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Jul 26 2012

The Best Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

Find the recipe card at the end of the post. Make sure to read the content as it contains chef tips, substitution options, and answers to FAQs to help you succeed the first time around!

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So I’m going to share something with you but I want you to realize that in no way shape or form can I be held responsible if, and when, you eat the entire jar of this by yourself.  Do not blame me, do not ask me to buy you stretchy pants, or get mad at me because you ate the ENTIRE JAR…

hot fudge1

Seriously this hot fudge sauce is THAT good!  It’s comforting, sinful, and pure evil…

This is one of those things that if you ever had a bad day, fought with your significant other, the boss was on your case, you got a ticket on the way home, or..because it’s Tuesday, you need to make.

No fridge should ever, EVER be without this!

Ever!

hot fudge3
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Decadent Hot Fudge Sauce

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4.6 from 12 reviews

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  • Author: The Kitchen Whisperer

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (if you can get dark cocoa, use that… TRUST ME ON THIS!)
  • 2/3 cups boiling water
  • 6 tablespoon butter, unsalted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Put the cocoa powder in a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Put 1/3 cup of the boiling water into the pot with the cocoa and mix to form a thick paste. Put the pot on the stove over medium-low heat.
  2. Add the rest of the water and the butter. Stir well with a wooden spoon. It will be lumpy and funky looking but don’t despair. Just keep stirring. It will smooth out once it heats up.
  3. Once it smooths out a bit, add the sugar and the corn syrup. Stir to incorporate. Keep the mixture on the stove over medium-low heat and bring it up to a simmer. By this point, it should be smooth and liquidy.
  4. Now this is IMPORTANT! You need to take a pastry brush and brush down the insides of the pot with water. As the mixture comes up to a simmer, brush down the insides of the pot with water to dissolve any stray sugar crystals. If you don’t do this, if you get one sugar crystal in the fudge sauce it’ll end up turning it into solid candy.
  5. Working fast, use a pastry brush dipped in a little cold water. Try not to get extra water into the mixture You only have to do this a few times.
  6. Simmer for exactly 8 minutes WITHOUT stirring. So yes, cook this for exactly 8 minutes. Now keep in mind you only want this to be at a good simmer/low boil. Keep an eye on your heat as you may need to adjust it. As soon as your 8 minutes are done, remove the pan from the stove.
  7. Add the vanilla and stir with a CLEAN wooden spoon. Why? You don’t want any stray undissolved sugar crystals to get into your luscious sauce! Pour into an air-tight, heat-proof glass jar. Store in the fridge. To reheat, remove the jar from the fridge and bring to room temp.
  8. Once at room temp, remove the lid and put it in a pot of warm water where the water comes up a few inches up the side of the jar and reheat for about 5-10 minutes or until the sauce is heated through.

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46 responses

  1. Laura B
    February 6, 2019

    Could this be canned for shelf life…love to can thing for the pantry instead of fridge

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      February 6, 2019

      It’s not recommended as if has dairy in it. Commercial ones you buy in the store have additives to stabilize it and they use special pressure canners.

      You could always freeze it though.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  2. Debra McDanald
    July 25, 2018

    I made it with dark cocoa and it’s delicious, but just too thick to put on ice cream. It solidifies right away. Any tips on thinning it out?

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      July 25, 2018

      Hi Debra,

      Hmmm.. it is thick but I tend to heat it up as the heat thins it out. If you want it a little more thinner you can add a a little more water to the mixture. See Step 15 about how I make it well, a sauce and not so fudgy.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  3. Barbara Karr
    April 13, 2018

    I understand and remember what it is like to try and keep something like this in the house. Now that I live alone I can expect it to be there the next day.So can you give me a rough estimate on how long this could last in the fridge.Being as you have had little experience in this area, I will not hold you to your answer. Barb

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      April 13, 2018

      Hi Barbara!

      Fortunately I posted this recipe several years ago which has afforded me years of experience on keeping this on hand in my fridge.

      This typically lasts up to 3 weeks when kept in a lidded container in the refrigerator.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  4. Lovisa
    November 21, 2017

    It reminds me of Swedish Kladdkaka!! I used a strainer when pouring it into the jar! = no lumps at all

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      November 21, 2017

      Yeah! I had to google Swedish Kladdkaka and OMG that looks AMAZING!!! Where has that been my entire life??? And I’m so happy you loved this as much as I do!

      Happy Thanksgiving and Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  5. Andi
    August 7, 2016

    I wonder if mixing the cocoa and sugar together first would fix the lumping problem. I have a fudge recipe that’s done like that, and it doesn’t lump up…just a thought.

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      August 9, 2016

      Andi

      I tried that but it doesn’t work in this recipe. If you heat the sugar with the cocoa you run the risk of it turning more towards a caramel versus keeping it in a pure sugar state. But then again caramel hot fudge isn’t necessarily a bad thing 😉

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  6. Maria
    May 26, 2016

    Can this be used in frozen deserts? I’m looking for that fudgy texture while still being frozen. Thanks 😉

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      May 27, 2016

      Hi Maria!

      I use it in my Oreo Fudge Chocolate Cream Pie with Chocolate Whipped Cream Topping (https://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2013/07/13/oreo-fudge-chocolate-cream-pie/) and it stays fudgy.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  7. Angela
    December 6, 2015

    How many jars does this make?

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      December 6, 2015

      Hi Angela!

      One 16 ounce mason jar.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  8. dcar
    May 25, 2015

    This was really good. Very chocolatey! I did do two things different since I was having a hard time with the cocoa and hot water (it didn’t seem to be enough).

    I wish I would have measured exactly what I did, but I did add more water. When it was all said and cooked, it was about 1 cup of water, maybe a little more just make sure that it makes a thick paste. It made a big difference in cooking! Be careful though because when you add in the corn syrup it will thin out even more.

    The other thing that I did was throw it in the blender once it was done cooking. Mine was still too lumpy and that took care of it. It was perfectly fudgey and yummy.

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      May 25, 2015

      I’m glad you loved it dcar! Thanks a bunch for the feedback!

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
    2. Lenore
      February 11, 2018

      There mine out didn’t look at all like liquid that could simmer

      Reply
  9. lt
    November 19, 2014

    I tried making this, but I ran in to a problem at the beginning. I put the cocoa in a pot and added 1/3 cup of water and stirred the mixture. It became more of a thick dough. I turnedon the heat and the mixtute wouldn’t smooth put, what did I do wrong?

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      November 20, 2014

      It will be extremely thick but the trick is to use boiling water first. That will help ‘melt’ it even though it is a very thick paste. Once you add in the rest of the boiling water and butter it’ll be clumpy and very thick but keep stirring. It will thin out and become smooth.

      The mixture is already ‘hot’ from the boiling water. The heat will help ‘melt’ the cocoa along with the rest of the boiling water and butter.

      I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you.

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  10. *~*Jilly*~*
    July 26, 2012

    Hi there, I just wanted to ask, if the recipe is 2 thirds of a cup of water OR two to three cups of water?
    Thank you for your help; I love the recipe and would like to try it!!
    Jilly

    Reply
    1. TKWAdmin
      July 28, 2012

      Hi Jilly! It’s 2 thirds of a cup.

      Have a great day! You’re going to love this!

      Reply
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