Hot Fudge Sauce
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A drizzle of Hot Fudge Sauce over cold ice cream never fails to delight your tastebuds. Thick, glossy, and warm, this chocolate sauce pours like velvet before pooling into glossy rivers across every scoop.
Raise your hand if you love chocolate!! You can’t see it, but I have both hands raised right now. Yes, I admit it…I am a chocoholic. But not just any chocolate, it has to be dark chocolate and it has to be as close to dairy-free as possible.
I have searched every store in every city that I have been to in the past 10 years, and there are not a whole lot of choices when it comes to rich and decadent chocolate sauce to top your dairy-free vanilla ice cream, so I decided to create my own.
I always think about hot fudge sauce when I am playing with chocolate ganache, like on my Chocolate Hazelnut Pizza, this extra special Mocha Almond Fudge Truffle Pie, and my favorite BAILEYS Kiss Cupcakes. I finally decided that enough is enough, and started experimenting!
There’s something comforting about hot fudge sauce made at home. It takes just minutes to create but transforms simple desserts into treats worth remembering.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Rich Chocolate Base: Dark chocolate gives the sauce an earthy, intense flavor profile that isn’t overly sweet or one dimensional.
- Balanced Sweetness: While undeniably sweet, hot fudge always lets the chocolate shine through.
- Thick, Velvety Texture: Unlike basic chocolate syrups, true hot fudge clings to cold desserts, creating a layer that hardens slightly yet stays chewy at the edges.
- Luxurious Mouthfeel: Each bite is smooth, never gritty or grainy. The texture feels just as indulgent as a fine truffle or a bite of premium chocolate.
You’ll Also Love: Chocolate Gravy
Ingredients
- Dark chocolate is the backbone of any serious hot fudge sauce. Look for bars marked 60% cacao or higher.
- The liquid component can make or break the texture of hot fudge sauce. Half & Half, a blend of milk and cream, strikes the right balance.
- For dairy-free upgrades, coconut milk is an outstanding replacement. Full-fat canned coconut milk delivers a similar mouthfeel – silky, thick, and just a hint tropical.
- Brown sugar isn’t just about sweetness. It contains molasses, which gives hot fudge sauce an almost caramelized, toasty notes that white sugar lacks.
- Coconut oil helps the sauce stay shiny and picture-perfect in the bowl or over ice cream, and adds silkiness. Swap out the butter for coconut oil when you want to make hot fudge sauce for everyone, no matter their dietary needs.
- A dash of pure vanilla extract at the end rounds out the chocolate without competing with it.
Check out the printable recipe card below for the complete recipe and detailed instructions.
How to Make Hot Fudge Sauce
Heat the chocolate, butter, sugar, salt, and milk* in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until melted, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and add stir in the vanilla.
Pour sauce into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. This sauce thickens as it cools, and gets thinner when heated.
You should probably hide the jar in the back of the refrigerator to keep everyone from eating it with a spoon straight out of the jar – it is that good!! This Hot Fudge Sauce is thick and rich even without using half & half.
For those of you that do not have a kitchen scale, this is what 6 ounces of chocolate chips looks like in a 1 cup measuring cup.
Let’s call it a “heaping” 1 cup of chocolate chips, LOL.
You’ll Also Love: Chocolate Spoon Fudge in a Jar
Recipe Tips
- Never rush – you want a slow, gentle melt over medium-low heat.
- Stir constantly to keep the sugar from sticking and the chocolate from scorching. A silicone or rubber spatula works well.
- If you have a candy thermometer, 220°F (about 104°C) is the sweet spot for thick but pourable fudge.
- Look for vegan or allergy-friendly chocolate chips or bars.
Storing and Reheating
- Storage: Let sauce cool slightly before pouring into a glass jar or airtight container. Refrigerate up to 1 week.
- Reheat Gently: Warm in the microwave using 15-second bursts, stirring between each. Or, place the jar in a pot of hot water and stir until smooth again.
- Prevent Crystallization: If the sauce thickens or develops sugar crystals, add a splash of cream and whisk as you reheat.
Variations
- Espresso or Coffee: Stir in a teaspoon of instant espresso—it won’t taste like coffee but will deepen the chocolate.
- Orange or Citrus Zest: Add orange, lemon, or lime zest for bright, fruity undertones. A splash of orange liqueur works too.
- Chili or Cayenne: A tiny pinch of chili powder or cayenne pepper gives heat that sneaks up, perfect with dark chocolate.
- Peppermint Extract: Just a drop creates peppermint-fudge magic (think holiday sundaes).
- Bourbon or Rum: Adults love the warmth a tablespoon adds; think boozy fudge for dinner parties.
Serving Suggestions
- Spoon over classic New York cheesecake – the tangy cream cheese loves the contrast of dark, warm fudge.
- Serve as a decadent dip for apple or pear slices, pineapple wedges, or orange segments.
- Drizzle over buttermilk pancakes, banana waffles, or thick-cut French toast.
- Layer inside folded crepes with berries for an easy, elegant brunch treat.
- Dip churros, pretzel bites, graham crackers, or biscotti for a snack that hits sweet and salty notes.
You’ll Also Love: Chocolate Fondue
More Delicious Chocolate Dessert Recipes
- Chocolate Liege Waffles
- Homemade Chocolate Pudding
- S’more Ice Cream Pie
- Mini Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cakes
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it!
Tag @cookingwithcurls on Instagram & Facebook and leave a ⭐️⭐⭐⭐⭐ review below!
Enjoy!!
Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 ounces dark chocolate (60% or higher) bars (chopped) or chips
- 0.25 cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or unsalted butter
- pinch teaspoon sea salt
- 0.5 cup unsweetened cashew milk* full-fat coconut milk or half & half – adjust to desired thickness as needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the chocolate, butter, sugar, salt, and milk* in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until melted, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and add stir in the vanilla.
- Pour sauce into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Heat sauce in microwave in 15 second intervals until sauce is warm.
Notes
- Never rush – you want a slow, gentle melt over medium-low heat.
- Stir constantly to keep the sugar from sticking and the chocolate from scorching. A silicone or rubber spatula works well.
- If you have a candy thermometer, 220°F (about 104°C) is the sweet spot for thick but pourable fudge.
- Look for vegan or allergy-friendly chocolate chips or bars.
- Reheat in the microwave using 15-second bursts, stirring between each. Or, place the jar in a pot of hot water and stir until smooth again.
Yum, yum, yum!! This recipe is perfect for friends of mine who can’t tolerate lactose. Thank you. It looks so delicious I can completely understand having a spoonful from the jar 😉 Sammie.
This would make such a great gift! LOVE!
I am so trying this! YUM! Pinning and sharing!
This is perfect! Pinned and tweeted. We appreciate you taking the time to party with us! I hope to see you on Monday at 7 pm, so we get to see your fabulous new creations. The party goes until Friday at 7 pm. Happy Saturday! Lou Lou Girls