As a child, I watched my grandmother transform simple ingredients into something magical with just a saucepan and a wooden spoon. Her homemade chocolate syrup was my first kitchen memory, and now it’s a tradition I continue with my own family. Your home sundaes will never be the same after you add this simple, incredibly delicious chocolate syrup recipe to your repertoire. It’s the best way to enjoy the distinctively chocolatey boost of Hershey’s without the cost or trip to the store, and it takes just 10 minutes from start to finish.
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Table of Contents
What makes Hershey’s chocolate syrup so good?
What is there to say about chocolate — in particular, the instantly recognizable version produced by The Hershey Company? The slight tang accompanying the traditional sweet creaminess makes it distinctively craveable, especially in syrup form, where the ooey-gooey texture further enhances the experience.
Why you’ll love this recipe
he science behind this recipe is beautifully simple. By dissolving cocoa powder in water instead of milk or cream, you create a syrup with the perfect pourable consistency that won’t harden when it hits cold ice cream. The brief cooking process allows the sugar to fully dissolve and slightly thicken the mixture while developing deeper chocolate notes. Adding the vanilla extract after cooking preserves its delicate flavor compounds that would otherwise evaporate during heating.
Chocolate syrup ingredients
This simple but delicious recipe requires just a few simple-to-find ingredients:
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Provides rich chocolate flavor without added sweeteners
- Granulated sugar – Balances the bitterness of cocoa and creates proper syrupy texture
- Water – Dissolves the dry ingredients and creates the right consistency
- Vanilla extract – Enhances chocolate flavor with complementary aromatic notes
- Salt – Amplifies sweetness and balances flavors without tasting salty
While the recipe calls for traditional Hershey’s cocoa powder, you can also experiment with alternatives like Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Baking Powder for an even more decadent flavor twist.
How to make Hershey’s chocolate syrup
There are only a few simple steps to make this homemade chocolate syrup recipe:
- Combine cocoa, sugar, and salt in a saucepan.
- Add water and whisk until there are no lumps and the mixture is smooth.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil for one minute. Be careful it doesn’t overboil.
- Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Add the vanilla extract and stir until combined.
10-Minute Homemade Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cocoa Hershey’s
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine cocoa, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Add water, and mix until smooth.
- Bring this mixture to a boil. Allow it to boil for one minute, be careful this does not over boil.
- Remove from heat, when this cools add the vanilla.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredient Substitutions and Variations
Cocoa Options:
- Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa – Creates deeper, more intense chocolate flavor
- Dutch-processed cocoa – Results in smoother, less acidic taste
- Raw cacao powder – Offers more robust, earthy chocolate flavor
Sweetener Alternatives:
- Brown sugar – Adds molasses notes and richer color
- Coconut sugar – Provides caramel undertones
- Honey – Creates floral notes (use ¾ cup and reduce water slightly)
- Maple syrup – Adds distinctive maple flavor (use ¾ cup and reduce water slightly)
Flavor Enhancements:
- Instant espresso powder – ½ teaspoon deepens chocolate flavor
- Cinnamon – ¼ teaspoon adds subtle warmth
- Peppermint extract – ¼ teaspoon creates chocolate mint variety
- Orange zest – 1 teaspoon for chocolate-orange variation
How to use homemade Hershey’s chocolate syrup
Beverages:
- Chocolate milk – Stir 2 tablespoons into 8 oz cold milk
- Hot chocolate – Mix 3 tablespoons with 8 oz hot milk
- Coffee enhancer – Add 1 tablespoon to morning coffee
- Milkshake base – Blend 3 tablespoons with vanilla ice cream and milk
Desserts:
- Ice cream topping – Classic sundae essential
- Fruit dip – Perfect for strawberries, bananas, apple slices
- Drizzle for baked goods – Enhance brownies, cookies, or cake
- Pancakes or waffles topper – Breakfast treat alternative to maple syrup
Storage Options for Hershey’s syrup:
- Not recommended for freezing – Can separate and develop grainy texture
- Refrigerator – Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks
- Room temperature – Safe for 2-3 days in sealed container
Is there a difference between chocolate syrup and chocolate sauce?
While many people use the terms interchangeably, there’s a firm difference between chocolate sauce and syrup. Chocolate sauce is a rich, thick concoction made from cocoa powder, sugar, and cream. Syrup, on the other hand, is thinner and replaces the cream with water. It’s easier and more affordable, not to mention a bit healthier.
Love chocolate? Make these recipes
- Chocolate Lava Meltdown
- Chocolate Puff Pastry Turnovers
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Quick and Easy Chocolate Pie
- Chocolate Pizza
- Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Homemade Truffles
- Chocolate Chip Biscotti Recipe
- Chocolate Pudding Cake Recipe from Scratch
Make homemade ice cream to top with chocolate syrup
Be sure to look at my easy dessert recipes and the best copycat recipes.
Love the flavor of this but keeps turning out gritty; what am I doing wrong?
It sounds like the sugar isn’t dissolving fully, maybe try to heat it up when mixing this.
I made this using hersheys special dark coco powder and coconut sugar. I made it to go in my coffee, its sooo good!!
I made this exactly as written, except I let it boil for three minutes as some commenters recommended. Absolutely delicious and at least as good as the original, and at a fraction of the cost. Thanks!
Definitely BETTER than Any Store Bought Syrup, that I’ve tried over the years..
Thank you for this recipe. ❤
I’m looking for a copy cat recipe like this one because I’m less concerned with the fat/ sugar intake. And more so about all the micro plastics. Moderation sure. But I trust my own cooking & storage methods over mega corporations who need to cut costs in order to keep product quality standards the same. So that being said. Thank you again! I look forward to whipping this up for a treat for my family.
I don’t want all the calories. Could I make this using Stevia?
~Thanks
I am sorry I haven’t tried making a sugar free version.
I just finished making this chocolate syrup. My husband, the chocoholic, raved over how much better this was than the bottled Ghirardelli syrup. This gets 5 stars and 2 snaps up. Thanks for an easy (and delicious) homemade version.
Have made this many times and it so good. The only time it did not turn out well was when I let it boil for an extra minute or so…was too thick to come out of the bottle. I was still buying Hershey’s when I found the recipe so I recycled the Hershey bottle and that is what I keep mine in the fridge. Thanks so much for the recipe 😀.
This recipe was very easy to follow and took no time at all.
I got a good quality of chocolate syrup fresh from DeCocoa India
I did everything the recipe said but it’s really thin how do I thinking it
Yeah, yeah, I’m 2 years late, but In the future, try boiling it longer. The water will evaporate which will make it less runny
how long does it store in the fridge?
Not long enough if you ask my grandkids!s
I have made this before and it tastes like the real thing. Just make sure that you let it boil for the time it says and then let it cool completely before you put it in the bottle and it comes out great. I also store mine in the fridge, that helps to thicken it up too.
I made this exactly as written but it seems too thin. Is there something I can do now that would thicken it?
I let it boil 1 to 2 min longe comes out perfectly
It’s really fun that there are "kopycat" recipes especially since eating out is sooo expensive! But, it’s all fat and salt, creams, sugars, etc; it’s not healthy food! Boomers are paying the health price for growing up and indulging on this kind of food. Like I said, it’s really a great site but, good things in moderation folks! That bypass is a cinnabon away!
Kopycat, like everyone else out there, from McDonald’s to Euell Gibbons, does not hold the spoon to your mouth and shout, “Devour!” And how many healthy foods require much of a recipe to copy? If you look at magazines during rationing years, e.g., WWII. and they will be replete with copycat recipes for name brand candy bars, but we were eating far fewer than these days. Most healthy or comfort foods are found in cookbooks already, so here they might appear redundant. And we can eat vicariously. We can read these dissections of name brand offerings for that pleasure alone, such is the Western fascination with answers. One thing we can take from copykat is that sugar can take the place of HFCS – that boomers and Millennials can eat a little healthier here.
Well said, it always amazes me what people complain about. If you don’t want to eat that way then don’t. However a special treat meal of “high fat, salt, cream and sugars” once in a blue moon is not going to kill someone.