The Best Hot Fudge Sauce is easy to make and beats store bought options. It turns out thick, gooey, fudgy and delicious—perfect every time!
If you have been frustrated trying to make your own hot fudge sauce in the past, let your mind be at ease. If you follow these simple instructions to the tee—you will be delighted with the sauce and yourself for mastering this simple recipe. This sauce is perfect as an ice cream topper, drizzled over a cake or pie, used to make chocolate milk, or even used as a fudge layer in other recipes. Once you learn how to make your own, you will never reach for store-bought fudge sauce again!
Can I make this in the microwave?
There are recipes out there for microwave hot fudge, but the best results for homemade hot fudge sauce are achieved through cooking on a traditional stovetop. The heat in microwaves just isn’t as reliable. This recipe is best made on the stovetop—it is still simple and quick to make.
Cooking Tips:
The cooking allows the sugar to bind with the other ingredients; too hot, and the sugar burns, too cool or too short, and the sugar could end up grainy or crystallized. The blending has to do with working air into the sauce or aerating it. The smooth, creamy texture is a result of this blending, so be sure to blend for the full two minutes, even if it seems pretty well blended before that. Also, an immersion blender doesn’t work great for this step. Both the temperature and the time are key here, so be ready with your ingredients and a timer—you will love the result!
A common mistake in candy making is cooking the sugar too fast. When a candy recipe says “bring to a boil” you should warm it at low-medium heat until everything is melted, then turn the heat up to medium-high until boiling begins. Then, always reduce the heat to medium to sustain a simmering boil. If you just flip the heat up to high, you risk burning or otherwise ruining your sugar. Doubling a candy recipe can be difficult as it affects the cooking time, pot size, and more. Substitutions are unpredictable in candy making because each ingredient has a very specific purpose. This is cooking chemistry. Unless you are an experienced candy maker, just stick to the recipe.
Will the sugar crystallize?
Crystallizing is pretty common when working with sugar, but by heating the sugar just right, you can avoid that crystallization. Be sure to follow the cooking and blending very closely.
Does hot fudge sauce need to be refrigerated?
We recommend storing the fudge sauce in the refrigerator. There is probably enough sugar in it to keep fine at room temperature, but it is always safer in the fridge and will keep fresher. Reheat in the microwave in small, 20-30 second increments of time.
Storage Instructions:
This sauce can be used for up to one month if kept in the refrigerator. If you bottle this to store it, using professional bottling techniques after you make it, it will last from 6-12 months, unopened, in the fridge.
If you like this yummy hot fudge recipe, you may also be interested in these other fudgy delights:
- Peanut Butter Fudge Pie With Pretzel Crust
- Sweetened Condensed Milk Frosting
- M&M Fudge Brownies
- Easy 5 Minute Peanut Butter Fudge
- Fudge Swirled Oreo Bottom Cheesecake Cupcakes
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Best Hot Fudge Sauce
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a medium saucepan combine butter, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, sugar, and evaporated milk. Stir to combine over medium-low heat.
- Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and continue simmering for 7 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and add vanilla.
- Pour the mixture into a blender and blend the mixture for 2 whole minutes.
- Serve immediately or pour into a heat safe airtight container to store.