Hot Fudge is a thick chocolate sauce that’s served warm over ice cream to make a hot fudge sundae, then topped with nuts, whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. You could really top it on a variety of different dessert recipes. You can buy it in a can at the store, but nothing compares to this simple homemade hot fudge recipe.
Why this is the BEST Hot Fudge Sauce:
Fast – Only 15 minutes from start to finish.
Variety of Uses – We love this with ice cream topped with nuts on the best hot fudge sundae, on crepes, a skillet cookie, on an Oreo milkshake, Chocolate Milkshake, and sometimes even just with a spoon! It’s great for holiday gifting, presented in a jar with a ribbon and tag.
Delicious – Store-bought hot fudge may be convenient, but you just can’t beat the flavor of homemade. I promise you will never buy it from the store again.
How to make Hot Fudge:
Melt Chocolate: Place chopped chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave on half power, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
I use 12 oz (2.5 boxes) of semi-sweet Baker’s chocolate, or Trader Joes Pound Plus bars. Any high quality chocolate, like Ghirardelli chocolate chips, will also work!
Add Cocoa Powder: Pour the cocoa powder into the melted chocolate mixture and stir to combine. The mixture will be thick.
HeatIngredients: Combine sugar, light corn syrup, heavy cream, salt and water to a saucepan and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring well. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
Add Chocolate Mixture: Pour the chocolate mixture into the syrup and stir until smooth. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Enjoy on top of ice cream, in a chocolate or Oreo milkshake, in a dessert crepe, fondue, or with a spoon!
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: This hot fudge sauce recipe can be made up to 3 weeks ahead of time and kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Heat slowly in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until pourable.
To Freeze: Cool completely then store this easy hot fudge in a freezer safe jar or bag for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat slowly in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Be careful not to let it get too hot or burn.
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Recipe
4.98 from 268 votes
Hot Fudge Sauce
This homemade Hot Fudge sauce is thick, smooth, and perfectly decadent! It only takes minutes to make and makes the best hot fudge sundae!
In a microwave-safe bowl (or double boiler on the stove, stirring constantly) melt the chocolate on half power, in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
Remove from microwave and stir in the sifted cocoa powder until smooth. The mixture will be thick. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, cream, salt and water. Stir constantly and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for 4 minutes.Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter.
Add the melted chocolate mixture and stir until smooth.
Serve warm, over ice cream.
Notes
Chocolate: I use 10 oz (2 ½ boxes) of semi-sweet Baker’s chocolate or Trader Joes pound plus bars, but any high quality chocolate, like Ghirardelli chocolate chips, will work.
Storing Instructions: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Rewarm slowly in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until pourable.
Freezing Instructions: Cool completely then store in a freezer safe jar or container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then rewarm slowly in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until pourable. Be careful not to let it get too hot or burn.
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Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, without stirring, until the thermometer registers 234 degrees, about 20 to 25 minutes. The mixture should boil at a moderate, steady rate over the entire surface. While the fudge is cooking, prepare the baking pan.
After cooking, the mixture must cool before being stirred in order to make it crystallize. This cooling period is essential: this is what determines the size of sugar crystals which, remember, should be as tiny as possible. Ideally, the syrup should cool to a temperature of around 43 to 50 °C (110 to 122 °F).
That happened shortly after Sanders' owner, Second Nature Foods, was acquired by CapVest, a London-based private equity firm. Second Nature blamed manufacturing challenges and extremely high demand for its decision to pull the fan favorite from distribution.
To test the boiling mixture for doneness, drop a bit of it into a bowl of cold water. If it forms a ball that is soft enough to flatten between your fingers, the mixture is ready for cooling. When the fudge cools to 110 degrees F/43 degrees C, beat the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon until it's no longer glossy.
OPTION 1) Depending on how runny it is, you can either use it as a frosting for cakes, or a sauce for ice-cream. OPTION 2) Freeze it overnight. Cut it into squares. Cover each square thickly in melted chocolate, ensuring no part of the fudge is exposed.
To make candy or jelly at home, it's essential to have a thermometer that can process particularly high temperatures. Though a meat thermometer might seem like a convenient substitute, it doesn't have the ability to read and process temperature to the same extent that a candy thermometer does.
termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers.
Monitor the Temperature with a Candy Thermometer. If you end up with soft fudge that turns into a puddle in your hands or hard fudge that is a bit reminiscent of a crunchy candy, improper temperature is likely to blame. ...
Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer. ...
If the fudge is very soft and slightly chewy then it is possible that it did not quite cook to soft ball stage and next time the mixture should be cooked to a slightly higher temperature (soft ball is 112-116c/235-240F and a sugar or candy thermometer can help).
The issue arises when large crystals form, which in essence create that grainy texture. This can happen from stirring the sugar mixture after it starts to boil, or from stirring it once it is already starting to cool.
Hot fudge is made by boiling together cream, sugar, chocolate, and sometimes butter—the traditional ingredients for fudge—into what is essentially just an undercooked, unset version of the confection. It differs from plain old chocolate sauce by virtue of being gooier and more viscous.
Corn syrup is really the secret ingredient to making the best hot fudge, because without it, the chocolate and butter would harden up as the sauce cools. If you prefer not to use corn syrup, try golden syrup, which is made from cane sugar and works just as well.
The fudge needs to be cooked at a vigorous boil and needs to get to a minimum of 116C/240F, so you may need to increase the heat slightly. This is the soft ball stage and if you drop a little of the mixture into a glass of cold water then it should form a firm ball that you can still squeeze between your fingers.
You should mix the cream, butter, and sugar when making your fudge, but put down the spoon once it has reached its boiling point. Stirring while your sugar mixture is boiling will only form sugar crystals and make your fudge crunchy rather than silky smooth.
It could be that your fudge is overcooked and this causes the sugar to harden. A sugar thermometer will help you to check it reaches the correct temperature which is the soft ball stage at 112 to 116 °C (234 to 241 °F). If it exceeds this, it is heading for a much chewier consistency.
Once the fudge has thickened and the nuts are added, pour the fudge into the prepared pan. Allow it to set at room temperature until firm, about three hours or overnight.
Introduction: My name is Corie Satterfield, I am a fancy, perfect, spotless, quaint, fantastic, funny, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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