This chocolate sauce recipe is perfect on a scoop of ice cream, cream puffs or over fresh fruit like poached pears. You can even thin it down with some warm milk and you’ll have a rich and delicious hot chocolate!
Sure, you can buy chocolate sauce or hot fudge in the grocery store, but sometimes you feel like chocolate sauce for ice cream now and don’t want to head to the store. Plus, this recipe contains simple ingredients, and no high fructose corn syrup, which most store-bought chocolate sauce does. (This post was originally published on August 6, 2013. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn commission on qualifying purchases.)
How is this chocolate sauce different from chocolate ganache?
Essentially chocolate sauce is a thinner version of ganache. Ganache is chocolate that’s mixed with heavy cream. Ganache is the main component in Chocolate Truffles or used to top this flourless Chocolate Cake.
Unlike ganache, this easy chocolate sauce recipe also contains some sugar and hot water to thin it a bit.
What kind of chocolate can be used in chocolate sauce?
Since this chocolate sauce is going to be the star of your sundae or dessert, use the best quality chocolate you can afford. I prefer a bittersweet or dark chocolate and these Ghirardelli chocolate chips are 60% cacao or Guittard 63% cacao is extra dark. I don’t recommend using milk chocolate as it’s much sweeter. If you do, I’d suggest skipping the added sugar.
Ingredients in homemade chocolate sauce
- chocolate either, semi-sweet, or bittersweet or dark chocolate chips
- unsalted butter softened
- sugar
- heavy cream
- hot water
How to make homemade chocolate sauce
- Combine all the ingredients in the top of a double boiler over a medium heat or a bowl over a small saucepan filled with water.
- Simmer on a medium low heat and stir until chocolate is smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add:
- teaspoon vanilla
- pinch salt
- Remaining chocolate sauce will keep about a week in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge.
What if I don’t have a double boiler?
This double boiler has a chocolate melting pot which would be perfect for chocolate fondue as well! But you can always put a bowl over a saucepan filled with water. Make sure that the bowl is slightly larger than the saucepan and that the bottom of the bowl just barely touches the water.
What to serve chocolate sauce on?
I love to use it on my favorite dessert, Poires Belle Hélène or on a Tin Roof Sundae, but you can also pour it over pound cake or just a scoop of ice cream.
Chocolate Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Dice or chop chocolate if not using chocolate chips.
- Combine chocolate, sugar, cream and hot water in the top of a double boiler.
- Simmer on a medium low heat and stir until chocolate is smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in diced chocolate and pinch of salt.
- Chocolate sauce will keep about a week in a covered container in the fridge.
Notes
- Use a good quality chocolate; either bittersweet, dark, or semi-sweet.
- If using milk chocolate, omit sugar as it’s much sweeter than dark or semi-sweet.
- Chocolate sauce will keep in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to a week.
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