Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce – Perfect For Ice Cream Sundaes

A rich and creamy homemade chocolate hot fudge sauce made in minutes using your stovetop or microwave that is perfect for topping ice cream or brownies or using as a decadent dipping sauce.

Are you a fan of topping ice cream with a rich and creamy hot fudge sauce when you go out for a frozen treat? What about taking homemade brownies over the top by pouring on a bit of thick and gooey hot fudge to amp up the chocolate flavor as much as possible?

Or how about setting up a custom dipping station complete with fresh fruit, marshmallows, pretzels, graham crackers, and all the yummy items to dip into creamy melted chocolate? If you answered any of those questions with a resounding “YES!”, then this recipe is for you!

This simple recipe uses only 8 ingredients and can be made using your stovetop or a microwave. The hardest part of the process will be waiting for the sauce to cool off enough before you pour it over your bowl of ice cream or goodies!

Enjoy what you want now and store the rest in your refrigerator to warm up and use whenever the mood for an indulgent chocolate dessert hits! It’s a recipe that my mom used to make on special occasions when I was a kid, and now I get to make it for my own kids to enjoy, and so can you!

How To Make Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

*Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the full recipe, including exact measurements and amounts. You can also print out the instructions. I go into a bit more detail about the recipe here first, just in case you need it.

Ingredients

• Granulated Sugar – The sugar helps to add sweetness to the hot fudge sauce. If you use a sweetened cocoa powder, you will want to reduce the amount of granulated sugar used. We want it to be sweet but not sickeningly sweet!
• Cocoa Powder – You will find all sorts of different hot fudge recipes out there. Some use dark chocolate, some use melting chocolate, some use cocoa powder, and some use a combination. For this recipe, you will be using cocoa powder. I usually always grab for the Hershey’s brand because it tastes good and has never let me down yet!
• All-Purpose Flour – The flour acts as the thickening agent in the recipe. Without it, the sauce won’t get that thick and creamy consistency we are looking for.
• Salt – If you have a lot of sugar, you need a bit of salt to help balance out the sweetness.

• Milk – I normally just use whatever type of milk we have in our fridge, which is usually 2%. However, you can also use half and half for an even richer hot fudge sauce.
• Light Corn Syrup – The corn syrup helps to prevent the sugar from crystallizing and gives the hot fudge sauce its smooth, creamy, and glossy consistency. (Yes, corn syrup gets a bad rap, but everything in moderation.)
• Butter – You can use either salted or unsalted butter. I like to use salted because that is what we always have on hand. If you use unsalted, you might want to add a pinch more salt to the mixture.
• Vanilla – Use store-bought vanilla, or try your hand at making homemade vanilla. It’s a lot easier than you might think and only requires two ingredients!

Instructions For Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

You can make this hot fudge sauce by either cooking it in your microwave or on your stovetop. I’ve included instructions for both options.

If using a microwave, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, flour, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. You want a decent-sized bowl because the ingredients will expand quite a bit as they heat up. (These are my absolute favorite mixing bowls that I use daily – Product Link: Luminarc Stackable Bowl 10-Piece Set.)

Using a larger bowl will help prevent the sauce from overflowing. While you want hot fudge sauce to be thick and creamy, having it wind up all over the bottom of your microwave is not what we want!

If you are using your stovetop, add sugar, cocoa powder, flour, and salt to a medium-sized saucepan. Just like with a microwave, you want a decent-sized saucepan because the ingredients will expand as they are heated. The effect won’t be quite as bad as it is with the microwave, at least.

Once the dry ingredients are combined, slowly stir in the milk or half and half until the mixture is nice and smooth. Add the corn syrup and whisk until everything is evenly distributed.

Next, it’s time for the butter. Cut each tablespoon of butter into four pieces. (You will have eight pieces total.) Dot the top of the sauce mixture with the butter. This helps it to melt more evenly.

Time For Cooking

For the Microwave: Cook in your microwave for 4 to 8 minutes, stirring well after each minute. The sauce will start to expand as it boils, so keep an eye on it to prevent overflowing. After about 3 to 4 minutes, the mixture should start to thicken. (This will vary depending on your microwave.) It might look a little overcooked at times (see left photo below), but it will whisk to a smooth consistency.

For the Stovetop: Cook over medium-low heat until the sauce boils. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Continue simmering until the sauce has reached a smooth, thick consistency.

For Both: Avoid overcooking and burning the sauce (trust me, you will be able to smell it if that’s happened!). The sauce is done when it is thick enough to coat a spoon and slowly pour off of it. It will thicken some as the sauce cools, so keep that in mind.

Remove the thickened sauce from the microwave or stovetop and carefully stir in the vanilla. Mix well to combine.

Allow the homemade hot fudge sauce to cool slightly before enjoying. (Otherwise, you will just end up with a melted mess! Not to mention a burnt tongue! It will still taste good, but not look as nice as you might like!) Store any leftover hot fudge sauce in a covered dish in the refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy!

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
– Chelsea

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