Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

May 29, 2020April 29, 2023

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Some like it hot and a little on the thick side. Here’s how to make sweet and rich hot fudge sauce from an old fashioned recipe.

You may never purchase another jar of the store-brand after making this Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce recipe. You can have this thick, rich sauce drizzled over your ice cream in 10 minutes or less.

Table of Contents

Hot Fudge Sauce with Cocoa – Perfect Ice Cream Topping

Growing up, our Grandma’s Homemade Ice Cream and this from scratch Hot Fudge Sauce went together like peas and carrots. I guess I never appreciated this delicious sauce until recently. The taste is off the charts!

I had a hankering for this from scratch hot fudge sauce, and it was ready in less than 10 minutes. And, it might as well be called a copycat hot fudge sauce because it tastes just like the jars that you buy at the grocery store.

My Grandma was a genius in the kitchen.Her generation didn’t have access to all the convenience products that we do, so they just made their own.

This stuff is HOT, HOT, HOT right when it comes off the stovetop.Don’t stick that spoon or whisk directly in your mouth or you’ll be sorry.I know it’s tempting, but take it from me. I learned this lesson from experience.

How do you make hot fudge sauce from scratch?

It’s simple! Combine water, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, cornstarch and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil while whisking until it’s thickened.Let cool, and store in a jar in the refrigerator.

How long does homemade fudge sauce last?

If stored properly in an airtight container in the refrigerator, homemade hot fudge sauce will last approximately 2 weeks. Be sure to never double dip into the hot fudge sauce, or the the sauce will become watery and break down in consistency.

What can I do with leftover hot fudge sauce?

Other than the obvious way to use it (ice cream sundaes), there’s countless other ways to use it up.Add it as a layer in trifle recipes, add a spoonful into your morning coffee, make homemade hot cocoa by adding to warmed milk, or add it to your brownie mix for some extra pizazz.

Ingredients

Water
Sugar
Cocoa Powder
Cornstarch
Vanilla Extract
Butter

What goes on a hot fudge sundae?

Check out this list of ingredients to customize your ice cream sundae. Start with a bowl of ice cream, vanilla or any flavor of ice cream you like. Top with one or more of these ingredients.

Hot Fudge Sauce or Chocolate Sauce
Caramel Sauce
Cherry
Salted Peanuts
Chocolate Chips (milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips)
Sprinkles
Brownie Chunks
Crushes Oreos
Candy Bits
Whipped Cream
Marshmallows or Marshmallow Creme

Grandma’s Favorite Recipes

Try some more of Grandma’s favorite recipes:

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
Rhubarb Pie
Caramel Corn
Apple Crisp
Three Layer Chocolate Bars

How to Make Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

Step By Step Instructions

In a sauce pan, bring water, sugar, cocoa powder, corn starch, vanilla, and butter to a boil.
Stir constantly, cooking until thickened.
Serve over vanilla ice cream, or just eat off the spoon (when cooled).

Storage Instructions

To store, let cool completely. Pour into a mason jar. Seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

For the full instructions for hot fudge sauce with cocoa powder, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

This thick hot fudge recipe is a copycat of the jarred type that you get at the grocery store.
Grandma’s hot fudge sauce uses cocoa powder for a deep, rich chocolate flavor.
Corn starch is the thickening agent, and you may get clumps if you don’t whisk constantly. Feel free to push the sauce through a sieve for a smoother texture.
Let the homemade hot fudge sauce cool completely, seal and store in the refrigerator.
To rewarm, remove lid, and warm in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring in between intervals until it’s at your desired temperature.
Drizzle over ice cream for a sundae, try adding a scoop to your morning coffee to create a mocha, or add to milk to make chocolate milk.
It’s also great with a sprinkle of sea salt to get that salty sweet flavor combo.
Looking for a chocolate sauce that is similar to the Magic Shell ice cream topping? Try our homemade chocolate sauce with walnuts.
Check out our favorite pantry and kitchen items in our Amazon Store.

Homemade Edible Christmas Gifts

Hot Fudge Sauce from scratch is the perfect homemade Christmas gift. Pour the cooled hot fudge sauce into a clean mason jar, add a pretty ribbon, and it’s ready to be gifted to friends and family. Be sure to include a label with the date of preparation and how to properly store in the refrigerator.

Homemade edible Christmas gifts is one of my favorite parts of the holidays. Be sure to check out some of our favorite recipes below that make perfect gifts. Or read our best homemade gifts post.

Red Hot Cinnamon Apples

Homemade Martini Olives

Caramel Puff Corn

Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce

You may never purchase another jar of the store-brand after making Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce. You can have this thick, rich sauce drizzled over your ice cream in ten minutes or less.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: copycat hot fudge sauce, homemade hot fudge sauce, hot fudge sauce, hot fudge sauce from scratch, hot fudge sauce with cocoa powder, thick hot fudge sauce, vintage hot fudge sauce

Servings: 1 pint

Calories: 1141kcal

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan.
Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture boils and thickens.
Serve over ice cream. Cool, cover and store in the refrigerator.

Notes

This thick hot fudge recipe is a copycat of the jarred type that you get at the grocery store.
Grandma’s hot fudge sauce uses cocoa powder for a deep, rich chocolate flavor.
Corn starch is the thickening agent, and you may get clumps if you don’t whisk constantly. Feel free to push the sauce through a sieve for a smoother texture.
Let the homemade hot fudge sauce cool completely, seal and store in the refrigerator.
To rewarm old fashioned hot fudge sauce, remove the metal lid, and warm in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring in between intervals until it’s at your desired temperature.
Serve drizzled over ice cream or try adding a scoop to your morning coffee to create a mocha. Try Grandma’s Ice Cream recipe.
Please note that the carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly depending on the products you use. The auto-calculation is an automated estimate and should NOT be used for specific dietary needs.

Nutrition

Linking up to Weekend Potluck.

Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

FAQs

Why is my homemade hot fudge sauce grainy? ›

Grainy Fudge

If the melting sugar splashes onto the sides of the pan, it turns back into crystals and causes the fudge to seize up. To avoid this issue, swirl the pan instead of stirring it with a spoon.

Why is Sanders hot fudge hard to find? ›

In the fall of 2022, they paused production because of "manufacturing challenges and extremely high demand" for the toppings, made at the Clinton Township plant. They were also no longer shipped to grocery stores.

View Details ›

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.

Why does hot fudge get hard when it cools? ›

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.

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What is the secret to non-grainy fudge? ›

A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.

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Where is the best fudge made in United States? ›

While fudge was not invented on Mackinac Island, it most certainly – and most deliciously – was perfected here.

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What happened to Sanders Candy Company? ›

In 2018, Sanders® became a division of Kar's Nuts, a leading manufacturer of nut and trail mix snacks with its own rich Detroit history dating back to 1933. Sanders® products are currently sold in leading retailers nationally and online at sanderscandy.com.

Read On ›

Is Saunders still in business? ›

In 2018, Sanders became a division of Kar's Nuts when it acquired Morley and Sanders. In 2021, Kar's and Sanders were united under the corporate name Second Nature Brands, acquired in 2022 by UK-based private equity company CapVest Limited.

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What is McDonald's hot fudge made of? ›

Hot Fudge Topping

Ingredients: Sugar, Water, Nonfat Milk, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Cocoa (processed With Alkali), Corn Syrup, Salt, Disodium Phosphate, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Potassium Sorbate (preservative), Polyglycerol Esters Of Fatty Acids. Contains: Milk, Soy.

Learn More Now ›

Why did my hot fudge sauce separate? ›

Heat can cause the oil to separate from the water-based ingredients in the sauce, resulting in a watery consistency. Another reason is that the emulsifiers in the sauce can break down under the influence of heat.

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How do you thicken hot fudge? ›

Cornflour/Cornstarch: Mix a small amount with cold milk or water to create a smooth paste. Whisk this into your hot chocolate towards the end of the cooking process until it thickens. Double Cream: Stirring in a splash of double cream can instantly enrich and thicken your drink, giving it a velvety texture.

Why did my homemade fudge not harden? ›

Why has my Fudge not set? The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft.

Keep Reading ›

What can I do with dried up fudge? ›

You have one option to make it soft, which is you have to put the fudge pieces in a plastic bag along with the paper towel or a bread slice. Secure the bag and leave it overnight, next day you will get a softened fudge.

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Why did my fudge turn to toffee? ›

If your fudge has a texture like soft toffee, it could be due to overcooking, using too much sugar or butter, or not cooking it to the right temperature.

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Is there a way to fix grainy fudge? ›

If you discover that your mixture is grainy, some quick thinking will save the entire batch. Pour the fudge back into your pan, and add about a cup of water to it, along with a tablespoon or two of evaporated milk, whipping cream, or whatever cream you're using.

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How do you fix soft grainy fudge? ›

OMG My fudge is grainy, what do I do? -

Pop the grainy fudge back into the pan along with some water and a little cream and melt the fudge back down to a liquid and re-boil it to temperature. Heat slowly to begin with and make sure the mixture goes completely smooth before bringing it to the boil.

Get More Info ›

How do you get rid of grainy texture in sauce? ›

A squirt of lemon comes to the rescue of ruined sauces in a pinch. All you have to do is cool the broken sauce, add a tablespoon of lemon juice (or white wine, if you don't mind the flavor), and whisk vigorously. This trick works best if you haven't already added acid to the sauce.

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How do you fix grainy hot chocolate? ›

Funnily enough, it's super simple. First boil some water. Second, very slowly, as in 1-2 tsp at a time add in the boiling water and whisk the chocolate vigorously until the mixture is smooth again. The hot water will essentially melt the clumps back to a liquid consistency.

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