Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Perfect for Ice Cream! (2024)

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This impossibly rich Chocolate Sauce is going to be your new best friend! Whip it together in just 10 minutes, and you’ll get the perfect addition to cakes, cupcakes, and ice cream!

Use this easy Chocolate Sauce as the perfect finisher for my dreamy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake.

Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Perfect for Ice Cream! (1)

Table of Contents

  • Easy Homemade Chocolate Sauce
  • Uses for Chocolate Sauce
  • Chocolate Sauce Ingredients
  • The Best Chocolate For Chocolate Sauce
  • How To Make Homemade Chocolate Sauce
  • Decorating Tips
  • Making It Ahead of Time
  • Recipe Variations
  • Get the Recipe

    Easy Homemade Chocolate Sauce

    If you’re looking for an elegant way to decorate pastries and desserts, this Chocolate Sauce recipe is for you. You can use it in so many ways: on top of cakes, to glaze donuts, drizzled on ice cream or on top of pastries!

    Just like ganache, this recipe is silky smooth and firm, except it’s a little sweeter and more stable to work with. It’s just what you need when you want to add beautiful chocolate droplets or a mirror glaze to your pastries.

    Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Perfect for Ice Cream! (2)

    If you ever end up having leftovers of this sauce, it makes a great fruit dip (hello, chocolate strawberries!) or re-heated and served over a bowl of ice cream. Its uses are endless, you can even enjoy it with a bowl and a spoon! All you need are a handful of ingredients and 10 minutes for this amazing chocolate treat.

    Uses for Chocolate Sauce

    • Spoon it over top of a bowl of ice cream.
    • Dip donuts in it for a great chocolate glaze.
    • Use it as an elegant decoration for cakes or cupcakes.
    • Use it as a dip for fruit, such as strawberries, bananas, or watermelon.
    • Stir a spoonful in a cold coffee drink or drizzle on top of a latte.
    • Drizzle it over whipped cream.

    Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Perfect for Ice Cream! (3)

    Chocolate Sauce Ingredients

    Unlike traditional 2-ingredient chocolate ganache (cream and chocolate), this homemade sauce is thickened with butter and has a silky texture thanks to the addition of corn syrup. Once the mixture stands for 5 minutes after coming together, it will turn into a firm glaze that’s perfect for decorating cakes and cupcakes.

    You only need 6 ingredients to make your chocolate glaze:

    • Unsalted butter
    • Milk
    • Corn syrup
    • Vanilla extract
    • Dark chocolate
    • Powdered sugar

    The Best Chocolate For Chocolate Sauce

    Use a high-grade dark chocolate, such as Bakers, Lindt, or Ghirardelli brands. Pure dark chocolate is best because it will elevate the taste, quality, and appearance of the sauce. Do not use chocolate chips or milk chocolate as they will not melt as smoothly and affect the texture.

    Don’t worry about the bitterness when using dark chocolate! Unsalted butter and powdered sugar help the sauce taste sweet and irresistible.

    Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Perfect for Ice Cream! (4)

    How To Make Homemade Chocolate Sauce

    All you need is one saucepan and 15 minutes to whip together this chocolatey goodness!

    1. Combine: Add the butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter is melted.
    2. Lower The Heat: Turn the heat to low, and add in the chocolate. Whisk until melted.
    3. Add Sugar: Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. Let the chocolate glaze sit for 5 minutes until it has cooled slightly and started to thicken just a little bit.

    Decorating Tips

    When using the sauce to decorate pastries, you can spoon it right out of the saucepan after it’s cooled, or add it to a pastry bag or squeeze bottle. This recipe is perfect for making chocolate drips down the edges of a cake. Afterward, fill in the top of the cake with the rest of the syrup for a beautiful chocolate mirror glaze.

    Allow the sauce to sit and harden on the pastry for at least 30 minutes before serving. The longer it sits, the better, so be patient!

    Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Perfect for Ice Cream! (5)

    Making It Ahead of Time

    Homemade chocolate sauce is perfect to keep in your home for a fun treat. Keep it on your kitchen counter for up to 2 days, in an air tight container, or store it in your refrigerator for up to a month.

    Recipe Variations

    • Add Salt: Use salted butter for a hint of salt in the chocolate sauce.
    • Leave Out The Butter And Milk: For a more traditional ganache, leave the butter and milk out and sub in cream.
    • Naturally Gluten-Free: This chocolate sauce recipe is naturally gluten-free, however, make sure to double-check the brand labels to confirm there is no risk of cross-contamination.
    • Make It Vegan: Pure dark chocolate should not contain any dairy, making it the perfect solution for a vegan chocolate sauce. Full fat coconut milk instead of dairy milk and butter will create a creamy, plant-based ganache. Heat up 1 can of coconut milk, melt in 16 oz. of dark chocolate, then stir in ½ teaspoon of vanilla!

    Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Perfect for Ice Cream! (6)

    This homemade Chocolate Sauce is the perfect addition to a cake, cupcakes, ice cream, fruit or just on a spoon straight into your mouth. This is one of my favorites to dress up a dessert, pastry or use to top homemade donuts. Leave a review below letting me know how it turns out for you!

    Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Perfect for Ice Cream! (7)

    4.7 from 19 votes

    Print Pin Recipe

    Yield: 1 .5 cups

    Chocolate Sauce

    This impossibly rich chocolate sauce is going to be your new best friend! Whip it together in just 15 minutes, and you’ll get the perfect addition to cakes, cupcakes, and ice cream!

    Prep Time5 minutes minutes

    Cook Time5 minutes minutes

    Total Time10 minutes minutes

    Ingredients

    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 tablespoons milk
    • 2 teaspoons corn syrup
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped cup
    • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

    Instructions

    • Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in small saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Decrease the heat to low, add the choco- late, and whisk until melted.

    • Remove from heat, add the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Let chocolate glaze sit for 5 minutes until it has cooled slightly and started to thicken just a little bit.

    • Then slowly drizzle over cake, cupcakes, pastries, dunk donuts into it or top ice cream or whip cream with it!

    Video

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1, Calories: 101kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 4mg, Sugar: 12g

    © Jessica - The Novice Chef

    Cuisine: American

    Category: Chocolate

    Categories:

    • Chocolate
    • Desserts
    • Ice Cream
    • Recipes
    • Videos

    Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

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    Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Perfect for Ice Cream! (2024)

    FAQs

    What's the difference between chocolate syrup and chocolate sauce? ›

    Chocolate Syrup: made with just water – no additional fat like cream or butter. It's thinner in consistency than sauces and easily mixes into drinks. Chocolate Sauce: usually made with the addition of milk, cream, or butter. It's thicker in consistency.

    How to keep chocolate sauce from hardening? ›

    Add Alcohol. Liquors like rum, brandy, or liqueurs can prevent chocolate from hardening too fast, ideal for dessert sauces. By incorporating these simple strategies into your chocolate adventures, you can maintain that glossy, luxurious texture even as your chocolate masterpiece cools down.

    Why is my chocolate sauce not thickening? ›

    If you would like to thicken the consistency (this is pretty thin!) into a syrup consistency, add a small bit of water to 1.5 Tablespoons of cornstarch and add it in with the cocoa and salt. It should thicken up nicely.

    How to thicken chocolate sauce without cornstarch? ›

    Use Flour and Water

    Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

    Is melted chocolate the same as chocolate syrup? ›

    Do not substitute chocolate syrup for melted chocolate in any recipe. (Plus, let's be honest, the flavor of some of these ice cream toppings—especially those made mostly with high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup—isn't as rich.) The consistency is different and the results will be less than optimal.

    Is torani or ghirardelli chocolate sauce better? ›

    Ghirardelli's Chocolate Premium Chocolate Sauce is the best classic chocolate syrup out there and comes in a squeezable bottle for quick squirting on ice cream, desserts, and more. For anyone who loves a richer chocolate flavor, we recommend the Torani Puremade Dark Chocolate Sauce.

    How do you keep chocolate from hardening on ice cream? ›

    Adding a teensy bit of neutral-flavored oil to the chocolate as it's melting (I use a teaspoon for every two ounces of chocolate), which, when the chocolate refreezes, lowers its melting point so the chips melt faster and smoother in your mouth.

    Why is my homemade chocolate not hardening? ›

    It could be that your room temperature is too high. If the temperature is over 68 F, this can cause problems. The ideal setting temperature is between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. It could also be that the chocolate wasn't tempered, because untempered chocolate takes quite a bit longer to set.

    How do you melt chocolate and keep it creamy? ›

    smooth and creamy melted chocolate every time. for every one cup of chocolate chips, I either use half a teaspoon of vegetable oil. or one tablespoon of coconut oil. microwave in 22nd intervals. stir very well between so that it doesn't burn.

    How do you fix chocolate sauce? ›

    Fixing Seized Chocolate

    This may seem counterintuitive, but the way to fix seized chocolate is to add 1 teaspoon of boiling water at a time, then mix vigorously until it becomes smooth once again. This is ideal when planning to use the chocolate for a drizzle or a sauce since the chocolate will be somewhat diluted.

    Why does chocolate sauce break? ›

    Know this: Chocolate hates to be overheated! High heat first breaks apart and then forces together chocolate's three elements — sugar, cocoa, and fat. Instead of calmly settling into a liquid emulsion, the cocoa and fat cluster in tight little groups, refusing to disperse.

    Why does chocolate sauce get grainy? ›

    Chocolate seizes when it comes into contact with even a small amount of liquid or moisture during the melting process. This is because the water causes the sugar in the chocolate to dissolve and then form a syrup, which binds the cocoa particles together, creating a grainy, thick, and clumpy texture.

    How do you thicken homemade chocolate? ›

    Cornflour/Cornstarch: Mix a small amount with cold milk or water to create a smooth paste. Whisk this into your hot chocolate towards the end of the cooking process until it thickens. Double Cream: Stirring in a splash of double cream can instantly enrich and thicken your drink, giving it a velvety texture.

    Is it better to thicken with flour or cornstarch? ›

    Because cornstarch is pure starch, it has twice the thickening power of flour, which is only part starch. Thus, twice as much flour is needed to achieve the same thickening as cornstarch. To thicken sauces, cornstarch is combined with cold water first, which is called a slurry.

    How do you thicken chocolate cream? ›

    To thicken the ganache, melt a little bit of chocolate in the microwave or over the hob. Separately, melt the ganache in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until it is warm and runny. You can then stir in the additional melted chocolate and leave it to cool.

    What is the difference between a sauce and a syrup? ›

    A syrup is a saturated sugar solution. A sauce is any liquid used to accompany food. Sauces are usually savoury; the chef saucier in a traditional brigade system is unlikely to handle syrups which are for the chef patissier. When you put maple syrup on pancakes, you are using it as a sauce.

    What is the difference between white chocolate sauce and syrup? ›

    While syrups focus on sweetness, sauces are all about adding richness and indulgence to beverages. Starbucks sauces are thicker and more concentrated than syrups, often featuring decadent flavors like mocha, white chocolate, and caramel drizzle.

    What is a fancy name for chocolate sauce? ›

    synonyms: chocolate syrup. types: fudge sauce, hot-fudge sauce.

    Is chocolate syrup the same as chocolate fudge? ›

    Ingredients: Hot fudge sauce is typically made with chocolate, sugar, butter, and cream or milk, while chocolate syrup is made with cocoa powder, sugar, and water or milk. Consistency: Hot fudge sauce has a thicker and creamier consistency than chocolate syrup, which tends to be thinner and more liquidy.

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