and makes sure we always have vanilla ice cream in the freezer just so he as an excuse to eat it. For someone who isn’t too crazy about sweets, that’s really saying something!
What You Need:
- Chocolate Chips. I like to use semisweet chips, but dark chocolate chips would also be delicious. You could also substitute a semisweet or bittersweet chocolate bar instead.
- Sugar. Specifically, granulated sugar. It’s important that you keep your stovetop heat on medium and bring your hot fudge sauce to a boil slowly so that the sugar has time to dissolve. Otherwise you’ll be left with a grainy chocolate sauce!
- Cream. Heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, or double cream will work here.
- Light corn syrup. I have successfully made this recipe without corn syrup, but it lacks the shiny luster and the rich fudginess (evidently that isn’t a word 🤷🏼♀️) that makes this sauce so good. As I mentioned in my sugar cookie icing, corn syrup is not the same as high fructose corn syrup, just in case you were worried.
- Cocoa powder. You can use either Dutch processed or natural unsweetened for this recipe.
- Salt. Just a pinch, for flavor.
- Butter. Stir this in at the end for a glossy finish and a full-bodied flavor
- Vanilla extract. Yes, it’s chocolate sauce, but vanilla extract rounds out the flavor, adding a depth that you don’t want to omit.
What is the Difference in Chocolate Sauce and Chocolate Syrup?
Chocolate sauce (also known as “hot fudge sauce” is much thicker and richer than chocolate syrup. It’s also served warm, while chocolate syrup is not.
Storing
Once the hot fudge sauce has cooled, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for at least a week. Chocolate sauce will re-solidify in the fridge, so you will need to re-heat it each time you to use it.
Hot fudge sauce is most commonly used for pouring over vanilla ice cream while it’s still warm, but we also love enjoying it by the spoonful or even drizzling it over edible cookie dough. That is a treat! It would also be great for pouring over a whipped cream topped homemade brownie if you’ve got a serious sugar craving.
Enjoy, and let me know if you love this recipe as much as Zach does!
More Recipes to Try:
- Salted Caramel Sauce
- Edible Cookie Dough
- Chocolate Ganache (similar to chocolate sauce, but made for topping cakes/cheesecakes/etc.)
Let’s bake together! Head on over to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 200 recipe videos that you can watch for free!
Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce (Chocolate Sauce)
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips (115g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- ½ cup heavy cream (120ml)
- 3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder¹
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Combine chocolate chips, sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, cocoa powder, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted and sugar is dissolved.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add butter and vanilla extract. Stir well. Mixture will be very thin/liquidy, but will thicken and become fudgy as it cools. Allow mixture to cool to desired consistency before serving over ice cream. If cooled completely, fudge will be too thick to pour and you will want to heat in the microwave for several seconds before serving (it is supposed to be “hot” fudge, after all).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Andrea
This sounds amazing! I do have one question though- how hard is “hard” once it sets up? I’d love to make an ice cream cake with this in the middle (think DQ cakes), but would it set too hard? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Andrea! It is firm but I would say it’s softer than a ganache. I think it could work in an ice cream cake. 🙂
SHERRY SHADLE
HEY SAM, CAN YOU ADD PEANUT BUTTER?
Sam
Hi Sherry! I haven’t tried it before, I think you would be OK to add a spoonful or two after cooking but while it’s still warm. Sounds tasty!
Kavitha ganesan
Did this for my daugther who is 5 yrs old. She loves it and has been eating it everyday!
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Sam
I am so glad she enjoyed it so much! 🙂
ANNA
This! Will! Be! Perfect! For! My! Warm! Chocolate! Covered! Fruit! Craving!
Yuchuuu! Thank you a lot! One tine in the month there’s always this week when I rave over chocolate. And I adore melting chocolate and then dipping fruits in it. But melting chocolate is too much work in this week, as I normally feel weak and don’t want to do nothing than eating chocolate. So this is perfect! Making at the beginning of the week, buying fruits, just putting in the microwave everytime there’s the need for chocolate, cutting or peeling fruits and enjoy! This is going to be soooo goood.
Sam
I hope you love it! 🙂
Carole Morrison
I’ve tried many & they all came out bitter. Your recipe is Amazing! Thanks so much Sam! 🙂
Rikkie
How much baking chocolate do 8 substitute for the chocolate chips?
Sam
4 oz. Enjoy! 🙂
Pam
So good poured over vanilla ice cream! Excellent flavor!
carin
This recipe sounds dangerously tempting…it’s probably good that I don’t have a key ingredient on hand at the moment.
Thanks for your blog. And I know you didn’t ask for proof-reading, but I can’t help myself. “Allow mixture to cool to desired consistency before serving over hot sauce.” Uhm… Hot fudge over hot sauce?
Sam
😂😅Whoops! Good eye, Carin! I will fix that now!
Carol S. Ortiz
Tonight is the night! Garlic cheese rolls, pasta and your Hot Fudge Sauce! Thank you,
Sugar Spun Run
That all sounds wonderful, Carol! I hope that everyone enjoys it. 🙂