A Little Guide to Making Chocolate Sauce

Perhaps you are wanting some chocolate milk or a bit of chocolate sauce to drizzle over ice cream or your cheesecake slice. You only need a few common ingredients to make this simple chocolate sauce recipe. Water, sugar, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt is all you need. Vanilla isn’t required but will enhance the flavor. This chocolate sauce is not sickly sweet like many store brought brands can be and this allows the chocolate flavor to really punch through. Smooth, silky and rich in flavor. It’s even better than any Hershey’s sauce.

I am excited to have this in the refrigerator now and I can hardly wait to make a treat with it after dinner tonight! This Hershey’s chocolate syrup copycat recipe will please those who are allergic to corn or want clean, pure ingredients. Smooth, simple, just sweet enough, and rich in chocolate; this is the only chocolate sauce recipe you’ll ever need.

Chocolate Sauce vs. Syrup

What makes this a chocolate sauce and not a syrup? Well for one, it has much less sugar than most traditional syrup recipes. The other main difference is the temperature. Chocolate sauce can be quite thin and runny or a bit thicker like pancake syrup. In contrast, chocolate syrup is heated to 230°F (110°C) and will become quite thick, much like molasses or honey.

This chocolate sauce recipe is gentle heated until it thickens or reaches 220°F (104°C) to create a nice thinner sauce at room temperature and the perfect pourable consistency when chilled. That 10 degree difference is significant. It makes the chocolate sauce perfect for all kinds of recipes and uses.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Below, we will teach you how to make this simple chocolate sauce recipe.

Step 1: Gather your Ingredients

Gathering your supplies ahead of time will ensure this chocolate sauce will come together easily. It’s always a good idea to get your ingredients and equipment before starting any recipe no matter how small. That way you will know you didn’t run out of a main ingredient like cocoa powder at the last moment.

Step 2: Prepare the Mixture

Whisk or sift together the sugar, cocoa powder and salt until there are no visible lumps.

Next, gradually whisk in the water until the cocoa and sugar begin to dissolve. It will look a lot like hot chocolate!

Step 3: Cook the Chocolate Sauce

Using a heat proof spoon or whisk, bring the cocoa mixture to a boil over medium to medium high heat while stirring constantly.  Please be careful not to spill or spatter hot mixture onto electric stovetops as it can etch or permanently mar the surface. If using an electric glass stovetop, we recommend picking up a cheap hotplate for all sauces, candies and fudge making.

Reduce heat to medium low or until it’s just boiling.

Cook and stir continuously. Failure to stir the cocoa mixture can lead to the cocoa powder and sugar burning and bubbling over onto your stovetop.

Continue stirring for 9 minutes or until the boiling slows, the bubbles become small and uniform and the sauce reduces in volume and thickens. The temperature should reach 220°F (104°C) when ready. This will give the best consistency when chilled and will look like pancake syrup.

For a syrup, you can continue to cook until temperature reaches 230°F (110°C) but it will be quite thick when chilled. Much like hot fudge or honey. Warming the sauce will thin the consistency of both.

Step 4: Allow the Sauce to Cool

You want the chocolate sauce to cool completely without attempting to eat or touch it so you do not get burned. This will take approximately 30 minutes or so.

Once it is fully cooled, you can stir in some vanilla. This is optional and not necessary. It just gives a nice depth of flavor to the already delicious chocolate sauce.

Step 5: Transfer to a Glass Container

You are now ready to use your sauce! If using immediately, we recommend pouring the cooled sauce into a measuring cup. It makes it easier to pour over ice cream, pancakes, cheesecakes, and whatever else you can think of.

Substitutions and Tips

Here are some common substitutions and tips for this recipe.

• For best results, we recommend using a thermometer.
• Add another tablespoon or 5 grams of cocoa powder for an even deeper chocolate.
• Add 1 tsp of instant coffee prior to cooking to bring out the chocolate flavor even more.
• Use either regular or dark cocoa powder.
• For safety, be sure to allow the chocolate sauce to cool at least thirty minutes and come to room temperature before placing into a glass for storage.  Adding hot liquid to glass can cause thermal shock which can lead to broken, cracked or shattered glass.  
• Please be careful not to spill or spatter hot mixture onto electric stovetops as it can etch or permanently mar the surface. If using an electric glass stovetop, we recommend picking up a cheap hotplate for all sauces, candies and fudge making.
• If mixture becomes grainy or crystallizes, this is because the sugar didn’t fully dissolve. You can return the mixture to a saucepan and reheat until the sugar dissolves.

Storage

Place the chocolate sauce in a jar or container with an airtight lid and store in the refrigerator for several weeks. This chocolate sauce can last several months if properly stored. The sauce will be a thicker texture when cold. Bring to room temperature or heat for a thinner consistency.

When Does the Chocolate Sauce Go Bad?

Like all food, this chocolate sauce can eventually spoil or go bad. Here are some common signs to watch out for before consumption:

• Discard if the surface has any form of mold. Discard immediately and throughly wash the container. This is very cheap to make. Don’t eat mold.
• If the sugar begins to crystallize or go cloudy. This doesn’t mean it has necessarily gone bad. It just means the syrup will be gritty. If it happens immediately after making, you can return it to the stove and dissolve the sugar. If it happens after a week or longer, discard and start fresh.
• Discoloration, an unpleasant odor or taste. This can happen if not stored in an airtight container. The syrup will be sensitive to strong odors in the refrigerator, like onions or garlic.

Chocolate Syrup Recipe

This is small batch easy chocolate sauce recipe that uses simple ingredients and creates a rich, smooth and silky chocolate sauce. It is perfect for drizzling over ice cream, cake and making chocolate milk!

Print Recipe

Prep Time10 minutes minutes

Cook Time30 minutes minutes

Servings8

Calories 48.8

Ingredients

• ¾ cup (180mL) water
• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 3 tbs (15g) cocoa powder
• ½ tsp (2.5mL) vanilla extract
• ⅛ tsp (.625g) salt

Instructions

• In a heavy bottom saucepan, whisk or sift together the sugar, cocoa powder and salt until there are no remaining lumps. Gradually stir in the water until the cocoa dissolves.
• Bring the cocoa mixture to a boil over medium to medium high heat while stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium low or until it's just boiling. Cook and stir continuously for 9 minutes or until the boiling slows, the bubbles become small and uniform and the sauce reduces in volume and thickens. The temperature should reach 220°F (104°C) when ready.
• Let cool in the pan 30 minutes and stir in optional vanilla. Pour cooled syrup into a glass jar, cover and refrigerate up to 3 months.

Notes

Makes roughly 1/2 cup (120mL) chocolate sauce.

Want to make chocolate syrup?  Continue to boil until mixture reduces and temperature reaches 230°F (110°C.)

For safety, be sure to allow the chocolate sauce to cool at least thirty minutes and come to room temperature before placing into a glass for storage.  Adding hot liquid to glass can cause thermal shock which can lead to broken, cracked or shattered glass.  

Please be careful not to spill or spatter hot mixture onto electric stovetops as it can etch or permanently mar the surface. If using an electric glass stovetop, we recommend picking up a cheap hotplate for all sauces, candies and fudge making.

Nutrition Facts

Chocolate Syrup Recipe

Serving Size

 

1 tbs

Amount per Serving

Calories

48.8

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

0.2

g

0

%

Sodium

 

36.3

mg

2

%

Carbohydrates

 

13.1

g

4

%

Fiber

 

0.8

g

3

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

* Calories provided as a courtesy and not guaranteed.