Hot Fudge Sauce is a kitchen staple I love reaching for time and time again! This homemade chocolatey treat is thick, rich, and so much better than anything you could buy from a store. While this topping is great for a hot fudge sundae, it’s versatile enough to be used in SO many ways. You can eat it right out of the jar… I won’t judge!

A spoon is drizzling hot fudge sauce into a full jar.


Hot Fudge Sauce

Hot Fudge is one of those recipes that when you start making it yourself, you just can’t go back to store bought again! This homemade recipe yields the thickest, richest, and downright dreamiest Hot Fudge EVER. It’s all too tempting to eat it right out of the jar with a spoon, which is something I’m definitely guilty of. I mean, who can resist a spoonful of melted warm chocolate sauce? Not me!

What makes this Hot Fudge recipe a step above the rest is that it perfectly balances the rich and sweet flavors. It’s almost bittersweet, which is exactly what a real Hot Fudge Sauce should taste like. All too often, the store bought jars just taste like sugary sweetness with no real depth. Unsweetened cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, and unsweetened dark chocolate add a delicious amount of depth to this sauce.

In order to make the best sauce, the ingredients you choose matter! Try to buy the best quality of chocolate that your wallet allows for the very best flavor. I also like to use a good quality butter, which helps make the sauce silky smooth. Remember, the goal here is to have smooth, rich, and deeply flavored Fudge Sauce, which is only possible if you use the best ingredients you can!

The ingredients for hot fudge sauce are placed on a white surface.

How to Make Hot Fudge Sauce

Boil, stir, cool, and enjoy. It’s seriously that easy! Like I said, you’ll never go back to the store bought stuff again.

  1. Stir together the first few ingredients. In a medium saucepan, stir the heavy cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt.
  2. Boil and add chocolate. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir in half the chopped chocolate.
  3. Simmer and add the remaining ingredients. Turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and stir in the remaining chocolate, butter and vanilla.
  4. Let it cool. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before using. You want it to still be warm, but not hot enough to burn your mouth!
How fudge sauce is being poured onto a stack of cookies.

Can I use chocolate chips to make Hot Fudge?

Never, ever, ever use chocolate chips! Chocolate chips contain a stabilizer to help keep their shape and it can make the consistency of the sauce a little grainy. For that reason, you should only ever use chocolate bars that you have to chop.

How to Use Hot Fudge Sauce

Besides eating it right out of the jar with a spoon or drizzled across a sundae, here are a few other scrumptious ways to enjoy homemade Hot Fudge Sauce! Drizzle it on any one of these dessert recipes:

How long will homemade Hot Fudge Sauce stay fresh?

In an airtight container in the fridge, your Hot Fudge Sauce will last for up to 2 weeks. To reheat it, simply microwave it in 15-20 second intervals, stirring each time until fully melted. I don’t recommend freezing Hot Fudge Sauce.

A jar of hot fudge sauce has a little drizzle on the outside of it.

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A spoon is drizzling hot fudge sauce into a full jar.

Get the Recipe: Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe

The very best hot fudge sauce recipe! Drizzle over a hot fudge sundae, a pile of fudge brownies, your morning oatmeal or just enjoy straight from the spoon.
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate, chopped
  • 3 tablespoon unsalted butter, I use Plugra
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • In a medium saucepan, stir the heavy cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir in half the chopped chocolate.
  • Turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Turn the heat off and stir in the remaining chocolate, butter and vanilla. Allow to cool fro 15-20 minutes before using.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
  • To reheat, microwave at 15-30 second intervals, stirring each time, until melted.

Notes

Hot Fudge can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Serving: 0g, Calories: 274kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 81mg, Potassium: 144mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 460IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 1mg