Recipe

best hot fudge sauce

by deb Jump to recipe, comments

There are a lot of good reasons to put two small jars of homemade hot fudge sauce in your fridge in approximately 10 minutes and possibly forever:
• Hot fudge sauce is the easiest thing on earth to make, and absolutely nothing from a squeeze bottle compares. Not even the stuff at local ice cream parlors, even the kinds that boast about ingredient origins and write their menus on chalkboard walls, are the same. I’m still grumpy about the time I was a gazillion months pregnant ordered hot fudge sauce and someone poured chocolate syrup over my ice cream. I resisted, however, waddling back there and showing them how to make it correctly. I’m sorry I do not behave as well with you.


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• Proper hot fudge sauce is thick and shiny. You pour it over a scoop of ice cream and it quickly slides down the sides to form a fudge moat that scoop onto your spoon along with the melty ice cream around it and it’s intensely chocolaty and downright chewy and never gets old.
• It keeps forever, or at least for the remainder of the summer, even if it probably won’t survive that long.
• No matter how many times you rewarm it (we usually spoon a little in to a dish and microwave it for 10 seconds) and chill it again, it never splits or becomes grainy. It remains rich, shiny, and forgiving.
• It makes amazing host gifts. (That’s what the second jar is for.)
• Did you know NYC kids are still in school? When your kid complains that this is the longest school year ever, and they’re kind of right, it provides excellent distraction.

best hot fudge sauce

I’ve talked about my favorite hot fudge sauce recipe before. Well, my original favorite was from Silver Palate; it’s what we grew up making and eating and it’s way back in the archives. But once I discovered Gourmet’s version, I almost never looked back. We’ve amped it up with peppermint and crushed candy canes at Christmas. We’ve poured it over the most decadent ice cream cake I’ve ever made. Over the years, I’ve reduced the sugar slightly, opted in some more agreeable sweeteners, and mostly by accident, realized you could put everything in the pot at the same time with little compromise, but the one thing that has never changed is that all days when we have a jar in the fridge are better than those that do not. I think you know what needs to be done.

best hot fudge sauce

Previously

One year ago: Strawberry Milk, Corn and Black Bean Weeknight Nachos and Funnel Cake
Two years ago: Strawberry Cornmeal Griddle Cakes, Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie, and Herbed Summer Squash Pasta Bake
Three years ago: Pasta and Fried Zucchini Salad, Valerie’s French Chocolate Cake, Limonada De Coco
Four years ago: Espresso Granita with Whipped Cream and Pickled Vegetable Sandwich Slaw
Five years ago: Broccoli Parmesan Fritters, Chocolate Swirl Buns, and Cold Rice Noodles with Peanut-Lime Chicken
Six years ago: Dobos Torte, Rich Homemade Ricotta, and Linguine with Pea Pesto
Seven years ago: Root Beer Float Cupcakes, Lamb Chops with Pistachio Tapenade, and Strawberry Ricotta Graham Tartlets
Eight years ago: Lemon-Mint Granita, Pickled Sugar Snap Peas, and Springy Fluffy Marshmallows
Nine years ago: Breakfast Apricot Crisp, Dead Simple Slaw, and 10 Paths to Painless Pizza-Making
Ten years ago: Gateau De Crepes, Frideos with Favas and Red Pepper, and Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Salad

And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Homemade Irish Cream and Pimento Cheese Potato Bites
1.5 Years Ago: Eggnog Waffles and The Browniest Cookies
2.5 Years Ago: Gingerbread Biscotti and Jelly Doughnuts
3.5 Years Ago: Eggnog Florentines and Linzer Torte
4.5 Years Ago: Fromage Fort

Best Hot Fudge Sauce


Over the years, I’ve reduced the sugar a little, replaced the corn syrup with honey and/or golden syrup successfully, and then this last time, I accidentally put everything but the vanilla in the pot at the same time — instead of stirring in the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips at the end — and it was fine. I’m still nervous to give in my full support, however. It seems that it would be at risk to make the sauce grainy, if the chocolate cooks too long or burns slightly, but do know that if you’re making this as absentmindedly as I often do, it hasn’t failed me yet.

More ideas: You can add a little rum or bourbon at the end, or even a few flakes of sea salt, you could add some cinnamon or instant espresso during the cooking process, and this one time I stirred in a couple tablespoons of peanut butter at the end once the chocolate melted and I don’t want to say everyone liked me more that week, that would be weird, but it also might be true.


  • 2 tablespoon (30 grams) unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup (155 ml) heavy or whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup (170 grams) light corn syrup, golden syrup, or honey
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) packed dark-brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (20 grams) cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine or table sea salt
  • 6 ounces (170 grams) semi- or bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or 1 cup semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the butter, cream, sweeteners, cocoa, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low, stirring, for 3 to 5 more minutes after everything has melted, then remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. Stir in vanilla.

It’s now ready to ladle over ice cream, although it thickens more as it begins to cool, so you could also wait for 15 to 20 minutes before doing so, if it’s not too unbearable. Pour leftovers into a jar or jars and refrigerate. Hot fudge sauce keeps chilled in the fridge at least a month and often two, although it’s rare it lasts that long.


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435 comments on best hot fudge sauce

  1. 16005crofton

    Or you could have been lucky enough to be me when I was oh so very pregnant (many moons ago) and in tears because the baby didn’t come on my schedule, His Aunt had to leave and I was in the middle of nowhere craving a hot fudge sundae. My friend made me hot fudge sauce which sounds much like your recipe, bought ice cream put it all in a cooler with ice and drove half an hour to watch me cry and eat the best hot fudge sundae I ever had. So, wondering what to give for a baby gift? Skip it! (the baby doesn’t care what she wears) and make your pregnant friends this hot fudge sauce instead!

    2. Kristin

      We’re going to visit my sister and her family this weekend, and I’ve been trying to come up with a hostess gift…thanks for inspiring me! Hot fudge it is!

    3. Erin R.

      Totally agree. I gave my sister a rotisserie chicken for her baby shower. Too bad I didn’t know about this hot fudge sauce five years ago!

  2. Byn

    This is truly the BEST hot fudge sauce! I made two batches (regular + peppermint) at Christmas for a DIY Brownie Sundae Bar for my nieces and nephews (with ice cream, sprinkles, crushed candy canes, marshmallows etc.). HUGE HIT!

      1. Marcy

        Has anyone tried it with maple syrup yet? I’m intolerant to honey and corn syrup and would love to know if substituting it worked.

        2. sierrasiren

          I just made this with lundbergs organic brown rice syrup since we don’t do non-organic corn. It worked perfectly. The consistency of brown rice syrup is much closer than maple syrup

      1. Bridgit

        I’d start with a smaller quantity (1/3 cup, or just a scant 1/2), to equal the same quantity of “liquidy-ness” or liquid power, or something. You could add more as necessary.

    4. trustforce

      I did a little research and have determined that the corn syrup is used in hot fudge sauce to make the sauce shiny and smooth, not to prevent crystallization. Therefore, any other liquid sweetener could be substituted (agave, honey, maple syrup, golden syrup, etc) without a problem

  4. Jen R

    In “Nine Years Ago” the link to “Dead Simple Slaw” is not actually a link. I’m off to hunt for it but thought you might want to know.

  5. JC

    This sounds wonderful! Re: cocoa powder, does it matter if it’s Dutch-processed or not (I always have to look up the difference…) and this might be a stupid question, but I also have a ton of black cocoa (for oreos). Was wondering if it’s worth trying in this recipe, any expert thoughts on that?

    1. deb

      The original recipe calls for Dutched but it shouldn’t matter here. Because Dutched is more neutral, it sometimes needs an acid in baking recipes if only baking soda is used as a leavener but it’s also, imho, not a hard and fast rule and only applies in that narrow situation. It won’t matter chemically here.

      Black cocoa is ultra-Dutched. You can use it here, but you also might just use it for half the volume because it’s so intense and costs more. It will totally make this an Oreo Hot Fudge Sauce and you the most popular you know.

        1. Sarahdoo

          I have been making this recipe (originally from Gourmet) for years and can attest that black cocoa works amazingly well!

    1. deb

      I prefer bittersweet because the sauce can definitely run sweet. I use what I have around; this time it was a mix of Scharffen-Berger bar chocolate and Ghiradelli chips. I’m quite fond of the Guittard brand when I can find it; high quality, moderate prices.

        1. deb

          Bittersweet is often 70-72. Semisweet usually in the 60s. But the standards aren’t strict and you’ll often see the terms used interchangeably so unless you see a percentage, I wouldn’t fret over the name.

      2. Pat

        Deb, Guittard and several other brands of chocolate (and every single thing a pastry cook desires) are available at wholesale prices, even for retail customers, from a distributor in Brooklyn. I use him all the time and he ships everywhere. Email me if you want the name.

        4. Linda

          Hi , I would LOVE the name of the chocolate source in New York. Guittard is the best chocolate. Thanks for sharing. Many thanks! Linda

          1. Connie Brock

            I would really appreciate the contact information for the supplier of chocolate and other baking needs at wholesale prices in New York that you reference here in this hot fudge sauce recipe. Thank you and I love your blog.
            Connie

            2. Susan Epstein

              So, it’s April 2020 and I’m at home, dependent on delivery when I can get it. I have half and half in the house Right now, no whipping cream. What might happen if I tried the half and half and added some extra butter?

                1. Suzanne

                  Omg. I almost wish I hadn’t made this. I’m ruined on having ice cream any other way now. I made it with agave and 60% chips. I’m dead now.

        7. Hema

          Hello PAT, May I know the name of the distributor? I am very interested in buying some of these good brands at whole sale prices.

          Thanks
          Hema

          1. Gail

            Guittard is available from Fresh Direct. I just went on their web site to check. Oh how I miss Fresh Direct (live too far into CT now).

  7. Kerrie

    Ugh, I so needed this today. Deb, you’ve made my day so much sweeter now, and I will make this as soon as I get home tonight (after I get back from the store with some ice cream). I’m already dreaming of what lucky folks will get a few extra jars! Thank you!

  8. Naomi Haney

    Deb, I don’t usually like hot fudge sauce, but you can make me want anything! This looks so so yummy! Maybe being 36 weeks pregnant has something to do with it! What a great addition to summer and ice cream!

  13. Jenny

    This is probably a sacrilegious thing to say, but I don’t really understand the allure of hundreds and thousands (sprinkles). They look absolutely stunning on ice cream and cakes, but do they actually add anything to the taste and texture? To me they just add an unpleasant, teeth-cracking consistency. Would love to know what I’m missing out on.
    But the hot fudge sauce looks amazing, you had me at “downright chewy”.

    1. Michelle

      I’m with you on sprinkles! I find the texture off-putting, especially in ice cream because they become these hard, little chips in my nice, smooth ice cream.

    4. francetaste

      I agree–sprinkles add color but not much taste.
      That said, chocolate sprinkles are a Dutch breakfast staple. They’re called hagelslag. You sprinkle a thick layer on buttered bread (butter makes them stick). Kind of like Nutella but in sprinkle form.

      1. Elizabeth

        I grew up eating those since my family lived in Holland when I was a kid. Love them! I can still find then at grocery stores that have a German section so I’ve been able to enjoy them into adulthood. They are soooo much better than the American waxy chocolate sprinkles!

          1. deb

            I bought them from Amazon a while back and they’re amazing. The sad caveat, however, is don’t buy the three-pack, even if you think you’ll go through them eventually and the price is much better. Because they’re chocolate, not mystery sprinkle stuff, they don’t have the same shelf life. My first box bloomed before we finished it (sniffle), meaning that the last two have to go too. Or maybe you guys live in homes that run cool? That would work too. As would buying three and gifting the other two with this hot fudge sauce.

            1. bonnie

              World Market/Cost Plus has those sprinkles for $5.99 box [today]. I’ll prob store some of them in a food saver bag – that should keep them fresh longer, I think.

        2. Sonja

          I am 100% Dutch and grew up eating these too, just as you described–on soft white bread with a thick layer of butter (and a cup of tea on the side, of course)! I haven’t had that in ages! While it doesn’t exactly fit into my healthy lifestyle now, I may have to go in search of some and have a nostalgic snack sometime, in memory of my Oma and Opa : )

  14. Clare

    I made fudge sauce for christmas this year and printed out a bunch of recipes but my favorite was from ree drummond and was five ingredients, cocoa, butter, sugar, cream and vanilla. Now I have to try yours!

    1. Connie

      Yes, just like the Best Hot Fudge Sauce from Midwest Living. Very similar to this recipe here. In fact, we just had it tonight over coffee / chocolate chunk ice cream. The best.

  15. Thrift at Home

    My hot fudge recipe is slightly different from yours (and I’m going to try yours too), but I bet it will still do my favorite thing: turn solid in the fridge and then you stick your spoon in it on the sly and basically eat a bite of ganache that tastes like a cold truffle. TO DIE FOR. I don’t make hot fudge for ice cream – I make it for the fridge and hide it in the back, haha!

  16. kristinazack

    I can taste this with a hint of chili. I’m guessing I should add a bit of dried chili to avoid the vinegary taste of chili sauce (Crystal is my fave)?

    2. Annalise

      Ancho chile powder has a great flavor, a bit of heat–much less than cayenne. I put a dash of that, cinnamon, and almond extract in my hot cocoa and it’s very yummy.

    1. Toni

      NYC schools start after Labor Day, and there are quite a few holidays throughout the year. My birthday is 6/28, and I was almost always just finishing or actually in school on my birthday.

      1. Anne J

        Ha ha, I live in Amsterdam and the Dutch kids only have 6 weeks of summer holiday, starting 22 July this year. Great for working parents and good for the children too (at least the Dutch children rank pretty high in the world overview of effective education). And Dutch parents have usually at least 25 paid holidays

        1. Karen, BC

          Unlike Europe, schools in North America do not get a week off at half or full term during the school year so the amount of weeks spent in school evens out, I’ve attended on both continents!

          1. Lesley

            In Saskatchewan, Canada, our kids get a full week mid-February (the same time as university reading week) and a full week after Easter (with an extra day because Good Friday is a stat). I grew up in Manitoba, and we only got a one-week spring break at the end of March, but I much prefer the two breaks and the chance to travel twice with my own kids.

        2. deb

          Funny, one of my son’s good friend’s has a parent from Amsterdam and she’s just baffled by these long breaks. “They forget everything!” etc. (Also her daughter rode a bike at 3. Of course.)

        1. lisamnoble

          Celebrating being home after the last day with kids. (June 29). It’s frustrating that most of my US teaching peeps are done way sooner, but they get equally frustrated with me in August. (We’re back after Labour Day as well). I’d much rather go to the European model of 6 weeks at school 2 – 3 weeks off, all year long, and then the 6 week summer break.

  18. Nandinee

    Very very tempted… important side question, do you think it may make hot/cold chocolate? That would entirely solve two problems at once?

    2. SandyToes

      I’ve made hot and cold chocolate milk with hot fudge. Hot is obvious and simple. Cold is more work, but not much. I warm the fudge so it’s pourable, then temper it with some of the milk to thin it and keep it from hardening, then add the tempered fudge into the glass of cold milk.

        1. SandyToes

          You’re welcome and yes, you MUST try it. I’ve made it twice in 3 weeks, because as I mentioned in another comment, it evaporates very quickly. At least, that’s how I’ve chosen to explain it’s tendency to disappear seemingly overnight. My husband isn’t buying it. Maybe I need to lick ALL the evidence off the spoons? ;-)

  20. Deborah

    I applaud you for the recipe and for serving your sundaes in tiny bowls. We do not have that kind of discipline in my house!

    1. deb

      These are the same ice cream dishes we used growing up! (But I’m mean and put the kid’s ice cream in even smaller glasses, usually.)

    2. ldaghost

      “Custard cups” are sold in 4-packs at grocery stores and even some hardware stores. They’re useful for all kinds of things including baking extra cake batter into a cupcake. They really help with portion control – about 8 oz.

  21. Cherwyn Ambuter

    This looks scrumptious! Thank you for it! Please when you publish chocolate-flavored recipes, ask people to purchase only Fair Trade cocoa powder. Otherwise, our dollars spent on chocolate are going to prolong the wretched, tormented lifetime slavery of both children and adults in Ghana and in the Ivory Coast. Over 90% of all chocolate we consume is grown and harvested by slaves. Children are wielding machetes and chainsaws and having terrible accidents all for the sake of us having our chocolate treats. It is awful. CNN has created a fund to help get some of these children out of poverty. But we can do much more for them by rising up with our dollars and refusing to support the slave trade at all, spending a little extra for our chocolate so peoplease can actually get paid for their work growing chocolate, and letting Hershey’s, Mars, Nestlè, Lindt, Godiva, Russell Stover, and other manufacturers know we won’t be buying their product till they guarantee it isn’t prolonging slavery. Please, please publicize this! Thank you!

    1. tarubin

      Cherwyn, thank you for your comment. I’ve wanted to move into using Fair Trade chocolate for baking, but I’ve had a difficult time finding bulk/baking style chocolate that’s marked fair trade (usually what I see in stores like Whole Foods is more like candy bars, not chips or large blocks for baking). Do you have any recommendations for brands or places to find this information? Thank you!

  22. Cherwyn Ambuter

    Hi, I’m sorry! I clicked “I made this” with my comment thinking it was a way to demonstrate I’m not a robot. I didn’t get to make the recipe yet- but I’m eager to make it! (With my Fair Trade organic cocoa!)

  23. Sojka

    This is similar to how I made “ganache” as a teenager: one bag of chocolate chips, one carton of cream. Whip with a beater while it sets up if you want to.

    …and now I need to go make a chocolate cake…

  24. Jamie

    Oh goodness. I think I know what I’m making to bring as a hostess gift up to Maine for the 4th! I only have light brown sugar, will that make a difference?

  25. kristin @ going country

    This looks a lot like the recipe from The Brown Eyed Baker that I always use. It’s my fallback, I-don’t-know-what-to-give-this-person gift. Baseball coaches, teachers, kids’ birthday parties–there is no occasion where a half-pint jar of hot fudge sauce is not welcome.

  26. Lauren

    Kudos for mentioning Fair Trade. I only buy Fair Trade coffee, and have even gone to a different store than my usual market just for that one item. I haven’t bought anything that isn’t Fair Trade since seeing a very moving documentary years ago. I am happy to support it in any way I can. Will be buying some chocolate for this sauce asap, and paying a little more -so that my conscience will allow me to sleep at night, and to enjoy the sauce unabashedly too!!!

  27. voicesinthemeadow

    deb, what would we do without you? wallow in our dull lives? absolutely yes! thanks for helping me live my best life. but truly, so grateful for you! you are the ina of my generation. that is not hyperbole.

  29. Carolyn

    Thank you for this. I need a great hot fudge sauce recipe. Will it work the same at high altitudes? I live in the mountains but we like ice cream with yummy toppings too.

    1. deb

      I haven’t tried it. I’m a little nervous because chocolate doesn’t melt so smoothly into milk, just cream. Can’t hurt to find out with a half-batch though, right? (And definitely let us know if you can. I’m sure others have the same question.)

      1. Susan

        I have made your old version with whole milk only and it is a little thinner, but not as much as I thought it would be..I still had to melt it down in the micro a bit. I didn’t think the milk compromised it much at all. And.. It did stir into milk well and makes choc milk almost as good as the stuff in the dairy case!

      2. jeffie

        Success! Just made the recipe replacing the heavy cream with whole milk, and it turned out great. A splash of bourbon didn’t hurt either.

  31. Lowri

    Any idea whether this would freeze into chocolate-fudge popsicles? Loved the recipe you’ve got already for them, but always looking to try something slightly new!

  32. ajfifth

    I have a recipe from Schrafft’s (an erstwhile Boston ice cream shop) that includes, oddly enough, a few drops of malt vinegar. My mom, who found the recipe after much searching, suspects that the vinegar does something chemically that makes it slightly chewy when it hits the cold ice cream. In any case, that recipe calls for throwing everything in (once you’ve smoothed out the cocoa with some cream) except the vanilla, and it always works.

  33. ELCookie

    Made Confetti Cookies on Sunday (fun & delicious) and the hot fudge sauce is cooling for a yummy mid-week, need a treat, dessert. Thanks!

  34. Tammy

    This is the best hot fudge sauce! We usually go through several batches of it every summer. The version that I’ve worked from had peppermint extract, and I’m not a big fan of peppermint and chocolate together, so I usually do vanilla. But I bought some coconut extract for a cake, and used that in place of the vanilla, and it’s subtle and delicious, if you’re a fan of coconut!

  35. Emily

    Also, if you make your own hot fudge sauce and don’t at some point serve it to your kid on saltine crackers and show them how if you make a sandwich and squeeze it, little chocolate snakes will come out of the holes in the crackers, you’re doing it (really all of life) completely wrong. I learned that from my grandma, who made the actual best hot fudge sauce. We actually liked the sugar crystals that would form in hers when it was cold, but we’re a weird family.

  36. Andrea Karsh

    Oh my this is absolutely fantastic! However, I’m wondering if I did something wrong. The hot fudge sauce seized up after it was poured on the ice cream. It was still delicious but it was not the texture of had fudge sauce. Any suggestions Deb? Andrea

      1. thatstheway

        Is there a way to make the fudge so that stays in its melted/liquid form even when it cools on ice cream? Delicious taste but I wish it didn’t firm up so quickly!

  37. Bridget

    Seriously, you’re doing God’s work with this post. Today was so long and so hard and yet, I’m renewed by this and so excited to make it tomorrow!! Big thanks :)

  38. Caroline

    Looks delish!
    Wow, NYC kids are still in school? I thought no one got out later than Seattle kids, who got done yesterday.

  40. Heather Neish

    Delicious! But it started to thicken almost as soon as i added the chocolate. And now that it’s cool it’s the texture of nutella. Definitely not pourable. But great on toast :-). Could it be that i cooked it too long? Seems like I might not be the only one with similar issue..

  43. Kris

    For a cream/butter-free alternative have you tried David Lebovitz’s “Best Chocolate Sauce” on his blog? I never thought I’d say hot fudge could be amazing without butter or at least cream, but his is – I’ve made it a few times and it has all the properties you say (and I agree) that a fudge sauce should have! Thick and fudgey and smooth no matter how many times you chill and reheat it. If you make it with dairy-free dark chocolate it works for vegans too.

    1. Jeanette

      Thank you Kris! I am lactose intolerant so can’t eat this hot fudge, but Deb’s description sounded so good that I had to read the recipe anyway. Now I can make a one-for-me jar and a one-for you.

  44. Rachel Joy

    Annoying question but I must ask due to my husband’s lactose intolerance (but of course he wouldn’t eat the ice cream so what’s the point of the fudge sauce but still I think we need it…) Do you think could try this with coconut cream? Or another daily alternative cream? I suppose I’m not terrible concerned if it becomes grainy or doesn’t have the perfect texture. Taste is king! Thanks!

    1. Katherine

      Another option would be to buy lactase drops online, and use them to treat the cream. (You add the enzyme to the cream and let it sit for a day or so before using — it’s the same idea as lactose-free milk.) The cream will be a bit sweeter than usual (since the lactose has been broken down into simpler sugars), but I doubt you’ll notice in this recipe.

    3. Julie Facchin

      This is a very delayed reply – but I’ve made this recipe a bunch of times without dairy by using coconut oil and high fat coconut cream. It works perfectly!

  45. Ruth

    A timely post! Even when birthday party invitations say, “Let your presence be your gift” I like to take a little token gift – often that may be something which can be consumed and it doesn’t clutter up the home. So a pretty jar of homemade chocolate sauce was just right for our friend’s festivities last night. And there was a bit leftover for us to enjoy as well. Thank you for the recipe.

  46. Susie

    nice to see that when it comes to chocolate basics we have landed on the same required recipes. I’ve been relying on Gourmet for it’s hot fudge sauce since about 2004 as well. And your favourite brownie recipe is the Fannie Farmer recipe with slight tweaks. In both cases I think those recipes are the ur-perfect versions of what brownie and hot fudge sauce should be. Makes me wonder if there might not be other ur-recipes out there…

    1. deb

      That’s the one I grew up with and if you’re devoted to it, not need to change. This is slightly sweeter, not faint grit (which that one can get) and maybe a tiny bit shinier.

  49. Christine

    I would love to have a sugar free version of this. My mother is slightly diabetic, and my sister is pre-diabetic. You can find low carb, no carb, and occasionally sugar free ice cream, but we have yet to find sugar free sauces. Do you think subbing with Splenda or another sugar substitute for sweetness and more cocoa instead of brown sugar would work?

  50. ljlrn

    Love your ideas and recipes… can I use Hershey’s Special Dark for the cocoa powder and agave? If so about the agave, would it be 1;1 exchange or is there an adjustment? Thanks so much for your prompt response, I am making this for a hostess gift. Linda

  51. onetoughcookienyc

    I see you’ve omitted the butter at the end of the recipe. Is it still glossy after you’ve stored the leftovers? As IF there were leftovers, of course.

    1. deb

      Still glossy. I now add it in the beginning. I am a huge proponent of monter au beurre (see here) but in this case, it truly didn’t taste more buttery when added at the end.

      Also, were your ears ringing this morning? Was speaking with a cookie decorator so of course you came up!

      1. Caroline G

        Thanks! I’ve never been a big chocolate person, but my husband is and we just bought a dark chocolate giant pound plus bar from Trader Joe’s and I am looking for ways to use it! First on the list is olive oil chocolate chip cookies, followed by this and possibly the tahini chocolate chip cookies David Lebovitz posted a few weeks ago (if we have enough!).

  53. Gerri Dauer

    Do you have a good non-dairy version? I am very lactose intolerant. Would coconut cream or something work as a substitute? Thanks. Love your recipes.

  54. Susan

    I’m still using a version of your original fudge sauce, it has a little less chocolate (a lindt 70% bar) but more sugar (1/2c) and it is still a good bittersweet sauce. In fact I can no longer have a sauce any sweeter than this as the ice cream is sweet enough that it BEGS for the bitter bite of a less sweet sauce.. Will try this less sugar version, but I think my sweet tooth is a little sweeter than yours..

  55. JP

    Always nice to see a recipe that uses mostly pantry items. My favorite homemade hot fudge sauce uses evaporated milk and cocoa, but the real trick is that it uses confectioner’s sugar which thickens the sauce to a perfect consistency. I think I need to compare the two. Its a lot of work, but someone has to do it! Happy summer!

  57. Lexy

    I’ve made this same recipe for years (all hail Gourmet), and in my version of heaven, this stuff runs in the rivers.

  58. Ruth

    As soon as I realized I had everything I needed to make this already in the kitchen, I went for it. MIND BLOWINGLY GOOD. Seriously. There’s a place in North Hampton, MA called Herrell’s that had the best hot fudge sauce I’d ever eaten. Not anymore. This stuff is heaven on earth, it’s rich and creamy, chocolatey, sweet, but not too sweet with a gorgeous luster to it.

    Also, it took 5 minutes start to finish. Including finding the ingredients! I’m still swooning. And I didn’t even use amazing chocolate! I had some from trader joe’s and some leftover from Christmas. It’s that good. It’s like magic.

  59. amanda

    Hey Deb! I think I need to make this for myself and my niece who just had a baby two weeks ago. Question – do you think this could work with unsweetened chocolate? How would you adjust the sugar/sweetener accordingly? It’s your fault I keep unsweetened chocolate in “stock” in my pantry anyway. :) (Read – EASY BROWNIES!!) You have an almost two year old soon, right? (I remember because I had my son in June of 2015)

    1. deb

      I’d definitely increase the sugar — maybe by 3 tablespoons? It’s hard to say without trying it. You also might find that you’ll need less chocolate — I find that a few ounces of unsweetened often has the impact of more ounces of semi/bittersweet chocolate.

      And yes! She turns 2 in less than two weeks… sniffle.

  61. ldaghost

    Totally agree. In fact, it lasts many months when you lose it in your fridge. It was still perfect. I’m too embarrassed to say how many months.

  62. jannabeth99

    I made bread pudding a few days ago, and just this evening I wondered what I would do with the left over cream, because I need to use it soon….. I have all the other ingredients, too! (Off to the kitchen!)

  64. nancy

    Hi

    I am making a “naked” wedding cake filled with pastry cream and thought it might be good served with a little puddle of chocolate sauce. Would this one work or should I go with a thinner sauce?

  65. Jamie

    Have you had success with cream based liquor added at the end and for storage? In Montana we have an amazing Bourbon Cream liquor called Orphan Girl that I am envisioning making the best sauce of all time.

  66. Anie Lafrance

    Hey Deb,
    Just wanted to say that I’ve replaced the butter with coconut oil and it is fabulous!
    Thank you… again!

    2. Anie

      For people concerned with fat intake or for our vegan friends, just know that I am now making this with, yes coconut oil, but also unsweetened soy milk instead of cream and, honestly, it is so shiny and thick… I don’t know how cream could make this better! I’ve also reduced the sugar to 1/3 cup of honey and no brown sugar (bear with me, I can eat 2 small sundays per day in the summertime, so looking to make this the least damaging possible) and I just love it!

  67. Rachel

    I grew up eating (and still make!) the Silver Palate fudge sauce too, so very excited to try this! I used to work at a place called Thomas Sweet when I was in college, and their fudge sauce was extremely similar. I made the cakes there and this makes an EXCELLENT ice cream cake filling!

    1. Erica

      Rachel, is Thomas Sweets in New Hope, PA? We used to go to an amazing shop there by that name. The best ice cream. Mmmm sweet cream with chocolate sauce

    2. deb

      Thomas Sweet! I used to get the blend-ins with peanut butter cups and non-fat chocolate frozen yogurt (what? it was the 90s) all the time growing up. I miss it!

      1. Rachel

        Small world! I was there in the 90’s…I used to eat many a yogurt blend in (or yogurt with hot fudge-you know, to balance things out) on my break. :)

  68. Angela

    You have impeccable timing. I love the stuff at DQ. And I was just wondering today if I should buy some or make it, and here you are.

  73. egercke

    Used honey, and was good, but definitely had that honey aftertaste that some people like but I don’t prefer with chocolate. It was what I had on hand though, and this will still be devoured!
    Also, my cocoa was a bit lumpy and I never got the whole thing perfectly smooth, could have sifted, but who can be bothered?

  74. bitchtronix

    Aargh you have saved this pregnant lady’s life. Every pregnancy I crave something from my childhood that has inevitably been discontinued for many, many (many) years and even the supermarket “fudge” sauce from the supermarket that I’d consoled myself with last pregnancy now has a “healthier” tiny nozzle that fills me with rage as I stand there squeezing minute amounts of sauce. This will definitely be cooked up over the weekend and spooned with abandon.

  75. Jill DC

    Just finished making this and it is wonderful. Much to my surprise, I realized after I was done that I neglected to add the brown sugar. It is fantastic without it… i wouldn’t want it any sweeter. Thanks for a great recipe!

  76. Meryl

    I just made this! Wowie! Yum yum yum! I prefer chocolate that isn’t that sweet, so next time I make this I might use half the sweeteners. Also since ice cream is usually sweet anyway I think it’s too sweet for me, but still delicious!

  77. Shell Coltrin

    Bless your heart for this recipe! Specifically for suggesting honey as a DELIGHTFUL substitute for corn syrup (which I sometimes don’t have on hand and other times dread the aftertaste of). My only adjustment was reducing the salt by half … I could not have been more pleased with the end result – this is my new go-to hot fudge!

  78. Ren

    Wow this was good. Like compulsively delicious and definitely a new staple.

    I could not find my bottle of Karo but while looking, I found a big of mini marshmallows so I tried a handful of those instead. They took longer to melt (I should have started with just those and the butter a la Rice Krispies treats) but the result is still delicious. I’ll try next time with the syrup because this was a touch grainy, but when you need hot fudge sauce, you just have to make it happen.

    And the peanut butter sounds awesome. I was tempted to throw in some leftover Reese’s cups that I found before the chocolate chips but held back. I don’t think they’d melt smoothly.

  80. Michelle

    I made this yesterday, as I had a rare few hours to myself. It was so easy, and the results were out of this world! Thanks, Deb! I made two batches that poured into 4 cute little jars. I now have 2 plain, one peanut butter (my daughter liked me more last night than she has in a while, too!), and one choc mint. I can’t tell which I prefer, but I do know that next time (and there will be a next time), I’ll be adding some Frangelico.

    Do beware, though. Every time you open it, there will be little, telltale finger prints inside the jar. It’s one of life’s mysteries, I suppose :)

  81. Mindy

    The good news – this is amazingly tasty and so easy. The bad news – you will gain 5 pounds and never be able to justify buying hot fudge again.

  82. MelissaBKB

    This was a great recipe for “Hey it’s 9:30 and I want an ice cream topping and happen to have some cream”. I like that everything else is a pantry staple. Melted/mixed everything together except the vanilla and it worked fine. I should have sifted the cocoa beforehand – they were basically pebbles and I might have worked in too much air trying to whisk them smooth. Still fast and so delicious, and filled two half-pint jars perfectly!

  83. laurajean3

    This looks delicious!

    Also, I feel so bad for your boy. If they want to do year-long achool, do year-round school and quit punishing those kids! They’ll make it, I know, bit the kids (not to mention the teachers!) need a good break.

  84. Panya

    I made your original hot fudge sauce recipe for a gift in 2015. It was AMAZING… at first — it crystallised before we could use it all [a few weeks later; of course, after I’d given the other jar to my friend]. I’d followed the recipe and directions exactly, so I have no idea why it crystallised.

      1. Panya

        Just what it called for — white sugar and corn syrup [Karo]. The crystals in it were large too, not like tiny grains of sugar, more like thin, flat rock candy. I tried to make sure there were no sugar crystals on the sides of the pan and everything else you’re supposed to be careful of while making syrup/candy. I know that minuscule impurities in the sugar can sometimes cause crystallisation when making syrup/candy, but I thought that the butter was supposed to stop that. I don’t know. Perhaps a single grain got away from me. I’ll try this new recipe next month [I always make a big fuss over my husband’s stop-smoking anniversary in August, as encouragement, so we’re sure to have ice cream with whatever cake I make], and we’ll see if I have better luck. ;-)

  85. Jerri

    Mine turned out very tasty, but consistency is a problem. Rewarmed a small amount to drizzle over ice cream. It warmed/melted nicely, but turned into gooey semi “head shell” once it hit the cold ice cream. Is this supposed to be normal?

  86. Thea

    This is amazing. I used golden syrup and dark chocolate chips. I don’t know how I’ll resist having it over ice cream every night this week…

  87. SGB

    People need to know that this hot fudge sauce is the BEST. It is SO good. I just made some more, but this time I made a huge batch (5x the recipe!) to share out with friends and family because I feel like everyone needs to know about how good this sauce is!!!!! It’s good straight out of the fridge on a spoon haha and incredible over ice-cream, it sort of sets like a fudge in some spots and leaves puddles of saucy goodness in others.

  88. SandyToes

    I’m not a baker, I’m a cook. All of the time/temperature requirements in candy making is just too much exactitude for me. When I want exact, I go sous vide. But this fudge sauce, this I thought might be do-able. And it is! Everything came together exactly as Deb said it would, so easy, and off the heat my chips melted right in, leaving me with a silky-smooth, glossy sauce that chilled into fudge, as promised.

    I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa, light brown sugar with a bit of molasses, Lite Karo syrup and Ghirardelli Bitter-Sweet baking chips. I loved the strong chocolate flavor but would prefer a tiny bit more sweetness. I hoped when spooned over ice cream it would be like Baby Bear, just right, but I still wanted a touch more sweet. I think the bittersweet chocolate and dark cocoa provided enough bitterness, so I’ll make this again, using white sugar and omitting the molasses.

  89. Caci

    There was a custard place where I lived a few years ago which made something called “cold fudge”. It was served on the custard cold, but draped over the custard in much the same way as hot fudge does, and was delicious. I’ve never seen anything like it before or since. Do you have any ideas of how it might be made?

    1. deb

      No, I haven’t, but I wonder if it was definitely cold when it was poured? Because this becomes cold fudge as soon as it hits the ice cream so it might be a more accurate name.

      1. Caci

        This was definitely cold when poured, because it never caused any melting. I’ll definitely make yours, which sounds delightful, and maybe I can mess around with ratios and make it a little more fluid when cold, too.

  90. Tammy

    I made this substituting the golden syrup and cream for maple syrup and Trader Joes full fat coconut milk turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!

  91. Rachel

    This recipe is amazing. Its so easy, and the sauce turned out glossy, thick, and decadent. I agree. Hot fudge sauce is a million, billion times better than chocolate syrup. I felt like a rock star making this.

  92. Sue

    Hi Deb – Your recipe is WONDERFUL! Never made hot fudge sauce until I read your blog this weekend and made both hot fudge and dark salted butter caramel sauces. I have the French jars you recommended. Do I need to include the orange rubber gasket after sauce is poured in jar? I have zero experience with canning as well. Any info you can offer would be great. Thanks for doing what you do…your a gem!

    1. deb

      The rubber gasket helps prevent spills and is for canning. Without it, the lid is loose so I say yes. I do not can this sauce though; I’m not sure if it’s safe.

  93. Susanna

    I learned my lesson about hot fudge/chocolate syrup, too. I now grill servers about if their establishment actually uses hot fudge or its impostor cousin. I’m moving at the end of the month and I have corn syrup to use up, so…

  94. Molly

    I licking my lips just reading this recipe … too bad there’s no cream in the refrigerator at the moment! I’m wondering if you have an idea of the total yield – maybe about 2 cups or less? Sadly, I can’t be trusted with delicious treats like this just sitting in the fridge – I’d be stopping by way to often of ‘a little spoonful’!

    2. SandyToes

      Sure, it’s about 2 cups when freshly made. What Deb isn’t telling you is that it seems to suffer from exceptionally rapid evaporation. How else to explain the fact that the level in the jar diminishes daily, even when there’s no ice cream in the house?

      1. Lauren

        Love this recipe, Deb – it’s excellent every time! I’ve made it as teacher gifts several years in a row now. Thanks for sharing your gift with us. Any thoughts on the best approach for adding booze to this recipe? I’d like to try a version with kahlua and also your homemade Irish cream!

  95. KeliM

    I’ve made double batches of this twice, and in quick succession. My boys (both teenagers), my husband, and my father-in-law can’t keep their hands off of it, thus the second batch! We’ve poured it over ice cream, over strawberries, over chocolate cake and over a spoon. Equally good in all cases. This one is definitely a winner. And yes, I do believe this would make an incredible baby shower gift.

  96. Christine O’Neill

    I am trying to get used to using a scale for recipes. Why is the cream measurement in ml but the honey in grams? Thank you.

      1. Christine O’Neill

        Thank you for clarifying. I made the sauce with half honey and half corn syrup. For me, it still had a pretty heavy honey after taste, but very tasty. Next time I am going to try all corn syrup.

    1. Grace

      I also made this but with Lactose Free half and half..it worked perfectly. It’s so thick that when I poured it into my storage jar, it left a swirl on top like pudding does…so, of course, I had to have a spoonful! So good! I’ve made all your other versions, too, Deb. All are delicious.

  98. Suzanne

    Oh, you just made me remember the time when I was pregnant and got a hot fudge and peanut butter sundae to go, only to get home and find that they had used chocolate jimmies instead of hot fudge. Yuck, that doesn’t even count as chocolate, much less hot fudge. It was the most disappointing ice cream I have ever eaten, it broke my pregnant-lady-with-a-craving heart.

  99. koshinka

    I made this the other day and I’ve been eating it nightly since. I made 2 substitutions to make it dairy-free/vegan: used coconut oil instead of butter, and used coconut cream (not coconut milk; Thai Kitchen sells canned coconut cream now) instead of the heavy/whipping cream. I used a combination of 68% and 70% chocolate. It. Is. Incredible. I’m still shocked at how amazing and easy it was. Thank you!!

  102. Jen

    Just made this with half and half, honey, and some TJ’s chocolate chips. Didn’t notice a honey aftertaste at all. Hershey’s “Special Dark” coco powder was perfect for this.

    Deb- thank you for making such a wide array of dishes so accessible for home cooks. I never would have thought to try to make this at home. Your ability to deliver great recipes with such consistency never fails to amaze.

  103. ErinG

    I made this with Ghirardelli 70% cocoa chocolate and it is amazing! It’s too dark/unsweet for me to eat on its own without ice cream, but with ice cream it’s perfect!

  104. Mikki

    Just made this tonight. It’s the ninth anniversary of the day we met (and will be our wedding date one of these years!), so we wanted something special for dessert.

    I used golden syrup, corn syrup, *and* honey (because, well, why not?); subbed some turbinado for some of the brown sugar; and subbed 2 unsweetened baking chocolate squares for some of the semi-sweet chocolate chips.

    It. Is. DIVINE!!! It took a bit longer to melt than either of us thought it would (the baking chocolate was the culprit), but it is now silky and smooth and fabulous!

    Next time, I think I’ll stick with just golden syrup and corn syrup and leave out the turbinado. It wasn’t that it’s bad, it just isn’t necessary. Ah, well. Me and my mad scientist ways thank you, and so does my happy fiance!

  105. Gerrie

    Just made this for dessert tonight after eating your tomato and fried provolone sandwich! My husband saw me making it and was skeptical. Why? Because we only have dulce de leche ice cream in the freezer. Apparently he’s only ever had hot fudge on vanilla. I assured him it will be just fine!

  107. Brittany

    Along the lines of the comment about just needing to make hot fudge happen – I was visiting with my extended family last week when we decided we needed hot fudge. Mom only had 3 oz of unsweetened chocolate, so I upped the sugar to 1/3 c., and it was declared perfect. I was slightly worried it wouldn’t thicken enough with only 3 oz, but it’s wonderfully fudgy. I think I’ll be making it that way from now on, since I always keep 4 oz of unsweetened chocolate on hand for those 40 minute naptime brownie urges!

  109. Jeannine

    Have you ever doubled or tripled this recipe? I’m already thinking ahead to holiday gifts and want to give this to teachers, co-workers, family, etc.

  111. Chelsee

    This is literally so good!! Tastes amazing over strawberries and Ice cream, will definitely be making this again! Thanks for the recipe :)

  112. Erika

    I made this last night to drizzle over a cherry chocolate chip cake and after I had most of the ingredients in the pan, I realized I did not have any regular cocoa powder on hand. It was too late to turn back, so I reached for the packet of black cocoa hiding in the corner of my pantry.

    Oh my. While it’s not the same as regular ole hot fudge, the black cocoa makes a fantastic treat! DS asked me why I was serving him tar, which made us all laugh and then realize the potential in using the black hot fudge in some kind of situation where we really wanted it to look like tar! It has that dark Oreo cookie taste to it, and is extremely delicious.

  113. Cheryl

    This was fantastic! I didn’t have whipping cream, but used half and half instead, along with the corn syrup. It turned out amazingly well and was a huge hit! I’m saving this as a permanent part of my recipe box! Thank you so much!

  114. Susan

    No need for hot cocoa recipes or to buy prepared chocolate milk from the store, this fudge sauce mixed in hot or cold milk makes the best hot cocoa or chocolate milk, EVER.

  116. lone cow

    I just wanted to say, I made this tonight with full cream milk and it still worked perfectly. Made an okay-ish homemade ice cream taste great! Thanks Deb :)

  117. Karen

    Just made your fudge sauce!! Thanks for so many tips and variations… and making me confident as I followed your information!! I did exactly as directed but used light brown sugar! When it came to adding the chopped chocolate and bittersweet bits…only had 1/3 cup bits so I chopped up what semi sweet bars and even dark chocolate candy bars “ left for who knows from how long ago “ to make the whole cup!! Amazing fudge sauce thanks to you.. my fudge sauce coach! Five giant stars for your flexible fudge sauce recipe!!

  119. Emma

    I made this tonight and oh my god, so unbelievably good – I highly recommend it drizzled over vanilla ice cream scooped onto a warm chocolate brownie.
    Just saying :D
    Thanks Deb!

  120. Nittida

    Hi deb, what is your prefered peppermint extract brand for the hot fudge? I found that some if the brands do taste a bit like toothpaste (which is not exactly pleasent). Love, Nittida

  121. Mel

    I’ve experimented with more hot fudge recipes than I can count, and this is the first one that hasn’t disappointed me! It really tastes like old-fashioned ice cream shop hot fudge.

    I used half bittersweet and half semisweet chocolate to get my desired levels of sweetness, and increased the cream from 2/3 to 3/4 cup because I like a slightly more liquid consistency (I don’t want it to get very chewy on the ice cream–personal preference). Perfection. Thank you for posting this!

  122. witloof

    I just made this to go under profiteroles tomorrow evening. It tastes wonderful and I love the texture. I added a smidgen of chocolate extract to it, and a half teaspoon of instant espresso. {Have you discovered Caswell and Massey Chocolate Extract? I buy it at Kalustyan’s but I have a homemade batch brewing in the cupboard: raw cocoa nibs and vodka in one jar, bourbon in the other. Whenever you bake chocolate anything, a teaspoon or so of chocolate extract will intensify the flavor nicely. }

  123. reshmaadwar

    I love how I think of something to make, come to your site, and there it is: a recipe for an insanely delicious version of that thing! This weekend, it was chocolate fudge sauce. I have tried several recipes, made up my own, but didn’t love any. And then I tried this, and I’m sorry, this recipe just does not make enough to share!! It is unbelievably good! I cut out a lot of the sweeteners and it was still perfect. Luscious, heavenly. I actually may tweak it and start using it as a ganache for cupcakes. Or use it as a dip for fruit when I’m feeling fancy. Thank you for this, Deb!!

  125. Lauren

    I love the taste of this hot fudge sauce! Any tips on preventing it from hardening when it hits the ice cream? I used honey because that’s what on hand. Thanks!

  128. NBA

    I was skeptical about it only taking 5 mins, but it was only 5 mins as we were pouring it over ice cream. I made it exactly as written and all of us thought it was fantastic!!!

  129. Red

    Just made this with dark cocoa powder and half semi sweet half dark chocolate chips. Also added some cinnamon and espresso powder. Yummy!

  130. Mary Lee

    Oh my goodness! I have been looking for a good hot fudge recipe to go with the butterscotch caramel one and this was a home run! We had it tonight for dessert over Breyer’s vanilla ice cream and we lapped it up and licked our spoons. Thank you!!

  132. Meryll

    Save yourself the trouble. Do not make this if you value your waistline. It is SO amazingly delicious that you will eat it with a spoon. I doubled the recipe and will be giving some to a neighbor for her son’s first birthday as a belated pregnancy gift :)

  133. Connie

    The BEST! I used Rodelle Baking Cocoa (European Dutch Processed), Lundberg Organic Rice Syrup, light brown sugar and Trader Joe’s 72% dark chocolate bar. Excellent!

  136. Christina

    Thank you for this easy recipe. I’ve eaten strawberries drizzled with this hot fudge sauce. I’ve made Asian fluffy buns (Hokkaido milk bread) with this sauce as filling. It oozed out because I didn’t seal the buns correctly. It taste wonderful though. Using Alexandra Stafford’s Brioche with hazelnut cream recipe (Bread Toast Crumbs book), I made two loaves of hot fudge swirl brioche. This sauce is definitely a keeper.

  137. Elaine Pulliam

    I have looked up this recipe twice now in hopes you have corrected it. Your lead in lines say what makes your recipe so good is using powdered sugar instead of sugar; however, once again you are using (brown) SUGAR!!

  138. Mary-Helen

    Oh baby, oh baby, oh baby! So creamy smooth, so deliciously chocolatey. I really think the taste depends on the quality of the chocolate (for me, at least, not a rabid chocolate-lover. Heresy, I know!) I used Bensdorp cocoa powder—so deep and rich— and Callebault semisweet chocolate, and doubled the recipe (because why not??). The result is heavenly. It will go perfectly on both my brown sugar sour cream pound cake and my orangey sour cream cheesecake at my dinner party tomorrow (along with the strawberries macerated in Cointreau, for the truly decadent among us!).

  139. Marie

    Wow, this is the best hot fudge sauce recipe ever – it uses ingredients I always have on hand, it takes less than 10 minutes to make, and it can be tweaked to my liking depending on the type of chocolate I use. Pinned, printed, and shared.

  140. Heidemarie S Vukovic

    I really liked his fudge sauce. It was one of the best I have made.
    My question is, I would like to can it and be able to sell at the farmers markets. If I put it in sterile jars and water bath for 10 min, Would this be a safe method for shelf life until the jars have been opened.

  141. echinachea

    I made this last night after thinking about it for ages and finally had the right stuff on hand, including Penzey’s best cocoa! It is fantastic! Unbelievably delicious! I may have added too may chocolate chips at the end, as it is really awfully thick and I am wondering if I put it back on the burner with a little more cream, heated it for a minute or so, would that ruin it or just loosen it up a bit? It is so delicious I don’t want to take any chances. Also thinking it mightily into mousse if I whipped up some egg whites and crea! And folded them carefully into a portion of the lukewarm or almost cool sauce? Just a wacky idea from an ardent fan. Sorry for slipping two qu

  142. Sam

    I made this recipe as written, and while it’s tasty enough that I’ll eat the rest of it, it’s just too chewy for me to ever make it again. The warm sauce seems to transfer all of its heat to melt the ice cream and then gets extremely chewy and almost taffy-like. I work in an ice cream shop where we make a sweetened ganache “hot fudge” from scratch, and while it is delicious, I’m trying to find a recipe for myself that’s somewhere in between liquid warm ganache and super-chewy fudge. I just wanted to leave this comment in case it helps anybody who happens to be looking for the same thing! :)

  143. Lin

    OMG, this hot fudge looks unbearably good, and I plan to make it ASAP. But I can’t find golden syrup anywhere (western NY, USA). I finally broke down and ordered some, which will be shipped momentarily. But that’s not a great long term solution. Could you please expand a bit on your experiments with “golden syrup and/or honey” please? How does that compare to just corn syrup?

  144. Shelley

    I woke up at 5am to make 4 batches before work, for the mom’s in my life. Husband left them on the counter :( they were out for 12 hours in a 75 degree house. Anyone know if they’re ruined? Don’t want to make anyone sick but also don’t want my hard work, time and money to go to waste.

  145. strangemodegirl

    So, this looked amazing, but I can’t have corn syrup and only a very limited amount of cane sugar. So I have been playing around with it and now that I’ve got half a dozen batches under my belt, all with the same consistency and amazing taste, I can tell you that using agave for the syrup and coconut sugar instead of brown works like a charm. I didn’t change the amounts either.
    I used Penzey’s Dutch cocoa and for the chocolate I used the Enjoy Life chocolate chunks (low sugar, vegan). I did stick with real butter and cream though. Oh, and Trader Joe’s bourbon vanilla. And I like to add a little bit more than called for.
    It is so good, I’ve definitely eaten it straight from the jar.

  146. Scottie

    Okay folks, This is the only hot fudge sauce I make and my family swoons when I whip up a batch. Brown sugar!?!? I mused. Use it, please! I also used the light corn syrup. Thick and oh so delicious. 5 Stars

  147. MJ

    There is only one problem with this sauce. It is so incredibly good that I can’t stop eating it. (Sad but true.) Just make sure to use decent/good chocolate to make it not the baking chocolate found in the baking aisle of the grocery store. It’s much better with higher quality chocolate. (I know this from using the ubiquitous baking chocolate once and being disappointed.)

  148. Deepti

    I used this recipe but the chocolate sauce has become too thick after refrigeration …… what should i do to smoothen the sauce?

  149. Kristin

    I have made this several years running with the peppermint version for the holidays, and gift it. It is THE BEST. Some people don’t bother with ice cream and eat it straight from the jar, it’s that good!

    I find I prefer using golden syrup instead of corn.

  150. jennifer mahoney

    Oh My Gawwwd I just made this for my son’s birthday party “sundae bar” (he’s not a birthday-cake kinda guy). It is perfect in texture, sweetness, gloss and taste. Perfectly delicious, I know I’ll be making this again. Thank you.

  151. Megan @ amacaday.com

    I believe this recipe is very forgiving. Currently 18 weeks pregnant and basically giving myself whatever I want. Yesterday it was funfetti, today, brownies with ice cream and chocolate sauce (ok, I’m taking them to a birthday party, don’t worry, I’m not going to blow up like a cow, but I did make myself homemade funfetti cupcakes yesterday).
    I used what I had on hand, which meant salted butter, backed off just a tad on the salt, half and half because I didn’t have heavy cream, honey, and Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chocolate chips. Followed instructions and whisked everything with a metal whisk and it came out beautifully thick, shiny, and tasty. Thanks Deb!

  153. Catpainter

    I made this with leftover half and half which worked beautifully, Valrhona bittersweet chocolate, and I stirred in some Kahlua and an ounce of strong espresso at the end because I like my chocolate laced with coffee. Wow! Gives a nice, dark not-to-sweet ending to sweet ice cream. Still gets stiff in the fridge and is definitely hot fudge, not syrup.

  155. Gayatri Verma

    Crisis! I tried to add a bit of peanut butter and the oil separated on me. What do you think I did wrong? Not enough whisking? too hot? added too much peanut butter? put it back on the heat for 30seconds to a minute?

    (The regular version is STUNNING.)

  157. LKM

    Delicious! I used lactose free reduced fat milk so I doubled the butter and it worked perfectly, rich, chocolatey goodness.

  158. Alicia

    I made this with honey. It’s good, but I agree with another reviewer that the hot fudge definitely has a honey aftertaste (which I don’t particularly love in my hot fudge). Next time, I’ll use a different sweetener; probably corn syrup.

    1. echinachea

      I have successfully made this with both corn syrup and blue agave light golden syrup and can’t taste any difference. Love this stuff! So addictive!

  159. janmowbray

    Excellent. I had no cream or whole milk so, because I really really wanted chocolate sauce, I used 2% milk. I think I waited 20 minutes;-) to try it on a banana split (no whipped cream to top it off) but it was still delicious. Thanks for a quick and easy, not sickenly sweet, but sweet enough, chocolate sauce.
    PS. I tried to give this 5 stars but it keeps reverting to 3 1/2 stars

  160. Jim

    I just made this and wanted to love it but it’s just way too bitter for me. I might try again with less cocoa and with milk chocolate chips instead of the bittersweet. I think the sugar levels are ok… just a funky aftertaste. Thanks!

  162. echinachea

    Love this luscious sauce but ran out and really wanted to make it today but had no cream. I hate going to the store one-day for one item. Decided to try substituting 1% milk and increase the butter. Thought maybe almond milk was “creamier” so did that instead. I haven’t tasted it yet, but it looks as if it worked. Texture seems right, not grainy, etc. Better than no sauce at all! Time for quality control before inflicting this creamless concoction upon the spouse!

  163. Anne

    I adore this chocolate sauce. I made a QUADRUPLE batch recently for a large Boston cream pie for my husband’s birthday and then he decided he wanted a vanilla-on-vanilla cake. I had the idea of using the sauce as a starter for a mini-batch of brownies; you know those times when you just want something chocolate right from the oven but you don’t want to have a lot of tempting stuff around?
    Here is my first stab at a recipe using one egg. It worked out pretty well but I am sure you can do much better if you are inclined to mess around with it. I really like the concept b/c if you have some sauce in the fridge, which is my policy, you are about 30 seconds away from homemade brownies.
    Brownies from hot fudge sauce:
    1/2 c hot fudge sauce
    1 egg
    1/4 cup flour
    1/8 teaspoon baking powder

  164. Robin

    Any suggestions for making this in large batches? Would it be okay to quadruple the amount of everything or would it be better just to make several small batches. I want to give it as gifts for Christmas! Thanks!

  167. Kathryn

    I’d like to make a big batch and mail them out for holiday gifts; do you think it would ship OK? If I have to do a lot of extra (like ice packs etc) then I will choose a different gift. Thanks!!

  168. Kates

    Oh wow I made this last night after an intense craving for an ice cream sundae. Let me just say it did not disappoint (as many others have already noted!). I actually used half and half instead of the cream as that’s all I had on hand and it was still great and thick and fudgey. And I’m pretty sure that means I can eat twice as much? And also dollop some in my coffee? I used golden syrup and an admittedly heaped 1/4 tsp of regular old table salt and I felt that it was a bit salty for me, but it was easily fixed by just adding a Tbs or two of sugar while still hot. I would speculate it was really my mistake (if any) since I know table salt can be “saltier” than sea or kosher and I was a bit generous with it. And I think golden syrup has some salt/sodium in it. Otherwise this is my new party trick–home made hot fudge at the ready.

  170. Sandy

    This stuff is like crack. Who needs ice cream? Put a little in a bowl, microwave for 15 or 20 seconds and eat it with a spoon. Delicious!!

  171. Blue eyed baker

    I made this sauce tonight and thought I followed all the directions. It’s grainy and separating. What did I do wrong? I used honey.

  172. Nila

    The consistency was smooth until I took it off the burner and added chocolate chips and vanilla. It separated and wasn’t smooth anymore. When I put it on ice cream, it formed balls and was chewy. I used sugar free syrup, would it cause this? The only other difference was I used salted butter because it was what I had, I didn’t add the salt from the recipe. Any suggestions on how to get a better result next time?

  173. Julie Maguire

    So easy to make and is 100 times better than anything store bought! I used honey and light brown sugar (I didn’t have dark in the house). Perfection!

  174. Penny

    This might be too old of a post for a question, but I was wondering how you think this sauce will hold up in a crockpot on warm (or maybe low)?

  175. Elaine Pacholek

    I just made a GALLON of this for tonight’s free Community Dinner at our church. Then I got the email cancelling the dinner (it’s snowing and blowing and -35 wind chill here in northern Vermont). Can I freeze this for March’s dinner?

  177. ELCookie

    I have made this several times and always delicious. However, I made it two weeks ago just after having major dental surgery and being put on a liquid diet. This fudge sauce is my savior. I wait all day and treat myself after dinner to a heaping tablespoon on vanilla ice cream (no bits allowed). Heaven! Thank you!

  180. Emily D-W

    I made this spur of the moment, because when a craving for a hot fudge sundae comes on, it must be met, am I right? I used ghee in place of butter – it’s what I had – and boy, oh, boy, it did NOT work. The fat separated from the chocolate. Just letting you all know :) I’ll be back to this recipe soon – like probably tonight – with butter this time.

  181. Mary

    Don’t know if you’ve already tried this, but equal parts Mexican drinking cocoa chocolate and very dark bittersweet chocolate is darn good. Thank you for all your lovely recipes, you’re just one of my favorite kitchen writers.

  182. S

    Today I made the same mistake that Deb mentions and added the chocolate at the beginning. I gave it 3-4 minutes once everything had melted and was starting to simmer, with occasional stirring so the chocolate didn’t burn. Turned out wonderful as always!

  183. PAULINE CLAIRMONT

    Bonjour ! I substituted good quality agave syrup for the corn syrup and used 70 and 90% high quality and organic chocolate bars. I also doubled the recipe. The fudge sauce was absolutely decadent. I used it for the S’mores Cheesecake that I made for a large gathering and everyone, including myself raved about the sauce and cake. Some had seconds to eat more of the sauce. I will be giving some of the remainder as gifts. I will freeze some too as I think I can because of the cream content. Merci beaucoup for this recipe; an explosion of yummy in your mouth!

  187. Carly Shephard

    I make this sauce fot my dessert caitering trailer. I cater for vegans so i use dairy free milk and vitalate instead of butter. Works perfect everytime!

  188. Jennifer

    I hate to challenge my Adored Cook, but I am not a fan of this fudge sauce. Any fs recipe with corn syrup just tastes too…syrupy/slimy/slippery/thin for my tastes. It has that unmistakeable corn syrup aftertaste. I guess it’s okay if what you are after is chocolate syrup and not HOT FUDGE SAUCE. But I much prefer — and highly recommend — the butter-confectioners sugar-chocolate-evaporated milk versions of fs instead.

  189. Claudia

    In case of emergency, you can make a reasonable facsimile by substituting melted ice cream for the cream and sugar 😊

  190. Jolaine

    OMG…. this was the wrong day to see this on Instagram. It is truly a perfect hot fudge sauce. I made this with honey. I can’t believe how easy and tasty this is. I am doomed! But I think my friends are going to be very happy!

  191. Carolyn

    Just wondering about something here regarding salt usage if golden syrup is used. I made this last night using the measurements above – with the golden syrup as the liquid sweetener part of it. (Yes, I made certain to use unsalted butter.) Oh but I was ready to chow down! It wasn’t until after I began eating and finding it too salty, that I remembered your pecan pie recipe that has the note about watching the salt content because the gs has salt in it. Live and learn. I have never had chocolate anything that I’ve had to talk myself into eating just because I didn’t want to waste the ingredients. At any rate, I think that was my mishap. Does that sound like the likely culprit? Maybe if using the gs, salt should just be eliminated or, at the most, be added in an almost imperceptible amount? Have to make this again until I get it right! Love your blog, Deb!

    1. deb

      It might be! I hadn’t noticed it here as much, probably because I like it a little saltier. Make another batch with no salt and mix them — it should even out.

  193. Nicole

    My 10-year old made this for 4th of July. We didn’t have a full 1/2 cup of corn syrup but after reading how it seized up for many, I thought maybe less corn syrup is better. I would guess we only had about a 1/4 cup. We used Ghirardelli cocoa powder, Trader Joe’s chocolate chips, and light brown sugar instead of dark. It turned out wonderfully.

  194. Julie Facchin

    I love this hot fudge sauce. It has become my go to summer dessert for guests – just buy vanilla ice cream and you’re set! I have also made it dairy free/vegan by substituting coconut oil for the butter and high fat coconut milk for the cream, in the same amounts as the recipe. It works perfectly!

  196. Lisa S

    Just a comment that the 1st time I made this heavenly recipe it was delicious, followed the directions exactly. Today I decided I needed a mocha coffee asap so whipped up the fudge sauce using what I had on hand: salted butter, a 5.3 oz 55% semi sweet chocolate bar and half & half (instead of heavy cream). Also used honey, added a little less than the recipe called as it’s what I had left I the honey jar, added a little more cocoa powder due to the smaller amount of chocolate bar — it turned out thick & rich & quite delicious! note to self, don’t hesitate, make fudge sauce :-)

  197. echinachea

    Always wanting to have this heavenly stuff on hand, I decided I must make a batch this morning but had no cream. Refusing to go to the store for one thing, I used 2% milk and upped the butter a bit. I just tasted a little spoonful and it seems fine, but would normally do this with the recommended cream. You never know when there’s a need for an emergency banana split! Fabulous recipe, as usual, Deb😆

  198. Linda

    I just made this, following your directions exactly, but with no sugar. Used Swerve Brown, yacon syrup, and Lily’s Stevia Sweetened Dark Chocolate Chips. SO delicious!

  199. Leti

    Made this last night with whipping cream and used 1/4 golden syrup and 1/4 corn syrup for no other reason than to use up a bit of both. Used just regular cocoa powder (Hersheys) and Trader Joe chocolate chips which are semisweet. It was wonderful, easy and quick!

  201. Jenn Searls

    I love the idea of making one with cayenne or ancho chili powder, do you know how much I’d use? Same question if I wanted to make it with espresso powder?

  202. kgillsblog

    Fantastic! I made it as written, with golden corn syrup and 33% milk fat whipping cream. I used it as a topping for cheesecake, and it both looked and tasted great.

  203. sabrina Leadbeater

    this is amazing. ive been using it over icecream and tonight i put it in a hot cup of milk and omg its just amazing so easy

  204. Beth

    This sauce is beyond yummy. I used Lyle Syrup and did reduce it and the sugar a little. I used a mixture of semi and bittersweet Ghiradelli bar chocolate. I added orange zest to one half and peppermint extract to the other. Both are terrific. As is eating it plain from the storage jar. Thank you.

  206. Mindy

    The.best.ever. Perfect balance of flavors. Perfect consistency. Reheats and reheats and reheats (I just microwave about 20 seconds in the Mason jar I store it in) and the texture never changes. Always silky smooth. Love, love, love.

  207. Mauro Mcguin

    Howdy are using WordPress for your blog platform? I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and set up my own. Do you need any html coding expertise to make your own blog? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

  208. Caroline

    Oh HECK yes! I’m going to make this as is (so I can put it on everything/spoon it directly into my mouth), but then I’m going to see if I can veganize it for my vegan and lactose intolerant peeps.

  209. Diane

    I am SO excited you put this on Facebook. We’ve been working through some weird food allergies the past couple years, so my family recipe is out. This one looks similar but one my husband can eat!!

  210. Claire

    This recipe is SO GOOD. I’ve made it half a dozen times now, including as a maternity gift for a colleague (it went down very well) and to top many a home ice cream sundae with. I’ve tried it with golden syrup and honey as corn syrup is less common in the UK, but the texture and flavor of the golden syrup version was my favorite: it’s more chewy and fudgy, and has a less cloying sweetness than the honey. It’s also cheaper so win-win.

    I used to have a favorite ice cream parlour that made a similar sauce to this, but they changed owners, started cutting corners and shifted to a sad pre-made sauce, and I never forgave them. Now I can recreate the joy at home. YUM

  211. Candace Letizia

    Incredible. Made it dairy-free with coconut oil and coconut cream (not the sugary kind). Got two 4 ounce jars to gift to the lovely Moms in my life and a tiny 2 ounce to enjoy myself. This is a keeper!

  213. Lori G

    I’ve made this for years and it is THE BEST hot fudge I’ve ever tasted! Thank you Deb for another amazing recipe.

  214. Shel

    I absolutely love this hot fudge sauce! I was craving homemade after using store bought on a sundae I recreated from Disney World. It was good but would have been fantastic with this sauce. It is so good in fact that I went back after putting it on ice cream and ate 2 spoonfuls of just sauce! Thanks for sharing.

  215. Cheri Johnson

    Absolutely the best hot fudge sauce!!! I will never buy hot fudge from store again!
    Christmas gifts for 2020 all around! Thank you!

  217. Lora

    My 80-yr-old mom asked me to buy her a jar of Smucker’s hot fudge. So I made this instead. I could only part with half the batch because it was so delicious. I’m not a huge chocolate fan, but this is great. I often have a couple spoonfuls with some chopped walnuts for a sweet treat at night.

  218. Lisa

    I just made this in planning DIY sundaes for Saturday. It is amazing, and I now want to eat it for lunch today…ALL.OF.IT.
    I never thought I was capable of uttering these words, but in this case, ice cream is optional.
    Thanks for another winner, Deb.

  219. Cathi Koenig

    Long ago, I bought hot fudge sauce at a state fair made with honey and it was to die for. So glad to find this recipe and can’t wait to try it over ice cream , while
    we have temps in the 90’s !

  220. Emily D

    this was so easy and tasted amazing on ice cream – though I will admit I think I ate more of it straight from the fridge via furtive-spoonfuls. it’s ganache-like and perfect!

  221. Brad

    Sauce tasted incredible, however, just after adding it over the ice cream (Turkey Hill Vanilla Bean), it hardened (like the magic shell effect), and was chewy after. Trying to figure out what I did wrong.

    I used heavy cream, honey, and Ghirardelli semi-sweet chips. The cocoa powder was a bit older (opened in Dec/2018). I brought it up to medium heat to melt, then dropped it to low to simmer while stirring for ~5 mins. Removed it from the heat to stir the chips in (I did add the vanilla before heating), then returned it briefly back to low heat for about 30 secs, continuing to stir.

  222. Amy

    I’m a beginning knitter and one of my challenges is knowing how to successfully unpick a row after I make a mistake since this looks so different than the knit and purl stitches I’m used to.

  223. Mary S

    This is so SO good! Weighed ingredients (thanks for those!) and used Ghiradelli Dutch-process cocoa, with a combo of Ghiradelli semisweet and bittersweet chips. Heavier on the bittersweet. Used up some light corn syrup because I didn’t have enough honey. Currently eating from pan with spoon.

  225. Maryanne

    This has become a go-to for an easy but impressive dessert in our house. We now have a dairy-free friend and would like to adapt the recipe. I’m assuming margarine will sub for butter, but what about the cream? Has anyone tried coconut milk? Nuts are fine, but none of the nut milks seem to be creamy enough. Thoughts? Thanks!

  226. Erin

    I was thinking about making and sending to friends for some holiday cheer (since we won’t be seeing them this year-sigh). What do you think about making, sealing, and sending at room temp. Will I poison them?! There is one way to make the holidays worse :) Just to add: this has been a favorite recipe to make ever since you first published it. Thank you for all the wonderful cooking and writing you do–you are a treasure!

  227. Maryanne

    I recognize that it will no longer be this amazing recipe, but how might this be adapted for a person that can’t have dairy? Margarine, I imagine, but what would sub for the cream?

  229. Amy

    I’m wanting to use your hot fudge in place of one that uses a ton of glucose syrup that I do t want yo track down. This is a layer filling in a cake. Do you think if it is slightly warmed it would spread well on the cake?

  230. Katie

    I think maybe the folks who didn’t like the texture of this are expecting chocolate syrup, not hot fudge? I’ve made this twice now and it’s absolutely perfect, easily as good at what you’d get at an ice cream parlor (if not better). Starts off liquid-y then gets almost chewy as it cools, like the best hot fudges do. My life has a before and after this hot fudge, and I’m never looking back.

  232. Sally

    This is the BEST hot fudge. I make hot cocoa floats and “make your own sundaes” with my grandsons and this hot fudge is the best part. I did do 3.5 oz 70% chocolate and 2.5 oz milk chocolate. It was amazing!

  233. Jackie

    Late to this party but was wondering if I could substitute orange oil in equal measure (or less because it’s an oil) for the vanilla extract for a chocolate orange sauce? Love, love. love your website-thank you !!!

  234. Lori

    Tried this yesterday with homemade ice cream and it was a big hit with my family! Thanks for sharing. We have gotten used to less sweet things over the past few years so I halved both the honey and brown sugar and it was still really delicious and sweet enough for us. Thanks for a delicious recipe!

  235. Jen

    Can anyone speak to whether there is a difference in flavor using corn syrup vs honey? Does honey leave a distinctly honey flavor in the final product the way tea sweetened with honey tastes diff than tea with sugar? I’ve made the corn syrup version of this and it’s wonderful, but I only have enough for one batch and I need 2 batches of this now for gifts. I loved the corn syrup version so much I think I would prefer the final product to not have a different flavor. Does honey change the final flavor?

  236. Penny Wolf

    I just made this recipe and I like it and yet I get a distinct cocoa powder after taste which I would rather not have. I’m at a loss as to how to eliminate that. I used Hershey’s cocoa powder and Ghirardelli chips.To be fair I have only tasted it right after making it and on a spoon. Maybe after it sits and a sample on ice cream could be a game changer.

  237. Dana

    No matter how tempting it is to just spoon it warm into your food hole right away, for the love of Deb, LET THE FUDGE SAUCE COOL AND THICKEN! The chocolate comes through so much stronger and more decadent. I added a little coffee baker’s emulsion and some flaky sea salt. I think next time I’ll try ancho chipotle powder and cinnamon, or maybe just swap some of the bittersweet chocolate for abuelita.

  238. Penny Wolf

    UPDATE! I made the recipe a day before I plan to use it, so it sat in the fridge and solidified as it should. When the time came to make the sundaes I reheated the jar of fudge in a pan with some water on a slow simmer. The after taste of the cocoa powder I mentioned in the earlier post had all but disappeared. The hot fudge sundaes were a huge hit! This is a keeper. Thank you

  239. Katy

    I made this and, although it’s delicious (and totally great off the spoon), it gets a little too chewy to be termed sauce when poured over ice cream. Did I overcook it? Any other ideas about how to avoid this next time?

  240. Melissa Ryan

    Scrumptious! I mainly eat it by the spoonful from the fridge… the texture and flavor is just perfect. I used golden syrup, Guittard cocoa powder, and Guittard 63% chips.

  241. Jennifer Watson

    Just delicious! So easy to make, I used 70% chocolate and some extra salt. This will be a staple in my ice cream toppings.

  242. Theresa Malham

    I’ve mailed this several times. The first two times it came out absolutely perfect! I used Ghirardelli bittersweet and then semi-sweet chips. The third time was a disaster using Trader Joes Organic Completely Cacao Chips – unsweetened chocolate. With the TJ chips, as soon as I added the chips the mixture became lumpy and began te separate. I tried to use and immersion blender to “correct” the problem but without any luck. I was hoping it would at least taste good, but it’s strange, it didn’t taste good either too bitter. Was it really just the chips or did I possibly do something wrong to cause this?

  243. Rachel

    I make a lot of SK recipes and don’t usually comment, but this is one of the best things I have ever made. I am embarrassed by how fast we are eating it. It’s truly delightful. I made it exactly as written

    2. Winnie

      Update:
      My sweet SIL made this for my niece’s birthday and one taste and I was in love. I decided to make this for Christmas gifts this year. So easy and so tasty…one friend said I could make it every month…Thank you for an incredible recipe that is amazing!

  245. Linda

    There are a LOT of SK recipes that I love, but this one is definitely at the top of the list. Easy, versatile, and just so good. Thanks, Deb!

  246. Nonnie

    I’ve been making this hot fudge sauce at least once a month for several years. We almost always have a jar of it in the refrigerator. The recipe is very forgiving – if I have a few tablespoons of extra cream to use up, or salted butter instead of unsalted, or don’t measure the cocoa, vanilla, or chocolate exactly right, it always works. We like it best just as it is but I sometimes make a batch with bourbon, rum, or other liquor. It’s great warmed up and a bit runny or straight from the refrigerator (rather like a truffle).

  247. Erika

    The perfect topping for my husband’s birthday dessert (mini ice cream pies!). I halved the recipe (foolish I know!), omitted the honey and mixed in milk chocolate. Definitely delicious!

  248. Theresa O

    LOVE this recipe – tried for the first time in February 2022 and have made it 3 more times to rave reviews. Has anyone frozen this – my daughter is out of state and has some mobility issues that prevent her from cooking but she would love to have a stockpike of this in her freezer – it’s that good. I would make her a couple of batches next time I visit if I could stick care packages in the freezer for her to enjoy later.

  249. Connie

    OMG..this is the best hot fudge sauce..truly…had some extra time after making some vanilla ice cream and had all the ingredients so tried this. Is absolutely..the best!

    Its just waiting in the fridge..for it’s next use…can’t wait!

  250. Lizzy

    In an emergency you can use milk in case you don’t happen to have heavy cream, but you need hot fudge sauce. I was willing to do this experiment, you know, in the name of science, and I am happy to report you will still end up with delicious hot fudge sauce if you have to sub in milk in an emergency. ;-)

  251. Juka

    this is so, so. SO GOOD. Its amazing spooned over chocolate cake. it’s delish with vanilla ice cream. I can see that I’ll need to have this the whole summer long!

  252. Lucy Lehman

    Deb,
    Do you think that Agave syrup would work in your hot fudge recipe? (I hate honey, and corn syrup is something I seldom need, whereas Agave I have in the house and use often!)

  253. Lucy Lehman

    I have another question for you Deb,
    If I make the recipe and keep it warm in a double boiler, will it thicken too much to serve it over the ice cream after (say)
    an hour in the double boiler?

  254. Marie

    Just a note on chocolate bloom from getting a bit too warm. It doesn’t hurt anything but the looks. My mother worked in a soda shop/candy store in the late 1920’s – mid 1930’s ( yes I’m old). One of her tasks in the summer was to use a small, clean paintbrush to brush the bloom off the chocolates in the display case. She was what was called a “soda jerk” because you had to jerk the handles that dispensed the ingredients. So don’t throw out those precious, really good chocolate sprinkles as one previous poster did.

  255. Hydrangea

    Fun to see this as a featured recipe this week! I’ve been making it for a while after searching for a recipe; just made it last week for an easy dessert night on the patio. Good vanilla ice cream from the supermarket, this fudge, and one neighbor brought homemade brownies which added some zhush….couldn’t have been easier or more delightful. Got some good neighbor points and will need to bring this to every gathering. I use agave syrup every time and extra dark chocolate chips. Used canned coconut cream and Earthbound soy “butter” for a dairy-free family member….it was a very fine substitution (but not the amazing experience it is as written.)

  257. Kora

    This is my most amazing go to recipe for anything chocolate. It’s always good, I have the stuff, and what I make on a random Thursday when I need a pick me up. Just put it on the pound cake in the new book. My dinner tonight was wine, pound cake and the hot fudge.

  258. Wynne Cook

    It was incredibly fast, easy and delicious. I made a second batch right away because it turned out so well. Easiest happy neighbor gifts ever! Thanks Deb.

  259. Nancy Basinger

    The recipe for hot fudge sauce is fabulous. Too bad it is so hard to find. A “go to recipe” button would be helpful

  260. Sarah

    I made this with table cream because it was all I could find at the grocery store and honestly kind of old semi sweet chocolate chips and it was incredible! My hubs and I are very happy watching the Super Bowl with hot fudge sundaes.

  261. Lara

    This recipe is sooo easy and delicious! I made it last week. Today I decided to use it for some hamantaschen filling and it was perfect.

  262. Heather

    I always keep a jar of this in the refrigerator. Simple, forgiving recipe; easy to adapt depending on what you have on hand in the pantry or for flavor variations. It’s a great gift too – try a flight of fudge sauce flavors (e.g. regular, cherry bourbon, mint chocolate, hazelnut chocolate…)

  263. Sarah

    Made this exactly as written with corn syrup and Ghirardelli chips and it’s excellent. I added maybe a sprinkle extra salt to combat the sweetness. It’s so good!

  264. Theresa Carr

    I also mistakenly put everything in the pot except for the vanilla. Some of the chocolate chunks didn’t fully melt, but I have no issue with that. Super tasty, and so easy to make. I will be making this in the future as gifts. Yum!

  265. Marie

    This chocolate sauce has become a staple in our house. Thank you for making it so easy to whip up a delicious treat for my family on a random Sunday night!

  266. Heather Oppenheimer

    Best hot fudge sauce ever. I usually make it with golden syrup, but honey, light or dark corn syrup work too. I might try molasses or maple syrup someday if I’m out of golden syrup. It’s a forgiving recipe. I’ve made it with rum and with bourbon – but only when I feel like making a double batch, because we must always have a jar of the regular chocolate one.

    1. Heather Oppenheimer

      I’m not sure exactly what you mean by “that thick, chewy”, but when this hot fudge cools, it is the consistency of ganache truffles. When you warm it, it gets runny, then when you put it on ice cream, it thickens again. I always keep a jar in the refrigerator, and make more when it runs out