Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe - Creations by Kara (2024)

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This silky smooth Hot Fudge Sauce is made with basic ingredients you have in your pantry. It is delectable served over ice cream!

We also like to drizzle this homemade hot fudge sauce over Peanut Butter Pie, Mint Oreo Ice Cream Dessert, and Frozen Oreo Ice Cream Dessert.

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe - Creations by Kara (1)Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

I have tried many recipes for homemade hot fudge sauce over the years, but this one remains my favorite. Not only is it the one I grew up with (thanks for the recipe mom!), it also tastes amazing. But the thing that sets it apart from the others I’ve tried is that it stores really well.

All the other recipes I’ve made have turned grainy when they are stored in the fridge. They melt fine of course, but this one just stays smooth and creamy. So if you get a hankering for a spoonful, you don’t have to heat it up first. Much easier to sneak without your kids catching you. 😉

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe - Creations by Kara (2)

How to make homemade hot fudge sauce:

Combine sugar, cocoa, and salt in a large saucepan, then slowly stir in the evaporated milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 6-8 minutes, or until thickened. (It will thicken even more as it cools, so don’t overcook it.)

Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Continue stirring till butter is melted.

After the hot fudge has cooled to room temperature, pour into glass jars.

What is the difference between hot fudge sauce and chocolate sauce or syrup?

-Hot fudge sauce has a deeper, richer flavor that chocolate syrup. Hot fudge sauce is made with sugar, butter, chocolate, and cream or evaporated milk. Chocolate syrup is usually made with a simple mixture of corn syrup or sugar and chocolate.

-Hot fudge sauce is typically thicker when chilled, and liquifies when heated. Chocolate syrup is much thinner, even at room temperature or chilled.

How do I store my hot fudge sauce?

This hot fudge stores really well in the refrigerator, and doesn’t turn grainy. I like storing it in glass jars to I can just pop it in the microwave to heat it up when we need it. I know it lasts for up to two months, but it may last longer, we just eat it up before then!

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe - Creations by Kara (3)

Homemade chocolate sauce makes fun Christmas neighbor gifts! I found these cute little glass jars at Tai Pan Trading, and just knew I had to use them this year. Although I must admit, I am saving several for myself because I just love them. 🙂 You can also use little mason jars, or any other glass jars you can find.

I made up some cute tags to go with the hot fudge, so I am including the free printables for you. There are three pages.

Page one is the hot fudge labels, page two is the “Merry Christmas” tags, page three is the “To/From” tags. Just click on the link below to download and print the page or pages you need.

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe - Creations by Kara (4)

Free Printable Hot Fudge Christmas Gift Tags

Here’s a sample of what they look like: Hot Fudge Labels Merry Christmas Tags Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe - Creations by Kara (6)To/From Christmas Gift Tags

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe - Creations by Kara (8)

Need more free Christmas gift tags? Check these out:

  • Free Printable Gratitude Christmas Gift Tags
  • Holly Jolly Christmas Tags

ICE CREAM RECIPES PERFECT FOR CHOCOLATE SAUCE:

  • French Vanilla Ice Cream
  • Reese’s Ice Cream
  • Tin Roof Ice Cream
  • Chocolate Oreo Ice Cream
  • Frozen Mud Pie

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe

Yield: 2 cups

Hot Fudge Sauce

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe - Creations by Kara (9)

This silky smooth Hot Fudge Sauce is made with basic ingredients you have in your pantry.

Prep Time5 minutes

Cook Time20 minutes

Total Time25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 7 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (more or less)
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  1. Combine sugar, cocoa, and salt in a large saucepan. Slowly stir in the evaporated milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 6-8 minutes, or until thickened.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Stir till butter melts. Cool slightly before pouring into glass jars.
  3. Serve warm, and store leftovers in the refrigerator. It heats up nicely in the microwave.

Notes

-I like my chocolate sauce rich, so I use the full amount of cocoa powder. You get a more milk chocolate flavored sauce if you use less cocoa.

-When I am making this just for my family, I cut the recipe in half and only boil it for 3-4 minutes. (Half a can of evaporated milk is about 3/4 cup.)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 140Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 58mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 0gSugar: 21gProtein: 2g

Serving size is 2 tablespoons.

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment below and pin the recipe to Pinterest!

Recipe originally posted on 12/13/2012. Post updated November 2018.

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe - Creations by Kara (2024)

FAQs

What is hot fudge sauce made of? ›

Heat Ingredients: Combine sugar, light corn syrup, heavy cream, salt and water to a saucepan and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring well. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Add Chocolate Mixture: Pour the chocolate mixture into the syrup and stir until smooth.

Why is my homemade hot fudge sauce grainy? ›

Grainy Fudge

If the melting sugar splashes onto the sides of the pan, it turns back into crystals and causes the fudge to seize up. To avoid this issue, swirl the pan instead of stirring it with a spoon. You can use a wet pastry brush to wipe down any sugar that sticks to the sides of the pot.

How do you thicken hot fudge sauce? ›

For a thicker chocolate sauce, truer to the consistency of hot fudge, use heavy cream, whole milk, or half and half in place of water.

How long does homemade hot fudge last? ›

Homemade fudge can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks before it is safe to eat. Fudge should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep it fresh and prevent contamination.

What are the ingredients in Smuckers hot fudge sauce? ›

Corn Syrup, Nonfat Milk, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Cocoa Processed With Alkali And Cocoa, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Fully Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Mono And Diglycerides, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Vanillin (artificial Flavor).

What makes hot fudge taste different? ›

Hot fudge often uses better-quality chocolate and richer ingredients for a deeper flavor profile and a more intensely chocolatey experience that lingers on the tongue longer.

What is the secret to good fudge? ›

Tips for Making Fudge
  • 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. ...
  • Beat Thoroughly.
Mar 8, 2023

What is the secret to non grainy fudge? ›

Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.

How do you make homemade hot sauce smooth? ›

The more liquid you incorporate—whether it's brine, vinegar, or soy sauce—the thinner your sauce will be. For a smoother texture, prolonged blending is your best bet. If you want your sauce even smoother, then straining that blended sauce is an even better option.

How much cornstarch to thicken fudge? ›

If you do not want your fudge to be overly sweet, you can combine 1 tbsp corn starch with 1 tbsp water and slowly mix into your fudge mixture. This should allow your fudge to thicken, because cornstarch is a thickeneing agent in desserts.

Why is my fudge mixture not thickening? ›

If you didn't reach the correct temperature during the cooking process, it might not set properly. Use a candy thermometer to ensure that you reach the recommended temperature. Overcooking or Undercooking:Solution: Cooking the fudge for too long or too short a time can affect its texture.

Does homemade hot fudge go bad? ›

To keep fudge fresh, it's important to keep it cool. With proper storage, fudge can last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.

Can you leave hot fudge sauce out overnight? ›

Just pop it in the microwave and heat in 45 second intervals until smooth! Storage: This is just fine kept at room temp for a day, but if you are going to keep it overnight or for an extended period of time, pop it in the fridge and just reheat in the microwave.

Should hot fudge be refrigerated? ›

Fudge is best stored at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks wrapped up in its original wax paper. NEVER REFRIGERATE your fudge as this will draw out the moisture and leave you with dry, crumbly fudge.

What is the difference between chocolate sauce and hot fudge? ›

The biggest differences are the texture and flavor. Hot fudge is thicker and richer than chocolate sauce. That's because hot fudge is made with heavier ingredients like butter, heavy cream or evaporated milk, while chocolate syrup is made with water or corn syrup.

Is hot fudge and chocolate syrup the same? ›

Ingredients: Hot fudge sauce is typically made with chocolate, sugar, butter, and cream or milk, while chocolate syrup is made with cocoa powder, sugar, and water or milk. Consistency: Hot fudge sauce has a thicker and creamier consistency than chocolate syrup, which tends to be thinner and more liquidy.

How is hot fudge different from chocolate? ›

Think of fudge as a food consisting of crystallized sugar. The science of fudge involves controlling the size of the sugar crystals so the texture doesn't become grainy. Chocolate uses elements of the cacao bean; even in creating white chocolate, cocoa butter from the cacao bean is the main ingredient.

What's the difference between chocolate fudge and hot fudge? ›

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.

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