Chocolate sauce is a delicious topping that can instantly elevate desserts like ice cream sundaes, cakes, and fruit. But walk down the aisle of any grocery store and you’ll see there are so many options – chocolate syrup, hot fudge, magic shell, ganache, and more. So what’s the difference, and is it worth making your own homemade chocolate sauce?
Chocolate Syrup vs Fudge Sauce
The main difference between chocolate syrup and fudge sauce is ingredients and consistency. Chocolate syrup is made from corn syrup, cocoa powder, and flavourings. It has a thin, pourable consistency. Fudge sauce contains mostly chocolate, cream, and sugar. It’s much thicker and richer.
Chocolate syrup works well as an ice cream topping or mixed into milk for a quick chocolate drink. The sweetness and thin texture allow it to incorporate smoothly. Fudge sauce is ideal for topping cakes, brownies, and other dense desserts. The thickness allows it to coat and drizzle over the top.
Benefits of Homemade Chocolate Sauce
While the convenience of ready-made chocolate sauce can’t be beaten, there are some advantages to making your own:
Control ingredients – Store-bought chocolate sauce often contains preservatives, artificial flavours, and high fructose corn syrup. You can use high-quality chocolate and natural sweeteners when making it yourself.
Customize consistency – Based on the ingredients and cooking method, you can create a thin and pourable sauce or a thick and fudgy sauce.
Flavour options – Add spices, extracts, liqueurs, nuts, etc. to create unique flavour combinations.
Budget Saver: Homemade sauce costs a fraction of the price of jarred sauces.
The next time you need chocolate sauce for a recipe or sundae topping, consider bypassing the store-bought version and whipping up a homemade batch. Your desserts will thank you!
Quick Homemade Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar or sugar substitute
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup cold water
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
- Mix the cocoa powder and the sugar together in a small saucepan. Add the salt and the water and bring to a boil over medium-medium high heat.
- Remove from heat. Let cool and then add in the vanilla.
- Let cool and pour into a jar with a lid. I like to pour directly into a squeeze bottle so ready in a pinch.No need to refrigerate as there is no dairy in the product.
Notes
You can create your own specialized version by adding a touch espresso, chili powder, etc.