This Easy Chocolate Sauce is SO simple to make with just 5 ingredients and it's ready in less than 5 minutes. Perfect poured over vanilla ice cream or waffles and pancakes. A rich and indulgent ice cream sauce that the whole family will love.
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Chocolate, cream, sugar, butter and vanilla is all you need to make the most incredible homemade chocolate sauce that has a lot of uses. You can serve it hot or cold, use it as an ice cream sauce or a chocolate dipping sauce for fruit.
This chocolate sauce recipe doesn't harden when it cools. It stays runny, perfect for pouring, so you can even make it in advance. We have a few different ways you can adapt the flavour too.
If you are looking for some more chocolate recipes to try, then why not try our Chocolate Covered Marshmallows, Chocolate Avocado Pudding, Hot Chocolate Spoons, Chocolate Flapjacks, Microwave Hot Chocolate or Healthy Chocolate Mug Cake?
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Why You Will Love It
- Just 5 ingredients - Just a few simple ingredients, nothing fancy, and you have yourself an amazing sauce that tastes far more impressive than it is.
- Ready in under 5 minutes - It's as simple as heating the cream mixture and melting the chocolate into it. SO easy.
- Adaptable - We have a few different ways that you can adapt this sauce so it tastes different every time.
- So many uses - This is far more than just an ice cream sauce. Carry on reading to see out favourite ways to use it.
Ingredients Needed
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cream - We used single cream, but to make this thicker and more indulgent, you can use double cream. If you wanted to make it lighter, you could use full fat milk.
- Sugar - This helps to make the chocolate sauce extra sweet. We used caster sugar.
- Butter - This makes this ice cream sauce really silky smooth. Use unsalted.
- Vanilla - This is optional, but it adds a lovely extra flavour. Vanilla does to sweet foods what salt does to savoury. It helps to intensify the flavours. If you wanted a chocolate orange version of this, then use orange extract instead.
- Chocolate - The type of chocolate you use depends on how rich you want the chocolate sauce. We used milk, but dark and white chocolate work well too.
Substitutions and Variations
- White chocolate sauce - A white chocolate version of this is even richer, but really good. Simply swap the milk chocolate for white.
- Chocolate mocha sauce - Love mocha? Add a little amount of coffee granules to the mixture.
- Hardening chocolate sauce - If you wanted the type of sauce that hardens when it hits ice cream, then that is a mixture of coconut oil and dark chocolate and it's different from this runny sauce.
- Alcohol - Who doesn't love a grown-up chocolate sauce? If you want to make a grown up ice cream, then add a little Baileys or Disaronno to the cooled mixture.
- Vegan - If you wanted to make a vegan version of this chocolate dipping sauce, then you will need to use a vegan cream, butter and chocolate. It won't quite have the same richness, but it will be delicious.
How To Make Chocolate Sauce
- Step 1: Put the cream, butter, vanilla and sugar into a saucepan.
- Step 2: Gently heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Step 3: Add the chocolate.
- Step 4: Stir until the chocolate has melted.
How To Use Chocolate Sauce
We think this is a great chocolate sauce for ice cream. We love a classic vanilla ice cream, but this sauce works well on any ice cream. Pour it over chocolate chip ice cream for extra chocolatiness.
It doesn't have to be poured though, as it makes a great dipping sauce. If you are looking for a chocolate sauce for churros, then this is an easy option. It also makes a great chocolate dip for a fruit platter. Our kids love it for that. Make some little fruit kebabs and then dip it into this sauce.
When it comes to pancake and waffle toppings, it has to be this sauce. Stack them high, add some fruit and then smoother it in this.
You could even try it drizzled over our healthy Eton Mess recipe.
Storage
Store: You can make this in advance, as it stores well and it doesn't harden as it cools. It will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 3 days. But make sure you check the date on the cream you used, as it might need to be used quicker than 3 days if the expiry date of the cream is before that.
Freeze: You can freeze this and we do it by pouring it into ice cube trays, and then you have individual portions.
Defrost: Defrost it in the fridge and then you need to give it a good whisk once it is defrosted as it will have separated.
Dannii's Top Tips
- For some extra flavour, add a pinch of salt to the sauce.
- You can leave the sugar out if you wanted a lower in sugar version of this.
- Pour this sauce over homemade brownies to make them extra indulgent.
- For a grown-up version, add some Disaronno, rum or Baileys.
- A little pinch of cayenne adds an amazing flavour to this sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
You only need a little bit of cream for this recipe, so you are probably going to have some left over in the pot you bought. You can freeze it in an ice cube tray.
To make a quicker version of this, you can melt it all together in the microwave. It will take less than a minute.
How thick or thin you want it will depend on preference. If you want it thicker, then use double cream and add a little more chocolate. If you want a thinner sauce, then add some milk to loosen it up.
More Dessert Recipes
If you've tried this chocolate dipping sauce, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Easy Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
- 125 ml (0.5 cups) of Single cream
- 25 g (5 teaspoon) of Butter
- 0.5 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of Caster sugar
- 60 g (0.33 cups) of Chocolate - milk
Instructions
- Put 125 ml of Single cream, 25 g of Butter, 0.5 tsp of Vanilla extract and 1 tbsp of Caster sugar into a saucepan.
- Gently heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add 60 g of Chocolate.
- Stir until the chocolate has melted.
Recipe Tips
- For some extra flavour, add a pinch of salt to the sauce.
- You can leave the sugar out if you wanted a lower in sugar version of this.
- Pour this sauce over homemade brownies to make them extra indulgent.
- For a grown-up version, add some Disaronno, rum or Baileys.
- A little pinch of cayenne adds an amazing flavour to this sauce.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Gail Crook says
Hi. Just made the recipe. My sauce is runny. Can you advise how to fix my sauce so it's less runny please? I did substitute cream with half milk and half yogurt as I don't do cream. Can I reheat it later and add cornflour and water slurry to thicken it without tainting the flavour?
Dannii Martin says
Hi. To make it thicker, use double cream and more chocolate. If you changed the ingredients and used milk and yoghurt then you won't have a thick sauce. No, I would not recommend using a cornflour slurry - it will change the flavour completely.