Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce

Old fashioned hot fudge sauce is a rich and creamy classic topping for ice cream you can easily make at home. Not only does it take just a short time to make, but this creamy hot fudge sauce recipe is perfect for pouring over cold ice cream to make hot fudge sundaes.

Pair this with my Easy Ice Cream Cake Recipe to take it to a whole other level of flavor! 

Old Fashioned Hot Chocolate Sauce

What I love about this recipe is the rich chocolate flavor. Store-bought chocolate sauce tends to be thin in texture and doesn’t really have a “true” chocolate flavor. But this hot chocolate sauce recipe is a game-changer. Another reason to love it is that it’s so simple to make with just a handful of simple ingredients.

This easy hot fudge sauce recipe is perfect for ice cream sundaes, a topping for a dessert toast, or even just a fun way to make a homemade frosting of sorts to drizzle on cupcakes and cake. 

Once you make this easy fudge sauce, you’ll never by store-bought again. It makes your whole kitchen smell like you’re in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory!

Ingredients

It’s a 6-ingredient recipe.

• 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate (usually four squares)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

• In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat combine evaporated milk and sugar. Stir while heating until the mixture boils. You’ll want a rolling boil. Let boil for one complete minute. 
• Add unsweetened chocolate and stir with a wire whisk to melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth. 
• Turn heat off and add butter and stir with a wooden spoon to melt the butter. Wait until butter is melted.
• Add salt and vanilla and stir until smooth. 
• Pour chocolate mixture into individual mason jars with lids. For best results store in an air tight container.
• Store in refrigerator.

Suggestions and Alternatives

• semi-sweet chocolate – If you want her homemade fudge sauce to be really sweet, change up the type of chocolate that you use. You can even use white chocolate or a sweeter version and make it just as easily. 
• ground coffee – add a teaspoon of instant ground coffee to the chocolate sauce as it cooks. The coffee will amp up the chocolate flavor.
• Let sauce cool – when first off the stove, this sauce will seem thin. Let it sit at room temperature to thicken a bit. Then refrigerate and it will become the perfect thick consistency.
• peppermint — add a teaspoon of peppermint extract if you like a mint chocolate flavor.

What Kind of Chocolate Should I Use?

While some recipes call for chocolate chips or unsweetened cocoa powder, we like to use the bars of unsweetened chocolate. You can certainly try the other methods, but we’ve been doing this recipe like this for ages and like the end result.

What’s the Best Way to Reheat this Warm Chocolate Sauce? 

To reheat, place the mason jar in the microwave, and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each increment, until warm and smooth. You can also reheat it on the stovetop.

Keep in mind that the mason jar is going to be hot once reheated so use an oven mitt to carefully take it out of the microwave. You can then drizzle with a dipped spoon over the dessert or just add giant scoops like I like to. 

How Long Does Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Last?

This hot fudge sauce keeps forever in the refrigerator! Literally several months. It’s hard to believe, but it does. Just store it in an air tight container like a mason jar and reheat just before serving.

Because of its longevity, it also makes great presents. Make a batch and put in jars, add a tag and it’s a great housewarming gift.

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

While the names are often interchangeable, chocolate syrup is a thinner consistency and what you will find in the grocery store with a squirt top. Hot fudge sauce, on the other hand, is a thicker consistency and is a rich chocolate fudge sauce that typically comes in a jar.

What Do You Put Hot Fudge Sauce On?

• vanilla ice cream – this old fashioned chocolate sauce recipe is the perfect topping for vanilla ice cream
• peppermint ice cream – this would be a fun treat around the Christmas holiday
• drizzle – drizzle hot fudge sauce on top of desserts that have whipped cream
• milkshakes – drizzle the hot fudge syrup inside the glass before you put the milkshake in the glass for a cool effect
• pie – put some on top of this pie (link to chocolate pie)
• serve as a dip – serve with strawberries, sliced bananas, or apple slices and use the hot fudge sauce as a dip. This is also great with marshmallows and pieces of pound cake.
• make a hot fudge sundae – Make an ice cream sundae with a scoop of your favorite ice cream, then pour on the chocolate sauce, and add your toppings.
• Banana splits – slice a banana and add ice cream, whipped cream, hot fudge sauce, and sprinkles! Don’t forget the cherry.
• hot cocoa – drizzle on the top of marshmallows in your hot cocoa. (link to crockpot hot chocolate)

Here’s a great article about 8 ways to use hot fudge sauce in desserts.

If you love chocolate sauce, you might want to try our chocolate gravy! It’s a perfect breakfast treat or fun dessert.

This is the best hot fudge sauce recipe. It’s a family favorite that we’ve used for years. We make a big batch so we’ll have extra sauce and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator so we’re never without homemade fudge sauce.

Want More Chocolate Recipes?

• Andes Mint Fudge
• Candy Corn Fudge
• Easy White Chocolate Cranberry Fudge