How To Make The Perfect Hot Fudge Sauce For Ice Cream
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Some like it hot and a little on the thick side. Here’s how to make sweet and rich hot fudge sauce from an old fashioned recipe.
You may never purchase another jar of the store-brand after making this Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce recipe. You can have this thick, rich sauce drizzled over your ice cream in 10 minutes or less.
Hot Fudge Sauce with Cocoa – Perfect Ice Cream Topping
Growing up, our Grandma’s Homemade Ice Cream and this from scratch Hot Fudge Sauce went together like peas and carrots. I guess I never appreciated this delicious sauce until recently. The taste is off the charts!
I had a hankering for this from scratch hot fudge sauce, and it was ready in less than 10 minutes. And, it might as well be called a copycat hot fudge sauce because it tastes just like the jars that you buy at the grocery store.
My Grandma was a genius in the kitchen. Her generation didn’t have access to all the convenience products that we do, so they just made their own.
This stuff is HOT, HOT, HOT right when it comes off the stovetop. Don’t stick that spoon or whisk directly in your mouth or you’ll be sorry. I know it’s tempting, but take it from me. I learned this lesson from experience.
How do you make hot fudge sauce from scratch?
It’s simple! Combine water, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, cornstarch and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil while whisking until it’s thickened. Let cool, and store in a jar in the refrigerator.
How long does homemade fudge sauce last?
If stored properly in an airtight container in the refrigerator, homemade hot fudge sauce will last approximately 2 weeks. Be sure to never double dip into the hot fudge sauce, or the the sauce will become watery and break down in consistency.
What can I do with leftover hot fudge sauce?
Other than the obvious way to use it (ice cream sundaes), there’s countless other ways to use it up. Add it as a layer in trifle recipes, add a spoonful into your morning coffee, make homemade hot cocoa by adding to warmed milk, or add it to your brownie mix for some extra pizazz.
Ingredients
- Water
- Sugar
- Cocoa Powder
- Cornstarch
- Vanilla Extract
- Butter
What goes on a hot fudge sundae?
Check out this list of ingredients to customize your ice cream sundae. Start with a bowl of ice cream, vanilla or any flavor of ice cream you like. Top with one or more of these ingredients.
- Hot Fudge Sauce or Chocolate Sauce
- Caramel Sauce
- Cherry
- Salted Peanuts
- Chocolate Chips (milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- Sprinkles
- Brownie Chunks
- Crushes Oreos
- Candy Bits
- Whipped Cream
- Marshmallows or Marshmallow Creme
Grandma’s Favorite Recipes
Try some more of Grandma’s favorite recipes:
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
- Rhubarb Pie
- Caramel Corn
- Apple Crisp
- Three Layer Chocolate Bars
How to Make Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce
Step By Step Instructions
- In a sauce pan, bring water, sugar, cocoa powder, corn starch, vanilla, and butter to a boil.
- Stir constantly, cooking until thickened.
- Serve over vanilla ice cream, or just eat off the spoon (when cooled).
Storage Instructions
To store, let cool completely. Pour into a mason jar. Seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
For the full instructions for hot fudge sauce with cocoa powder, scroll to the bottom of this post.
Recipe FAQs
- This thick hot fudge recipe is a copycat of the jarred type that you get at the grocery store.
- Grandma’s hot fudge sauce uses cocoa powder for a deep, rich chocolate flavor.
- Corn starch is the thickening agent, and you may get clumps if you don’t whisk constantly. Feel free to push the sauce through a sieve for a smoother texture.
- Let the homemade hot fudge sauce cool completely, seal and store in the refrigerator.
- To rewarm, remove lid, and warm in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring in between intervals until it’s at your desired temperature.
- Drizzle over ice cream for a sundae, try adding a scoop to your morning coffee to create a mocha, or add to milk to make chocolate milk.
- It’s also great with a sprinkle of sea salt to get that salty sweet flavor combo.
- Looking for a chocolate sauce that is similar to the Magic Shell ice cream topping? Try our homemade chocolate sauce with walnuts.
- Check out our favorite pantry and kitchen items in our Amazon Store.
Homemade Edible Christmas Gifts
Hot Fudge Sauce from scratch is the perfect homemade Christmas gift. Pour the cooled hot fudge sauce into a clean mason jar, add a pretty ribbon, and it’s ready to be gifted to friends and family. Be sure to include a label with the date of preparation and how to properly store in the refrigerator.
Homemade edible Christmas gifts is one of my favorite parts of the holidays. Be sure to check out some of our favorite recipes below that make perfect gifts. Or read our best homemade gifts post.
Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture boils and thickens.
- Serve over ice cream. Cool, cover and store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- This thick hot fudge recipe is a copycat of the jarred type that you get at the grocery store.
- Grandma’s hot fudge sauce uses cocoa powder for a deep, rich chocolate flavor.
- Corn starch is the thickening agent, and you may get clumps if you don’t whisk constantly. Feel free to push the sauce through a sieve for a smoother texture.
- Let the homemade hot fudge sauce cool completely, seal and store in the refrigerator.
- To rewarm old fashioned hot fudge sauce, remove the metal lid, and warm in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring in between intervals until it’s at your desired temperature.
- Serve drizzled over ice cream or try adding a scoop to your morning coffee to create a mocha. Try Grandma’s Ice Cream recipe.
- Please note that the carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly depending on the products you use. The auto-calculation is an automated estimate and should NOT be used for specific dietary needs.
Nutrition
Linking up to Weekend Potluck.
I made this and it’s is delicious! I’m hoping to make it for Christmas presents but I have a baby due at the end of November and I want to make it in advance. How long would it last in a jar in the fridge?
Also, can it be made without but for a dairy free option?
So, we’ve never had any leftover for more than a couple of weeks so we’re not sure. It could turn a bit runny, I think. Might try a batch now and see? You should be able to use margarine or another dairy-free butter substitute!
I found this while browsing on Pinterest. Was wanting to make my own hot fudge sauce instead of paying $3-$4 or more for a small jar. I was delighted to see I had everything in my pantry for the recipe! It didn’t take long to make, and it’s DELICIOUS, much better than the store bought stuff. Thank you for such a great recipe! 😁
Isn’t it the best? We love it too!
Your directions include salt, but your list of ingredients does not. Is there supposed to be salt in this?
Sorry about that…we included salt in the post on accident. We removed it. Thanks.
Have you ever tried canning this for a long term food storage?
DELICIOUS!! dIdn’t change a thing.
So glad you loved it. It’s a favorite of ours.
Loved it! Easy, and quick to put together with ingredients in the pantry. Thank you for the recipe
Glad you enjoyed it!
It was perfect! Much more flavorful than store bought!! Have you tried doubling the recipe? I’m making it for a bazaar and want to donate 4 6oz jars. Do you think it would change the flavor or consistency?
We’ve doubled it before and it’s turned out just fine. We wouldn’t make anything bigger than a double batch though!
This Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce was delicious! I made it exactly as written. I served it over ice cream and loved it. I love that it stays liquid at room temperature, instead of seizing up. Thank you so much for sharing!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.
I meant to rate it 5!
This is the best hot fudge recipe that I have tasted and I’ve tried many different recipes over the years.
So glad you enjoyed it! We love it too.
Soooo good. I added Himalayan pink salt, tad more sugar and omitted the butter!!! So delicious and easy! My kids love it. The second time I made it I added raspberry extract!!! So good!!
Isn’t it the best? I bet the raspberry extract made it so yummy!
This is unbelievablely good! I made this to take to the Farmers Market, I doubled it! Thanks for sharing your family recipe! 💕
Thanks for sharing…we LOVE it too!