Homemade Hot Fudge (2024)

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Homemade hot fudge is made with simple pantry ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes of cooking on the stovetop. Rich, fudgy, and thick, this hot fudge makes the perfect ice cream topping! It can also be used in any recipe that calls for hot fudge as an ingredient.

Homemade Hot Fudge (1)

This hot fudge sauce is so easy that you'll never go back to store bought! Not too sweet, but rich, fudgy, and filled with cocoa flavor. This will be your new go-to ice cream topping!

You'll be making this hot fudge with just a few simple pantry staples: granulated sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. That's it! With just a few minutes on the stovetop, you'll have a jar of rich, thick, and gooey hot fudge ready to go.

Serve this hot fudge over your next bowl of vanilla ice cream, or in any recipe that calls for hot fudge as an ingredient (like my marshmallow pie recipe!). This recipe makes one 8 ounce jar of hot fudge.

Ingredients and substitutions

Homemade Hot Fudge (2)

Since this recipe uses minimal ingredients, I don't have a lot of substitutions to offer today.

  • Butter - Unsalted butter and the listed and salt can be substituted with salted butter.
  • Natural cocoa powder - Can be substituted with dutch cocoa, which will give your hot fudge a milder chocolate flavor and darker color.
  • Heavy cream - This is a must to ensure your hot fudge turns out thick. Using other dairy products like half & half or milk will cause your hot fudge to turn out thin.
  • Granulated sugar - Can be substituted with brown sugar, which will add a deeper, caramelized flavor.
  • Vanilla extract - Adds flavor to the hot fudge.
  • Salt - Enhances the flavor of the hot fudge.

Tips and tricks

Homemade Hot Fudge (3)

Use a whisk - A whisk is a must for this recipe. Whisking helps the cocoa incorporate with the wet ingredients and gets rid of any clumps that may form during the cooking process.

Allow fudge sauce to cook - This is where the thickening happens. If you don't allow your fudge sauce to cook on the stovetop, it will turn out thin.

But don't cook too long - Don't overcook your fudge sauce. Otherwise, it will turn out too thick to pour and chewy when added to ice cream. If your fudge sauce begins to look too thick, add a splash of heavy cream to thin it back out.

Frequently asked questions

Homemade Hot Fudge (4)

How long does homemade hot fudge last?

Homemade hot fudge will keep for about one month when stored properly in a sealed container in the refrigerator. While there is likely enough sugar to store your hot fudge safely at room temperature, I recommend storing it in the refrigerator for best results.

What ways can hot fudge be used?

Hot fudge can be used as an ice cream topping, added to a milkshake and blended in to add chocolate flavor, drizzled over brownies, added as a layer in parfaits or trifles, added as a layer in cream pie (like my marshmallow pie recipe), or drizzled over fresh fruit.

How do you reheat leftover hot fudge?

To reheat fudge, transfer a portion to a microwave safe bowl and reheat in 10 second increments until warmed through.

How much hot fudge does this recipe make?

This recipe makes one 8-ounce jar of hot fudge.

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Homemade Hot Fudge (9)

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5 from 2 reviews

Homemade Hot Fudge

Homemade hot fudge is made with simple pantry ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes of cooking on the stovetop. Rich, fudgy, and thick, this hot fudge makes the perfect ice cream topping!

Prep Time2 minutes minutes

Cook Time10 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 117kcal

Author: Heather

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
  • cup (28 g) natural cocoa powder
  • cup (76 g) heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • In a saucepan over medium heat, add granulated sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, butter, and salt. Whisk until combined, continuing to whisk frequently until mixture comes to a boil.

  • Immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. At this point your sauce will look thin - this is normal. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

  • Remove from heat, add vanilla, and stir to combine. Allow fudge to cool slightly before enjoying.

  • Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Notes

  • Hot fudge will keep for up to one month stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • To reheat fudge: transfer a portion to a microwave safe bowl and reheat in 10 second increments until warmed through.
  • Recipe makes one 8-ounce jar of hot fudge.

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 233IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. Homemade Hot Fudge (14)Chris Kane

    Hi!
    I have made this twice as I had the ingredients in the house.
    Excellent, loved it!!
    I wonder, could you substitute whole milk for the cream, or would you ruin it?
    Thank you💜
    Chris

    Reply

    • Homemade Hot Fudge (15)Heather

      Hi Chris, glad you enjoyed the recipe. I talk about this in the ingredients section above: "Heavy cream - This is a must to ensure your hot fudge turns out thick. Using other dairy products like half & half or milk will cause your hot fudge to turn out thin." So yes, whole milk can be substituted, but your hot fudge will turn out thin.

      Reply

Homemade Hot Fudge (2024)

FAQs

What is Dairy Queen hot fudge made of? ›

Artificially Flavored Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream: Milkfat And Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Whey, Mono And Diglycerides, Artificial Flavor, Guar Gum, Polysorbate 80, Carrageenan, Vitamin A Palmitate, Chocolate Flavored Hot Fudge Topping: Corn Syrup, Skim Milk, Sugar, Hydrogenated (Palm Kernel or Coconut Oil), ...

What makes hot fudge taste different? ›

Hot fudge is made by boiling together cream, sugar, chocolate, and sometimes butter—the traditional ingredients for fudge—into what is essentially just an undercooked, unset version of the confection. It differs from plain old chocolate sauce by virtue of being gooier and more viscous.

How long is homemade hot fudge good in the fridge? ›

Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Is there a difference between hot fudge and chocolate syrup? ›

Ingredients: Hot fudge sauce is typically made with chocolate, sugar, butter, and cream or milk, while chocolate syrup is made with cocoa powder, sugar, and water or milk. Consistency: Hot fudge sauce has a thicker and creamier consistency than chocolate syrup, which tends to be thinner and more liquidy.

What is McDonald's hot fudge made of? ›

View Ingredients and Allergens

Ingredients: Sugars (sugar, glucose syrup), Water, Milk ingredients, Hydrogenated palm kernel oil or hydrogenated coconut oil, Cocoa, Salt, Disodium phosphate, Potassium sorbate, Natural flavour (plant source), Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, Soy lecithin.

What is the unhealthiest thing at Dairy Queen? ›

Worst: Chicken Strip Basket (6 piece)

One thing the Chicken Strip Basket has going for it is 8 grams of fiber. While this is a great amount for a meal, the fiber is accompanied by 1,300 calories and over 2,700 milligrams of sodium. Even with the high fiber count, you're better off skipping this meal.

Why is hot fudge so good? ›

In fact, hot fudge sauce is just a fudge that never sets! Cream or milk, sugar, and butter are slowly boiled down until slightly thickened and light caramel-colored. This boiling-down process not only gives the sauce it's great gooey texture, but also contributes that special “fudgey” taste to the chocolate.

Why is my homemade hot fudge sauce grainy? ›

When cooked too low, it can cause the sugar not to dissolve completely and then cool and form granules in the sauce. To avoid having a grainy sauce, make sure to heat the mixture until it reaches a soft boil. Another possible cause of grainy hot fudge sauce is due to not stirring the mixture enough as it cooks.

What happens if you don't refrigerate hot fudge? ›

Fudge is best stored at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks wrapped up in its original wax paper. NEVER REFRIGERATE your fudge as this will draw out the moisture and leave you with dry, crumbly fudge.

How do you keep hot fudge from getting hard? ›

Corn syrup is really the secret ingredient to making the best hot fudge, because without it, the chocolate and butter would harden up as the sauce cools. If you prefer not to use corn syrup, try golden syrup, which is made from cane sugar and works just as well.

How to tell if fudge is bad? ›

If fudge experiences a change in temperature, it can melt or develop a slimy texture on the surface. If it is exposed to air, it can dry out and become hard. Specific add-ins to fudge have the potential to grow mold or give off a bad odor, and at that point, the fudge should be avoided.

Does Smucker's hot fudge topping go bad? ›

Most of our fruit spreads and ice cream toppings have a shelf life of 24 months from the date of production, and our peanut butters have a shelf life of nine months from the date of production.

What to eat with hot fudge? ›

Food and drink pairings with fudge
  1. Fresh fruit is always a winner. I love anything in season when it's flavor is at it's peak. ...
  2. Red Wine!! Any full-bodied red will do. ...
  3. Bread!! Think… ...
  4. Aged Balsamic Vinegar… yes!! ...
  5. Tawny Port. This has to be one of my favorites.

What do Americans call fudge? ›

Fudge is a rich, chocolate candy made with plenty of sugar, cream, and butter. Fudge is usually cut into squares and eaten in small quantities. While fudge comes in many different flavors, it's usually chocolate. In the US, another kind of fudge is smooth, melted chocolate that can be poured over the top of ice cream.

What is ganache vs fudge? ›

Although the two are made from similar ingredients, they'll wind up with different consistencies. Ganache might solidify slightly but will remain smooth as a filling or icing. Fudge, meanwhile, will be soft enough to easily bite into while being solid enough to hold its shape after it has time to set up.

What is hot chocolate fudge made of? ›

In a microwave safe bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips, butter, sweetened condensed milk, and hot chocolate mix. Microwave 1 minute at a time until ingredients are melted and smooth, stirring between each interval, about 3 minutes.

What is hot fudge sundae made of? ›

Our classic Hot Fudge Sundae is made with creamy vanilla soft serve and smothered in chocolatey hot fudge topping. It's a perfectly sweet addition to any of your favorite McDonald's items.

What is ice cream fudge made of? ›

"This fudge is made with ice cream and chocolate and nuts. This is so easy and good. I had to try it because an acquaintance mentioned it and I thought the recipe was so unusual.

What is hot fudge cake made of? ›

The iconic hot fudge cake was many a suburban kid's birthday dessert. It's a retro vibe and the irresistible combination of moist devil's food cake, creamy vanilla ice cream, thick and rich hot fudge sauce, billowy whipped cream, and cherry on top is not to be missed, even if you've never tried it before.

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