Homemade hot fudge sauce comes together in just 5 minutes on the stove, and you can use it on any and all of your ice cream confections, from ice cream cake to brownie sundaes… or serve it as a dip for fruit… or simply savor a spoonful of it all on its own!
You’ll never go back to store-bought once you’ve tried this homemade hot fudge sauce.
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. It’s necessary when making soft caramel candies and homemade marshmallows, too.
You also need heavy cream, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, and butter.
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.
Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, whisk the chocolate, sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, cocoa powder, and salt together until the chocolate is melted. Whisking occasionally, allow the mixture to come to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature; the hot fudge is done when it reaches 220°F (104°C). (If you don’t have a thermometer, 3 minutes is usually the amount of time.)
- Immediately remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract until combined.
- You can use the sauce immediately for ice cream or other desserts. To store, let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Hot fudge will thicken as it cools and in the refrigerator. To reheat, warm it over low heat on the stove or in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. This is not like a chocolate shell topping. While it thickens considerably when cold, it won't have that "snap" that cooled melted chocolate would.
I don't recommend it, and I haven't tested an alternative like golden syrup, agave nectar, or honey. Without corn syrup, the mixture could crystallize or separate, and it won't be as syrupy, soft, and glossy.
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