Chocolate Sauce

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This homemade chocolate sauce is even more delicious than store-bought varieties. It’s easy to make with 8 simple ingredients in 10 minutes and is so good you will want to just eat it with a spoon!

a glass jar of homemade chocolate sauce


This homemade chocolate sauce is so delicious you will not be able to keep yourself from licking the spatula as you make it.

Did you know that store-bought chocolate sauces contain artificial flavors, corn syrup, preservatives and emulsifiers – all things we prefer to avoid in our house.

Therefore, I created this recipe for a chocolate sauce made with real ingredients that tastes even better than any bottle you can buy in the store. It’s easy to make in 5 minutes at tastes amazing on top of ice cream, cakes, etc.

homemade chocolate sauce on top of vanilla ice cream

Chocolate Sauce Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions

overhead photo of the ingredients in this Chocolate Sauce Recipe
  • Heavy Cream. there is no substitute for heavy cream in this recipe.
  • Salted butter. unsalted butter works well, too.
  • Cocoa powder. use unsweetened cocoa powder.
  • Honey. light corn syrup works well in place of honey.
  • Light brown sugar. dark brown sugar works, it just imparts a richer “molasses” taste.
  • Semisweet chocolate. Use your favorite chocolate – bars, discs, chips, etc. You can use milk, dark, semisweet or even white chocolate if desired.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract. the seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste are both good substitutes for vanilla extract.
chocolate sauce being poured into a bowl

How to Make Chocolate Sauce

This homemade chocolate sauce is easy to make with 8 ingredients. Let’s walk through how to make chocolate sauce step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin my mixing together the heavy cream, butter, cocoa powder, honey, brown sugar and sea salt in a 3-quart saucepan.

How to Make Chocolate Sauce - ingredients in a saucepan

Then, warm the mixture over medium heat until the butter is melted and it just beings to bubble around the edges, whisking often.

How to Make Chocolate Sauce - ingredients combined and melted in a saucepan

Next, turn the heat to low and simmer on low for about 5 minutes.

How to Make Chocolate Sauce - whisking mixture until smooth

Then, turn off the heat but leave the saucepan on the warm burner. Add the chocolate and whisk until smooth.

How to Make Chocolate Sauce - adding vanilla and chocolate

Once smooth, remove the chocolate sauce from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.

Then, let the sauce cool slightly before serving, the chocolate sauce thickens significantly as it cools!

How to Make Chocolate Sauce - whisking ingredients until smooth

Serve

Serve on top of your favorite ice cream recipes (like this homemade vanilla ice cream, homemade chocolate ice cream or cookie dough ice cream).

You can also serve it on top of brownies, angel food cake, etc.

Chocolate Sauce drizzled on top of vanilla ice cream

Store/freeze

Store in a glass jar (1 quart) in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Warm slightly before serving.

Freeze in a glass jar with a lid (leaving room at the top for the chocolate sauce to expand during freezing) for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Chocolate Sauce in a glass jar

Chocolate Sauce Recipe FAQs

How long does homemade chocolate sauce last?

This recipe lasts for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, and 2 months in the freezer.

Is there a difference between chocolate sauce and chocolate syrup?

Chocolate syrup is usually made with water an is thinner, whereas chocolate sauce is made with rich dairy and is thicker.

What is chocolate sauce made of?

This chocolate sauce is made with heavy cream, butter, cocoa powder, honey, brown sugar, sea salt, semisweet chocolate and vanilla.

How do you thicken chocolate sauce?

This recipe is thickened by simmering some of the liquid out of the dairy and by the melted chocolate.

Chocolate Sauce in a glass jar with a spoon

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Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe

Laura
This homemade chocolate sauce is even more delicious than store-bought varieties. It's easy to make with 8 simple ingredients in 10 minutes and is so good you will want to just eat it with a spoon!
5 from 5 votes
Course condiment, Dessert, sauce
Cuisine American
Servings 24 Servings (3 cups, 24 oz)
Calories 132
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time10 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • In a small saucepan, mix together heavy cream, butter, cocoa powder, honey, brown sugar and sea salt.
  • Warm the mixture over medium heat until the butter is melted and it just beings to bubble around the edges, whisking often.
  • Turn the heat to low and simmer on low for about 5 minutes.
  • Then, turn off the heat but leave the saucepan on the warm burner. Add the chocolate and whisk until smooth.
  • Then, remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.
  • Let cool slightly before serving over ice cream, brownies, etc.
  • Store in a glass jar (1 quart) in the refrigerator. Warm slightly before serving.
  • Mixture thickens significantly when cooled

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions 
  • Heavy Cream. there is no substitute for heavy cream in this recipe.
  • Salted butter. unsalted butter works well, too.
  • Cocoa powder. use unsweetened cocoa powder.
  • Honey. light corn syrup works well in place of honey.
  • Light brown sugar. dark brown sugar works, it just imparts a richer “molasses” taste.
  • Semisweet chocolate. Use your favorite chocolate – bars, discs, chips, etc. You can use milk, dark, semisweet or even white chocolate if desired.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract. the seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste are both good substitutes for vanilla extract.
Store/Freeze
Store in a glass jar (1 quart) in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Warm slightly before serving.
Freeze in a glass jar with a lid (leaving room at the top for the chocolate sauce to expand during freezing) for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Recipe Rating




3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this to go on banana splits and it was great! I did substitute real maple syrup for the honey, and it gave it a slightly “woodsy” taste that was very good.

  2. 5 stars
    Great recipe! It was delicious.
    It is mentioned that the sauce can be frozen. Is canning an option? Or do the cream and butter contents make t less viable for canning?
    Thank you!