3-Ingredient Hot Fudge Sauce

This three-ingredient hot fudge sauce recipe couldn't be easier or more delicious. It takes just five minutes to make and is a luscious way to dress up ice cream, cakes, milkshakes, and more. It’s so much better than anything you can buy from the store, and you’ll be surprised to see how quickly it comes together. The secret to its smooth and drizzle-able consistency is light corn syrup, which keeps it from hardening fully (leaving the corn syrup would create a classic chocolate ganache, which can become quite firm when refrigerated). Our fudge sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks—but it's not likely to last that long. It's a cinch to reheat and there are so many ways to enjoy it: on ice cream sundaes of course, but also try it drizzled over pound cake or brownies, or simply eat it with a spoon … we won't judge.

The 3 Ingredients You Need for Our Hot Fudge Sauce

You'll only need three basic ingredients to make this decadent sauce:

Heavy cream: A cup of heavy creates the base of the hot fudge sauce and lends plenty of richness and creaminess. We don't recommend using light cream or half-and-half instead, as the fat content of the heavy cream is important for achieving the finished texture.

Corn syrup: Light corn syrup, which you can find in the baking aisle, keeps the sauce from hardening by preventing crystallization. It also gives the sauce a glossy sheen. Be sure to pick up light corn syrup, not dark. Light has a mild vanilla taste that won't impact your sauce, whereas dark corn syrup is flavored with molasses and has a deeper, more intense flavor.

Chocolate: It wouldn't be fudge sauce without the chocolate. For this recipe, we recommend using semisweet chocolate that's been chopped into small pieces. Aim for a cacao percentage between 56 percent and 61 percent. Going much higher than that can result in a sauce that's more bitter due to the lower sugar content.

How to Make Hot Fudge Sauce Ahead

You can make this hot fudge sauce up to two weeks before you plan to serve it. While it won't fully solidify in the refrigerator, it will thicken up quite a bit. Reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, or microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each one, until softened.