Homemade Ben & Jerry’s Hot Fudge Sauce
The most delicious authentic Homemade Ben & Jerry’s Hot Fudge Sauce, perfect for topping your favorite ice cream or sundae!
This post was originally published on February 19, 2010 and was updated with step by step directions and photos in June 2020.
Bob and I had his sister and her boyfriend over for dinner a few weeks ago. I debated about what to make for dessert. Flipping through my Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book, I wanted to make just about everything!
I finally decided on Hot Fudge Sundaes – French vanilla ice cream, Homemade Ben & Jerry’s Hot Fudge Sauce, whipped cream, and of course maraschino cherries.
This hot fudge sauce was pretty simple to make, it just takes a while. It’s definitely the “low and slow” method. The great thing is that it keeps well stored in fridge (where it hardens to a consistency of traditional fudge), so you can enjoy the leftovers at your own pace. I actually thought it was even better a few days later . . . eaten by itself . . . directly from the container . . . cold . . . with a spoon. Yeah, it’s that good 🙂
Gather the Ingredients
It’s best to get everything prepped and ready before you begin since you’ll be adding ingredients while the hot fudge cooks. The original recipe uses 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate and 1 cup of sugar. I prefer to use bittersweet chocolate, so I used a conversion formula for adjusting the amount of chocolate and sugar. It worked very well!
I like to use a double boiler for this, but you can use a bowl set on top of a pot of simmering water. I did that for a couple years before breaking down and getting a double boiler. Putting space between the heat and the chocolate prevents the chocolate from getting too hot.
Melt the Chocolate and Butter
The chocolate and butter are added to the top of the double boiler. The bottom is filled about half way with water. You don’t want the hot water touching the surface containing the chocolate. It’s the heat from the steam that warms and melts the chocolate and butter.
This is yet another perfect job for one of my favorite small silicone spatulas. Because they are heat resistant, you can leave the spatula in the top of the double boiler and stir occasionally until the mixture is completely melted.
Add the Cocoa Powder
Next you add the cocoa powder to the melted butter and chocolate mixture and whisk until completely combined.
Add the Sugar
Then add the sugar with a slotted spoon. This allows you to add it gradually and stir after each addition.
The mixture will resemble wet sand when all of the sugar is added. You’ll continue to cook this for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It’s important to check on the water level in the bottom of the double boiler and replenish if necessary.
Adding the Milk and Cream
After the “wet sand” consistency fudge has cooked for 20 minutes, it’s time to add the milk and cream.
You’ll want to stir this well to completely blend in the milk and cream. This is a good time to replenish the water in the bottom of the double boiler if you haven’t yet. Continue to cook the mixture for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
The hot fudge is done when the sugar is completely dissolved. You can check this by taking a sample if you’d like . . .
If there’s any grit from the sugar, keep cooking.
This Hot Fudge Sauce is finished! It’s super smooth.
Storing the Hot Fudge Sauce
Once the hot fudge is finished cooking, you can use it right away. If you won’t need it immediately, you can let it cool until it’s just warm, then transfer it to a container for storage. I like to store it in a glass mason jar so that I can heat it up directly from the refrigerator when serving it as part of a Hot Fudge Sundae Bar.
The spatula helps get all of the fudge out of the double boiler.
The cookbook says this Hot Fudge Sauce lasts a “long time” in the refrigerator. Good luck keeping it around for a long time! 😉
Gluten Free Option for Homemade Ben & Jerry’s Hot Fudge Sauce
This hot fudge sauce is naturally gluten free!
Looking for more Ice Cream Recipes?
Click HERE for my other ice cream recipes, including my Rainbow Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches! A brownie that is easy to bite straight from the freezer and would make an awesome crust for a Homemade Ice Cream Cake!
LOOKING FOR MORE CHOCOLATE?!
Check out these recipes:
Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake Bundt Cake
Bailey’s Irish Cream Mini Cheesecakes
Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecakes
Almost Fudge Gateau
Cheesecake Factory Copycat Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake
S’mores Cheesecake Bars
Graham Cracker S’mores Cookies
Easy Homemade Cream Puffs
Mocha Cream Cake
Samoa Bundt Cake
Samoa Bars
Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cake
Rich Chocolate Bundt Cake
Chocolate Pear Tart
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Dark Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies with Blueberry Ganache
Roasted Cherry Brownie Sundaes with Cherry Port Sauce
Homemade Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake
Thick and Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies
Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Original photo posted on February 19, 2010:
Homemade Ben & Jerry’s Hot Fudge Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate and butter, stirring frequently, in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. When chocolate and butter are melted, add the cocoa powder and whisk until dissolved.
- Using a slotted spoon, gradually stir in the sugar. The mixture should be the consistency of wet sand. Cook, stirring occasionally, over simmering water for 20 minutes. Check the water level in the double boiler occasionally and replenish if necessary.
- Gradually stir in the milk and cream and keep stirring until completely blended. Continue cooking, stirring and checking the water occasionally, for 1 hour. The fudge is ready when it is completely smooth and all the sugar is dissolved. Store leftovers in fridge; it lasts a "long time" according to the book.
Oh wow, homemade fudge! That's gotta be good! I can't wait to try it.
There are so many homemade things that you can make in place of buying them premade, but I have never thought to make my own hot fudge sauce–brilliant!
My kind of girl! Love hot fudge sundaes!
Holy crap. I need it, I've been dying for hot fudge lately.
I'm such a sucker for hot fudge! Here I am being good and just having a cup of tea, but now I really want a sundae!
Homemade fudge sauce – what a divine treat! It wouldn't last long in my fridge!
I would so eat it cold right out of the tub too 🙂 Looks divine!
From the spoon…… directly into the jar…… that's the best way to enjoy hot fudge sauce.
Good call!
Oh my gosh – you are killing me here Meghan! Your chocolate sauce looks heavenly. Making this soon!
ahhh i work at a Ben and Jerry's scoop shop so this makes me happy 🙂 Didnt know they had a recipe book out though! That is good to know! <3
This is SUCH a good recipe! My favorites are the original and peppermint. I just made two hot fudge sauces side by side (this one, and America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook), and this is my favorite because it's a little more rich-chocolately. My husband slightly prefers the ATK recipe because it's a little sweeter. (They're both really good). This is such amazing hot fudge sauce!!! And, if I don't want four cups of it, it is easily divided, and instead of my huge double boiler I just use a small metal bowl set over a small saucepan.
If you like peanut butter, I just took some of the leftover hot fudge sauce and made "Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Sauce" (www.cookscountry.com). You microwave a cup of hot fudge sauce in a microwave-safe bowl until hot, about 1 minute. Whisk in 2 Tablespoons peanut butter, 4 teaspoons water, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Also delicious!