Easy Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce | Just 2 Ingredients

I first made this homemade hot fudge sauce during an impromptu family movie night. We had stocked up on premium vanilla ice cream but realized too late we had no chocolate sauce to complete our sundae bar. Rather than disappointing everyone or running to the store, I decided to try making hot fudge from scratch with ingredients I already had in the pantry.

With skeptical family members watching, I combined two simple ingredients and popped the bowl in the microwave. The rich aroma of melting chocolate quickly filled the kitchen, and when I poured the glossy, decadent sauce over our ice cream, it was a revelation! Everyone agreed it was infinitely better than any store-bought version we’d tried. It had a deeper chocolate flavor, perfect consistency, and no artificial aftertaste.

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Why This Recipe Works

The magic of this hot fudge sauce lies in its beautiful simplicity. Using just two high-quality ingredients—chocolate chips and heavy cream—you get a pure chocolate flavor without any additives or preservatives in commercial versions. The heavy cream provides the perfect fat content to create that signature silky-smooth texture that stays glossy and pourable when warm yet delightfully thickens when it hits ice cream. Best of all, the microwave method prevents scorching that can happen easily when melting chocolate on the stovetop, making this recipe practically foolproof.

Ingredients

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Forms the rich chocolate base with balanced sweetness perfect for desserts
• Heavy cream – Creates the smooth, luxurious texture and helps achieve the perfect consistency

How To Make Hot Fudge Sauce in the Microwave

1. Mix the chocolate chips with the cream in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Melt the chocolate chips and heat the cream in a microwave for 1 minute. Use a whisk to mix it well. 
3. Continue heating for another minute until the mixture reaches the desired consistency and smooth texture.
4. When the sauce is still warm, pour it over the ice cream.

Recipe Variations

• Change the semisweet chocolate chips to your preferred type for a chocolate variation. For example, you can select milk chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, dark chocolate, or bittersweet chocolate as some of the most popular choices.
• Enhance the flavor by stirring in vanilla beans or paste if you wish. Vanilla extract may cause lumps.
• You can also substitute the cream for evaporated milk or condensed milk. 

How to Serve Hot Fudge Sauce

Make an ice cream sundae with vanilla ice cream topped with hot fudge, sprinkles, cherries, or nuts.

Beyond ice cream sundaes, it’s the perfect addition to dozens of dishes. For example, add it to the mix to add rich flavor to brownies. Alternatively, add it to trifle recipes, morning coffee, or hot chocolate.

Make a charcuterie board with this hot fudge topping. The homemade sauce goes well with fresh fruit, pretzels, and marshmallows.

If you want the sauce to stay warm, keep it in a mini crockpot or fondue pot. The sauce thickens as it cools.

Hot Fudge Sauce is excellent drizzled over brownies, pie, or chocolate chip muffins. It’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. There’s no wrong time to enjoy it; it’s versatile enough for almost every occasion.

Storage and Reheating

• Reheating: Microwave at 50% power in 15-second intervals, stirring between each until smooth and pourable
• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container or mason jar for up to one month
• Freezer: Not recommended as texture changes significantly

Favorite Ice Cream Sauce Recipes

• Chocolate Magic Shell
• Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
• Peanut Butter Sauce for Ice Cream

Popular Ice Cream Recipes

Because homemade hot fudge sauce is fantastic on top of homemade ice cream!

• Cherry Garcia Ice Cream
• Chocolate Ice Cream
• French Vanilla Ice Cream
• Peanut Butter Ice Cream
• Vanilla Ice Cream

Check out my easy sauce recipes and the best DIY recipes on CopyKat!