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    Home » Frozen Treats & Toppings

    Published Dec 17, 2019 · Updated Apr 17, 2022 · by Tammy Spencer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Easy Homemade Chocolate Syrup (Dairy-Free)

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    Chocolate syrup dripping from spoon into a jar Pinterest banner.
    Collage of chocolate syrup dripping from spoon into a jar & ice cream sundae with a chocolate milkshake Pinterest. banner.

    All you need for easy homemade chocolate syrup is 5 ingredients and 5 minutes. This rich dairy-free chocolate syrup is perfect on ice cream and in milkshakes, and is much better than store bought!

    Chocolate syrup dripping from spoon into a jar. this …

    Why this recipe works

    • All you need is 5 ingredients and 5 minutes
    • Rich, clean, chocolate flavor
    • Dairy-free, vegan, and contains no preservatives or high fructose corn syrup

    Chocolate syrup from the store is full of ingredients I can't spell or even pronounce, not to mention that slightly tinny, chemically taste. Who needs all those preservatives and high fructose corn syrup?

    Homemade Chocolate Syrup contains only five common pantry staples. Plus, it comes together in about 5 minutes!

    Jump to:
    • Why this recipe works
    • What you need
    • How to make chocolate syrup at home
    • Questions asked and answered
    • Pro Tip: How to use chocolate syrup
    • Rich, clean chocolate taste
    • Related Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    What you need

    With only five ingredients, water, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cocoa powder, you probably already have the ingredients in your pantry.

    Chocolate syrup ingredients portioned into glass bowls from overhead.
    Ingredients for homemade chocolate syrup

    How to make chocolate syrup at home

    A homemade chocolate syrup recipe really is just chocolate-flavored simple syrup. If you can boil water and sugar together, you can make this easy chocolate syrup recipe.

    Step 1: Make a simple syrup

    Simple syrup is the secret to making this homemade chocolate syrup recipe. It's just equal parts sugar and water, by weight.

    Heat the water and sugar in a 1-quart saucepan set over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to just boiling, then reduce the heat to Low and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring regularly (photo 1).

    a small scone
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    Collage of before & after dissolving sugar into water.
    Making simple syrup

    Step 2: Stir in cocoa powder

    Add the cocoa powder and salt to the simple syrup. Continue to simmer, stirring constantly, for two more minutes. The cocoa powder should be fully dissolved and the chocolate syrup should be smooth and slightly thickened (photo 2).

    Make sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan so the cocoa powder doesn't burn while it's simmering.

    Collage of adding cocoa powder & salt to make chocolate syrup.
    Adding cocoa powder and salt to the simple syrup

    Step 3: Strain and cool

    Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract (photo 3, top). Strain the chocolate syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any lumps of undissolved cocoa powder.

    Let the chocolate syrup cool to room temperature (it will thicken upon standing). Transfer to a clean jar and cover with a tight-fitting lid (photo 3, bottom).

    What could be simpler?

    Collage of cooling and pouring chocolate syrup into a jar.
    Stirring in vanilla and transferring the cooled chocolate syrup into a jar

    Questions asked and answered

    Here are some questions you might have...

    What is the difference between chocolate sauce and chocolate syrup?

    The main difference is that chocolate sauce (aka hot fudge sauce) is much thicker than chocolate syrup, which has the consistency of runny honey.

    How long can you keep homemade chocolate syrup?

    You can store a jar of tightly sealed chocolate syrup in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

    Pro Tip: How to use chocolate syrup

    This really is the best chocolate syrup recipe around, easy and quick. You probably don't need me to tell you what to use it on (or in), but I will anyway:

    • As an ice cream topping (or swirled into homemade ice cream)
    • In marble cake or brownie recipes
    • In a killer chocolate milkshake
    French vanilla ice cream sundae in front of jar of chocolate syrup and a spoon.

    Rich, clean chocolate taste

    Homemade chocolate syrup made with cocoa powder has a rich, clean chocolate flavor, not tinny or chemically at all. For an even deeper chocolate flavor, replace the cocoa powder with dark chocolate cocoa powder, and add ½ teaspoon of espresso powder.

    This chocolate syrup recipe makes about 1 cup, and can be easily doubled.

    Chocolate syrup dripping from spoon into a jar.

    Say goodbye to store-bought chocolate syrup (sorry, Hershey's!), and leave the car keys alone. You'll want to make this recipe again and again!

    Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!

    Tammy

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    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a comment further down the page.

    I'd love to hear from you! Stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and please tag me using the hashtag #scotchandsconesblog. You can also sign up for my mailing list. I can't wait to see your creations!

    Recipe

    Chocolate syrup dripping from spoon into a jar.

    Easy Homemade Chocolate Syrup (Dairy-Free)

    Tammy Spencer
    All you need for easy homemade chocolate syrup is 5 ingredients and 5 minutes. This rich dairy-free chocolate syrup is perfect on ice cream and in milkshakes, and is much better than store bought!
    Adapted from Five Heart Home
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Cooling Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 tablespoon
    Calories 43 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1-quart saucepan
    • fine mesh strainer
    Prevent your screen from going dark while cooking

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ⅔ cup water
    • ¾ cup granulated sugar
    • ½ cup cocoa powder, sifted, see Recipe Notes
    • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    Instructions
     

    • Heat the water and sugar in a 1-quart saucepan set over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to just boiling, then reduce the heat to Low and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
    • Add the cocoa powder and salt to the simple syrup. Continue to simmer, stirring constantly, for two more minutes. The cocoa powder should be fully dissolved and the chocolate syrup should be smooth and slightly thickened. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan so the cocoa powder doesn't burn while it's simmering.
    • Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Strain the chocolate syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any lumps of undissolved cocoa powder.
    • Let the syrup cool to room temperature (it will thicken upon standing). Transfer to a clean jar and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
    • You can store a jar of tightly sealed chocolate syrup in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

    Notes

    For a deeper chocolate flavor, replace the cocoa powder with dark chocolate cocoa powder, and add ½ teaspoon of espresso powder.
    Once chilled, this chocolate syrup will have the consistency of runny honey (similar to store bought chocolate syrup), not thick like a chocolate sauce (aka hot fudge sauce).
    Use this chocolate syrup as an ice cream topping (or swirled into homemade ice cream), in marble cake recipes, or make a killer chocolate milkshake (aka frappe)!
    This recipe makes about 1 cup of chocolate syrup, and can be easily doubled.

    Your Notes

    Click here to add your own private notes

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 tablespoonCalories: 43 kcalCarbohydrates: 11 gProtein: 1 gFat: 1 gSaturated Fat: 1 gSodium: 25 mgPotassium: 41 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 9 gCalcium: 3 mgIron: 1 mg
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    Profile picture - Tammy, July 2019 square

    Hi, I'm Tammy! My fascination with baking comes from my love of science and the magic of bringing together ingredients to produce something yummy. Coupling that with my appreciation of scotches and bourbons, I love to bake stuff, jot down my whisky tasting notes, and share my experiences with you!

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