The Best Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe

A square image looking down into a jar of fudge sauce with a spoon in it.

This rich, deeply fudgy old fashioned fudge sauce attains incredible complexity and depth two ways. First, the addition of a touch of alcohol brings out alcohol-soluble flavors. Starting with a lightly caramelized base affords more depth and that bit of chew and stretch you expect from an excellent fudge sauce. A full recipe yields over a quart, so you can either half the recipe or make the full recipe and share with friends. NOTE: All ounce measurements are by WEIGHT and not VOLUME.

Course Dessert Sauces

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings + quart

Calories 175kcal

Author Jennifer Field

Equipment

Ingredients

4 oz unsalted butter (1 stick or 112 grams)
8 oz granulated sugar (1 slightly generous cup or 224 grams)
11.75 oz by WEIGHT light or dark corn syrup, (1 cup or 329 grams)
16 oz heavy cream (1 pint, 2 cups or 448 grams)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
5.3 oz whole milk (about 2/3 cup or 149 grams)
.67 oz cocoa powder (1/4 cup or 19 grams)
1.3 oz water (2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water or 36 grams)
1 oz light rum (2 Tablespoons or 28 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
8 oz excellent quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or good quality chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60%, 1 1/2 cups or 224 grams)

Instructions

Start the Dairy Base

Place the butter, sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, salt and milk in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it comes to a boil.

Make the Chocolate Mixture

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, water, rum (or your preferred substitute), and vanilla into a thin paste.
Chop the chocolate into small pieces (or use excellent quality chocolate chips or paillettes) and add to the bowl.

Caramelizing the Dairy (Optional but not really)

When the dairy comes to a boil, regulate the heat to medium so it maintains a slow boil but doesn't boil up in the pan. Your sauce will be bubbling all over the surface but not frantically so. More of a lazy boil that doesn't boil up.
Stir the dairy frequently--at least every 2-3 minutes--and boil until it reaches a light caramel color, about 20-30 minutes (about 15 minutes if making a half batch). You don't necessarily want the mixture to be super thick, but you do want it a few shades darker than when you started. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the ideal temperature to shoot for is 224F.
Once the dairy is a lovely shade of deep beige, pour it into the bowl with the chopped chocolate and cocoa paste. Do this carefully holding the pot away from you a bit since the mixture is so hot. Allow it to sit for a minute or two and then whisk until smooth.
Optional: Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer to make sure it is completely smooth.
Allow the sauce to cool, and then store in jars in the fridge.

Video

Notes

Fudge Sauce Variations

This sauce can be flavored in many ways. Here are some ideas to try:

- Add a bit of orange zest and/or cinnamon to the boil

- Switch out the rum for orange liqueur.

- Use your favorite alcohol--a liquor or liqueur.

- Add some peppermint extract.

- Whisk in powdered freeze-dried raspberries or other freeze-dried fruits.

- Add some heat in the form of chipotle pepper or smoked hot paprika

Play with this sauce and make it your own. There is no wrong way to enjoy hot fudge!

When you want to relive your visits to the soda fountain where the fudge sauce was thick and rich and tasted of fudge and not "brown," then please make it according to the original recipe which calls for light rum and vanilla.

Storing

Keep sauce tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. It will probably be good for longer than that, but use your best judgment.

You can freeze the sauce for longer storage.

This sauce is not suitable for canning unless you are well-versed in canning dairy products.

Nutrition