Hot Fudge Sauce
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This hot fudge sauce was 100% impromptu and perhaps one of the best decisions that I have ever made at 9:45pm on a random Saturday night. This past Saturday my Chief Culinary Consultant was enjoying some guy time golfing and going to a baseball game, so I spent some quality time with my mom. My first instinct was to see if there were any chick flicks OnDemand. After a quick search, I realized that I forgot that 400+ channels yield virtually nothing in the good movie department. Then it dawned on me – there were actual sports to be watched. Unfortunately for my mom, that meant sitting through the Pirates game (she loathes baseball). She did perk up afterward, though, when I switched to the hockey playoffs to see New Jersey live to play another game. It was during the baseball game (specifically, after the Pirates scored 5 runs in the 4th inning) that I decided ice cream sundaes needed to happen. I still had some vanilla bean ice cream in the freezer from the ice cream sandwiches, and there was a tiny bit of salted caramel sauce in the fridge just begging to be polished off. Whipped cream and maraschino cherries? Check. The only thing missing was hot fudge. I hopped off the couch, grabbed my iPad, and bolted into the kitchen. In less than 20 minutes, we had hot fudge sauce, and not just any hot fudge sauce. The best, ever. I guarantee there will forever be a jar of this stuff stocked in my refrigerator.
When I started poking around for a recipe, I obviously wanted something that could be made with ingredients I already had in the house. Even though I live about 10 minutes from two 24-hour grocery stores, me putting on “real” clothes and going to buy ingredients just wasn’t going to happen. Luckily, I had what I needed for just about every recipe I found. The next hurdle? This couldn’t take forever. I wanted an ice cream sundae almost immediately. One recipe required cooking the sauce for an hour. That wasn’t going to work for me. I finally settled on a slightly merged recipe from one of my cookbooks and Deb’s site. It looked to be quick, fairly foolproof and had great reviews. I’m pretty confident I made the best choice possible, because this sauce is life-changing.
It’s rich, smooth, and the absolute perfect texture for pouring over ice cream. It lays on top, settles in puddles, and straddles the fence between melding into the ice cream and maintaining its own identity. Like I said, I don’t think I could have found a better hot fudge sauce. For all of the ice cream making that I do during the summer, I haven’t spent much time working on homemade toppings. Truth be told, I’m usually an ice cream purist and enjoy a cupful (or a bowlful) plain, without any toppings. I obviously didn’t inherit my dad’s zest for building grandiose ice cream concoctions. He would routinely top a bowl of vanilla ice cream with things like maple syrup and Grape-Nuts cereal (Elf, anyone?!). While I usually enjoy my ice cream for what it is, sometimes nothing beats an awesome sundae, and it totally hit the spot on Saturday night. If only I would have had one of my favorite chocolate chip cookies to throw into the mix ;-)
Once you make this hot fudge sauce you’re going to want to hoard it, hide it in the back of the refrigerator so no one can find it, and only eat it when alone. I totally understand. The awesome news is that since it’s so easy and quick to make, you can whip up batch after batch in no time at all. So I encourage you to share the hot fudge love. Even though we’ve just merely dipped our toe into the warm days of summer, the winter holidays will be here before we know it, and I’m always on the lookout for ideas. This sauce would make a fabulous homemade gift. You could even play around with the flavorings, substituting a ¼ teaspoon of a flavored extract like peppermint, orange, or even raspberry, for a more festive sauce.
Whether you pour gallons of this over your ice cream, eat it with a spoon, or package it up and give it to a friend, this hot fudge sauce will certainly make your world a better place.
One year ago: Peanut Butter & Jelly Pie Bars
Two years ago: Blueberry Boy Bait
Three years ago: Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies
Four years ago: Fresh Strawberry Tart[/donotprint]
Hot Fudge Sauce
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup (158.67 ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup (170.5 ml) Lyle's Golden Syrup, or light corn syrup
- ⅓ cup (73.33 g) dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup (21.5 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) sea salt
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped, divided in half
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream, syrup, brown sugar, cocoa powder, salt and half of the chocolate to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low (enough to maintain a low simmer), and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate, the butter, and the vanilla extract, stirring until smooth. Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before using (it will thicken as it cools). Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To reheat, microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until it's pourable but still thick.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Oh my. I could drink the whole pan. So simple to make. WOW!
Hi; I’ve been making this for a long time without fail and this time it looks super oily and separated. Only difference is I used 100% cocoa chocolate instead of 60/70. Is that why? I even tried adding more cream to smooth it out. No dice. Help?
The absolute best Hot Fudge Sauce!!!!!!!!!!! I have been using this recipe for years, but had to reprint it because it became a little ragged at the edges.
Halved the recipe as didn’t want to make too much but after tasting it I totally regret not making a full batch as it is the best fudge sauce I’ve ever made. 10/10 recommend trying.
Look no further for the perfect hot fudge sauce because THIS IS IT!
It doesn’t take long to make, only a few simple ingredients are needed, and your taste buds will be forever happy. I used this hot fudge sauce in an ice cream cake I made for a birthday celebration and then decided to make two more batches, one to give away and one for me. This is truly the best hot fudge sauce I’ve ever tasted!
It sounds great, but I generally don’t have heavy cream, dark brown sugar, or bittersweet chocolate on hand. Would have required a trip to a real grocery store in real clothes.
Easy and amazing!
This recipe has been my go-to hot fudge recipe for years now. It never fails, is the perfect rich chocolate flavor, and the texture is perfectly chewy on ice cream. It saves and reheats so well. I am so thankful that you’ve done the work and are willing to share your wisdom. I now search your website first when looking for a recipe – yours are always the best out there!
Have made this sauce as written many, many times. The recipe is a consistent winner. It works beautifully every time. I’m one of those people that is very disappointed when chocolate syrup is drizzled over my ice cream. I want a thick deep chocolate fudge with that chew factor when it hits my frozen ice cream! This fudge delivers just that! Making again today and adding a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter to the sauce with the butter, additional chocolate and vanilla. I’ll bet it’s gonna be awesome too!
It’s just a great recipe!
I am SO picky about hot fudge sauce. This is hands down the BEST hot fudge sauce I’ve made at home! My family ate the entire recipe in 3,days!!!! I plan on gifting jars for Christmas!!!!
Thank you for sharing!😘❤️
This recipe is everything it promises to be!
You need to try this with condensed milk! All the difference in the world! Sweet yummy.
Could I can this for longer shelf life?
Excellent recipe. First attempt was a success due to clear instructions. Thank you for posting!
Do you think this would work with milk instead of heavy cream or would it change the consistency too much?
Hi Danielle, I think it would still work, but the consistency may be thinner and the flavor less rich than using heavy cream.
Thanks! That’s what I figured. I did happen to have regular whipping cream so I used that. I’m sure it would be even better with heavy whipping cream (which I will use next time), but omg this is THE best hot fudge recipe I’ve ever tried. The other commenters weren’t wrong. Look no further! Thank you!
I just made this and I love the texture and that it calls for cane syrup; I much prefer to use that than corn syrup. I did find the flavor profile just a tad bit more bittersweet for me so I threw in an ounce of white chocolate to nudge it where I wanted it. Bravo!
Can i make this with sweetened condensed milk instead of corn syrup?
Hi Catherine, I’m not sure that substitution would work.
Just made this. Followed instructions to a T. Got a thick lumpy sauce, butter seperated and bitter tasting fudge. Won’t be using this recipe. Yes I do know how to bake, been doing it for years. Too bad we can’t post pictures.
These actually make really good truffles!
I decided to make our fudge sauce at 9.45pm on a Saturday night too.
I have made caramel sauce for years, but never fudge sauce. This is going on the favourite quick dessert recipe.
Just made this for an ice cream cake. Used agave syrup, since corn syrup isn’t available in my country and 70% Lindt. Was very easy to make and turned out great! It’s rich and dark, not overly sweet. Will definitely make it again! :-)
I can see the beauty of this recipe but I ended up with a clumpy mess. I followed all the directions exactly. As it cooled it only got worse. It tasted good but it was unusable. It was sad.
Hi, I am going to try this recipe tomorrow. Have tried several different ones over the last few days and all are very tasty but none are the real old fashioned CHEWY hot fudge sauce that I am trying to get. Is this one chewy after it hits ice cream.? None of the comments seem to indicate that it is?
Hi Elaine!
The hot fudge is chewy. . . and remains chewy after contact with ice cream! :)
Thanks for sharing the recipe. Do you melt the butter ahead of time before mixing?
Very good sauce.
Yummers! This is a delicious recipe. I will definitely make it again. Serve it hot over ice cream. Delicious!
This is a good sauce for on the fly. It is so smooth and rich. Its important to use a good chocolate that you like as that’s where most of the flavor comes from. I’m not sure if I did something wrong, but it actually gets chewy when it gets cool. A touch less corn syrup would be good?
I’m assuming by the gift giving ideas that it is shelf stable? Even with cream in it?
Hi Jenny, It is not shelf stable long-term. If gifting, I would instruct the recipient (or put it on a tag) that they should refrigerate it once they get home.
I love this recipe. But the last two times I’ve made it it hasn’t congealed. So it’s a separated butter and lumpy chocolate situation. I mix it up, and it’s still delicious, but I can’t get the consistency I got the first time. What can I be doing wrong?
I wonder if water got into it. Would adding a fat, like vegetable oil or butter (small amounts) pull it together?
The problem is that the butter is separating from the chocolate, similarly to what other people have noted. The first time I made it, it came out perfectly, but the other two times it has been separated.
This sauce is excellent! I’ve made many hot fudge sauces over the years but have never found one that I thought was good enough to stop searching for a better one, until now. The texture is outstanding. It’s thick and creamy and velvety smooth. I used 70% dark chocolate and added 2 teaspoons of instant espresso to make the chocolate more intense. I also added 2 tablespoons of bourbon with the vanilla. I didn’t have heavy cream so substituted light cream and added 2 additional tablespoons of butter. The sauce reheats beautifully in the microwave. Perfect!
Still the best hot fudge sauce recipe yet. I use half semi-sweet and half bittersweet Ghiradelli bar chocolate for the smoothest, shiniest consistency and incredible flavor. During the 5 minute simmer, I bring the chocolate to 223 degrees F. Pull it when it’s at temperature vs. perhaps cooking the full 5 minutes. Never have had a complaint on this one! I stock my Breyer’s ice cream when it’s on sale and keep it like a rock for this hot fudge to smother. Delicious.
Can u tell me the size of the mason jar that u stored ur fudge sauce in? Im thinking of making it for a party i have for this weekend. Also do u put the entire jar into the microwave? How long does it take for the sauce to become runny again?
Hi Liz, It’s a 16-ounce jar. I do put the whole jar in the microwave; it takes around 20 seconds!
I’ve made this so many times. I’m kinda famous for it, and so are you because I always send admirers to your awesome site. This stuff is the shizz!!!! I jar it and give it to loved ones for Christmas! It turns vanilla ice cream into a mere medium! I force myself to take the spoon out of the jar on a chilly winter night! Thank you so much!
Love it! Easy to make. Keeps well. Not too sweet. I used bittersweet choc chips instead of chopping up the squares. It worked fine.
Do you think this would work with half & half instead of heavy cream, or do you need the heavy cream to ensure that the sauce thickens?
Hi Sadie, I am honestly not sure if half and half would thicken it enough (I’ve never tried). Might need to do some trial and error.
Easy, quick, comes together beautifully and has a lovely rich flavor. Much better than store bought fudge sauce. Used it on a chocolate poke cake and everyone loved it!
Fantastic recipe! Easy to make and fabulous results. Rich, creamy and thick hot fudge sauce that is easily reheatable. Ooh la la. 👌👌
This recipe is amazing! So easy and delicious!
Holy yum – this can be dangerous to have in the house lol For something different for Mothers Day dessert I decided to make an ice cream cake and needed something for the center. I had never made a hot fudge sauce before which is in a way kind of surprising but this is so simple just about anyone can make it. Once it cooled to less molten lava type heat I dipped a spoon in just to try it…and then another, and another lol. Normally I hate the taste of dark chocolate but it works in this sauce! Its nice and “firm” when cool so it will be perfect in the ice cream cake – it won’t ooze out the second you try to slice it. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi, Thank you for the amazing recipe. I did try this recipe a couple of times, but the sauce doesn’t stay as liquid Inspite of reheating it a couple of times after taking it out from the refrigerator. May I know the reason why this is happening? Is there something which can be done to keep it in a liquid state when it is in room temperature or even when it is kept in the fridge.
Regards, Kiran
Hi Kiran, It won’t stay liquid in the refrigerator, and once it hits cold ice cream it thickens as well. I’m not sure I’ve used even a commercial fudge sauce that is liquid in the refrigerator.
Hi there…can you please suggest me an ingredient which can be substituted for the golden/light corn syrup?? It’s not an easily available ingredient
in the place where I come from but I very badly want to try this recipe! Help me out please!🙂
Hi! So for this particular recipe, there really isn’t a good substitute if you can’t get either the golden syrup or light corn syrup. However, I do have another hot fudge sauce recipe that doesn’t use either: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/hot-fudge-sauce/. Enjoy! :)
Super easy to make, and it tastes perfect. The only fudge sauce recipe I use.
How can I create this chocolate sauce but that it never harden in the freezer? I would like to create an ice cream with an add in of chocolate sauce when it is mixed with my ice cream and is stored in the freezer, it never harden and stay always dense or thick but not frozen. Thanks
Hi Gustavo, Try the fudge ripple from my tin roof ice cream! https://www.browneyedbaker.com/tin-roof-ice-cream/
Good news: This is really good stuff! I discovered it in Dec of 2016 when trying to decide what else I could make for Christmas gifts other than my white choc peppermint bark that’s always a hit. I made a batch of this and after the holidays, I was done… but then THIS last Christmas…. Bad News: I’ve NOT stopped and I’ve been eating it ever since! So, 20# heavier (not only because of this) I need to back away from the whipping cream and give it a rest. My family claims it’s crack in a jar and my work colleagues don’t even get it home; so now, i just gift it with a spoon!
Holy cats this is good stuff! I used corn syrup vs Lyle’s. I also added a bit of molasses as I only had light brown sugar. I really wanted to add a bit of espresso powder but did not since this is for my daughter’s bday ice cream cake. Next time!
Omg so good!
Well now that I posted that comment I see that I was obviously looking in the wrong place for reviews … am sorry I’m computer ignorant (pretty much a dummy) and I appreciate all the comments on the chocolate fudge sauce that I asked for and accidentally found. Will try it tomorrow! Happy Valentine’s Day 💖💖
I am looking for a good hot fudge sauce recipe, found one on brown eyed baker and decided to check the reviews. All I read, with the exception of a couple out of dozens, was comments about people WANTING to make it … I need to know what people who ACTUALLY MADE IT think…
Just made this fudge sauce for an ice cream cake and it came out Amazing!! I added vanilla, almond and orange extract to my sauce and it was the bomb! Thank you for the recipe.
This hot fudge sauce recipe is incredible. I’ve been searching for this for years. The Dutch process cocoa makes it, and this recipe will be a part of my repertoire forever.
Excellent hot fudge! It is the best I have tried!
I made your ice cream cake for a Birthday this evening. Did everything except piping.
Hi! Does this sauce freeze solid in the freezer? I am looking to fill an ice cream cake, that I make a couple of days ahead of time, and I need a fudge that won’t freeze solid. Thanks!
Hi Lori, No, it doesn’t freeze solid, I’ve used it in ice cream cakes!
This was, hands-down, the best hot fudge sauce I have ever had in my life. My sister and I could not get enough of this sauce! We were astonished by how absolutely delicious it was and by how easy it was to make – a dangerous combination! We plowed through our jar of this fudge in about 1 week. I’ll have to restrain myself from making this too often if I want to keep my girly figure :D Thanks for the recipe. I’m new to your site (have only made this and the apple pull-apart bread [also really good, albeit very time consuming]), but have loved the selection and the results of the recipes. I’m hooked!
Thanks so much for the review Rosanna, and I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the hot fudge sauce, as well as the site!
Rich delish thick and perfect
When using this in the ice cream cake how much do you use?
I made this at the private club where I work as a pastry baker. I needed a chocolate fudge sauce as a dessert garnish. This is the most delicious, glossy, shiny, dark chocolate sauce ever! Easy precise directions; normal pantry ingredients; and quick. Winner!
This is my go to fudge sauce, but because I rarely use heavy cream, I adjusted it so I could use one cup (half pint). It is awesome!
For those looking for ingredient weights, here they are. They’re very handy if you’re using an electric scale where you can zero out the weight after adding each ingredient to the pan. I make this recipe frequently and it narrows clean up time.
2/3 cup heavy cream = 155 grams
1/2 cup light corn syrup = 155 grams
1/3 cup dark brown sugar = 67 grams
1/4 cup cocoa powder = 25 grams
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate = 175 grams
2 Tbsp. butter = 28 grams
1 Tsp. vanilla extract = 6 grams
1/4 Tsp. sea salt = 1 gram (measure with a spoon measure if your scale isn’t very sensitive to a single gram)
Thanks for that very handy!
This is amazing fudge! I have tweaked the recipe to make it a little healthier. Used full fat coconut oil instead of cream. Replaced the corn syrup with brown rice syrup. Used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. 60% cocoa chocolate chips. Didn’t use the butter. Still turned out amazing! Thanks for the recipe!!
I just made this sauce and it’s perfect! However, I was prepping toppings for a make it yourself Sundae Bar for kids for this Saturday and I feel the sauce is a little too bittersweet. I think children might prefer a sweeter sauce. Perhaps you could make mention of that fact and make a moderate recipe change if it’s being made for kids.
Thanks for posting. Our adult family will just love it!
I’ve made this sauce a number of times and always with rave reviews. I’ve kept it stored in the refrigerator, sometimes for months at a time and it’s always delicious!! I forgot I made it for Christmas and I just used what little was left over, 6 months later11 I’m not sure why the recipe says it only stores for a few weeks
First time making fudge sauce. This is absolutely divine and super easy to make. I didn’t have bittersweet chocolate so used half dark chocolate and half milk chocolate.
Scrumdiddlyumptious
Just made this recipe and it is SOO delicious and heavenly! Thanks for the post!
This turned out amazing. It’s not too sweet and warms up nicely. Didn’t have Dutch processed cocoa powder, but used Ghirardelli cocoa powder instead. It was perfect and I don’t want to buy store bought again. It actually tasted just like an expensive one that I buy. This is a keeper. Thanks for the recipe!
I could not find Dutch processed cocoa so I did a little research and found the following To make your own
For every
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
Add 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Mix well
Worked great
I made this sauce as directed
It was good but I could still get that Cocoa taste
I mulled on it for a bit took it out if the fridge put it in a sauce pan and added the following
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup and the other 2 ounces of a 4 ounce giradelle bittersweet bar of chocolate
I let it melt and kept it stirred it is FANTASTIC
The cocoa powder taste is gone the consistency is perfect
Love it
Thank you
I’ve just made this and I’m waiting for it to cool – the smell is amazing! It’s going on top of banana splits tonight. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
Can you double / triple recipe?
Yes, absolutely!
I can appreciate that you bloggers support each other but it would be nice to see some reviews of the recipe every once in a while. These cyber-pats-on-the-back get to be a little tedious to read, as I’m sure they are to write every day. Forgive me but someone had to say it…
Michele, If you scroll up to the comments right above yours, you’ll see many reviews from people who have made the recipe. I counted 16 before I stopped counting… you should be able to find tons of feedback from those who have made this.
I have made this recipe 4-5 times and it is just perfect. Thank you so much for this deliciousness. There’s nothing quite like homemade!
Can I omit the golden syrup or replace it with maple syrup?
Hi AJ, I don’t believe that substitution would work here.
Just made this and couldn’t wait the 1/2 hr. to cool it. Smooth and yummy, no grittiness at all. Reduced the sugar a little bit to compensate for making it with 1/2 bittersweet and 1/2 semi-sweet choc. because that’s what I had on hand. Next time I’ll make it with all bittersweet as I like when I hit a portion that has more of the bittersweet. Absolutely delicious over vanilla bean ice cream…or without the ice cream :-)
This was great, so much better than the jarred stuff from the store. To me it tasted like the fudge sauce McDonalds uses on their sundaes. That’s not a slam by the way, I love that stuff! It had that awesome chewy texture that store bought stuff lacks. I made it exactly as printed except I used natural cocoa instead of Dutch processed. Mine came out a a little thick, next time I will probably add an extra tbsp of heavy cream. This would be a great to put in 1/2 pint mason jars and give out at Christmas.
I LOVE your hot fudge sauce recipe-the older one — I make it for my family and we can’t get enough of it. We’ve put it on ice creams, vanilla POUND CAKE, and just about anything we can. I agree w others that it hardens when put on icecream, but I solved that problem by NOT letting it come to a boil. So it’s quicker to cook now too. When I was finishing going through chemotherapy for breast cancer two years ago, this was the first thing I got up to cook for my family in a year. Thanks for the sweet welcome back to my beloved kitchen!
All the best to you, Lisa! xo
can u please convert these cup measurements into gram measurements.
i would love to make this for my friends birthday cake.
thanking you in advance.
Here ya go:
160g heavy cream
150g light corn syrup
67g dark brown sugar
30g cocoa powder
1g sea salt
171g bittersweet chocolate
28g unsalted butter
4g vanilla extract
Delicious Hot Fudge sauce. Easy too make. I use only organic ingredients so the store bought stuff just won’t do and this is so much tastier too. It freezes nicely as well.
Is there anything that can be substituted for the heavy cream? For some reason my stomach doesn’t tolerate that well, but it is fine with other dairy.
Hi Melaney, I’m not sure that there would be an equivalent, at least not one that I’ve experimented with and could say for sure would still work.
We made a few adjustments according to what we had on hand. We used light brown sugar and semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of bitter chocolate. It turned out delicious, my seven children, husband, and sisters all loved it. We should have known, it being the same genious behind our cinnamon chip recipe for our scones!
It turned out great in the very first attempt ! It’s super easy and delicious and the texture is perfect just like you get in mcdonalds ! Thanks for this recipe!
I did something wrong I followed the directions but the father did not mix with the chocolate on the second half of the directions it broke the fudge and it’s all separated. The first half looked and smell the delicious,maybe I over cook that I have to throw it away
I just made this in lieu of buying a store fudge sauce for a triple chocolate poke cake. I just had a spoonful and it’s lovely. It’s got a great smooth velvety texture and it’s perfectly chocolate-y. I used semi-sweet chips and 60% cocoa powder bc that’s what I had on hand. I look forward to trying it as written too.
Thank you!
This is my favorite hot fudge recipe. So easy and always perfect.
Well, I made this recipe this weekend to go over an ice cream birthday cake. As I was putting away everything I realized I never put in the cocoa – oops. Still tastes great – guessing just not as chocolatety(not a real word;) .
I made this last night with Lyle’s, loosely packed light brown sugar, a heaping portion of the cocoa powder, about 8 ounces of good Belgian semi-sweet chocolate, and 200ml heavy cream (so closer to 3/4 cup I think? I didn’t want to leave just a bit in the bottle). It is AMAZING. Thank you for this recipe. It was easy and just the sweetness and texture I was looking for in a fudge sauce. I was afraid it would be too sweet but it was perfect. I put the bulk of it in a jar in the fridge and just ate a small spoonful as a mid afternoon pick-me-up – I think I may have a new favorite chocolate “candy” as well!
I saw upthread someone said it lasted months in their fridge, fingers crossed because I really can’t be eating all of this in the next couple weeks!
This is the BEST hot fudge recipe! I am a chocoholic from way back. This is better than Dairy Queen’s sauce that is in the Peanut Buster parfait. Be true to the ingredients and directions and you won’t go wrong. If too sweet for your family, use unsweetened baking chocolate for some of the bittersweet.
I made this recipe exactly as described and it hardens too much on my ice cream and was too bitter for my taste, however I like semi or whole milk chocolate normally. I played around by switching to milk chocolate and increasing the heavy cream by around 3-4 more tablespoons to keep it soft on ice cream and now I have my go-to recipe. It’s an easy recipe to adapt to one’s taste so I appreciate you posting it :)
I just tried a couple hot fudge recipes. This was easily the best one, but…it STILL tastes more like dark chocolate sauce than what I think of as hot fudge.
Can anyone point me to a recipe for hot fudge that tastes more like Dairy Queen’s hot fudge? This, to me, is the holy grail of hot fudge sauces, even better than the Cheesecake Factory’s.
This recipe is absolutely delicious! I used dark chocolate instead of bittersweet because that it was I had and it came out perfect. This recipe is a keeper.
I’ve made this recipe now 3-4 times! It is an absolute TEN! Everyone is so impressed and my dad east a whole jar in one week! Tip: If you sub some coconut oil for butter then it makes a hard shell on the ice cream!
Whoa. Can’t decide if I love you or hate you… This is incredible. For years, my family has been obsessed with my grandmother’s hot fudge sauce, but this makes hers taste like hot garbage. I did alter the recipe a bit too use what I had in the house – half and half instead of cream, Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder, and equal parts Ghirardelli and Hershey semi sweet chocolate. Amazing!!!
Hi, Tried this recipe. It was fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Was very excited to try this recipe as we had all of the ingredients.
Unfortunately it came out a giant lump in the pan with cocoa butter seperated. Not sure how to fix this.
We used Ghirardelli 100% baking cocoa.
this is exactly the same recipe and directions as on another site minus the peppermint.
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/12/peppermint-hot-fudge-sauce/
She said that.
Made this tonight and it is delicious! I didn’t have Dutch process cocoa but used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder instead. Really will make this over and over. Next time I’ll try with instant coffee added or perhaps some sort of liqueur. Thanks!
I just made this and it is grainy and bitter. Not sweet at all. Not making this again. A picture can look amazing but until you actually make the recipe you have no idea how it will taste. I will keep looking for a better recipe.
My son was asking what a hot fudge sundae was, we’re reading the Judy Blume Fudge books. They aren’t that common here in the UK. I just made this sauce and he LOVED it. I’m going to try to freeze a little to see if it can be kept that way. Otherwise we’re going to get very fat over the next two weeks! Brilliant recipe and really easy.
I’ve been looking for a recipe for chewy, sticky hot fudge sauce (one restaurant when I was growing up had the best…I went back a few years ago, and now it tastes like any other hot fudge) for a long time. I just made this recipe (it is cooling right now before I put it in a jar and it looks wonderful! Tonight’s dessert is salted caramel ice cream with hot fudge – all homemade and the first time I’ve ever made ice cream of hot fudge! The way everything is going, I have a feeling it is going to be a big hit!
I made this Sunday. It is absolutely amazing. Last night I had it on my strawberries. Someone come save me from it. (But thank you for this super easy and fantastic recipe!!)
I made this hot fudge a few weeks ago; I always made home made hot fudge and this is thebest recipe that I have found so far
This hot fudge is definately the best! I made it last night but I used semi sweet Lindt semi sweet chocolate and hersheys cocoa, awesome! Now, If I can hide it from my husband!
Good sauce but I found it way too bitter. I ended up adding 1/2 bag of milk chocolate chips, a splash more of cream & vanilla to get it “un”-bitter, so I probably changed the texture (trying it in ice cream cake tomorrow).
I’m not a fan of coffee either because it’s bitter, so if you’re like me, try semi-sweet instead of bitter chocolate or go half milk/half bitter like I did.
Hi
I stumbled on this recipe today. I wanna make it for my girlfriend. The thing is that we don’t get corn syrup here. So, Can it be substituted or omitted?
I also see you haven’t mentioned Milkmaid like all other recipes.
I am not familiar with Milkmaid?
i know this is a yr old…but milkmaid is an indian brand for condensed milk. Karan i have seen Golden syrup in well stocked stores..however honey/glucose (available everywhere) is a good substitute.
Hi Karan, I would not recommend omitting it, as it is key to the texture of the sauce.
try golden syrup
I used honey for part of the white corn syrup, it turned out great!
Feedback is important and helpful, so here’s mine. Followed the recipe to the letter. It’s a very good recipe and easy to make. The sauce was smooth and not overly sweet. I used light corn syrup and Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate with a 60% cocoa butter content. As always, when working with chocolate, obey the rules that keep it from being grainy and keep it shiny and silky. Definitely not a drop of water can come anywhere near chocolate. If you Google how to cook with chocolate, or how to temper chocolate, you’ll learn how to correctly work with it so you won’t ruin the recipes that use it. Cheers to BEB.
By far the best home made hot fudge sauce recipe
I’ve found. Deep and rich with a great chewy caramel-like
texture when it hits the ice cream. Add toasted almonds
or walnuts for an incredible sundae.
Move over Martha Stewart’s Hot fudge sauce. I’ve used you for years, but there’s a new sheriff in town. I made your hot fudge sauce last night along with a batch of homemade vanilla ice cream. You have made the ultimate hot fudge sauce – it’s that good! Rich, creamy, not too sweet and gels over ice cream. Thank you for this gem!
Love your hot fudge sauce but would like to thin it a bit. Any ideas.
Michelle, could you put this in a chocolate milkshake instead of chocolate syrup?
Thanks
Hi Faye, I think you could totally do that and it would be delicious!
I had to make a few substitutions (light for dark brown sugar, regular fir Dutch cocoa, and milk for bittersweet chocolate) because it’s almost midnight and I don’t want to go back to the store, but it came out great! If you sub regular for Dutch cocoa you can mellow out the flavor with about an 1/8 to 1/4 of a teaspoon baking soda.
How long will this (and the Salted Caramel Sauce) keep in the fridge? I am the only one in the house that eats things like this. Not a bad thing except when things expire quickly like homemade mayo.
Hi Julia, They will keep up to a few weeks in the fridge. Enjoy!
This recipe IS everything you said. It’s wonderful. And not only that, it stayed fine in my fridge for months – top shelf, rear. Thank you thank you thank you. Now, I am going to make it again. Happily.
I made this recipe and followed it to a T, it tasted great, and I waited until it was room temperature, but it did harden and form a huge glob when it hit the ice cream. Great if that’s what you like, but not what I was looking for.
Hi there,
I don’t know a lot about cooking, but how do you keep the sauce runny? Or do you have to re-heat it all the time? Say, when using it in an ice cream parlour, you’d have to reheat all the time?
Many thanks
Yes, if you make it and then store it in the refrigerator, you will need to reheat it whenever you plan to use it.
I just made this last night. Having tried multiple other hot fudge recipes, I can say this is easily the best of the bunch. The one problem I have is preventing myself from eating it straight out of the jar!
Amazeballs fudge. The wife made this one tonight, was absolutely delicious! Like McDonalds but better. Awesome texture and taste. Thanks!
Just finished my sauce. It’s amazing!!!! Came out perfect and it will be awesome with the homemade vanilla ice cream tonight!!!! Just what we wanted. Thanks!
One concern/question: i thought that you should never boil chocolate, but instead slowly melt on low & indirect heat?
Hi Amy, That is true if you are simply melting chocolate by itself, however in this case you are combining it with many other ingredients, which help to stabilize it.
Hi, I made this to bring to a friend’s house. I made the sauce around 5 p.m. and it was delicious and smooth and a perfect consistency. Immediately prior to serving the ice cream, I reheated the sauce and as soon as it hit the ice cream, it turned rock hard. The flavor was very delicious, but I wanted to keep the sauce liquid so it would ooze down the side of the ice cream. Any suggestions for the next time I try this? I used light corn syrup, Ghiradelli cocoa and Ghiradelli bittersweet baking chips. Thanks for your help!
Hi Laurie, It may have cooked a bit too long. It will stiffen up if it’s warm and it hits cold ice cream, but it shouldn’t get rock hard.
Michelle…I saw this and immediately thought of your chocolate/peanut butter fixation! I can’t wait to try it!
http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/peanut-butter-hot-fudge-sauce/
Oh, and I just noticed I was the “Mario Lemieux” comment number. :)
Oh My Lands!!! I just made this for the first time and it is fantastic and so easy to make! My husband doesn’t like chocolate, but after tasting it he asked for a second helping. I’m going to serve it with cheesecake this weekend for company and I have a funny feeling that there won’t be any left. Thanks so very much for publishing this recipe!
I made this last night for my vanilla ice cream. It was perfect. Thank you.
i would like to make this and can it for xmas gifts. do u think its possible and how thanks judy
Hi Judy, I would not recommend canning this as written, as there is nothing in it to keep it preserved. I would search for a recipe specifically developed for canning.
Didn’t have any cream and had to make hot fudge for a recipe. I used whole milk and it was delicious! Thank you for posting this recipe!
Made this and it was perfection, so unbelievably good!!! I used 1/3rd cup milk in place of cream (as I had none but I absolutely HAD to make this immediately! ) my husband is a chef and just asked me for the recipe to put on with a dessert at his restaurant! Best recipe ever!!!
I’ve been craving something chocolatey and well..just like this! I fully intend to eat most of it straight from the jar but as soon as I get to the shops and buy some chocolate this is what I plan on doing with (most) of it! :) cant wait!
I got this as a gift from my daughters 3rd grade teacher, as a thank you for helping out in the classroom this year. It was so good, I had to ask her where she got the recipe. I figured it had to be easy, she has a 3 year old and made it on a school night, the day before she sent them home (and she had to make 12 of them I’m told). My 3rd grader immediately recognized that it was made with a darker chocolate, which made her fall in love with it, the 2nd grader loved it because it goes on ice cream (and if it goes on ice cream what is not to love), I just loved the rich flavor!! I’ll be making some more of this, and doing what the teacher did – seal them in small glass jars to enjoy all summer long.
This is ABSOLUTELY THE B-E-S-T fudge sauce EVER!! Seriously, I will only buy fudge sauce in an extreme time pinch anymore. I have made this many times now and always find it turns out thick and fudgy. Keeps well in the fridge and a quick warm up in the microwave gives it a fresh feel again! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Wow, I just made this for my in-law’s and it was a huge hit! Thanks for the recipe :)!
I’ve been eating hot fudge sundaes since 1955. I don’t have any idea what “hot fudge sauce” is, however. I guess you are referring to hot fudge in the article although the recipe looks suspicious when you start boiling the cream. The French have severe restrictions on mangling their language. Perhaps that is partly why their cuisine is so remarkable.
Hilarious! Thanks for the laugh.
The other day I had a hardcore craving for classic mint chip ice cream. As I know there are some things you simply cannot recreate in your home kitchen (namely that whipped texture and ersatz flavour) I resolved to buy some.
Underwhelmed with my purchase, I decided to make a warm brownie sundae. I made the cook’s illustrated chewy brownie (highly recommend). In the ten minutes it took to cool before cutting, I made your outstanding hot fudge sauce. Delish! Great both hot or room temp. Stores well in a squeeze bottle. I’ll even admit to administering it directly into my four year old daughter’s mouth!
Ice cream without anything else? Are you cray cray? HAha I do not remember the last time I had ice cream all by itself. Maybe as a very young child. At age 43, I eat my ice cream with peanut butter all. the. time. And usually Hershey’s chocolate syrup no matter wht kind of ice cream. When we were young, my mother wouldn’t buy anything but syrup but when we went to my Nana’s, oh boy! Nana had hot fudge, caramel, and butterscotch. Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Thanks for this recipe. It’s really yummy and easy to make. The sauce became a bit too chewy for me when I poured it over ice cream (I might have overcooked it). I added 1/4 cup extra corn syrup to the sauce and that gave me the consistency I like. :)
Have just made this along with the Hot Chocolate Brownies from the Robin Hood website…I’m taking them in to work tomorrow along with some ice cream to serve to my hard-working staff. I cannot wait to try them both!
OK, reporting back…this sauce was amazing! We had it with the brownies and ice cream and I just finished it up with just ice cream. So thick and rich and delicious, a really satisfying chocolate hit. My staff were saying they could eat it by the spoonful just by itself!
This was delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
After boiling it burnt really easily, very annoyed!!!
So did mine. Also very annoyed!!!!
Afterwards, I read on another site that dark chocolate should not be heated above 120 ºF. Boiling is quite a bit higher than that. Wondering how anyone has had success with these directions?
Forgot to mention, mine came out like a giant mass and the cocoa butter seperated.
Giardelli 100% cocoa
John, try bringing up the heat slower; your chocolate seized. Even at lower heat, it’ll eventually ‘boil’ but you don’t want it boiling like pasta water would… just starting to bubble around the edges of the pot is/was good enough.
This is definitely ‘wait until my family goes to bed and stay up until 1am to have ice cream and hot fudge’ worthy. Now… where are my gym clothes??
I would like to make this and your salted caramel sauce as Christmas gifts. I am wondering if you have tried canning either of these to preserve them longer and how you did it? Can I just put it in jars and boil them? How long would they last this way? Any information would be appreciated. I am not experienced with canning.
Hi Dawn, I have not canned either, and I don’t believe that you can simply boil the jars in order to make them safe for preservation. There are certain acidic variables that need to be present in recipes that are preserved, which makes them safe to be canned and consumed later. I would just make the recipes within a week or so of Christmas, refrigerate, and when you give it away, note on the package that it needs to be refrigerated.
I wondered the same thing myself. I looked around online and found several recipes for preserved hot fudge sauce but none of them had cream in them. I also read in a couple places that NO kind of chocolate sauce is safe to can so I don’t know what to think. Pressure canning is used for low-acid foods but I’ve never tried that method, I’m afraid I’ll blow up my kitchen :-)
I tried this recipe and felt it was very good. A bit on the ‘bitter’ or ‘dark’ side, even though I used Semi-Sweet instead of Bittersweet.. It set’s up beautifully and really does taste wonderful! My husband, the taste tester, said it was really good, but he’s just used to the store bought fudge which is a lot sweeter.. So it think I’ll keep experimenting to make it just a bit sweeter. It’s very good with Vanilla Ice Cream and turns really fudgy when it goes onto the cold IceCream :) it passed the test! :)
I just made this and it’s phenomenal!! The only thing I did different was use light brown sugar instead of dark (using what I had). Love the flavor and the texture. Just perfect! Thank you so much for posting it!!!
I make this on a basically weekly basis now – it doesn’t last much longer around here! My brother loves it and eats it out of the jar in front of the fridge :) Thanks so much for sharing!!
I just made this and I had to walk away… otherwise I’d eat the whole thing!!!
I used Hershey’s dark cocoa powder. All other ingredients were as written.
I tested it over a small amount of vanilla ice cream. Okay, so it was more than a small amount, but no one saw me so it doesn’t count, right?! Anyway, it did turn just a bit too chewy for me so I added a splash of milk to the pot and whisked it in. The second taste test was without ice cream but cooled enough to know that it’d be PERFECT!!
Thank you for an AMAZING hot fudge sauce recipe!!
I just made some of this for an ice cream party I’m having in a couple hours. It’s soo delicious! I can’t wait to try it over the Andes mint ice cream we made.
Some vanilla ice cream topped with this, and some of your homemade caramel sauce…life-changing doesn’t even begin to describe it!
Thanks for the wonderful hot fudge sauce recipe. I made a double batch and added 1/4 cup of bourbon to it. Yummmm. I like that it stays soft and fluid when you put it over ice cream, it doesn’t harden like many other hot fudge recipes.
I have made this using Bittersweet chocolate, semi sweet, and milk chocolate
I love the bitter sweet but the semi sweet I added instant espresso powder to and it was so yummy. The only reason I made with milk was hubby thinks the othetr two where bitter. I really dont like it with the milk
Can I make this, jar it, and then freeze it? The 2-week period isn’t long and I’m making large batches to use for gifts. Wondered if it’d keep well in the freezer until the week I’m giving them and then pull it out a couple days ahead to thaw in the fridge?
I made this to take to a BBQ ( grilled fruit with sauce drizzled over) I had to make a double batch. One for my house one for the party!
I am in LOVE with this recipe! It looks so perfect for my husband & I! I am always adding hot fudge to my frozen yogurt when we go out and I would love to make it at home!
This fudge looks incredible – nice and thick and gooey! And it’s from scratch – love that… I’m featuring this post in today’s Food Fetish Friday series (with a link-back and attribution). I hope you have no objections and it’s so much fun following your creations…
This hot fudge sauce looks divine… Can’t wait to make (and eat!) some :)
Hot fudge sauce is always necessary! I find the recipes that come from places of desperation always turn out amazing!
I can’t wait to try this.
I made this hot fudge sauce and it is absolutely delicious!!! However, I’ve noticed that when I put it over ice-cream it turns hard and chewy almost immediately instead of remaining a sauce. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Rebecca, It shouldn’t turn hard, however I went through nearly a dozen homemade fudge sauce recipes (from cookbooks, blogs, etc.) and they all described the sauce as getting a chewy texture once it comes in contact with the cold ice cream, which was heralded as the sign of a great fudge sauce. If it got actually hard, it may have been cooked a bit too long, or your heat was too high.
Thanks, Michelle! That makes sense. I love that the chewy texture is heralded as a sign of a great fudge sauce! I think the problem was that the first night that I reheated a little of it, I must have put it in the microwave for too long (it was bubbling when I took it out). Last night, I only reheated for about 10 seconds and it wasn’t as hard. It is absolutely delicious and I plan to give it as gifts!! I LOVE this site. :)
My brand name Sanders Hot Fudge Sauce hardens too. Very unappetizing. I don’t remember it doing that back in the day when Sanders was a household name and I REALLY don’t like it.
I’m going to try and make my own with this recipe.
Saturday night TV is the worst. This recipe looks great, thanks so much for sharing! Some of the best recipes come about spontaneously!
Wow – Salted Caramel and now Fudge Sauce — my daughter made the salted caramel the other week and she shared. Now we need the fudge, too! She’s the “keeper of the chocolate” that we bought last winter…I’ll head her way with heavy cream – sounds like a rainy day plan!
WOW! This sauce must be something else if you speak that highly of it.
this is the perfect thing to go with the ice cream that i will be making when i get my new Ninja Pulse Blender at the end of the week. It looks so easy and rich. You are a constant source of information.
I love chocolate sauce with corn syrup in it – makes it chewy. YUM! I keep fat-free evaporated milk in the pantry for times when I want to make something yummy & don’t have cream.
MMMM, I love chocolate sauce! I was craving some last night to go over my mint chocolate chip ice cream! Instead of buying some though, I’ll just make it! Thanks girl!
You need to stop with these dangerous recipes! First the salted caramel sauce, now hot fudge sauce!?! I can’t handle all this temptation!
Oh women please! Yummmmmy!:D
I asked my dad this weekend what dessert he wanted for Father’s Day, and he said chocolate chip cookies. I immediately thought of chocolate chip cookie bars, topped with ice cream and hot fudge. Homemade hot fudge… that’ll really take it up a notch! Thanks for the great recipe!
I ALWAYS keep a jar of hot fudge in my fridge. It’s my all time favorite sweet item. I eat it by the spoonful when I crave chocolate. I tried to make it once and it was good. But this looks better, I think I will try it sometime!
GORGEOUS pictures-you have me craving ice cream now!
This looks a lot like the one I make. I think I need to make some right now.
I think I could use this topping for anything, not just ice cream. Thanks!
You often mention dutch-processed cocoa powder. Can you suggest a brand or where to get it? Can’t wait to make this and see if it compares to my Dad’s secret hot fudge sauce. He won’t share the recipe with me but passed it down to my son in a top-secret cooking session. Thinking it is time for a fudge sauce competition!
Because I’m a chocolate snob (LOL!) I just made this with Scharffen Berger chocolate – Natural (not Dutch process) unsweetened cocao powder and bittersweet 70 % cocao baking chocolate chunks. Combined with natural/pure vanilla extract and good quality butter this is SERIOUS chocolate flavor but SO easy to make!
OMG!
For the serious chocoholic this is heaven. If you like your fudge sauce more on the sweet vs. intense chocolate flavor, simply add 1 tbl of powdered sugar. If you like it even more sweet, then add the powdered sugar to your taste.
I did the same and had to add powdered sugar, just too bitter tasting to me
I could go for a bowl right now … sundea, not hot fudge sauce. Unless …. ;) lol.
I must try this. I make ice cream weekly so finding the perfect hot fudge sauce is just going to indulge the madness.
Is this just like the jar hot fudge that’s full of junk?! I’ve been trying for a home made version but I can’t achieve the same glopy thickness so I still crave the jar when it comes to a hot fudge sundae and that’s no good! hoping this will do it!
If you’re struggling to get a sauce that’s as thick as you want it, try adding some cornstarch while boiling. Basically, make up a slurry (cornstarch with just enough water to become pourable), and add a little at a time, whisking constantly as you add it. Allow it to cook for 45 seconds before adding more – this way you can see the thickness of what you’re making (unlike most other thickeners, corn starch thickens sauces as they cook, rather than as they cool). Be super careful to not get chunks!
Love,
A pastry chef
This recipe is missing one essential instruction. Cook to 220 F. (It took about 10 minutes for me), that is how you will get that caramel like consistency.
This looks delish. My cousin just gave me an ice cream maker, now I will make this to go along with it. The only bad thing is the waiting til both are done.
I want this for breakfast. Seriously.
I am drooling over this. Fabulous!
Oh yummy!! I just started to make ice cream and this would be perfect to go on top! On my weekend to do list!!
I can never keep enough hot fudge stocked in my fridge for my husband. I’ll confess I often buy him the Hershey’s syrup but this looks about a million times better! Perfect for summer too!
Great impromptu decision and chocolate chip cookies with this would be amazing!!
Oh my goodness. I want that fudgy ice cream…like…now! :)
This looks fantastically yummy!!!
Mmmmm…. this looks so delicious! I need some of this in my life.
just-another-day1.blogspot.ca
When I started looking at it I thought how difficult it will be, but it’s not, it’s like making a ganche, but will lot of flavors. This is something I must try.
Thanks for sharing.
This, along with your salted caramel sauce, would make just about the most amazing ice cream sundae. I need to make this now!!
This is on my summer to-make list! Your recipe sounds delicious!
Basically fudge is very sweet…made of sauce with fudge is may be very tasty and sweetly…i like it :)
Who needs icecream? I would totally eat this right out of the jar :) Looks amazing!
I saw your tweet with the picture and had a feeling it was chocolate sauce before I saw the post. This looks awesome!