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10 Comments

Chocolate Sauce for Ice Cream | Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce

Kathleen

by Kathleen Pope Mar 31, 2025

Jump to Recipe

Pin for old fashioned hot fudge sauce, top image of spoon standing in hot fudge sauce, bottom image jar oozing over with hot fudge chocolate sauce.
Pin for old fashioned hot fudge sauce top image of pretty jar with hot fudge over flowing and bottom image of jar of hot fudge with spoon.

Rich, thick, chewy, chocolate sauce for ice cream! This is the best old fashioned hot fudge sauce; I have memories of my mom making something very similar, as it cools it actually starts to become “fudge” on the ice cream creating a chewy, chocolatey, hot fudge sundae.

The recipe is inspired from a recipe from my Great Aunt Vi. I keep finding and losing that recipe, but this one is pretty darn close.

If you love old fashioned hot fudge sauce as much as I do, you may want to try it on these fabulous ice creams! Old Fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream, Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream, perhaps this Nutella rich Ferrero Rocher ice cream and this amazing Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream.

Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce in glass jar with spoon standing up.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure & privacy policy.

I found this recipe on The Merchant Baker and just tweaked it slightly, it’s the closest thing to my Great Aunt Vi’s.

This sauce is legendary in my family, well for me at least. In fact on our honeymoon, in Banff, Canada, in the middle of November, with sub-zero temps, what was I craving?

Yep, you guessed it an amazing Hot Fudge Sundae. Oh there were ice cream shops around, but none of them had real, true hot fudge; in most cases it was that runny, thin chocolate sauce, it wasn’t even hot for crying out loud! I thought I’d go home without truly enjoying a real, hot fudge sundae.

This past has been updated with images for a better reader experience! Originally posted 2017.

Pin for old fashioned hot fudge sauce with chocolate sauce oozing over the side, silver spoon on plate.

On our last night in Canada, we went to a small steak house in Calgary, when our waiter asked if we would like dessert, my sweet husband of 12 days asked if by chance they had old fashioned hot fudge sauce?

Our waiter told us that they didn’t have one on the menu, but the chef had prepared an amazing rich, fudgy sauce for another dessert that evening and they did indeed have vanilla ice cream, would we like to try it? UH YEAH! It was the BEST hot fudge sundae I’ve ever had…in November…in Canada! This is just like that sauce!

Ingredients for Chocolate Sauce for Ice Cream

Full list of ingredients and instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.

  • Unsweetened Chocolate | High-Quality chocolate, finely chopped.
  • Butter | Just a touch, adds richness and silkiness
  • Corn Syrup | I used organic non-GMO corn syrup
  • Heavy Cream | Heavy whipping cream here, I like using organic
  • Sugar | I use all-natural cane sugar, you can use white sugar
  • Vanilla Extract | the real stuff, try making homemade vanilla

Let’s Make Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce

Start by chopping up your chocolate (use a good quality chocolate) into fine pieces, some small chunks is fine. Get all of your other ingredients ready as this will all come together quickly.

Chopped Ghirardelli 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate bar and chopped chocolate on cutting board with knife.

Get out a small heavy bottomed saucepan, it’s important to use a heavy pan so that you don’t burn your ingredients.

Place your cubed butter, chocolate and corn syrup (I used organic corn syrup).

Adding a small amount of all natural corn syrup in a mini measuring cup to chopped chocolate, butter in a small saucepan for old fashioned hot fudge sauce.

Stir constantly over medium-low heat until it’s fully melted and combined.

Pour the cream into the chocolate mixture.

Pouring cream from a turquoise liquid measure cup into melted chocolate in small sauce pan with wooden spoon, old-fashioned hot fudge sauce.

Pour the sugar into the center of the pot and carefully stir; avoid getting sugar on the sides of the pan, this will minimize sugar crystals sticking to the side of the pan. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Natural cane sugar in cream and chocolate in small saucepan for chocolate sauce for ice cream.

Once the sugar as dissolved, stop stirring and increase heat to medium. Bring the mixture to a boil. DO NOT STIR.

Hot fudge mixture at a simmer with wooden spoon in sauce pan.

Allow to boil for 7-8 minutes until thickened.

Big thick, bubbles of hot fudge sauce in saucepan.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. I love this mini measuring cup!

Pouring in using mini measuring cup pure vanilla extract.

And salt, please don’t forget your salt. It really brings out the pop of the chocolate.

Stir well to combine, it should coat a wood spoon.

Thick hot fudge on back of wooden spoon. Chewy Hot Fudge Sauce.

Serve hot, over ice cream and enjoy the thick, rich, chewy, fudge-y goodness. It is the best chocolate sauce for ice cream!

Square image of pitcher pouring old fashioned hot fudge sauce onto vanilla ice cream.

If not using immediately, cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.

Store in an airtight jar, these make great hostess gifts, print out these fun “from the Kitchen Of gift tags“.

Pouring old fashioned hot fudge sauce into small mason jars for gifting and storage.

When you are ready to use it, scoop desired amount out and place in microwave safe jar, heating for 20 seconds or until bubbly.

These make wonderful food gifts! Pour into a pretty jar with a label instructing user to refrigerate until ready to use.

Look at how thick and fudgy it is!

Old fashioned hot fudge sauce in pretty tulip jar with a spoon in the jar.

This is amazing stuff, the moment it hits the ice cream it firms up into chocolate chewy fudge-i-ness!

Chewy hot fudge in pitcher with bowl of vanilla ice cream and spoon next to it, on wooden board. Chewy Hot Fudge Sauce | thefreshcooky.com

If you love sauces as much as we do, try these amazing sauces and ice cream toppings; Vanilla Bourbon Caramel Sauce, Creme Anglaise, 29 Ice Cream Toppings (a fabulous collection!).

More delicious chocolate recipes or ways to use this old fashioned hot fudge sauce!

  • Fried Ice Cream Cake | Drizzle some on top along with the Vanilla Bourbon Caramel sauce!
  • Easy Chocolate Loaf Cake | a little drizzle on this cake is so delicious!
  • Ice Cream Cake Mud Pie | oh my word, just amazing, especially with a layer of this chocolate ganache as well!
  • Easy Chocolate Shortcake | a chocolate lover’s idea for strawberry shortcake!
  • Half Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies | so gooey, chewy and amazing!
  • Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding

Like this recipe?

Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!

Recipe Card
Old fashioned hot fudge sauce in a pretty glass jar with a silver spoon.

Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce

5 from 1 reader
Author: Kathleen Pope
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 10 oz
Print Pin SaveSaved!
A sublime, rich, chewy old-fashioned hot fudge sauce. Warmed it melts onto your ice cream, cooling into a thick, chewy fudge.

Equipment

  • BALCI Ice Cream Scoop 
  • ELITEA Clear Glass Milk Tea Serving Pitcher Cream Pitcher Mug 200ml / 7 fl.oz for Tea
  • Olive Wooden Spoon set from Italy

Ingredients 
US Customary – Metric

  • 2 oz unsweetened chocolate finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup I used organic corn syrup
  • ยพ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup sugar I used all natural cane sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • โ…› teaspoon salt
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter, chocolate and corn syrup. Stir over medium-low heat until chocolate, butter and corn syrup are combined and smooth.
  • Add cream, then pour the sugar in the middle of the pan trying to avoid the sides. Stir carefully, trying to keep the sugar from the edges of the pan. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Once the sugar is dissolved, give it a final stir and then stop stirring and increase the heat to medium. Bring the mixture to a boil | DO NOT STIR!
  • Allow to boil for about 7-8 minutes until thick and smooth. Remove from heart and stir in the vanilla and the salt. Serve warm over ice cream. If saving, allow to cool completely before jarring and refrigerating. Rewarm in microwave safe jar in 30 second increments or set in pan of hot (not boiling) water until warmed through.
Last step! Leave a RatingRate this recipe here. This helps other readers and helps support this website.

Notes

If it becomes grainy, heat in the microwave adding a small amount of heavy cream; stirring to combine until smooth.
Store in refrigerator for up to a month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 332IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
Old fashioned hot fudge sauce in a pretty glass jar with a silver spoon.
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Kathleen Pope

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Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer

Hi, Iโ€™m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen.

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  1. Sheree

    Mon, May 6, 2024 at 7:39 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness is this good! It was easy and quick to make. My family loved this on ice cream tonight!!! Thank you Kathleen!

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen Pope

      Tue, May 7, 2024 at 6:28 am

      Thank you so much Sheree ๐Ÿฅฐ!! Itโ€™s a family favorite of ours too!

      Reply
  2. Cindy

    Fri, Feb 24, 2023 at 4:03 pm

    Can this recipe be doubled?

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen Pope

      Sat, Feb 25, 2023 at 3:15 pm

      Absolutely!

      Reply
  3. Momo

    Mon, Aug 1, 2022 at 7:20 am

    Made this yesterday as a trial run b4 my girlfriend party.
    It’s so good!!!
    How long will it last in fridge?

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen Pope

      Tue, Aug 2, 2022 at 4:38 pm

      Yay, so glad you loved it. It will easily last 2 weeks to a couple months in an airtight container in the fridge.

      Reply
  4. Marianne Geiger Oliver

    Wed, Jun 8, 2022 at 11:48 am

    I made this to put on home made vanilla ice cream for our grandson’s first birthday party.
    To a person, everyone in my family said this is the best Hot Fudge they have ever had. Hot, it had the perfect consistency and was still pourable cold. Thank you also for the step by step directions. Great recipe. It is zooming to the top of our family favorites.

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen Pope

      Wed, Jun 8, 2022 at 11:57 am

      Thank you so much Marianne! Love hearing that, itโ€™s one of our favorites too! So appreciate you taking the time to write a kind word! Have a beautiful day! Kathleen

      Reply
  5. Cathy Reilley

    Tue, Dec 22, 2020 at 11:12 am

    I followed the directions to a tee. My fudge never got thick. it was like chocolate milk couldn’t use it. What went wrong?

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen

      Tue, Dec 22, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      Hi Cathy, sometimes the culprit to hot fudge not setting is not heating it high enough or long enough. You might try reheating it if you didn’t toss it? My next question is did you use real butter, unsweetened chocolate and real heavy whipping cream? Changing the fat content if using butter blends, or even semi-sweet chocolate could change the way things emulsify or combine. Best of luck!

      Kathleen

      Reply

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Kathleen Pope

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Hey there! I'm Kathleen Pope, a proud wife, mom of two awesome college boys, and recipe nerd. Welcome to my world of easy recipes with a healthy twist! Join thousands who trust The Fresh Cooky as their go-to recipe source. Let's cook up some magic!

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