Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Savory Nothings (2024)

15 minutes mins

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5 from 8 votes

Jump to Recipe | Updated: | by Nora

This easy homemade chocolate sauce comes together with just three ingredients – and it is so rich and creamy! Serve it as a dip for strawberries or churros, or use it as a topping for ice cream. You will never go back to the bottled kind!

Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Savory Nothings (1)

Chocolate sauce recipe

  • This recipe takes just 15 minutes to come together – way faster than heading to the store!
  • You can make this sauce with most types of chocolate, to suit your needs and preferences. Make sure to pick a chocolate that melts well, heat it gently – and you’ll be all set!
  • This is a great topping for ice cream or a dip for fruit and desserts like churros. You may be tempted to eat it with a spoon, though ?

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

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Ingredient notes

  • Heavy cream: Make sure to use heavy cream for the richest results. You can use half-and-half if that’s all you have, but keep in mind that the sauce may come out a little thinner – you could reduce the liquid by ¼ cup to be on the safe side. Evaporated milk works in a pinch, too.
  • Chocolate: This really works with any chocolate you like. I used a semi-sweet baking chocolate. Be careful with white chocolate, it splits easily and must be melted over very moderate heat. If you want to use chocolate chips, please know that they contain less cocoa butter because they are usually meant to keep their shape – this means they take a little longer to melt and the end result is a little thicker.
  • Salt: I got the idea to add a pinch of salt to my chocolate sauce from an episode of Modern Family, where Manny’s crush upstages his mom by adding a pinch of salt to Manny’s chocolate milk. I only add a small pinch, so it doesn’t turn into a salted chocolate sauce. But it does add a little something extra. Feel free to leave it out if you need to closely monitor sodium levels, it’s not needed to make a great sauce.

How to make chocolate sauce

1. This is an easy recipe: Simply place the ingredients in a small saucepan.

Place it over medium heat and allow the chocolate to melt while stirring (this happens a lot faster if you take the time to chop up the chocolate – I’m usually too lazy and prefer to wait for an extra minute or two).

2. Stir well to make the ingredients come together into a smooth sauce. Gently cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until glossy and thickened to your liking.

  • Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Savory Nothings (3)
  • Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Savory Nothings (4)

3. Serve immediately for a runnier sauce, allow to cool for a thicker sauce.

Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Savory Nothings (5)

Recipe tips

  • Do not boil the mixture – it could cause the chocolate sauce to get too hot and turn out grainy.
  • I recommend stirring and babysitting the sauce constantly. It takes less than 10 minutes to come together, but it can burn on the bottom/get too hot easily.
  • If you need a smaller amount of chocolate sauce, it’s absolutely fine to cut the ingredients in half, quarters or even into eights.
  • If you only have a microwave available, you can alter the recipe as follows: Heat ½ cup of cream in the microwave in a large, microwave-safe bowl in increments, until simmering. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Thin with additional cream until it reaches your desired consistency.
  • Store leftover sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, re-heat in a small saucepan with an additional splash of cream.
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PSIf you try this recipe, please leavea review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along onPinterest,FacebookorInstagram.

Printable recipe

Printable Recipe Card

Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Savory Nothings (7)

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Homemade Chocolate Sauce

This easy homemade chocolate sauce comes together with just three ingredients – and it is so rich and creamy!

Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings

made it? tap the stars to add your rating!

5 from 8 votes

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Recipe details

Prep 5 minutes mins

Cook 10 minutes mins

Total 15 minutes mins

Servings 10 servings

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup chocolate chips OR 6 ounces chopped chocolate
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a saucepan.

  • Gently cook over medium heat (never boil!), stirring constantly, until chocolate has melted. Stir to make ingredients come together into a smooth sauce.

  • Continue gently cooking over medium to medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce has reached your desired consistency.

  • Take off the heat, then serve hot for a thinner sauce, warm or at room temperature for a thicker sauce. Store leftover sauce refrigerated for up to 3 days, re-heat in a small saucepan with an additional splash of cream.

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Notes

Ingredient notes

  • Heavy cream: Make sure to use heavy cream for the richest results. You can use half-and-half if that’s all you have, but keep in mind that the sauce may come out a little thinner – you could reduce the liquid by ¼ cup to be on the safe side. Evaporated milk works in a pinch, too.
  • Chocolate: This really works with any chocolate you like. I used a semi-sweet baking chocolate. Be careful with white chocolate, it splits easily and must be melted over very moderate heat. If you want to use chocolate chips, please know that they contain less cocoa butter because they are usually meant to keep their shape – this means they take a little longer to melt and the end result is a little thicker.
  • Salt: Feel free to leave it out if you need to closely monitor sodium levels, it’s not needed to make a great sauce.

Recipe tips

  • If you need a smaller amount of chocolate sauce, it’s absolutely fine to cut the ingredients in half, quarters or even into eights.
  • If you only have a microwave available, you can alter the recipe as follows: Heat ½ cup of cream in the microwave in a large, microwave-safe bowl in increments, until simmering. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Thin with additional cream until it reaches your desired consistency.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 82kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 13mgPotassium: 18mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 350IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

More chocolate recipes

  • Easy Chocolate Ganache
  • Cheat’s Chocolate Frosting
  • World’s Best Brownies
  • Chewy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Savory Nothings (12)
About Nora
When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me! Learn more.

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Homemade Chocolate Sauce Recipe - Savory Nothings (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep chocolate sauce from hardening? ›

Incorporating fat can help maintain the fluid texture of chocolate as it cools. Vegetable oil, coconut oil, or cocoa butter can be slowly stirred into melted chocolate. For every cup of chocolate, add about one tablespoon of oil until it reaches your desired consistency.

How do you thicken chocolate sauce? ›

Cornstarch – helps thicken the mixture into a thick hot chocolate sauce. Water – loosens up the sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch into a sauce. Butter – adds flavor and helps create a silky texture.

How do you thin chocolate sauce? ›

To thin melted chocolate, add a small amount of neutral oil, like vegetable oil or cocoa butter, stirring gently until it reaches the desired consistency. Melt slowly to avoid overheating, and keep water out to prevent the chocolate from seizing.

What do you add to chocolate to make it harden? ›

You don't add ingredients to chocolate to make it harden, you temper it by heating it to a specific temperature, cooling it to another temperature, then heating it again. This causes the chocolate to crystalize in a way that leaves it hard and shiny. The temperatures are different for different kinds of chocolate.

Why is my homemade chocolate not hardening? ›

However, if your chocolate hasn't set, there are a few reasons why this could be. 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.

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.

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

Chocolate syrup is made using cocoa powder and has a thinner, stickier consistency than classic chocolate sauce. This makes it perfect for adding chocolate flavour to your hot drinks – why not turn your usual morning coffee into a delicious mocha?

What is a thickening agent for 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.

What happens when you add milk to melted chocolate? ›

It will become lumpy and unmanageable. If you must add a liquid (such as heavy cream or milk), heat up the liquid first, then add the chocolate. The chocolate will melt more evenly and distribute into the liquid.

What can you add to melted chocolate to make it thinner? ›

How to Thin Out Chocolate
  1. Add canola oil to chopped chocolate before you melt it. ...
  2. Add coconut oil to chocolate pieces before you melt them. ...
  3. Add paramount crystals to a large amount of chocolate. ...
  4. Grate solid cocoa butter into the melted chocolate. ...
  5. Stir vegetable oil into melted chocolate.
Dec 22, 2021

Why do you add oil to melting chocolate? ›

Adding a tablespoon of coconut oil or vegetable oil while microwaving helps the chocolate melt more smoothly and makes it the perfect consistency for dipping! The caveat here is that once cool, the chocolate won't set up quite as hard as it did to begin with due to the added fat content.

What should you not do when melting chocolate? ›

An important step to remember: Keep the chocolate dry

Chocolate and water don't go together. Even a small splash of water in your melting chocolate will cause it to seize, becoming stiff and grainy instead of smooth and silky.

Why is my melted chocolate hardening? ›

Seized chocolate occurs when the chocolate you're melting comes into contact with moisture. Chocolate itself doesn't contain any moisture, so adding a small amount of liquid can disrupt the melting process.

How do you keep melted chocolate from setting too hard at home? ›

Heat a cup of heavy cream and 1/2 cup of light corn syrup together in a small sauce pan and then pour over the bowl of chocolate. Allow the mixture to sit for several minutes, until the chocolate bits soften considerably and whisk to incorporate.

Why does my chocolate harden after melting it? ›

The simple reason why melted chocolate seizes is because the process of refining cocoa beans into chocolate gets rid of all the moisture, and so the final product is actually incredibly dry. When water droplets mix with melted chocolate, it has the same effect as adding water to flour—it turns into a paste.

What can I add to melted chocolate so it doesn't harden? ›

Vegetable oil is my lifesaver and I rarely melt chocolate without it! (Don't use this with candy melts or melting chocolate though, just regular chocolate.) As a fair warning, adding vegetable oil can make it so that the chocolate doesn't harden as quickly or as hard. It can make the chocolate a bit softer.

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