Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge

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Dig in to this luxurious Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge sauce that begs for vanilla ice cream and a special celebration (or a Monday that needs improvement)

Today is my Daddy’s birthday. And while he’s on one end of the continent, and I’m on the other, I’m definitely going to help him celebrate by having one of his favorite desserts…a hot fudge sundae with a candle in it. In the interest of fire safety, I’ll blow it out for him instead of waiting around to see if he comes over to do it himself…he is 2600 miles away, after all.

Making homemade hot fudge

Oh sure, I can go out and buy some jarred chocolate fudge topping, but remember it’s me we’re talking about, Miss I-don’t-want-preservatives-in-my-food-thank-you-very-much (or is that Mrs.?).

I want a sauce that’s a thick and rich dark chocolate, not cloyingly sweet or plastic-y. Something that clings to my spoon as it slowly melts the ice cream beneath.

In short, I want an over the top dark chocolate hot fudge sauce. It can be done.

Luckily, I have the interweb to turn to, and Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs, didn’t let me down. I adapted her recipe for best hot fudge sauce to add that intense dark chocolate punch I wanted by using 72% cacao dark chocolate, Lyle’s Golden Syrup (left from when I made Sticky Toffee Pudding), and dark chocolate cocoa powder.

What you need

• Butter: Adds that all-important rich mouth feel
• Heavy cream: More richness
• Lyle’s Golden Syrup, light corn syrup, or honey: Adds sweetness and makes the hot fudge sauce thick
• Dark brown sugar: The molasses in the sugar adds an undertone to the chocolate
• Dark chocolate cocoa powder: I prefer dark chocolate, but regular cocoa powder will work as well
• Salt, if using unsalted butter: You need to cut the cloying sweeting
• Dark chocolate: I use a 60-72% dark chocolate. You can use semi-sweet if you'd prefer
• Vanilla extract: Add a floral character and flavor

(whoa, that’s a lot of darkness!).

This is good stuff, folks. Off to the stove, pronto!

How to make a good hot fudge sauce

It's incredible how easy this recipe is to make...you're mixing and heating up what's basically hot chocolate, then adding in chopped chocolate and vanilla. Stir, stir, stir, and you have the best hot fudge out there.

Put it on your ice cream sundae

This sauce is a truly luxurious dark chocolate hot fudge that begs for vanilla ice cream and a special celebration (or even a Monday that needs improvement).

Grab the ice cream, or maybe ditch the ice cream and just grab a spoon, and dig in. Me, I’ll be lifting my hot-fudge-and-ice-cream-covered-spoon in salute to the best father there is. Happy Birthday, Daddy!

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5 from 2 votes

Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge

Dig in to this luxurious dark chocolate hot fudge sauce that begs for vanilla ice cream and a special celebration (or a Monday that needs improvement)

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Prep Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Hot Fudge, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Toppings, Smitten Kitchen

Servings: 2 cups

Calories: 67kcal

Author: Tammy Spencer, Scotch & Scones

Special Equipment

• small saucepan

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter, unsalted or salted (1 oz, 30g)
• 2/3 cup heavy cream, (6-1/2 oz, 155g)
• 1/2 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup, light corn syrup, or honey (6 oz, 170g)
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed (1-3/4 oz, 50g)
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder, (3/4 oz, 20g)
• 1/4 tsp salt, if using unsalted butter
• 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped, 60-75% cacao works best (6 oz, 170g)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Procedure

• Combine the butter, cream, syrup or honey, brown sugar, cocoa, and salt (if using unsalted butter) in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook on low, stirring, for 3 to 5 more minutes after everything has melted.
• Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate, stirring until melted. Add the in vanilla and stir it again. It's ready!
• You can reheat the sauce in the jar using short bursts in the microwave (10-15 seconds on HIGH), stirring each time until warm (don’t overheat it or it will burn). Alternatively, place the jar in a steamer basket over an inch of simmering water. Stir until warmed.
• Pour leftovers into a jar (I like these jars) and refrigerate. Hot fudge sauce keeps chilled in the fridge for a month or two.

Recipe Notes

You can substitute 1 cup chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate if you’d like, but I prefer the bars because I know they’ll melt well. Also, you can use regular cocoa powder for the dark cocoa powder -- the hot fudge just won’t be quite as intense.

According to Smitten Kitchen, you can combine all the ingredients except the vanilla in the pot at the same time (instead of stirring in the chopped chocolate at the end)…just be careful not to cook the sauce too long and or you'll burn the chocolate.

You can spike the sauce with 2 Tbsp of bourbon or rum...just add the spirit in at the start of cooking to cook off the alcohol, or add at the end for a happy (but not kid-friendly) version. Yum! Other variation ideas from Smitten Kitchen: you can add a few flakes of sea salt, some cinnamon, or instant espresso during the cooking process. Also, try stirring in a couple tablespoons of peanut butter at the end once the chocolate has melted. Get creative!

Serve over ice cream warm, although it thickens more as it begins to cool, so you can also wait for 15 to 20 minutes to serve (if you can wait that long, that is).

Nutrition Facts

Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge

Amount Per Serving (2 Tbsp)

Calories 67

* Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 cal per day diet.

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