Dark Chocolate Fudge Sauce

Making homemade dark chocolate fudge sauce is easier and quicker than a trip to the store to buy it! With just 6 common ingredients, you can have a batch of thick warm dark chocolate hot fudge ready to drizzle on anything your heart desires.

I’m a long time fan and advocate for homemade chocolate sauces, especially this dark chocolate fudge sauce. You control the ingredients, the sweetness, and it’s so ridiculously easy and quick to do! Seriously, thick, silky fudge sauce is just one pot and 15 minutes away. Cocoa powder and chocolate melt into a luscious, sweetened sauce that’s perfect for topping fruit, ice cream, and so much more.

Ingredients

It’s a simple combination of ingredients that melts into a truly silky hot fudge sauce that’s as delicious straight out of the pot as it is cooled from the fridge later.

• Cocoa powder – Use a good quality cocoa powder you like. I usually go for a dutch processed cocoa powder for sauces like my homemade chocolate syrup, it creates smoother flavor.
• Semi Sweet Chocolate – the chocolate you choose matters! I recommend no higher than a 60% cocoa chocolate. Choosing a higher percentage will increase bitterness. If you like very dark chocolate this can be delicious, but a semi-sweet 56% is a great starting point.
• Brown Sugar – The molasses flavor creates a richness, but you could easily use white sugar as well.
• Corn Syrup – this helps create the gooey fudgy texture.
• Water – Water is the vehicle that allows all these ingredients to melt together smoothly.
• Heavy Cream – Cream is how you achieve a spreadable and pour-able final texture, leaving this out is not a good idea.

PRO TIP: Adding a pinch of salt to the pot intensifies the chocolate flavor. Don’t worry, it won’t be salty!

That’s really all it takes! No preservatives, no mysteries, just chocolate, sugar, cream and water. Everything plays an essential role in creating a thick but still luscious fudgy sauce you’ll want to make sure you keep stocked in your fridge.

How to Make Dark Chocolate Fudge Sauce

Once you have all your ingredients it’s a simple matter of whisking the cocoa powder, brown sugar, and water together over medium heat until it’s smooth, foamy liquid. Then you add corn syrup, half the chocolate and boil until bubbly and thickened. Once it’s off the heat, add the rest of the chocolate and cream and stir into a silky smooth sauce. That’s it. Done, easy!

Tips for making perfect fudge sauce

• Choose a cocoa powder and chocolate that you like. I recommend a dutch processed cocoa powder for a smoother, less bitter chocolate flavor. 
• Chop up the chocolate to help it incorporate into the sauce more quickly and smoothly.
• Use a heavy bottomed saucepan to reduce the risk of burning or scorching of the chocolate. 
• Once your pot is over heat, don’t walk away. The mixture goes from watery to frothy to thick and bubbly in minutes. 
• Stir frequently with a rubber spatula once the mixture begins to bubble. Be sure to get the corners of the pan. This helps the chocolate stay smooth, prevents any burning, and helps you know when the sauce is done!
• After the first addition of chocolate, reduce the stove temperature to medium low so that it bubbles without splashing or popping.
• It’s tempting, but don’t crank up the heat. You can overheat chocolate and you’ll end up with a grainy or burnt sauce.
• Stir in the final addition of the chocolate very thoroughly, this last addition off the heat helps create the smooth, silky appearance and texture of the final fudge sauce. Add the cream LAST, after all the chocolate is melted.
• Taste with caution! Sugar can absolutely burn your mouth. 
• Pour into a storage jar or container to cool, rather than leaving it in the pot, this makes clean up easier! 
• Let it cool completely before storing in the fridge.

Pro Tip: You’ll know your fudge sauce is done cooking when it coats a spoon or your spatula completely. It will still appear somewhat thin until it cools, but the spoon will stay coated. You can also tell by swiping your spatula along the bottom, you’ll be able to see some of the bottom of the pot behind the spoon when it’s thickened enough.

By the time it’s done cooking your kitchen will smell like warm, melted chocolate and you’ll be raiding the fridge and cupboards to find things to dip right in. Once it’s cooled enough to place in the fridge, you can keep it there safely for up to 1 month. 

Straight out of the fridge the sauce will be thick and fudgy. It will loosen at room temperature enough to use as a spread or dip, but you can also warm it up for a nice dark chocolate hot fudge sauce. Drizzle it over cakes, peanut butter pie, or anything else that goes with chocolate!

FAQ’s

Eat & Enjoy

How can you say no to a thick dark chocolate fudge sauce? It’s packed with rich cocoa flavor and works as well as a spreadable cold fudge sauce or as a warm fudge sauce over ice cream, cake or even pancakes. Once you’ve made it homemade, you’re not going to want the store bought stuff again!

Interested in learning more about using chocolate in your cooking? Check out my Guide to Cooking and Baking with Chocolate!

I’d love to hear what you think, feel free to tag me on Instagram @theflourhandprint so I can see how it went! Until next time, Happy Eating!

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy…

• Homemade Strawberry Syrup
• Easy Blueberry Compote
• Homemade Marshmallow Sauce
• Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce
• Homemade Salted Caramel
• Buttery Maple Peach Sauce