10-Minute Homemade Hot Fudge

PinSaveJUMP to RECIPE

This post may contain affiliate links.

Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce — You’ll never want store-bought again after making your own in under 10 minutes. The hot fudge sauce is thick, rich, dense, fudgy, very intensely chocolaty and not overly sweet. Serve over ice cream, brownies, cakes, cookies, waffles, pancakes, or just find a spoon and dig in!

homemade hot fudge in glass jar with spoon

The BEST Homemade Hot Fudge Recipe

To be totally honest, I don’t love ice cream — it’s the hot fudge that I really want. I work around the ice cream just to get to the hot fudge. I’m good with a spoon like that.

After making your own homemade hot fudge, a brown squirt bottle of store-bought chocolate syrup will never do. Even some of the gourmet varieties of store-bought hot fudge sauce pale in comparison!

They’re either too sweet, too lackluster, or don’t have enough chocolate intensity. And taste notwithstanding, it’s more economical to make your own. And more satisfying and gratifying! 

homemade hot fudge in glass jar surrounded by spoons

Some people will really love this chocolate fudge sauce over ice cream. I happen to really love this with a spoon at midnight.

It’s so fudgy, rich, decadent, and stops my chocolate cravings dead in their tracks.

The batch makes just one 16-ounce jar, which is probably good. Because there’s only 10 minutes standing between you and this.

scooping homemade hot fudge out of jar with spoon

Hot Fudge Sauce Ingredients

For this easy hot fudge sauce recipe, you’ll need: 

  • Heavy cream (I used half-and-half)
  • Light corn syrup
  • Dark brown sugar
  • Unsweetened natural cocoa powder
  • Salt
  • Dark or bittersweet chocolate
  • Unsalted butter
  • Vanilla extract
hot fudge in glass jar with spoons

How to Make Hot Fudge Sauce

Making hot fudge sauce from scratch is quick and simple! Here are the basic steps:

  1. First bring the cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, cocoa powder, optional salt, and half the chopped chocolate to a boil in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat.
  2. Stir frequently until the chocolate is melted, then reduce the heat and cook at a low boil for 5 minutes.
  3. Turn off the heat and add the butter, vanilla, and remaining chocolate. Stir until smooth, and then let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Hot fudge collage

FAQs

How to Store Hot Fudge Sauce

This homemade hot fudge will keep for a month in the fridge unless you eat it all in the first two days, which is a very real possibility. I have been storing mine on the counter at room temperature for two weeks and it’s fine.

I’m sure someone will ask me about refrigeration for gift-giving. I don’t know, so do what feels right to you. To me, the extensive boiling process renders this okay to store at room temp, but store it how you’re comfortable! 

If you do store it in the refrigerator, it’ll firm up and can be reheated before serving. I recommend scooping some into a small cup and nuking that portion for 15 seconds rather than reheating the whole jar over and over. This will keep the rest of the hot fudge sauce fresh and will prevent it from clumping up from being reheated time and again. 

Do I Need To Use Corn Syrup?

Yes, you need to use corn syrup for this recipe and this ingredient cannot be omitted or altered. **

I have never experimented using another liquid sweeter such as honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar, nor tested the recipe in any other way other than in which the recipe is written, so I advise following the recipe exactly for best results.

*Since the time I originally posted this recipe in 2013, I have had a reader use honey rather than corn syrup because of a corn allergy, and she said the honey worked fine and the hot fudge set up perfectly. I haven’t tested honey personally in this recipe, but if you’re feeling experimentational you can give it a try.

**I also had a reader in 2022 mention she used sweetened condensed milk rather than corn syrup with great results. I haven’t tried this but am sharing the information.

Can chocolate chips Be Used Instead of chocolate bars?

No, chocolate chips are resistant to melting and won’t work for this recipe. You need to use actual chocolate bars that you chop up yourself.

Can the fudge sauce be made sweeter?

Yes! If you don’t love rich, dark fudge sauce I recommend using milk chocolate instead of dark or bittersweet. Or, use a blend of milk and dark chocolate to achieve your perfect level of sweetness!

How to thin fudge sauce after it cools

The warm hot fudge sauce is thick, dense, and not runny or thin. If it sets up too thick for your liking after it’s cooled, add a drizzle more corn syrup and stir to thin it out.

I’d rather have my hot fudge thick enough that when I turn it upside down on a spoon, it hangs on. Also keep in mind that when you reheat it for future uses, it naturally thins from the heat.

How much does this recipe make?

This recipe makes 16 oz. (2 cups) of chocolate fudge sauce.

You’ll never want store-bought again after making your own Homemade Hot Fudge in under 10 minutes. It’s so easy that it’s dangerous! The hot fudge sauce is thick, rich, dense, fudgy, very intensely chocolaty and not overly sweet. Serve over ice cream, brownies, cakes, cookies, waffles, pancakes, or just find a spoon and dig in.

Tips for the Best Hot Fudge

For the chocolate, I used three ounces from a Trader Joe’s 72% Pound Plus Bar and three ounces of Dark Chocolate Pound Plus Bar (54%). I mixed the two because I didn’t want the hot fudge to get too dark and sultry. I like my hot fudge dark and not too sweet, but didn’t want it bitter.

I used unsweeetened natural cocoa powder, but Dutch-process may be used. I’d also like to try it with Hershey’s Special Dark, but I can’t find it locally in San Diego anymore.

I didn’t sift the cocoa powder, but probably should have because it was pretty lumpy and it took quite a bit of stirring to smooth it. If your cocoa is particularly lumpy, sift. If not, don’t worry about it.

The resulting fudge is just sweet enough while being robustly and intensely chocolaty. It’s full-tilt on the chocolate oomph meter and it’s so very satisfying.

You’ll never want store-bought again after making your own Homemade Hot Fudge in under 10 minutes. It’s so easy that it’s dangerous! The hot fudge sauce is thick, rich, dense, fudgy, very intensely chocolaty and not overly sweet. Serve over ice cream, brownies, cakes, cookies, waffles, pancakes, or just find a spoon and dig in!

Ways to Use Hot Fudge Sauce

Use the chocolate fudge sauce whenever recipes call for it, or simply spoon it over your favorite desserts. Try pairing the fudge sauce with any of the following desserts:

You’ll never want store-bought again after making your own Homemade Hot Fudge in under 10 minutes. It’s so easy that it’s dangerous! The hot fudge sauce is thick, rich, dense, fudgy, very intensely chocolaty and not overly sweet. Serve over ice cream, brownies, cakes, cookies, waffles, pancakes, or just find a spoon and dig in.

Pin This Recipe

Yield: 16 ounces

10-Minute Homemade Hot Fudge

10-Minute Homemade Hot Fudge

This homemade hot fudge sauce is thick and fudgy, but not overly sweet. Serve over ice cream, brownies, cakes, cookies and more!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup heavy cream (I used half-and-half)
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (I used natural, Dutch-process may be used; if your cocoa is particularly lumpy, sift it)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
  • 6 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used 3 ounces 54% and 3 ounces 72%)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Bring cream, corn syrup* (See Notes below), brown sugar, cocoa powder, optional salt, and half the chopped chocolate to a boil in a 1 to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until chocolate is melted. Reduce heat and cook at a low boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  2. Turn off the heat and add butter, vanilla, remaining chocolate, and stir until smooth. Cool slightly before serving.
  3. Cooled sauce can be stored in a jar with a lid or in airtight container in the refrigerator for many weeks (recipe source says 1 week but I think that’s very conservative). I store mine for up to 1 week at room temperature; do as you’re comfortable with. Reheat sauce before using by placing the desired portion in a microwave-safe bowl and heating for about 10 to 15 seconds, or reheat on the stovetop.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Epicurious

*Since the time I originally posted this recipe in 2013, I had a reader use honey rather than corn syrup because of a corn allergy, and she said the honey worked fine and the hot fudge set up perfectly. I haven't tested honey personally in this recipe, but if you're feeling experimentational you can give it a try.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 45mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 1g

More Homemade Dessert Sauces: 

The Best Salted Caramel Sauce — This homemade salted caramel sauce is creamy, buttery, rich, thick, smooth, and blows away anything you’ll ever buy. Best of all, it’s done in 15 minutes!

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter – Even though peanut butter doesn’t need doctoring up, adding a bag of chocolate chips doesn’t hurt. Ready in 5 minutes and so easy!

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter

Homemade Peanut Butter  – Ready in 5 minutes and you’ll never want storebought again. It’s life-changing!

Homemade Peanut Butter collage

Homemade Cookie Butter — Fans of Biscoff or Trader Joe’s Speculoos Spread, now you can make this knockoff spread at home in minutes!

Homemade Cookie Butter Peanut Butter @Averie Sunshine {Averie Cooks}

Dark Rum Caramel Sauce – An easy sauce to make with step-by-step photos, rum optional but it sure makes things more fun. Caramel sauce keeps for months in the refrigerator and makes nice gifts

Dark Rum Caramel Sauce

Originally posted April 10, 2013 and reposted July 17, 2020 with updated text.



About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

Get the latest recipes via email!

Leave a Comment

Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. This was really good. I used one of those chocolate oranges, and added a half teaspoon of ancho chili pepper for heat. Sooooo good. 

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad it turned out really well for you and the orange and ancho chile pepper were great twists!

  2. Thanks for an awesome, great tasting hot fudge recipe. Instead of using corn syrup, I used sweetened condensed milk. Worked GREAT!!!

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad to hear that sweetened condensed milk worked in place of the corn syrup! I would have never guessed that so I appreciate you mentioning it!

  3. Just made this recipe and am so thrilled that I’ve finally found one that I’m very happy with. I made it with heavy cream, dark brown sugar , dark corn syrup and Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa because that’s what I had on hand and it turned out wonderful. I also used a Lily’s 3oz bar of dark chocolate and 3oz of Lily’s semi-sweet chips. Great recipe, thanks Averie!

    Rating: 5
  4. Hi Averie:I made your hot fudge sauce recipe this afternoon to go with the Hagen Das vanilla ice cream cake chocolate roll for our Christmas dessert. It is delicious, to say the least, and easy! Thank you very much. I am so glad I just found you and look forward to checking out your many recipes.Merry Christmas! Kathy

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was delish and hope you enjoy future recipes! Merry Xmas as well!

  5. O.M.G. I am in love. Perfect taste, texture and easy to make…. I will NEVER buy it at the store again.I finished my ice cream. I’m going straight for the jar now.

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad you are in love and will never need to buy store bought again!

  6. Made it. Worked great. This old retired builder has always enjoyed cooking. Now that I am retired I am enjoying the kitchen.

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review, glad it worked great, and that you’re enjoying the kitchen in your retirement! Good for you!

  7. Perfect timing. Yesterday, we received a late afternoon invite to a pool party where the hostess prepared homemade vanilla ice ream. I remembered your recipe of the day.The hostess has a corn allergy, so I substituted cinnamon honey for the corn syrup, in equal parts. The recipe was delicious and set up beautifully.Thank you for bailing me out of a pinch!

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this recipe was so well timed, wow! I am glad to hear that honey worked in place of the corn syrup. I am going to notate that in the recipe for others actually. Glad it set up beautifully and was a winner with the homemade vanilla ice cream the hostess made!

  8. You have the best recipes ever, thank you for the time you put into making and sharing with us.
    Devoted fan of you
    Charlotte

  9. Hi.  I need to make this today but don’t have corn syrup or glucose syrup.  I only have pure Maple Syrup or regular sugars,  What should I use?  Thanks – love your recipes. 

    1. As I said in the post “You need to use corn syrup for this recipe and this ingredient cannot be omitted or altered.”

      You could experiment on your own but I have no idea how the results will be unless you make it as I wrote it. Good luck!

  10. This hot fudge is so delicious and ridiculously easy to make! I used 60 percent bittersweet chocolate and it turned out perfectly – not too sweet, not too bitter. I plan to serve it over the strawberry buttermilk ice cream I made the other day, that is, if it doesn’t go straight from the jar to my mouth via spoon first.

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you love it and it’s easy and not too sweet for you nor too bitter!

  11. Loved this! I halved the recipe and used it a fudge layer on top of my Gluten Free Mud Pie, ice cream pie for Father’s Day. 

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this hit the spot on top of your Father’s Day dessert!

  12. Stuck inside because of Corona and bad weather. We had a fun activity with the kids making ice cream and a bag and this easy hot fudge. We made it a little sweeter by adding a bag of milk chocolate chips instead of the recommended dark chocolate, and it turned out really yummy! My kids wanted to eat it by the spoonful (and so did I!).

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you were able to make these with the kids and take advantage of a day stuck in the house!

  13. Delicious! What is the best route to making this sweeter without ruining the texture? Use milk chocolate instead or just add a bit more sugar?

    Rating: 5
    1. I would use a lighter/sweeter chocolate, you could also try experimenting with a sweetened cocoa powder. If yours was sufficiently thick, you could bump up the amount of corn syrup too but if it was on the thinner or runnier side, then I wouldn’t go the route of adding anything additional in liquid form. Also just adding sugar will also thin it out since sugar turns into a watery syrup when heated so I wouldn’t necessarily turn to that first for fear of thinning out the texture.

  14. You had me at the “10-minute” title!! Plus, everything in the supermarket has hydrogenated oil, which I learned in nursing school NEVER leaves your body. That’s right! It’s found everywhere during autopsies. Enough about that. Your recipe is out of this world. Thanks!

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was out of this world for you!

      And wow about hydrogenated oils never leaving…wow!

  15. This is an incredibly delicious sauce! It has become my go-to chocolate filling for cakes. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!

    Rating: 5
  16. This is an absolutely fabulous recipe. I used glucose syrup to replace the corn syrup and the sauce was fabulous. So rich, thick and luscious . Will be my go to recipe for chocolate sauce from now on and there is no sauce on the market that could even compare!

    Rating: 5
    1. Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad it will be your go to recipe from no on! I agree nothing store bought can compare!

  17. It’s 100 degrees here today so didn’t want to turn on the stove top but do want to make peppermint fudge swirl ice cream.  So I made this in the microwave first heating the brown sugar in the 1/2 n 1/2 and whisking it so not grainy.  Then threw everything else in and microwaved in two 30 second bursts whisking after each one.  Don’t know if it will be as good as the stove top version but so far it’s yummy!  It’s now in the fridge cooling down so I can attempt to swirl it in the ice cream when the maker is done.  Thanks!

  18. Wow, this is easy and delicious! Dipping strawberries, pineapple and bananas with this Hot Fudge for Super Bowl Sunday. Licked the pot clean. Yum….

    1. Love that you’re serving this for Superbowl with fruit…sounds so good! Glad it was pot-licking good :)

  19. I have been trying your recipes like CRAZY these past couple of days. I have never liked hot fudge on anything–even by itself–before I tried this. You have made me a believer!

  20. Is there an alternative to corn syrup (which is mostly GMO these days)?

    If so, can’t wait to try it!

    1. I haven’t made this recipe with an alternate ingredient and have just made it as I wrote it, so can’t speak to alternatives here.

    1. Thanks for trying this and glad you were able to adapt to metric and into German. That’s wonderful and glad you love it!

      1. I ran out off icecream – but what the heck :)
        Only “a few spoons” disappeared out off the glas in a miraculous way ;)
        Ops, did I write adopt? Hahah, it’s adopted and adapted ;)

  21. Hi Averie,

    It may sound ridiculous but what do you mean by half-and-half cream ? Half 35 % cream, half milk ? Half 35 % cream, half milk ?

    Thank you !

    1. I’m not sure what the percentage of ‘half-and-half’ is of cream vs. milk, but I take it you’re not from the US with your question? Just because it’s what we drink in our coffee and is sold in every grocery store, anywhere. If you use a 35% cream (that’s what we call whipping cream) that’s more than fine.

      1. Indeed, I live in Canada (Québec) and we have a big variety of cream and different names. Now I understand what you mean by half-and-half, which is coffee cream, also called 10 % cream. English isn’t my first language sorry ;)

        Thank you for the answer! Looking forward to try it !

      2. Ahhh, I figured as much. That you were non-US and yes, most other countries I am learning have far more options in terms of milkfat than we do here! I’d estimate that half and half is probably about 10 to 16% (I think I once read that somewhere?) but yes same as your coffee cream. You just want a pretty thick ‘milk’; doesn’t have to be the fattiest cream ever, but more than drinking milk (which in the US is 0, 1, 2% or whole which is 4%) Let me know how this goes for you!

    1. As long as it’s just a link to my site and you’re not reprinting the recipe on a facebook page, yes go for it – thanks!

      Glad you like the hot fudge!

  22. I MADE IT AND IT IS FABULOUS! I LIKE A LITTLE ICE CREAM WITH MY HOT FUDGE. I WARM UP A BOWL AND KEEP THE ICE CREAM SEPARATE.

    1. I love the way you think, Carmen! I love this stuff too. And it makes your whole house smell like a candy store for a day :)

  23. if you like peanut butter try almond butter do the same as you do peanut butter but use almonds and nut nuts it great make it every week for my husband lunch

  24. This is by far the best hot fudge I have ever made, and I have tried a lot. I can’t stop eating it!

    1. Aww, thanks for the compliment and the pin, Kelly! And I pinned those rocky road brownies of yours earlier and they’ve been super popular already!

  25. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS WHOLE PAGE ROCKS MY WORLD! The fudge brought me here, the rest has kept me here for quite a while. Homemade fudge? Doing it. I’m with you – forget the ice cream! Homemade peanut butter, chocolate peanut butter, chocolate coconut cashew butter…omg you are a beautiful person for providing these wonderful recipes.

    1. Love your excitement & thanks for finding me and if you try things, please comment back and LMK how they go for you!

  26. Homemade fudge is infinitely better than store bought. And this one looks so good Averie! Thick and wonderful. Can you believe I found a 11year old bottle of Hershey´s syrup that is still good? Not kidding, the exp date is 04/2002. I had it in a box that I haven´t opened since my first move 11 years ago… more reason to make our own!

    1. I’m sorry but I just don’t follow your post. You posted April 2013 and said the bottle of syrup you found expired April 2002 but you say it’s still good… what am I missing?

  27. That store bought stuff has always been iffy with me. I’m almost scared to try this because I know there will be absolutely no going back. It looks way too good to not do over and over and over again.

    1. You got that right. No going back. And it’s a wee bit too easy. Like way too easy. Enjoy! LMK if you try it!

  28. Ah, Averie..! Your photos are to die for! Haha… I think I sit in the middle of the camp, I love ice cream and hot fudge equally. Though, that said, I normally eat all of the ice cream in a sundae first with tiny smidgeons of hot fudge, then I leave the thick, gooey warm fudge to eat on its own at the end. Hm… according to the ‘best ’til last’ philosophy I guess my behaviour’s telling my true preference! Thanks for sharing this super-fast method. Love it. Want it. Now!!

  29. Wow, girl! Your homemade hot fudge sauce looks wickedly awesome! You are definitely the “Queen of Sweet”. ♥ Love that this recipe is fast & easy, too. Perfect for summer! Pinning… xo

  30. Trader Joes’s has the best, affordable chocolate. I lvoe that your favorite way to eat it is with a spoon out of a jar. Sounds about right!

  31. Every time I see a fudgy post and feel the irresistible URGE of making double batches of it and eat it right avay, maybe in front of a movie tha I have seen already 30 times, I know I’m getting my period. Last time it was Sallys death by chocolate giant cookie, this time it will be your hot fudge. And no icecream required. Gimme that spoon, it is MINE!!!

    1. I still need to make Sally’s cookie – I love the one giant cookie idea. And yes, the spoons, that’s all I need, too. No ice cream required!

  32. I seek out the hot fudge in sundae’s too! No one gets it right. Ever. Fudge should be distributed throughout the sundae, not just drizzled on top. *Grr* :D

    This 10 minute hot fudge sauce would just be enjoyed with a spoon, forget the ice cream!!

  33. well you and i would be the perfect of friends…i love ice cream so would be happy to give you the hot fudge :-) love all the spoons in your photos.

  34. Yes, I too want to eat this right now with a spoon! Or spread it on my husband’s GF toast so he doesn’t miss the good ‘ol days when he used to eat nutella :)

  35. Supremely awakening photos :)
    And the fudge sauce – divine!
    Just wondering if the thickness allows for it to be used as a fudge spread on brownies?

    Brilliant Averie

  36. OH! how good this looks – can’t wait to try it. Ya know – a tid bit of information – if you are craving chocolate (especially around that time if month) your body needs Magnesium. Not as much fun to take it as it would be to eat this – just an FYI

    1. I take Magnesium Calm (the fizzy drink) from time to time. I’ve never heard that about chocolate-magnesium but I’ll pay closer attention to it in the future. Thanks for the tip!

  37. I LOVE hot fudge! I used to think I was doing myself a favor by putting chocolate syrup on my ice cream until I recently read the chocolate syrup bottle ingredients and realized it wasn’t real chocolate! Can’t wait to try this. And I love that you used a *few* spoons in your photos. No double dipping, right?! ;)

    1. This is one of those recipes that if everyone was standing around it, there’d be a spoon-attack frenzy, everyone just going wild with them :) And yes chocolate syrup is HFCS and chocolate flavoring, not even real chocolate vs. this stuff which is pure decadence!

  38. oh goodness girl
    now this is MY weakness
    i love a good homemade fudge sauce.
    there is a famous place here on cape cod, known for their ice cream: four seas ice cream
    the ice cream is OK, very plain to me, BUT the hot fudge sauce is what they should really be famous for.
    it’s all homemade.
    i wish you could taste it and tell me what you think is in there; i’ve been trying to decode it for years!! LOL

    1. Oh I love a good challenge like that and wish I could taste it. I have a feeling most of these high end places add a pinch of espresso powder to round out the chocolate and there’s the possibility they put some sort of chocolate liqueur in it, but that after boiling it for awhile, all the alcohol burns off and you’re just left with the flavor intensity. That being said, even without doing any fancy tricks, this hot fudge is so good. So simple, but so good. I don’t even need ice cream for it :)

  39. I’ve had hot fudge on my list for sooooo long–I had no idea you could do it in a measly 10 minutes! Now I have no idea what I’ve been waiting for! It looks so thick and delicious. But this not loving ice cream thing…I just don’t know how that’s possible?? It’s my very favorite dessert. Like, when I eat a brownie a la mode, there is always too much brownie and not enough ice cream for my liking. It definitely does get even better with hot fudge though. ;)

    1. You sound like my husband! Truthfully ice cream gives me a horrible stomach ache, any more than just a bite or two, so it’s just not on my to-eat list. Brownies, cakes, bars, and cookies sure are though!

  40. I’m the same way with ice cream. I’ll eat it if it’s there, or if someone puts it on top of my pie but there are other things I’d rather have. But I love a good chocolate sauce! This looks awesome :)

    1. Rarely do I meet people who are just meh about ice cream but of all desserts in the world, that’s lowest on my list. And biscotti (which is cardboard IMO :))

  41. God do I love this post. I can’t even begin to tell you how many bowls of ice cream I’ve quickly worked my way through just to get to the hot fudge that had dripped to the bottom. My dignity has prevented me from simply setting up a bowl of just hot fudge for myself, but, let me tell you, my dignity is running thin… fantastic recipe, Averie!

  42. Ok so I have a question. I had a HUGE hankering for hot fudge not too long ago. I never went and got some…but I couldn’t stop thinking about it (probably still AM thinking about it). But what came to mind, when I was breaking down the flavors, was a certain…almost malt-iness quality? So do some hot fudge makers put malt powder in theirs or is that just a flavor quality that emerges?

    1. I think they must be adding malt b/c in no way, shape or form do I get any malt taste with this. It’s pure, rich, deep chocolate flavor. Nothing else!

      1. Thank you! Thats what I was thinking! But I totally want this rich, dark hot fudge!! Right now :)

  43. You don’t know how many times I wish I had hot fudge and didn’t want to go to the store; now I can make it with this recipe! YUMMY!

  44. Wow, lovely looking hot fudge!!! Homemade is definitely better than store bought. I usually make my own almond butter and pistachio nut butter =)

  45. Your hot fudge looks PERFECT. I love how thick it looks – that is definitely worthy of eating on its own, forget the ice cream!

  46. I’ll be making hot fudge more often it’s only in 10 minutes! This one’s a keeper.

  47. I eat my hot fudge sauce with a spoon too! I love that you can use it as a frosting for cupcakes! Don’t you just love fabulous recipes like this that require only 10 minutes to make? :)

  48. I ‘ll take thick hot fudge over runny chocolate sauce any day! My dad was (and still is) an ice cream lover so I get it honestly. I could drizzle this over lots of things…it looks so decadent and fudgy with a bit of a glossy sheen. What a beautiful sauce–so quick…and without all the other junk in storebought varieties!

    1. If you’re already a fan, then this has to happen in your kitchen. So easy; and rich, decadent. It’s like homemade PB. Once you try it, there’s no comparison!

  49. I love simple homemade recipes like this one…SO much better than store-bought. Good one, Averie!

    1. I am trying to remember that basics, when done right, can be so much more than..’basic’ :)

  50. I’m the opposite – I like ice cream plain with no toppings. But I must say that I’m pretty sure this hot fudge wouldn’t even make it into the 16oz container because it would all be in my tummy! *burp*

  51. I love hot fudge! Yours look so creamy, thick, and delicious. If only I could eat ice cream I would be gobbling that right up. I’m sure it would still be delicious with banana soft serve!

    1. I have a hard time with regular/real ice cream as well. To the point that I don’t even try to eat it really anymore. It’s not worth it! But this is great over banana sofserve :)

  52. My grandma used to make and can fudge sauce and it was always such a treat to have ice cream with that hot fudge sauce on it. I LOVE how it makes the top layer of ice cream all melty and part warm. Hers had a very distinct flavor to it, which now that I know more about cooking, I realize was due to the fact that she always heated the chocolate to just shy of burnt, so it tasted borderline burnt. (She wasn’t a very good cook, and she’d have been the first to admit that. Maybe that’s why I love partly burnt foods?)

    I kid you not, I used to make chocolate sauce all the time (my recipe was obviously MUCH different hehe) and just Sunday I thought about making it. A fleeting thought that I didn’t act on, but I should.

  53. This looks amazing!!! Your photos are so wonderful too! Makes me wa t to run to the store now 11pm for ice cream and the ingredients! Divine!

  54. It is ice cream if there’s not hot fudge sauce on it? I don’t think so! This looks like molten chocolate heaven! Thanks for the storage tips too, though let’s be real–no way this will last a full 2 weeks around our place!

    1. molten chocolate heaven = the perfect term for it!
      And with storage, I hate even discussing it…to each her own. But I find that if I leave the info off, I get tons and tons of emails and questions about it; months and years later many times. So it just saves me the trouble of replying!

  55. Hot fudge is one of my weaknesses (unfortunately, so is ice cream, which I am churning right now!). This looks decadently delicious! I make a lighter version that’s mainly water with cocoa and a couple ounces of bittersweet chocolate. It is very good for everday but once in a while, I gotta have the real thing like yours!

  56. I love how you said “I’m good with a spoon like that.” I think I’m going to join your “spoon rank” after trying hot fudge sauce like this. Often fudge sauce is gloppy or too sweet, but this looks like a perfect balance. I like Hershey’s dark, too, and I love how fudgy it looks. Too fudgy for ice cream;) I love ice cream and I think I’m gonna love this sauce, but they’re going to need to be separate so I can enjoy each correctly;) !

    1. This one is thick and I love it. You can make it thinner as I mentioned in the post but I prefer it this way. It’s just so good!

  57. I always loved hot fudge sundaes topped with lots of salty peanuts. Oh memories! This would be so fun to give as a gift alongside some homemade PB too.

  58. Oh the Mr is going to FREAK over this stuff! He’s a total sundae connoisseur and this would send him over the edge. Perhaps a nice surprise for our return from vacation when we’ll need to self medicate for a day.

    1. Mine freaked over it, too. He’s soooo into ice cream and this was his very, very happy place :)

  59. I have never made my own hot fudge but your post makes it sound pretty easy! AND, so delicious, obviously. I have plans to make homemade ice cream soon…so I should probably make a batch of this while I’m at it… :)

    1. Omg with homemade ice cream, this just has to happen! :) It’s easy, too! 10 mins and bam you’re done!

  60. When I first looked at the photos, I thought of the brownie, ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream desserts. The ones that I occasionally get in restaurants but now can make at home thanks to this recipe. Thanks!

    1. I should have called it Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor Hot Fudge b/c that’s what it’s like. “The ones that I occasionally get in restaurants..” <-- that jogged my old-fash ice cream parlor thought. Enjoy the recipe!

  61. I freaking LOVE hot fudge sauce. Hands down, the best ice cream topping. WArm caramel sauce over chocolate ice cream was always my favorite but when my dad would warm up a hot fudge sauce jar for us – my sisters and I all went nuts! There is simply nothing like a bowl of vanilla ice cream and warm melt hot fudge over top. Deee-vine. And only 10 minutes to make… who knew!! The images are beautiful and are literally making me drool. Yep, that’s drool on my keyboard. I need a spoon, some hot fudge, and some more hot fudge right now. And I totally agree, once you make something homemade – you will never go back.

    Gorgeous photos too!

    1. Thanks, Sally! I was worried about them b/c it’s such a dark subject and it glares, and there’s the glare of the glass jar…As I was taking them I was like, well, hopefully something will look okay when I load them on my computer. I would like to start shooting teathered but that’s it’s own animal so I just wait, load and pray sometimes :) And this is such an easy one to make at home. Like PB, once you try it, you’ll never want storebought!

  62. Growing up, my older sister was the hot fudge, reeses peanut butter cup fan, I was the sorbet, gummy bear fan. Now, Seraphim takes after Mary (my older sis) and Simeon takes after me in the taste department. Seraphim could eat this hot fudge right out of the jar! It would be fun to try this, sans corn syrup. Delicious!

    On a different note, your peanut butter cup cookie dough crumble bars sound incredible…but the photos won’t load for me. Meh! I’ll try again later! :-P

  63. Oh man, I grew up with homemade chocolate sauce-ALWAYS. It was one of my father’s food making responsibilites (along with Sunday pancakes and bread machine bread), and he ate a dish of ice cream every night so we always had a jar of his sauce in the fridge.
    Your recipe looks marvelous, I’m not a fan of warm chocolate (I know, I’m a weirdo), so I’d TOTALLY gobble it straight from the jar in the fridge;)

    1. I don’t mind it cold either…at room temp it’s kind of like…frosting. Mmmm, so good :)