A homemade hot fudge sauce recipe in 5 minutes with 5 ingredients? Yes, please!
A mixture of cream, butter, brown sugar and chocolate chips come together in minutes to create a rich decadent fudge sauce.
Dress up sundaes, brownies, cakes, and even smoothies with this uber-easy, super creamy, chocolatey fudge sauce!
Our Favorite Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe
- Made with 5 simple ingredients, this recipe for hot fudge comes out rich and smooth with a delicious dark chocolate fudgy flavor!
- It’s super easy to make, heat, melt, and stir.
- Best of all, this hot fudge sauce recipe is really fast, it takes just 5 minutes.
Ingredients and Variations
Chocolate chips – You can use dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe, or a mixture of both. We prefer them over cocoa powder for their velvety texture and rich chocolate flavor.
Avoid using candy “melts” as they don’t have a great flavor in this chocolate sauce.
Dairy – Half-and-half or light cream provides a rich flavor compared to evaporated milk. It gives this chocolate fudge sauce the perfect consistency.
Brown sugar – This adds sweetness and balances out the semi-sweet chocolate.
Vanilla – You can switch out the vanilla extract for other extracts such as hazelnut, rum, almond, or banana to change the flavor.
How to Make Hot Fudge
- Heat cream and brown sugar as per the recipe below.
- Add chocolate chips and let the mixture rest without stirring for about 2-3 minutes.
- Whisk until the sauce is smooth and stir in vanilla.
This hot fudge sauce recipe is great served warm or room temperature over ice cream or even cake.
How to Use Hot Fudge
The sky is the limit on what to do with hot fudge sauce! Use it as a dip for fresh fruit like strawberries and bananas or cookies like shortbread, or sugar cookies.
- Spoon it over ice cream sundaes for hot fudge sundaes.
- Spoon it over a banana split with other ice cream toppings.
- Drizzle over Belgian waffles, or angel food cake.
- Scoop some into your favorite milkshake, or a cup of homemade hot chocolate.
- Use it as a filling in your favorite ice cream cakes.
Storing Hot Fudge Sauce
- Keep hot fudge sauce in a Mason jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for up to 10 days.
- Reheat hot fudge sauce on low power in the microwave or place the jar in a saucepan with water on the stove on medium heat.
- And, yes, it can be frozen! Be sure it’s cooled and in a tightly sealed container. Thaw in a saucepan on medium heat and whisk in a little milk to thin it out.
More Delicious Dessert Toppings
Did your family love this Hot Fudge Sauce? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Hot Fudge Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups half and half cream or light cream
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine half and half and brown sugar over medium heat until until brown sugar has dissolved and tiny bubbles start to form on the edges.
- Stir in the butter until melted, and turn off the heat.
- Add the chocolate chips and do not stir. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Whisk chocolate chips until smooth, stir in vanilla, and serve warm or cool.
Notes
- Store hot fudge sauce for up to 10 days in the refrigerator in a Mason jar or other lidded container.
- To reheat hot fudge sauce, use low power in the microwave, or place the jar in a saucepan with simmering water on the stovetop.
- Fudge sauce can be frozen. Thaw on medium heat on the stovetop, or on low heat in the microwave. Add a little milk to thin it if necessary.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert, Sauce
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Awesome chocolate
sounds delicious, do you think evaporated milk could be used in place of half and half? thank you
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Margaret. The cream makes this fudge sauce rich and so it may be slightly less rich but still delicious! If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
can I process this fudge sauce in jelly jars for longer storage. then would it store on a shelf
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Marjorie. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Delicious – ate it on top of ice cream. Would like to have eaten by the spoonful. LOL
What kind of chocolate chips? There are so many out there now.
You can change which chocolate chips you use depending on the flavor you are wanting to create. For a sweet, chocolatey flavor use milk chocolate, For a more bitter taste you can use dark chocolate chips, or for a nice balance of sweet and bitter try semi-sweet chocolate chips! Hope that helps.
My go-to hot fudge is from Sarah Fritschner. But when I went to make it, I discovered my heavy cream was half & half. A quick search got me to your recipe, and it’s just as delicious! It’s a thinner sauce, which gives me flexibility. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jenny!
I can’t use 3 cups of this in 10 days! Can it be frozen?
Dairy doesn’t usually freeze well, this recipe can be stored in the fridge for up to ten days or it can be cut in half to make a smaller batch.
Chocolate doesn’t melt completely resting had to use low heat while whisking. Sauce needed a pinch of salt.
Everyone seems ro love this recipe for fudge sauce. My grandson’s favorite dessert is chocolate peanut butter pie. you think it would work to swirl the fudge in the pie?
We haven’t tried but it sounds like it would be delicious Linda!
I’m not a fan of using the word wicked, so let me say this chocolate sauce is really terrific! I made it with Lactaid 2% milk as I’m lactose sensitive. Having never made it before I have nothing to compare the consistency to, but the flavor is wonderful! I look forward to seeing what it’s like tomorrow and making it again!
Glad it worked for you Joyce!
Well terrific is not the right word to describe this!!!! It’s WICKED!
I am going to try my mom made the best hot fudge ever thank you
I hope you enjoy it Amy!
Can this Wicked Hot Fudge be used in a fonue pot?
I’ve never tried it Paulette, but if the fondue is on a very low heat, it may be ok. You’ll want to give it a stir every now and then and be sure it doesn’t get too hot. Let us know if you do try the fondue!
I just made this and have to say its delish. I have a go to hot fudge and its thicker and ❤ it, this recipe is a bit thinner and so easy to make.
My nephew is lactose intollerant he loves ice cream cake so i make it homemade for his birtbday every year. This year i was looking for a fudge sauce to cover it in. Would i be able to use a lactaid milk or cream instead of half nd half or regular cream? I know some things are harder to make with lactose free milks and creams and sometimes it does not even work when using lactose free.
I have only made the recipe as written so I can’t say for sure. Let us know if you try it Katie!