Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe
If you’re a chocolate lover, this hot fudge sauce recipe is about to become a staple in your dessert routine. It’s thick, glossy, and pours like a dream over ice cream, brownies, cupcakes, and just about anything that needs a hit of molten chocolate. What makes this recipe extra special is the touch of honey. No store-bought fudge sauce even comes close to the richness and flavor of this homemade version.
The best part? It only takes about 10 minutes to make, stores beautifully in the fridge in a jar, and reheats in seconds. Perfect for topping a sundae or using it as a glaze for cake, or maybe it won’t even leave the pan!
The Best Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe
This hot fudge sauce recipe is made with real chocolate and cocoa powder, so the flavor is deeply intense, but the texture stays smooth and pourable thanks to the heavy cream and honey. You can use dark or semi-sweet chocolate depending on your mood, but either way, the result is a glossy, spoon-licking, restaurant-style fudge sauce that you’ll want to pour over everything.
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Full step-by-step instructions, cook time, total time, and ingredient amounts are at the bottom of the post.
Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce
To start, place the butter, heavy cream, honey, brown sugar, and unsweetened cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk and stir gently as it warms up and begins to bubble. Once it reaches a low boil, reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. This step helps thicken the sauce and deepen the flavor.
After 5 minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate. It will melt smoothly into the hot mixture, creating a rich, glossy texture. Finish it off with teaspoon vanilla extract and stir until fully combined. Let the sauce cool to room temperature before using. As it cools, it will thicken to that perfect fudge-like consistency.
To reheat, simply scoop your desired amount into a small bowl and microwave in short bursts, stirring in between, until it’s pourable again.
Storage
Store your hot fudge sauce in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
It will thicken in the fridge, so warm it up gently in the microwave before using.
Reheat only what you need so you can preserve the texture and flavor for future desserts that need some chocolate flavors.
Tips & Tricks
Use real chocolate: Chopped dark, semi-sweet chocolate, or bittersweet chocolate works best—avoid chocolate chips, which may contain stabilizers that affect melting.
Simmer gently: Stir constantly while the sauce simmers to prevent the sugars from scorching.
Control thickness: For a thicker sauce, simmer a minute or two longer. For a thinner drizzle, add an extra splash of cream.
Reheat carefully: Microwave in short bursts, stirring in between, so the sauce doesn’t overcook or separate.
Flavor boost: Add a pinch of espresso powder or a splash of bourbon for an extra depth of flavor.
Variations on Hot Fudge Recipe
- Corn Syrup Swap: If you don’t have honey on hand, light corn syrup works as a 1:1 substitute and gives a very similar texture.
- Salted Twist: Add a pinch of sea salt to turn this into a salted fudge sauce made from scratch.
- Mint Chocolate Sauce: Stir in ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract with the vanilla for a festive twist.
- Extra Dark or Light Milk: Use 70% dark chocolate for a more intense, grown-up flavor. Or use milk chocolate for a more classic light flavor!
Similar Recipes
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Try This Hot Fudge Recipe on:
Heap a few tablespoons on these tasty treats!
Let me know if you make this—I’d love to see how you use it! Tag me on Instagram and show me your hot fudge creations 🍫✨
Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter 30g
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup brown sugar 66g
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder 20g
- 1 cup chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate 170g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the butter, heavy cream, honey, brown sugar and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir and bring to a boil.
- Simmer on low for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove form the heat, add chocolate and stir until melted together.
- Add the vanilla and mix.
- Let it cool down to room temperature before using.
- Store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Whenever you are ready to use it, scoop the desired amount into a bowl, and microwave for a few seconds, stirring in between, until it has pouring consistency to pour it over ice cream, cake, cupcakes.
