I have a major sweet tooth, so I’m always ready for a delicious dessert! So, when I came across a hot fudge sauce recipe that was so easy, and yet so delicious, I knew I had a keeper!
Hot fudge sauce can sound intimidating to make, but you will be pleasantly surprised by how quickly this comes together! And I have a secret, I actually make mine in the microwave most of the time!!
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Hot Fudge Sauce: A Party Must Have
Hot fudge sauce is a staple in my house, because you can use it to dress up any dessert! Boxed brownies? drizzle on hot fudge & chopped nuts! Store-bought cookies? Serve with ice cream (here’s a GREAT recipe) & hot fudge! Fresh fruit? Dip in hot fudge sauce! Simple boxed cake? add hot fudge, nuts, whipped cream, & a cherry on top!
Hot fudge is the perfect compliment to almost any dessert that you will be serving! And you can make it ahead & just pull it out of the fridge & warm it before your gathering!
The Perfect Hot Fudge Recipe
Growing up all I knew was Hershey’s syrup. Now, I love chocolate, but the chocolate syrup is TOO SWEET! And even store-bought hot fudge sauce is a step up, but still isn’t great. But this hot fudge recipe is perfect because it is rich, and not overly sweet (that’s how I like it!). However, if you prefer it a little sweeter, you can always add more sugar while your sauce is still hot.
The original recipe (from The Cafe Sucre Farine) calls for 1/4 cup of sugar, but since most desserts are usually pretty sweet on their own, I don’t think it needs any more sugar.
I also use dark chocolate chips. You can use semi-sweet or bittersweet if you prefer. The original recipe calls for “good quality” chocolate cut into small pieces. In my area, it’s difficult to come by anything more than Toll House, so that is what I use most of the time, and the sauce comes out perfectly!
A Note on Scorching (aka burning) Chocolate
If you have ever heated chocolate directly in a pan, you may have had an experience with scorching chocolate. This can be heartbreaking! One minute you are on your way to smooth, velvety bliss, the next you have a thick, lumpy mess!
The great thing about this recipe is that the chocolate will actually melt due to the hot cream that it’s sitting in, so it doesn’t scorch! (In my experience, semi-sweet, dark chocolate & bittersweet chocolate does not scorch as easily as milk & white chocolate).
If you have ever made chocolate ganache (sounds super fancy, but is really just chocolate & heavy cream), you may know that you heat the cream until almost boiling. Next, pour your cream over the chocolate in a bowl and then place a lid or plate over it for about 5 minutes.
What happens next is almost miraculous! Once you remove the plate, you will begin to whisk the chocolate together with the cream. At first, your heart might sink because it appears that the chocolate will not incorporate well, and then suddenly, the chocolate ganache becomes smooth, velvety & PERFECT!
You can use the same method to make this hot fudge sauce recipe if you want, or you can put the cream & chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments! Either way, you’ll come out with this beautiful, rich, delicious sauce that you might just want to drink!!!
This recipe is so quick & easy (& pretty much foolproof) that sometimes I just throw a few chocolate chips, a little half & half & butter in the microwave for a quick, single-serving treat! (Shhhh! Don’t tell anybody, I might have to share!).
Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup half & half
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 dash salt
- 1/4 cup sugar optional if you want your sauce a little sweeter
Instructions
Place cream, chocolate chips, butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds & stir. If the chocolate is not melted thru, place back in the microwave for 15-30 seconds. Stir with a whisk until smooth & velvety, add salt & vanilla & mix until well incorporated.
I hope this hot fudge sauce recipe becomes one of your family favorites too! Leave a comment below & let me know if you tried it and what you think about it!
FAQs
Hot fudge is made by boiling together cream, sugar, chocolate, and sometimes butter—the traditional ingredients for fudge—into what is essentially just an undercooked, unset version of the confection.
What is fudge sauce made of? ›
Heat Ingredients: Combine sugar, light corn syrup, heavy cream, salt and water to a saucepan and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring well. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Add Chocolate Mixture: Pour the chocolate mixture into the syrup and stir until smooth.
Why is my homemade hot fudge sauce grainy? ›
Grainy Fudge
If the melting sugar splashes onto the sides of the pan, it turns back into crystals and causes the fudge to seize up. To avoid this issue, swirl the pan instead of stirring it with a spoon. You can use a wet pastry brush to wipe down any sugar that sticks to the sides of the pot.
What is McDonald's hot fudge made of? ›
Ingredients: Sugars (sugar, glucose syrup), Water, Milk ingredients, Hydrogenated palm kernel oil or hydrogenated coconut oil, Cocoa, Salt, Disodium phosphate, Potassium sorbate, Natural flavour (plant source), Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, Soy lecithin. Contains: Soy, Milk.
What makes hot fudge taste different? ›
In the simplest terms, it all comes down to viscosity — hot fudge is thicker than both chocolate sauce and chocolate syrup, with a richer, more decadent chocolate flavor.
Why is hot fudge so good? ›
In fact, hot fudge sauce is just a fudge that never sets! Cream or milk, sugar, and butter are slowly boiled down until slightly thickened and light caramel-colored. This boiling-down process not only gives the sauce it's great gooey texture, but also contributes that special “fudgey” taste to the chocolate.
What are the ingredients in Smuckers hot fudge sauce? ›
Corn Syrup, Nonfat Milk, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Cocoa Processed With Alkali And Cocoa, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Fully Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Mono And Diglycerides, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Vanillin (artificial Flavor).
How to thicken hot fudge? ›
Cornflour/Cornstarch: Mix a small amount with cold milk or water to create a smooth paste. Whisk this into your hot chocolate towards the end of the cooking process until it thickens. Double Cream: Stirring in a splash of double cream can instantly enrich and thicken your drink, giving it a velvety texture.
What makes fudge taste like fudge? ›
Fudge typically contains sugar, butter or cream, milk or condensed milk, cocoa powder (or melted chocolate), flavoring such as vanilla extract or peppermint oil, and sometimes nuts or marshmallows for added texture.
What is the secret to good fudge? ›
You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).
Corn syrup is really the secret ingredient to making the best hot fudge, because without it, the chocolate and butter would harden up as the sauce cools. If you prefer not to use corn syrup, try golden syrup, which is made from cane sugar and works just as well.
What is the secret to non-grainy fudge? ›
A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.
Why did McDonald's stop sundaes? ›
Why this petition matters. As of last week (Wednesday 26th September 2018) McDonald's UK removed their sundae's (toffee and strawberry) off their menu. This was down to them deemed as 'unpopular' but me and thousands of others loved the sweet treat.
What is the most unhealthy dessert at McDonald's? ›
The Unhealthiest McDonald's Dessert is…the McFlurry With M&M's. With more sugar and saturated fat than any of the dessert items at McDonald's, the McFlurry with M&M's is by far the unhealthiest option you can choose. If you're craving ice cream, you can opt for something like the Vanilla Cone instead.
Why is McDonald's fudge so good? ›
That culprit is the sweetened condensed milk. One of a pastry chef's best friends, this is often the secret ingredient in lots of fudgy things, from dulce de leche to Key lime pie to, well, fudge. It's definitely something you should be baking with, if you aren't already.
Does hot fudge have to be hot? ›
When I buy hot fudge I sometimes heat it up before using it but usually I just pour it over my dessert at home. This is the umami of desserts. Something that is hot and cold at the same time, hence the novelty. If you pour it on cold, what you have is chocolate syrup and not hot fudge.
What is the meaning of hot fudge? ›
: a hot, thick, chocolate sauce that is usually served on ice cream. A hot fudge sundae is ice cream topped with hot fudge and usually nuts and whipped cream.
What does hot fudge taste like? ›
It's super-duper dark and rich with a high quality cocoa flavor. It almost tastes like homemade hot cocoa before you add the milk. It's so close to being the best chocolate sauce, but since you absolutely have to heat it up in order to use it as a topping, I'm keeping it in the two slot.
Is hot fudge different from chocolate syrup? ›
Ingredients: Hot fudge sauce is typically made with chocolate, sugar, butter, and cream or milk, while chocolate syrup is made with cocoa powder, sugar, and water or milk. Consistency: Hot fudge sauce has a thicker and creamier consistency than chocolate syrup, which tends to be thinner and more liquidy.
