You’ll never go back to store-bought once you’ve tried this homemade hot fudge sauce. This was a recipe I worked on back in 2015 when I was developing recipes for my 2nd cookbook, Sally’s Candy Addiction. I was up to my arms in fudge and caramel, and ended up putting it on the back burner to focus on handheld candies and such. This past winter, I pulled it out of my recipe ideas folder and got to work on it again. The result? An easy 8-ingredient thick chocolate sauce that’s ready for your next bowl of ice cream. This stuff is dangerously delicious.
Why Should I Make Homemade Hot Fudge?
Homemade tastes infinitely better than store-bought (and has fewer ingredients!) Takes just 5 minutes on the stove, and only 10 minutes total—it joins 30+ others in my collection of Quick Dessert Recipes Thickens into a gooey caramel-like consistency Silky-smooth and glossy Tastes like melted chocolate fudge
Key Ingredients You Need & Why
Real Chocolate: Many recipes call for chocolate chips, but I prefer to chop up good-quality chocolate baking bars such as Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate baking bar. (Not sponsored, just a fan!) If you can find high-quality chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli 60% cacao baking chips or Guittard, go ahead and use them. Sugar: Some recipes use brown sugar. You can use that, but I usually just reach for regular granulated white sugar. Many recipes call for more sugar than what I use—after several recipe tests, I decided 6 Tablespoons is enough because I want the darker chocolate flavor to shine. Light Corn Syrup: Frequently used in candymaking, this ingredient prevents crystallization, which keeps the hot fudge sauce smooth. And because of its high viscosity, corn syrup keeps the fudge sauce syrupy, soft, and glossy.
You also need heavy cream, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, and butter. Think of hot fudge more like a caramel sauce rather than a ganache.
How to Make Homemade Hot Fudge
This part is super quick and easy! Simply combine all the ingredients except for the butter and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine and melt the chocolate. No need for a double boiler; a medium saucepan does the trick. Let the mixture boil for a few minutes, then stir in the vanilla and butter at the end. That’s it! You just made hot fudge sauce from scratch. Success Tip: I recommend using an instant-read thermometer to determine its doneness, and so you get the perfect fudge sauce consistency. Hot fudge thickens considerably as it cools, but it’s easy to reheat on the stove or in the microwave to thin it out again. Now comes the best part… finding all the delicious desserts and other things you can pour it on!
Uses for Homemade Hot Fudge
Drizzle over a scoop of ice cream or serve alongside one of these ice cream confections:
Brownie Baked Alaska Ice Cream Loaf Cake Ice Cream Cake Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie
Hot fudge sauce is incredible on ice cream, of course, but why limit this rich, glossy, deeply chocolatey topping to frozen treats? Try it drizzled over pound cake, brownies, cookies & cream pie, flourless chocolate cake… oh and let’s not forget cheesecake in its many forms, including no-bake cheesecake, easy cheesecake pie, and no-bake cheesecake jars! It also makes a fabulous dip for fruit, pretzels, biscotti, you name it.
More Homemade Toppings for Desserts & Ice Cream
Salted Caramel Sauce Strawberry Sauce Topping Raspberry Dessert Sauce Blueberry Sauce Topping Homemade Whipped Cream
