Paula Deen Hot Fudge Chocolate Sauce

Paula Deen hot fudge chocolate sauce turns butter, sugar and milk chocolate chips into a thick, glossy topping for ice cream, cake or pie in 10 minutes. This easy homemade ice cream topping fits Sunday dinner, game day and your next church supper, and it makes enough for 8.

Keep the pan on the heat until the sugar has fully melted into the chocolate, because you want to feel no grit on the spoon. If you pull it early, the sauce turns grainy and never smooths out.

Paula uses evaporated milk instead of heavy cream, so the sauce stays smooth and a little chewy even after it cools on the ice cream. She also mixes in the vanilla off the heat, which keeps its flavor from cooking away.

Paula Deen Hot Fudge Chocolate Sauce

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Calories

250

kcal

Melted butter, sugar and chocolate cook down into a thick, silky sauce that clings to a spoon. A splash of evaporated milk keeps it smooth, so it spoons over cold ice cream in a glossy ribbon.

Ingredients

• 1 stick Butter
  

• 1 cup sugar
  

• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  

• ⅓ cup evaporated milk
  

• ½ teaspoon vanilla
  

Directions

• Melt the butter: Melt 1 stick butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then stir in 1 cup sugar. Keep stirring so the sugar blends into the butter instead of sticking to the bottom.
• Add the chocolate: Add 1 cup milk chocolate chips and cook until the sugar and chips are melted. Stir often, since the chocolate can scorch if it sits.
• Stir in the milk: Pour in 1/3 cup evaporated milk and cook for another minute or so. Check that all the sugar has melted and the sauce is not grainy.
• Add the vanilla: Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Taking it off the heat first keeps the vanilla flavor bright.
• Cool and serve: Let the sauce cool slightly, then spoon it over your favorite cake, pie or ice cream. Warm sauce on cold ice cream gives you that classic hot fudge sundae.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, OXO silicone spatula set, Ball regular mouth mason jars, 12 pack, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

How do I reheat leftover hot fudge sauce?

Warm it gently in a saucepan over low heat or in short microwave bursts. Paula says to stir in a bit of evaporated milk, and it will cream right up again.

Can I use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips instead?

Yes, semi-sweet chips give you a deeper, less sweet sauce with the same method. Dark chocolate gets bitter against the full cup of sugar, so I'd stick with milk or semi-sweet.

How long does homemade hot fudge sauce keep?

Store it in a covered jar in the refrigerator, where it stays good for about a week. It thickens a lot when cold, so warm it up before spooning it out.

Can I make this without evaporated milk?

Regular milk works in a pinch, though the sauce will be a little thinner and less rich. Heavy cream is the better swap, since it also gives you a thick, smooth finish.

Why did my fudge sauce turn grainy?

Grainy sauce almost always means the sugar did not melt all the way. Keep cooking and stirring over medium heat until it feels smooth, and don't crank the heat to rush it.