Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (2024)

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by Annie

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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.

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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.

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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

Yield: 16

Hot Fudge Sauce

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (9)

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

Prep Time1 minute

Cook Time5 minutes

Total Time6 minutes

Ingredients

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

Instructions

    1. In a heavy saucepan, add all ingredients and stir.
    2. Heat oven medium heat stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and the sauce is smooth.
    3. Remove from heat, stir and let cool slightly.
    4. 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.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 59Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 4mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 0g

Nutrition facts are estimates.

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (13)
Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (14)

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (15)

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 is the secret to good 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).

What is fudge sauce made of? ›

Heat Ingredients: Combine sugar, light corn syrup, heavy cream, salt and water to a saucepan and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring well. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Add Chocolate Mixture: Pour the chocolate mixture into the syrup and stir until smooth.

What is the process of making fudge? ›

No matter the exact ingredients you use, the fudge-making process will be similar. First, you'll heat the ingredients to dissolve the sugar and create a hom*ogenous mixture. Next, you'll cook the mixture until it thickens. Finally, you'll remove the fudge from the heat, allow it to cool, and then mix thoroughly.

What is the difference between fudge sauce and chocolate sauce? ›

The main difference is the texture. Hot fudge is thicker and more rich while chocolate sauce is thinner and more pourable. Chocolate sauce stays sauce in the refrigerator, while hot fudge gets cold and thick…like fudge.

What not to do when making fudge? ›

7 Common Mistakes to Avoid for Candy Shop-Worthy Fudge and Caramels
  1. Using the Wrong Pan. All candy and confections start by melting sugar. ...
  2. Stirring the Sugar. ...
  3. Not Using a Candy Thermometer. ...
  4. Leaving Out the Parchment Paper Lining. ...
  5. Skipping the Cooking Spray. ...
  6. Scraping the Pot. ...
  7. Using a Cold Knife to Slice.
Dec 16, 2015

What makes fudge moist? ›

The amount of time you cook fudge directly affects its firmness. Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.

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

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.

What are the ingredients in Smuckers hot fudge sauce? ›

Corn Syrup, Nonfat Milk, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Cocoa Processed With Alkali And Cocoa, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Fully Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Mono And Diglycerides, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Vanillin (artificial Flavor).

How do you keep hot fudge from getting hard? ›

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.

Is evaporated milk or condensed milk better for fudge? ›

Evaporated milk doesn't have sugar added. The sweetened condended milk is needed as no extra sugar is added to the fudge. If evaporated milk were used then the fudge would not be sweet enough and also would still be too soft unless the fudge is frozen.

What makes fudge hard or soft? ›

Fudge usually behaves this way when it's not cooked to a high enough temperature (due to oversight or a faulty candy thermometer). If your fudge is tough, hard, or grainy, then you may have made one of several mistakes: You may have overcooked it, beaten it too long, or neglected to cool it to the proper temperature.

How long does homemade fudge last? ›

How Long Does it Last in The Fridge & Freezer? Homemade Fudge stored in the fridge or refrigerator lasts about 2 - 3 weeks. It provides the cool temperature that this type of fudge exactly demands. The only real time you might need to refrigerate proper fudge is if weather conditions are extremely hot.

How to 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 is hot fudge so good? ›

In fact, hot fudge sauce is just a fudge that never sets! Cream or milk, sugar, and butter are slowly boiled down until slightly thickened and light caramel-colored. This boiling-down process not only gives the sauce it's great gooey texture, but also contributes that special “fudgey” taste to the chocolate.

What is the meaning of hot fudge sauce? ›

: a hot, thick, chocolate sauce that is usually served on ice cream.

What makes high quality fudge? ›

It's the size of sugar crystals that makes the knees of fudge lovers buckle…the smaller the crystals, the less they are perceived on the tongue and the more the fudge tastes smooth and creamy. Cooking, and beating after cooking, is the key to successful fudge.

What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›

Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.

What does cream of tartar do in fudge? ›

Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!

Can you mess up fudge? ›

If your fudge is tough, hard, or grainy, then you may have made one of several mistakes: You may have overcooked it, beaten it too long, or neglected to cool it to the proper temperature.

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