Hot Fudge Sauce

Made with just 4 ingredients and ready in 10 minutes, this Hot Fudge Sauce is the ultimate dessert topping. Drizzle over ice cream or fresh fruit for a decadent, chocolatey treat anytime!

One of My Favorite Dessert Toppings

A dear friend of mine shared this homemade Hot Fudge Sauce recipe with me many years ago. It’s been a longtime favorite in her family, and quickly became a top recipe for us as well.

This easy hot fudge sauce recipe is super duper quick and easy to whip up, with just 4 ingredients. While I try to keep some in the fridge at all times (you never know when the craving will strike!), I love that I can make a fresh batch in just 10 minutes!

The warm chocolate sauce over scoops of creamy frozen ice cream is absolute perfection, our favorite way to enjoy it. And while it’s wonderful spooned over many different flavors of ice cream, our family thinks it’s especially awesome with homemade peanut butter ice cream or peppermint ice cream!

If you’re not an ice cream fan, or if you’re looking for a lighter chocolate treat, drizzle this over some sliced bananas or fresh berries. It’s delightful!

What’s The Difference Between Hot Fudge Sauce and Chocolate Sauce?

The two are very similar, but hot fudge is thicker and typically made from cream, butter, chocolate, and sugar. Chocolate sauce is thinner and usually made from sugar (or corn syrup), cocoa powder, and water. As you can guess, the cream and butter give the hot fudge sauce a thicker texture and richer flavor.

Hot Fudge Recipe Ingredients

Can you believe it? You only need 4 ingredients to make this homemade fudge sauce!

• Butter – I always use unsalted butter in this recipe, for a very pure chocolate flavor. But feel free to use a salted variety if you like.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips – You’ll want to use a quality brand as it will definitely affect the flavor of the hot fudge. Guittard makes my favorite semi-sweet chocolate chips.
• Powdered sugar – Sweetens the fudge sauce.
• Evaporated milk – This makes the fudge sauce creamy while creating a thicker texture.

How to Make Hot Fudge Sauce

This homemade fudge sauce is ready in just 10 minutes. And it’s so awesome delicious!

• Melt. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together butter and chocolate, until chocolate is melted.
• Boil. Stir in powdered sugar and evaporated milk. Mixture will be very thin. Increase heat to slightly more than medium and bring mixture to a low boil. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring continuously, until thickened.
• Cool. Allow the hot fudge to cool slightly and serve over your favorite ice cream, fresh fruit, cake, etc.

Tips & FAQs

Here are a few tips and variations, answers to all your questions!

• Stir constantly. This chocolate fudge sauce needs to be gently stirred the entire time it’s in the saucepan, for the smoothest, best texture and flavor.
• Cool (mostly) before serving. The hot fudge will thicken as it cools. The photos in this post, where the fudge sauce is pouring or falling from the spoon, features it in a very warm state. When cooled, the sauce will be more thick. I like a slightly thickened texture on ice cream, so I always let it sit for awhile before using. Plus, this way, it doesn’t melt the ice cream as soon as you add the hot fudge!
• Why is my hot fudge grainy? If you over-cook the chocolate (too high of heat or cooking for too long), it can change from smooth and creamy, to grainy.
• Make it even more chocolatey. I sometimes switch it up and add twice as much of the chocolate!
• Use a different chocolate. I always, always make this with Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips – it just pleases everyone in our house. But this would also be good with milk chocolate or dark chocolate. Or use your favorite high-end chocolate for an extra special treat!
• Like vanilla? If desired, stir in a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract after removing the hot fudge sauce from the heat.

Serving Suggestions

Our favorite way to serve this hot fudge is over ice cream. Peanut butter ice cream and hot fudge sauce = my favorite combination. I also really like it with peppermint ice cream. But it will be awesome over most any flavor, from butter pecan ice cream to fresh raspberry and brownie chunk ice cream to the very delightful cookie monster ice cream!

You can also use hot fudge sauce as a topping for fresh fruit, cheesecake, funnel cakes, pound cake, and more. Just add a drizzle of this chocolate fudge sauce to anything that needs a little chocolatey goodness. For the ultimate chocolate indulgence, spoon some over these easy gooey chocolate mug cakes!

How to Store

• How to store hot fudge sauce. This sauce will last for up to 3 weeks in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. Be sure to allow it to cool before transferring to the container.
• How to reheat. You can reheat hot fudge in the microwave or on the stovetop, depending on how much you want to reheat. In the microwave, start with 15 to 30 seconds to avoid scorching it.
• Can I freeze hot fudge sauce? Yes! Allow it to cool then transfer to a tightly sealed, freezer safe jar or container. Allow to thaw in the fridge, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. You may need to add extra evaporated milk if it’s too thick.

More Chocolate Recipes:

• Gooey Chocolate Mug Cake
• Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Mint Brownies
• Chocolate Caramels
• Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

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