Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (2024)

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This decadent homemade hot fudge sauce is thick, gooey and chocolatey. It makes the perfect topping for ice cream, brownies or other desserts. Quick and easy this hot fudge can be ready for topping your favorite dessert in only five minutes!

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Hot fudge is the ultimate ice cream topping. It is warm, thick and pools in the bottom of the sundae dish while the flavor of the sauce contrasts with the cold ice cream and melts it just a little bit.

You can put chocolate sauce on your ice cream too, but there is no comparison to the rich and warm flavor of hot fudge sauce. With this easy recipe you can make homemade hot fudge sauce in just minutes, anytime chocolate cravings strike.

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (2)

And of course it isn’t just for ice cream! You can dip fruit into it, drizzle it on desserts, like Instant Pot Oreo cheesecake or chocolate lasagna.

It is worth learning how to make this simple dessert sauce that is better than store bought toppings!

Ingredients

This is an easy three ingredient recipe.

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (3)
  • Chocolate chips
  • Sweetened condensed milk
  • Butter – either salted or unsalted butter works fine in this recipe.

What Kind of Chocolate Chips?

One of the great things about this recipe is that it works with almost any kind of chocolate. You can make it with semi sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips, whichever you prefer.

Personally I like to use semisweet chips because they give me lots of chocolatey taste without being as sweet as milk chocolate. But my kids love dark chocolate best, so sometimes I use that. Either way the recipe is the same.

Easy Instructions

Making hot fudge isn’t like making candy. There are no complicated instructions and no need for a candy thermometer.

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (4)

Mix the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and butter in a small sauce pan. Heat it over medium heat stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and the sauce is shiny and smooth.

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (5)

It is very important to keep stirring the sauce! If you don’t stir it the hot fudge could burn. Also keep the heat on medium to low. You don’t want the hot fudge to boil.

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (6)

Once everything is melted and the sauce looks thick and shiny take it off the heat and let it cool. It will thicken a little bit more as it cools.

How to Store

You can store the sauce in the refrigerator for about 1 month. I like to put it in a glass mason jar with a lid.

This hot fudge sauce makes a quick and easy homemade gift for friends and family! Stick a bow and a gift tag on it and pass it out for the holidays this year.

How to Serve

When you want to reheat it microwave it for 30 seconds. Then stir it and put it back in for another 10 seconds if necessary. Be careful not to overheat the hot fudge, usually 30 seconds is plenty.

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (7)

Ways to Use

My family can easily go through an entire jar of hot fudge sauce just using it on ice cream! But here are some other great ideas for serving it:

  • Drizzle it on cheesecake
  • Use it on top of skillet chocolate chips cookies
  • Cover brownies with drips of hot fudge
  • Use if to make fruit fondue
  • Mix it into milk for decadent chocolate milk
  • Use it as a fudgy layer in an ice cream pie
Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (8)

Find More Dessert Sauces

  • Caramel Sauce
  • Strawberry Sauce
  • Blueberry Sauce

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (9)

4.36 from 54 votes

Hot Fudge Sauce

Published By Anne

This decadent homemade hot fudge sauce is thick, gooey and chocolatey.

Prep Time1 minute min

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time6 minutes mins

Servings: 16

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Ingredients

  • ●½ cup chocolate chips
  • ●1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • ●¼ cup unsalted butter

Instructions

  • In a heavy saucepan, add all ingredients and stir.

  • Heat oven medium heat stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and the sauce is smooth.

  • Remove from heat, stir and let cool slightly.

  • Add to jar or container with lid.

Notes

To reheat cook for 30 seconds in a microwave safe bowl. Stir and heat for an additional 10 seconds or longer if necessary.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1g | Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 4mg | Sugar: 4g

Nutrition facts are estimates.

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Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (12)
Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (13)

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (14)

Hi, I’m Anne!

I love to cook and I want to share my recipes with you. I believe cooking should be approachable and fun, not a chore. I want to make simple recipes using everyday ingredients that you can make again and again, whether it is for a busy weeknight, a summer cookout or a special dessert. Read more...

3 thoughts on “Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe”

  1. Can you use salted butter for the fudge topping?

    Reply

  2. I didn’t have sweetened condensed milk but used 1/2c semi-sweet choc chips, 1/8c dark chips, 2 Tbl butter & 1/4c heavy cream – Melted on Low, stirring constantly. Awesome!!

    Reply

    • Sure!PS Of course mine made alot less than this recipe but rich & delicious

      Reply

Leave a Comment

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between hot fudge and chocolate sauce? ›

Honestly, I've always wondered this! The main difference is the texture. Hot fudge is thicker and more rich while chocolate sauce is thinner and more pourable.

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.

Should you stir fudge while it's boiling? ›

Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer

Another key part of a successful fudge texture is when you stir the mixture. Stirring the sugar and milk during the initial stages of cooking allows the sugar to dissolve. However, once the mixture comes to a boil, it's time to put the spoon down.

What makes high quality fudge? ›

You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).

Why is my hot fudge sauce gritty? ›

It's important to beat the fudge ingredients to develop the right texture, but you won't get smooth, creamy fudge if you beat it when it's too hot. Beating fudge when it's still over heat creates sugar crystals, aka the grittiness you feel in the fudge.

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.

Does hot fudge sauce need to be refrigerated after opening? ›

Just pop it in the microwave and heat in 45 second intervals until smooth! Storage: This is just fine kept at room temp for a day, but if you are going to keep it overnight or for an extended period of time, pop it in the fridge and just reheat in the microwave.

What to do if sauce breaks? ›

The Fix Is Simple—Add Water Back.

Here's how fix a broken sauce: Add about ¼ cup of water to the pan and reheat the sauce to a vigorous simmer, whisking constantly. The bubbling action will help re-emulsify the butter and bring back that thick, glossy sauce.

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.

What is the secret of making great fudge? ›

The trick to good homemade fudge is to cook the ingredients to the right temperature to form a sugar syrup, and cool the mixture properly so the texture of the fudge turns out smooth and firm, but soft enough to cut.

What is the key to good fudge? ›

Valuable tips for successful fudge
  • Don't stir during cooking. Fudge can be cooked on the stove or in the microwave. ...
  • Avoid crystallization. During cooking, sugar crystals can stick to the sides of the pan. ...
  • Let cool before beating. After being cooked, the sugar must crystallize again to create fudge. ...
  • Beat the mixture.

What happens if you boil fudge too long? ›

The ingredients for fudge are combined and cooked to 234 degrees, cooled to 110 degrees without stirring, then beaten until creamy. Candy that isn't cooked long enough will end up too soft; overcooking makes fudge crumbly or hard.

When should you not make fudge? ›

Humidity can cause fudge to boil over in the pan or stay soft when set, so try to avoid working on humid days if at all possible. If waiting for a less humid day isn't feasible, you'll need to boil your fudge at a slightly higher temperature than usual — or just order some delicious fudge from Wockenfuss!

Where is the best fudge in the world? ›

Fudge on Mackinac Island Today

Sampling Mackinac Island fudge remains one of the favorite activities of visitors, with chocolate being the most popular (although when President Gerald R. Ford came to Mackinac Island in 1975 he opted for vanilla pecan.)

Why did my fudge fail? ›

You didn't cook it long enough. Fudge needs to be heated to the "soft ball" stage. It is salvageable, but you'd have to be very careful of sugar crystallization. If you make a mistake you'll wind up with a grainy mess.

What is difference between fudge and sauce? ›

Answer: The big difference between fudge and sauce is the texture. Fudge tends to be thicker and more indulgent, while sauce is noticeably thinner. Sauce also has sugar and water or corn syrup, while fudge uses heavier ingredients like cream and butter.

Are chocolate sauce and chocolate syrup the same thing? ›

Chocolate Syrup: made with just water – no additional fat like cream or butter. It's thinner in consistency than sauces and easily mixes into drinks. Chocolate Sauce: usually made with the addition of milk, cream, or butter. It's thicker in consistency.

What is a fancy name for chocolate sauce? ›

synonyms: chocolate syrup. types: fudge sauce, hot-fudge sauce.

What's the difference between hot chocolate and hot chocolate? ›

The source of the chocolate flavour is different. Hot Chocolate is made using solid chocolate melted in warm milk or cream. Hot Cocoa, however, is made from a powdered base of cocoa with added sugar and dissolved in hot water or hot milk.

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