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Make homemade hot fudge sauce on the stovetop in just 10 minutes! It’s rich, thick, and ultra chocolately thanks to semisweet chocolate and Dutch process cocoa powder. The result is perfectly smooth and luscious, never gritty or crystallized. Best of all, you don’t need sweetened condensed milk or a candy thermometer for this hot fudge recipe!

Hot Fudge Sauce
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This classic chocolate fudge sauce is so easy to make from scratch and 100x better than store-bought!

To avoid common fudge pitfalls, I use a simple, foolproof method: melt the chocolate separately to keep the sauce from tasting overcooked or bitter, and sift the cocoa powder to ensure it blends smoothly without any lumps.

It’s absolutely delicious over ice cream! Set up a sundae bar with hot fudge, caramel sauce, and homemade whipped cream. Or try it drizzled over a warm skillet cookie or batch of gooey brookie bars for an extra indulgent treat!

Hot Fudge Sauce

How to Make Hot Fudge

Add chopped chocolate to a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Let it melt slowly, stirring occasionally until smooth, about 4 minutes.

Whisk in sifted cocoa powder until it’s fully dissolved, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly while you prep the rest.

Combine corn syrup, sugar, salt, water, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook without stirring until the sugar fully dissolves, about 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Take the saucepan off the heat and whisk in butter and vanilla until combined. Let mixture cool for about 2 minutes.

Add melted chocolate mixture to the pan and whisk in until smooth and thickened.

Plan to drizzle this sauce on everything!

Hot Fudge Sauce
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Hot Fudge Sauce

Decadent Double Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce

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  • Author: Laura Kasavan
  • Prep Time: 2 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2 cups sauce
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Make homemade hot fudge sauce on the stovetop in just 10 minutes! It’s rich, thick, and ultra chocolately thanks to semisweet chocolate and Dutch process cocoa powder. The result is perfectly smooth and luscious, never gritty or crystallized. Best of all, you don’t need sweetened condensed milk or a candy thermometer for this hot fudge recipe!


Ingredients

  • 8 oz (228 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/4 cup (24 g) Dutch process unsweetened cocoa, sifted
  • 2/3 cup (227 g) light corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup (60 g) water
  • 1/4 cup (60 g) heavy cream
  • 3 Tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/2 tsp (2 g) vanilla extract


Instructions

  1. Place chopped chocolate in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth, about 4 minutes. Whisk in sifted cocoa powder until dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Combine corn syrup, sugar, salt, water, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook without stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  3. Remove saucepan from the heat and whisk in cubed butter and vanilla until combined. Let cool for 2 minutes, then whisk in melted chocolate mixture until smooth. Serve warm.
  4. Store leftover fudge sauce covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Sauce can also be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat in 10-second bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth before using.

Notes

Adapted from The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook.

Photography by Saltwater Studio

Meet Laura

Hi, I'm Laura and I'm so happy you're here! Welcome to Tutti Dolci Baking Recipes, a baking blog celebrating all things sweet! I share approachable baking recipes and elevated classic desserts for every home baker. My goal is to inspire you to bake from scratch with kitchen-tested recipes you can count on.

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