Best Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe

Why We Love This Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe

Warm, thick, and decadent chocolate fudge sauce is the perfect complement to any bowl of ice cream or slice of pound cake. You can buy a decent version in a jar at the grocery store… But with very little effort you can make this Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce recipe without cream and customize it to your taste! We found many different methods of making hot fudge sauce online, but feel the very best and easiest method is made with just 6 ingredients, including cocoa powder. After testing various methods, we determined the varieties made with chocolate chips always taste like ganache or chocolate sauce rather than traditional hot fudge sauce, which has a slightly roasted flavor from the use of cocoa powder. Here we are providing our foolproof best-tasting hot fudge sauce with the fewest possible ingredients. If you don’t happen to have cocoa powder on hand (but have chocolate chips) we’ve also provided our best alternative chocolate sauce. It’s absolutely delicious, but is definitively not hot fudge sauce. Whichever set of ingredients you choose to use, this fabulous fudge sauce is easy to make on the stovetop or the microwave in less than 10 minutes.

Ingredients You Need

To make our favorite (BEST) hot fudge sauce –

Sweetened condensed milk – for that perfect thick, fudgy consistency Cocoa powder – unsweetened (dutch-process) Butter – unsalted Milk – whole fat or 2%, not skim Vanilla extract – balances the sweetness of the condensed milk Salt – just a pinch

Alternative (and still great) recipe –

Sweetened condensed milk Chocolate chips – any variety (milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or bittersweet chocolate) Butter Vanilla extract Salt

How to Make Hot Fudge Sauce with Cocoa Powder

Sift the cocoa powder to make sure there are absolutely no clumps. Then pour the cocoa powder into a small saucepot or microwave-safe bowl. Add in the sweetened condensed milk, butter, and a pinch of salt. If using the stovetop method, set the pot over medium heat to medium-low heat and stir the contents until the butter is fully melted and the cocoa powder is completely combined. The sauce should be very smooth, but thick. Mix in the vanilla extract and then thin out the hot fudge sauce by adding ¼ – ½ cup of milk. Stir to your desired consistency and turn off the heat. If using the microwave method, place the microwave-safe bowl in the microwave and set it on high for 1 minute. Mix the ingredients and microwave again in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is very smooth. Then, stir in the vanilla extract, and thin out the sauce by adding ¼ – ½ cup of milk to reach your desired consistency. Use immediately while warm, or transfer the hot fudge sauce to a glass storage container for later.

Serving Suggestions

The sauce will thicken when cool, so re-warm the hot fudge sauce on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving. Slater the warm sauce on a thick slice of pound cake or other baked treat. And, of course, it is a must-have topping for ice cream sundaes! Try it with some of our favorite homemade ice cream recipes:

Homemade Vanilla No-Churn Mocha Mint Chip (happens to be vegan!) Whiskey and Spiced Walnut Lavender Dark Chocolate Chip Gelato with Caramel and Chocolate Shavings

For a true sundae experience, add other classic toppings like colorful sprinkles, chopped nuts, crushed cookies, Homemade Cookie Dough chunks, whipped cream… And a cherry on top! You can even use scratch-made chocolate fudge sauce to make other recipes like Frozen Hot Chocolate drinks, Chocolate Banoffee Pie, and everyone’s favorite Buster Bar Ice Cream Cake!