Chocolate Sauce for Ice Cream | Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce
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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.
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.
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.
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).
Stir constantly over medium-low heat until it’s fully melted and combined.
Pour the cream into the chocolate mixture.
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.
Once the sugar as dissolved, stop stirring and increase heat to medium. Bring the mixture to a boil. DO NOT STIR.
Allow to boil for 7-8 minutes until thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. I love this mini measuring cup!
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.
Serve hot, over ice cream and enjoy the thick, rich, chewy, fudge-y goodness. It is the best chocolate sauce for 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“.
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!
This is amazing stuff, the moment it hits the ice cream it firms up into chocolate chewy fudge-i-ness!
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?
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Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, I used organic corn syrup
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup sugar, I used all natural cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
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.
✱ Kathleen’s Tips
Store in refrigerator for up to a month.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Fresh Cooky is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Kathleen Pope
Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer
Hi, I’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. Read more about Kathleen here.
Can this recipe be doubled?
Absolutely!
Made this yesterday as a trial run b4 my girlfriend party.
It’s so good!!!
How long will it last in fridge?
Yay, so glad you loved it. It will easily last 2 weeks to a couple months in an airtight container in the fridge.
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.
Thank you so much Marianne! Love hearing that, it’s one of our favorites too! So appreciate you taking the time to write a kind word! Have a beautiful day! Kathleen
I followed the directions to a tee. My fudge never got thick. it was like chocolate milk couldn’t use it. What went wrong?
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