Super Easy Hot Fudge Sauce

This super easy hot fudge sauce is smooth and full of flavor! Once you try it, you’ll ditch the store-bought chocolate syrup forever.

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Have you ever tried homemade hot fudge? Sure, you could grab a bottle of the fake chocolate sauce off the shelf. But there’s something about homemade hot chocolate fudge sauce on top of creamy cold ice cream that really hits the spot.

I got this recipe in high school from a friend’s mom. She made it one night when a group of us were hanging out and I had never tasted anything like it. To this day, I still remember how rich and smooth it was. It is thicker than chocolate syrup and has an actual taste to it rather than just being overwhelmingly sweet.

Even if you like to have a squeeze bottle of the store-bought chocolate sauce in your fridge, this super easy hot fudge sauce is worth making every once in a while. And bonus: it stores great in the fridge and reheats easily in the microwave.

Do I have to have a double boiler to make hot fudge sauce?

Nope. This recipe uses the double boiler method but don’t let that scare you. I don’t own a double boiler myself, but I do have a metal bowl and a saucepan. You too? Great! Then you can make this super easy hot fudge sauce.

Can I make this hot fudge sauce ahead of time?

Yes. Just let it cool before transferring it over to an airtight container and putting it in the fridge. To reheat, remove the lid and heat it in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time until it’s heated through.

Now that we have some basic questions answered, let’s start on how to make this super easy hot fudge sauce:

How to Make Super Easy Hot Fudge Sauce

As mentioned above, this recipe uses the double boiler method to heat and melt the ingredients for the hot fudge sauce. If you don’t have a double boiler (I don’t), all you need is a heat-safe bowl and a saucepan. I use a metal bowl but glass will also work.

There are two keys with this method: 1) to not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl, and 2) to not let the water boil. You want the water hot enough to heat the bowl, but not so hot that you burn your sauce.

First, fill a medium saucepan 1/2 full of water. Heat over medium heat until you start seeing small bubbles form. Turn the heat on low and place your medium sized, heat-safe bowl on top of the saucepan.

Add the chocolate chips, marshmallows, evaporated milk and butter.

Stir until everything comes together and the sauce is smooth. I recommend using a silicone spatula to stir and turn the ingredients over in the bowl.

When the sauce is smooth, turn off the burner and remove the bowl from the heat. (Remember to use hot pads because it will be hot!) Add the vanilla and stir until combined.

Serve over ice cream.

That’s it!

If you happen to have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in your fridge for up to a month. To reheat, place the sauce in the microwave. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring each time until heated through.

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