Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (2024)

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by Annie

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This decadent homemade hot fudge sauce is thick, gooey and chocolatey. It makes the perfect topping for ice cream, brownies or other desserts. Quick and easy this hot fudge can be ready for topping your favorite dessert in only five minutes!

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Hot fudge is the ultimate ice cream topping. It is warm, thick and pools in the bottom of the sundae dish while the flavor of the sauce contrasts with the cold ice cream and melts it just a little bit.

You can put chocolate sauce on your ice cream too, but there is no comparison to the rich and warm flavor of hot fudge sauce. With this easy recipe you can make homemade hot fudge sauce in just minutes, anytime chocolate cravings strike.

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (2)

And of course it isn’t just for ice cream! You can dip fruit into it, drizzle it on desserts, like Instant Pot Oreo cheesecake or chocolate lasagna.

It is worth learning how to make this simple dessert sauce that is better than store bought toppings!

Ingredients

This is an easy three ingredient recipe.

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (3)
  • Chocolate chips
  • Sweetened condensed milk
  • Butter – either salted or unsalted butter works fine in this recipe.

What Kind of Chocolate Chips?

One of the great things about this recipe is that it works with almost any kind of chocolate. You can make it with semi sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips, whichever you prefer.

Personally I like to use semisweet chips because they give me lots of chocolatey taste without being as sweet as milk chocolate. But my kids love dark chocolate best, so sometimes I use that. Either way the recipe is the same.

Easy Instructions

Making hot fudge isn’t like making candy. There are no complicated instructions and no need for a candy thermometer.

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Mix the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and butter in a small sauce pan. Heat it over medium heat stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and the sauce is shiny and smooth.

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (5)

It is very important to keep stirring the sauce! If you don’t stir it the hot fudge could burn. Also keep the heat on medium to low. You don’t want the hot fudge to boil.

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Once everything is melted and the sauce looks thick and shiny take it off the heat and let it cool. It will thicken a little bit more as it cools.

How to Store

You can store the sauce in the refrigerator for about 1 month. I like to put it in a glass mason jar with a lid.

This hot fudge sauce makes a quick and easy homemade gift for friends and family! Stick a bow and a gift tag on it and pass it out for the holidays this year.

How to Serve

When you want to reheat it microwave it for 30 seconds. Then stir it and put it back in for another 10 seconds if necessary. Be careful not to overheat the hot fudge, usually 30 seconds is plenty.

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (7)

Ways to Use

My family can easily go through an entire jar of hot fudge sauce just using it on ice cream! But here are some other great ideas for serving it:

  • Drizzle it on cheesecake
  • Use it on top of skillet chocolate chips cookies
  • Cover brownies with drips of hot fudge
  • Use if to make fruit fondue
  • Mix it into milk for decadent chocolate milk
  • Use it as a fudgy layer in an ice cream pie
Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (8)

Find More Dessert Sauces

  • Caramel Sauce
  • Strawberry Sauce
  • Blueberry Sauce

Yield: 16

Hot Fudge Sauce

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (9)

This decadent homemade hot fudge sauce is thick, gooey and chocolatey.

Prep Time1 minute

Cook Time5 minutes

Total Time6 minutes

Ingredients

  • ●½ cup chocolate chips
  • ●1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • ●¼ cup unsalted butter

Instructions

    1. In a heavy saucepan, add all ingredients and stir.
    2. Heat oven medium heat stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and the sauce is smooth.
    3. Remove from heat, stir and let cool slightly.
    4. Add to jar or container with lid.

Notes

To reheat cook for 30 seconds in a microwave safe bowl. Stir and heat for an additional 10 seconds or longer if necessary.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 59Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 4mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 0g

Nutrition facts are estimates.

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (13)
Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (14)

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (15)

Hi, I’m Anne!

I love to cook and I want to share my recipes with you. I believe cooking should be approachable and fun, not a chore. I want to make simple recipes using everyday ingredients that you can make again and again, whether it is for a busy weeknight, a summer cookout or a special dessert. Read more...

3 thoughts on “Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe”

  1. Can you use salted butter for the fudge topping?

    Reply

  2. I didn’t have sweetened condensed milk but used 1/2c semi-sweet choc chips, 1/8c dark chips, 2 Tbl butter & 1/4c heavy cream – Melted on Low, stirring constantly. Awesome!!

    Reply

    • Sure!PS Of course mine made alot less than this recipe but rich & delicious

      Reply

Leave a Comment

Easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make Paula Deen's 5 minute fudge? ›

directions
  1. Combine sugar, milk, butter and salt in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  2. Add in chocolate chips; cook until melted.
  3. Remove from heat; stir in marshmallows, vanilla and nuts. Mix well.
  4. Pour into a 8-inch pan. Cool cut into squares.

What is hot fudge sauce made of? ›

Heat Ingredients: Combine sugar, light corn syrup, heavy cream, salt and water to a saucepan and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring well. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Add Chocolate Mixture: Pour the chocolate mixture into the syrup and stir until smooth.

What is the secret to perfect fudge? ›

Valuable tips for successful fudge
  • Don't stir during cooking. Fudge can be cooked on the stove or in the microwave. ...
  • Avoid crystallization. During cooking, sugar crystals can stick to the sides of the pan. ...
  • Let cool before beating. After being cooked, the sugar must crystallize again to create fudge. ...
  • Beat the mixture.

Why is my 3 ingredient fudge not setting? ›

Why won't my 3 ingredient fudge set? This often happens when the condensed milk and chocolate chip mixture isn't hot enough to start. Everything must be completely melted before it is transferred to the pan to cool.

What is in Mackinac Island fudge? ›

Ingredients. Milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, skim milk, high fructose corn syrup, whey, water, chocolate liquor, hydrogenated coconut oil, peanut oil, alkalized cocoa, mono and diglycerides, buttermilk, butter, natural flavors, soy lecithin, pectin, salt, cellulose gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, annatto (color), vanilla.

Why didn't my homemade fudge set? ›

The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.

Why is my homemade hot fudge sauce grainy? ›

Be sure to serve warm, and, when reheating, reheat only the amount of sauce you intend to use; repeated heating and chilling can make the sauce grainy.

What makes hot fudge taste different? ›

Hot fudge is made by boiling together cream, sugar, chocolate, and sometimes butter—the traditional ingredients for fudge—into what is essentially just an undercooked, unset version of the confection. It differs from plain old chocolate sauce by virtue of being gooier and more viscous.

What are the ingredients in Smuckers hot fudge sauce? ›

Corn Syrup, Nonfat Milk, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Cocoa Processed With Alkali And Cocoa, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Fully Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Mono And Diglycerides, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Vanillin (artificial Flavor).

Should you stir fudge while it's cooking? ›

Don't stir!

Once the fudge reaches soft-ball stage on the candy thermometer, remove from the heat and let the temperature drop to 110°F. Keep that spoon or spatula out of the pot until this happens. If you stir too early in the process, you'll make the sugar crystals too big and end up with grainy fudge.

Why did my fudge turn out like caramel? ›

Fudge can turn into caramel due to overcooking or undercooking, incorrect temperatures, or wrong ingredients.

What ingredient makes fudge hard? ›

Too cooked

At this temperature, the sugar is too concentrated and there is not enough water left to form syrup around sugar crystals. The result is hard and brittle fudge. To save the fudge, put it in a saucepan with 45 to 60 ml (3 or 4 tbsp.)

Is condensed milk the same as evaporated milk? ›

Both are concentrated, shelf-stable milk products that have been heated until at least 60 percent of their water content has evaporated. The main difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk is that evaporated milk is unsweetened while condensed milk is sweetened.

What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›

Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.

How to make fudge thicker? ›

If your fudge is soft or runny, it probably didn't come up to a high enough temperature while it was cooking. Put it back into the saucepan and add 1–2 US tbsp (15–30 ml) of 35% fat whipping cream. Stir the fudge as it heats, but only until the sugar in the chocolate is completely melted again.

How do you make Paula Deen peanut butter fudge? ›

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt cheese and butter together, then add peanut butter and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add vanilla and nuts. Empty confectioner's sugar into a large bowl and pour cheese mixture over sugar. Stir until completely mixed.

What does cream of tartar do in fudge? ›

Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!

Can I use parchment paper instead of foil for fudge? ›

To keep the fudge from sticking to the cooling pan, line it with non-stick foil or parchment paper, or coat it with cooking spray, butter, or a neutral oil. Pastry brush (Optional): For oiling the sides of the saucepan and the cooling pan.

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