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Hot Fudge Sauce

Featuring the perfect balance of sweet and fudgy flavors and a smooth, buttery texture, this homemade hot fudge sauce is made with simple ingredients and no corn syrup for the ultimate dessert topping. Drizzle it over ice cream, cake, waffles, and more! 

three scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with hot fudge sauce
Everything tastes better when topped with homemade hot fudge sauce!

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe

  • Just 7 simple ingredients create a mouthwatering fudgy flavor. 
  • It cooks in one pan for quick preparation and easy cleanup. 
  • Made without corn syrup or strange additives, it’s tastier than anything you’ll find in the store. 
  • Leftovers can be stored in the fridge to help satisfy your sweet tooth whenever a craving hits. 
  • Easy to pour, drizzle, and spread, it’s the best way to give all your favorite desserts an extra boost of chocolate fudgy goodness. 

What’s the Difference Between Hot Fudge and Chocolate Sauce?

Although similar hot fudge and chocolate sauce are not quite the same. The primary difference between the two is their texture. For instance, hot fudge is typically much thicker than chocolate sauce, especially when it’s cold. It also has a much richer taste thanks to the inclusion of ingredients like heavy cream and butter.

Meanwhile, chocolate sauce remains silky and smooth regardless of its temperature and maintains a lighter, sweet flavor.

Key Ingredients

If, like us, you assumed hot fudge sauce required lots of ingredients and complicated steps to make, prepare for your mind to be blown. With just 7 baking staples, you can whip up a recipe that’s absolutely crave-worthy and perfect for all your hot fudge sauce needs! 

  • Semi-Sweet Chocolate – You’ll want to make sure to use a high-quality brand like Ghiradelli for the best flavor. 
  • Heavy Cream – This helps create a thick and creamy texture and a super decadent taste. 
  • Brown Sugar – Used to sweeten the sauce while providing extra moisture to keep it smooth. 
  • Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – This helps enhance the chocolate flavor for an even bolder, more delicious hot fudge sauce. 
  • Salted Butter – Key to creating a smooth texture and indulgent flavor. 
  • Vanilla Extract – Make sure to use pure vanilla extract and not imitation varieties in order to enhance the rest of the ingredients.
  • Kosher Salt – Although it might seem counterintuitive to add salt to something sweet, it balances everything out and makes for the absolute best hot fudge sauce recipe. 
hot fudge sauce being drizzled over vanilla ice cream
Keep a jar of homemade hot fudge on hand for all your dessert needs.

How to Make The Best Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe

This recipe comes together unbelievably quickly. So, be sure to have all of your ingredients nearby and ready to go. 

  1. Combine the ingredients. In a small saucepan, combine all of the ingredients over medium heat. 
  2. Boil. Raise the temperature, bringing the ingredients to a boil. Then, immediately reduce it to a simmer, and cook, whisking constantly for 5 minutes. 
  3. Cool. Remove the hot fudge sauce from the heat, let it cool, and enjoy! 

Pro-Tips for Fudge Sauce

Now that you have everything you need and know how to make this hot fudge sauce recipe, we’ve got a few tips and tricks to ensure it never goes awry. 

Stir constantly. Similarly to how you make fudge, hot fudge sauce needs to be stirred continuously to ensure the ingredients combine completely and turn out smooth. 

Let your fudge sauce cool. As it cools, this sauce will begin to thicken and become just slightly chewy allowing it to cling to and preventing it from melting whatever you’re pairing it with.

Don’t overcook. Make sure to reduce the heat as soon as you see the mixture boil. Otherwise, the chocolate might cook too long and will become grainy and not very pleasant to eat. 

Use a different chocolate. We typically use semi-sweet chocolate and find it super satisfying. However, feel free to experiment with different brands and flavors to suit your preferences. 

an apple slice being dipped into hot fudge sauce
Dip, dunk, and drizzle your hot fudge with apples, brownies, cake, ice cream, and more.

Serving Suggestions

Honestly, we wouldn’t judge you if you ate this hot fudge sauce straight from the jar with a spoon. Seriously, it’s that good! However, if you want a little more elegant approach, try pairing it with all your favorite snacks and desserts such as: 

How to Store Hot Fudge Sauce

This recipe is famous for disappearing almost immediately. However, if you do have leftovers, they can easily be transferred to an airtight container or jar and stored in the fridge for several weeks or in the freezer for several months. 

When you’re ready to enjoy, allow your hot fudge sauce to thaw in the refrigerator. Then, warm it on the stovetop or in the microwave in intervals of 15-30 seconds, stirring in between. Just be careful not to scorch your sauce as it will ruin the taste and texture if you do! 


More to Cook and Eat


Also Try 4-Ingredient Salted Caramel Sauce

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

Did you make this?

Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!

a bowl of hot fudge sauce with a spoon drizzling the fudge sauce above it

Hot Fudge Sauce

4.85 from 44 ratings
Featuring the perfect balance of sweet and fudgy flavors and a smooth, buttery texture, this homemade hot fudge sauce is made with simple ingredients and no corn syrup for the ultimate dessert topping. Drizzle it over ice cream, cake, waffles, and more! 
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients  

Instructions

  • In a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat, add all the ingredients, whisking to combine.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly.
  • Once boiling, immediately reduce the temperature to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the heat, and let the fudge cool before serving.
  • Store leftover sauce in airtight glass container in fridge for future use.

Equipment

Notes

Store any leftover fudge sauce in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to several weeks. Sauce can also be frozen for 2-3 months.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating ♡
 

Nutrition (per serving)

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 89IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Method: Stovetop

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Recipe Rating




27 comments

    • Leslie
    • 5 stars

    Perfect hot fudge sauce recipe!

      • Amy Dong

      Thank you!

    • Elizabeth
    • 5 stars

    So good and perfect to add to any dessert! Thanks for the recipe!

      • Amy Dong

      Thanks, Elizabeth!

    • Liz
    • 5 stars

    This was terrific!!! All we had for dessert was vanilla ice cream and your fudge sauce was a huge hit!

    • Becky S.
    • 5 stars

    Serving size says 12. I think I could have sat down with a spoon and ate it by myself!!! It’s that good! I was asked to make caramel topping for an ice cream party for my friend’s 4 grandkids (1, 4, 6 and 8). I made this hot fudge as well! The 1 yo eye’s lit up and the kids devoured the hot fudge. The one that requested the caramel topping conceded the hot fudge was even better than the caramel. Farwell Mrs. Richardson’s. This is my new go to hot fudge recipe. Can’t wait to use it in place of ganache for my turtle cheesecake. Thank you so much!!!

      • Amy Dong

      Aww, Becky, that is the BEST kind of compliment – and such a FUN way to spend special moments with kids and grandkids!

    • Michelle
    • 5 stars

    I made this and it was so much better than store bought. We used it for ice cream, but I’m thinking on cream puffs would be an extra special ice cream dessert. The only thing I’d try to figure out next time is the sugar had a slight gritty texture. Didn’t change the taste. Maybe I should’ve cooked longer or given the sugar a whirl in the food processor.

    • Kelle
    • 5 stars

    I used 1/2 n 1/2 rather than cream and dark chocolate chunks. I added a smidge more butter to help counter the lack of fat in the 1/2 n 1/2! It’s what I had on hand…turned out great‼️♥️

      • chewoutloud

      Yay, Kelle!! So so happy you liked this. You made a dark chocolate dream 🙂 🙂 🙂

    • Cori
    • 5 stars

    I had a craving for chocolate sauce on my vanilla ice cream so I found your recipe and made it. Outstanding! Very quick, easy and delicious. I used bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 n 1/2 since I don’t have heavy cream on hand. So good and smooth!

    • bobbekay
    • 5 stars

    I have made this numerous times. It is easy, which I like, doesn’t have corn syrup, has all natural ingredients and is exactly the kind of gooey hot fudge sauce you want to have on ice cream.

      • chewoutloud

      So glad you like it! Thanks for coming over today and have a wonderful holiday season 🙂

    • Sarah
    • 5 stars

    Second recipe I’ve made of yours now. The first one was the triple chocolate chip cookies, and now this sauce. You’re brilliant! Using this sauce in between a layer of cake I’m making on Thursday! Thanks so much 🙂

      • chewoutloud

      You’re so welcome, Sarah! I’m so happy to hear you have enjoyed these recipes…makes my day! 🙂

    • Vivian
    • 5 stars

    Thanks for your wonderful recipe. I just made it and I love that you do not use corn syrup.

      • chewoutloud

      Yay, awesome job, Vivian! Thanks for coming over today and letting us know 🙂

    • Lisa
    • 5 stars

    Great recipe. I used half and half and unsalted butter because I had both on hand. It was delicious.

      • chewoutloud

      Great job, Lisa! 🙂 So glad you liked it. Thanks for coming over.

    • Diane

    Do you know if this recipe is good if it sits on heat for an extended time? I’m doing an ice cream social birthday party, and I want to put a hot fudge sauce on a warmer for the toppings bar. This recipe looks amazing!

    • Lisa

    What kind of chocolate did you use? 🙂

      • chewoutloud

      I love Guittard the best! But use whatever best semi-sweet you can get. So glad you came over, Lisa! 🙂

    • Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen

    Oh wow yum, your sauce looks so delicious – thanks for this recipe!

    • Liz

    Looks wonderfully rich and complex.

    • ohiocook

    Reblogged this on My Meals are on Wheels.

    • myninjanaan

    oh my goodness! This looks sooooooooo good! I just want to lick it off my screen!

    • frugalfeeding

    Oh my, that looks amazing. I have a cracking hot chocolate sauce recipe to put up sometime too 😀

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