Today’s World’s Easiest Hot Fudge Sauce is truly life changing. There’s no complicated technique — just gently warming a few ingredients and combining them — yet the result is rich, glossy, and far better than most store-bought fudges. Homemade hot fudge has a depth and creaminess you won’t find in a jar.
One of my favorite holiday memories is Cable Car Caroling in San Francisco. A group of choir friends would ride the Powell Street cable car, sing across the city, and end up at Ghirardelli Square. We would treat ourselves to enormous sundaes and plenty of chocolate. My favorite was the Emperor Norton: vanilla ice cream, bananas, hot fudge, and a mountain of whipped cream. Those carefree afternoons inspired this sauce — easy to make and perfect all year long.
This recipe, adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking Chez Moi, is simple and dependable. It makes a thoughtful hostess gift when poured into heatproof jars with tight-fitting lids — just remember to add reheating instructions on the label. Store the sauce in the refrigerator and rewarm gently when ready to use.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to assemble my own Emperor Norton — vanilla ice cream, banana, and plenty of this hot fudge. Happy Chocolate Monday!
Key Ingredients for World’s Easiest Hot Fudge Sauce:
- Unsalted butter
- Dark or semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- Heavy cream
- Light corn syrup
- Granulated sugar
- Fine sea salt or kosher salt
PRO Tip:
When melting chocolate with butter, remove the bowl from the heat while a few small pieces remain. Stirring will let residual heat finish melting the chocolate for a smooth, glossy finish.
How to make World’s Easiest Hot Fudge Sauce:
- Melt butter and chocolate together over simmering water, stirring until creamy and smooth.
- In a small saucepan, combine the cream, corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then boil for one minute and remove from the heat.
- Slowly whisk hot cream into the melted chocolate, starting with about 1/4 cup and whisking until smooth. Add another 1/4 cup, whisk again, then add the remaining cream, scraping the sides and whisking until glossy and even.
- Let the sauce cool for about 10 minutes; it will thicken as it cools. Serve warm over ice cream or desserts.
World’s Easiest Hot Fudge Sauce (Gluten Free)
This hot fudge sauce is rich, silky, and simple to make. It stores well and makes a lovely gift when jarred.
10 minutes
20 minutes
30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick (4 tbsp; 57g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 6 oz (170g) semisweet or dark chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream
- 3 tbsp light corn syrup
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt or kosher salt
Instructions
- Place 1 to 2 inches of water in the bottom of a medium saucepan and bring to a low simmer (steaming with small bubbles around the edges).
- Set a heatproof bowl over the pan without touching the water. Add the butter and chocolate to the bowl and heat until both begin to melt, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir until completely smooth and creamy.
- In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the cream, corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring so the sugar dissolves, then boil for one minute and remove from heat.
- Pour about 1/4 cup of the hot cream into the chocolate, whisking from the center outward in concentric circles until smooth. Add another 1/4 cup and whisk again. When smooth, add the remaining cream, scrape the sides, and whisk until the sauce is shiny and even.
- Cool about 10 minutes before serving. The sauce thickens as it cools. Store in a jar with a tight lid in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. Rewarm gently in the microwave or over low heat until pourable.
- Serve over ice cream, brownies, cakes, pound cake, or use as a dip for cookies.
Notes
Original recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking Chez Moi.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 228
Total Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 8mg
Sodium: 165mg
Carbohydrates: 29g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 25g
Protein: 2g
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This post was first shared in Jan 2018 and updated in 2020.
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