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This is my easy homemade chocolate sauce recipe for ice cream or anything you love drowning in chocolate! It’s thicker than chocolate syrup but doesn’t need re-warming like chocolate fudge. It’s just right and it tastes AMAZING.

a spoon scooping chocolate sauce out of a clear jar.


Easy Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Have you ever thought about making your own chocolate sauce? You may be wondering why make a homemade chocolate sauce recipe- like, isn’t this the same thing as hot fudge?

Hot fudge has a rich, thick, and chocolatey flavor similar to this chocolate sauce recipe, but it’s the texture and process that makes the difference. Hot fudge needs to be reheated every time you use it because it hardens up.

That’s why I made this easy chocolate syrup! You still get the delicious flavor and use of hot fudge but without the extra steps of warming it up and letting it cool: This homemade chocolate sauce is ready whenever you are. 

You can pour it over ice cream, or in milk for a hot chocolate or my favorite, an iced mocha coffee. You’re going to love the endless uses of this one easy recipe. 

ingredients in chocolate sauce laid out on a counter.

Ingredients Needed

  • Cocoa powder: You’ll need half a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder – you can use regular or Dutch process.
  • Water: if you want a creamier and thicker chocolate sauce, use milk or coffee creamer instead of water.
  • Sugar: granulated sugar sweetens the chocolate syrup.
  • Vanilla: I’m using a half teaspoon of vanilla extract to give the syrup tons more flavor.

How to make chocolate sauce

  1. Whisk together all ingredients in a small saucepan and boil over medium-low heat; cocoa, water, sugar, and salt. 
  2. Mix until the mixture is thick and the cocoa has completely dissolved.  
  3. Remove the mixture from the heat and add your vanilla.
  4. Pour the melted mixture into a jar or covered container. 
  5. Cool at room temperature, then cover and store in the refrigerator.
a spoon dripping chocolate sauce over vanilla ice cream in a clear bowl.

Expert Tips

  • For a deep chocolate sauce, use Dutch process cocoa
  • Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks
  • The sauce shouldn’t thicken in the refrigerator but if it does for some reason, just heat it to thin it out.
a spoon scooping chocolate sauce out of a clear jar.

FAQs

What is the difference between fudge sauce and chocolate sauce?

Hot fudge sauces are usually made with baking chocolate and/or chocolate chips and heavy cream. When the hot fudge is chilled, it hardens to a peanut butter texture, so it needs to be heated again to turn into liquid. This chocolate sauce recipe is always ready to be used and uses basic ingredients. 

What is the thickening agent for chocolate sauce?

Cooking the sugar helps to thicken the sauce – although it stays thin even when refrigerated. Using milk instead of water will give a thicker sauce.

How do you store homemade chocolate sauce?

Store this chocolate sauce in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

a spoon scooping chocolate sauce out of a clear jar.

Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe

5 from 16 votes
This is the perfect homemade chocolate sauce. Thicker than a syrup, thinner than a fudge, it’s the perfect recipe!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cooling Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Yield 24 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

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Instructions

  • Place cocoa, water, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Whisk over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick and the cocoa has completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
  • Pour into jar or covered container. Cool at room temperature, then cover and store in the refrigerator.
  • Use on ice cream, in milk for hot chocolate or chocolate milk, or as a dip. Or eat with a spoon!

Recipe Notes

  • This recipe originally called for 2/3 cup coffee creamer in place of the water and 1/2 cup agave or honey in place of the sugar. You can easily swap those ingredients.
  • For a deep chocolate sauce, use dutch process cocoa
  • Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  • If the sauce is too thick out of the refrigerator, heat in microwave to thin.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

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Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

5 from 16 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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