How long it takes: 10 minutes Equipment you’ll need: saucepan, stove Servings: makes 1 ½ cups I bet you’ll be inspired to create your own variations and I’d love to hear about them! If you like the idea of homemade frozen goodies, be sure to check out my list of 14 delicious frozen desserts!
Fantastic Homemade Hot Fudge
Only 6 ingredients. You probably have everything you need to make this yummy hot fudge. The ingredients are simple and wholesome. Look in your pantry and fridge for what you need, just easy stuff like milk, butter, sugar, cocoa, etc. No artificial ingredients. Take a look at the list of ingredients on a jar of a very well-known brand of hot fudge: Nonfat Milk, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Cocoa, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Fully Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Modified Corn Starch, Mono And Diglycerides, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Vanillin (Artificial Flavor). I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum….but…yuck! We can do way better than that! Three popular variations. After you’ve tried the “no-frills” hot fudge, you’ll want to try the variations (all included in the recipe!):
Peanut butter hot fudge Black Forest hot fudge (with cherries) Mocha hot fudge
Ingredient Notes
Sugar: Just plain white granulated sugar is all you need. This recipe is made without corn syrup, an ingredient that is added to many commercial hot fudge sauces (or even worse, high fructose corn syrup) and even some homemade recipes. Cocoa Powder: Use a good quality cocoa powder. It’s usually found in the baking aisle. Most cocoa powder is unsweetened, made simply from roasted cocoa bean particles that are ground into a fine powder. It’s rich in antioxidants, particularly polyphenols (Healthline). Flour: A couple tablespoons of all-purpose flour serves to thicken the sauce. Milk: You’ll love that this hot fudge is made with milk. Most of us always have milk in our refrigerators. Whole milk naturally makes the richest hot fudge but feel free to substitute 2% or even lowfat milk. I’ve tried them all and really, there’s not that much difference. Thankfully, this recipe is made without heavy cream which isn’t usually a staple in my house. Butter: Butter is the reason why you can use lowfat milk. It adds richness to the sauce and great flavor. I usually use unsalted butter but if salted butter is all you have, that works too. Don’t substitute butter flavored spreads that come in tubs. Definitely don’t use margarine. Pure Vanilla Extract: What would we do without our dear friend, vanilla? It’s an essential item in the kitchen. Add-Ins for Variations: Add peanut butter, sweet cherries, or espresso powder to enhance your hot fudge with exciting flavor sensations, but not all at the same time!
How To Make Hot Fudge Sauce
Ready to begin? Stir together the sugar, cocoa, and flour in a small saucepan. Add the milk and butter, and over medium heat, cook and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for a few minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. That’s it! Can you believe how crazy easy (and economical) it is to make your own hot fudge?! Let the hot fudge cool just a bit before you spoon it on ice cream. It thickens up a little as it cools.
How To Serve Hot Fudge
Ice cream sundaes: Ready to make your ice cream sundae? I sure am! Get ready with the toppings! I like M&Ms, nuts (try these spiced pecans), crushed Oreos, crunchy oat topping, whipped cream, cherries, sliced bananas, strawberries …. Or just plain hot fudge! It’s really so good. Turtle sundaes: Vanilla ice cream topped with hot fudge and warm caramel sauce, along with a handful of toasted pecans. A turtle sundae is never slow to disappear! Hot fudge brownies: Warm brownies topped with a scoop of ice cream and hot fudge. It doesn’t get much better than that! Hot fudge and fruit: Skip the ice cream and drizzle the sauce over sliced bananas, strawberries, cherries, or raspberries. Fruit and chocolate, yum! It’s almost like a quick and easy version of chocolate fondue. Hot fudge for breakfast: Why not?! Hot fudge sauce can take the place of maple syrup on pancakes and waffles. Try it on chocolate protein pancakes or banana pancakes.
Troubleshooting
A common mistake is overcooking or overheating the sauce which can turn it grainy. Cooling the sauce too quickly can also cause it to become grainy. It’s best to let it cool at room temperature until it’s completely cool before refrigerating it. Making hot fudge with cocoa powder rather than chocolate chips makes a smoother sauce, too.
Easy Hot Fudge Variations
Storage & Reheating Tips
Reheat: Microwave it gently (50%) in 10 second increments until warm. Do not overheat. Larger amounts can be heated on the stove in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Heating up hot fudge repeatedly can result in poor texture. To avoid this problem, simply warm up a small portion at a time, just what you’re going to use.
