This easy homemade chocolate sauce comes together with just three ingredients – and it is so rich and creamy! Serve it as a dip for strawberries or churros, or use it as a topping for ice cream. You will never go back to the bottled kind!
Chocolate sauce recipe
- This recipe takes just 15 minutes to come together – way faster than heading to the store!
- You can make this sauce with most types of chocolate, to suit your needs and preferences. Make sure to pick a chocolate that melts well, heat it gently – and you’ll be all set!
- This is a great topping for ice cream or a dip for fruit and desserts like churros. You may be tempted to eat it with a spoon, though 😉
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Heavy cream: Make sure to use heavy cream for the richest results. You can use half-and-half if that’s all you have, but keep in mind that the sauce may come out a little thinner – you could reduce the liquid by ¼ cup to be on the safe side. Evaporated milk works in a pinch, too.
- Chocolate: This really works with any chocolate you like. I used a semi-sweet baking chocolate. Be careful with white chocolate, it splits easily and must be melted over very moderate heat. If you want to use chocolate chips, please know that they contain less cocoa butter because they are usually meant to keep their shape – this means they take a little longer to melt and the end result is a little thicker.
- Salt: I got the idea to add a pinch of salt to my chocolate sauce from an episode of Modern Family, where Manny’s crush upstages his mom by adding a pinch of salt to Manny’s chocolate milk. I only add a small pinch, so it doesn’t turn into a salted chocolate sauce. But it does add a little something extra. Feel free to leave it out if you need to closely monitor sodium levels, it’s not needed to make a great sauce.
How to make chocolate sauce
1. This is an easy recipe: Simply place the ingredients in a small saucepan.
Place it over medium heat and allow the chocolate to melt while stirring (this happens a lot faster if you take the time to chop up the chocolate – I’m usually too lazy and prefer to wait for an extra minute or two).
2. Stir well to make the ingredients come together into a smooth sauce. Gently cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until glossy and thickened to your liking.
add ingredients to saucepan 
gently heat until smooth and glossy
3. Serve immediately for a runnier sauce, allow to cool for a thicker sauce.
Recipe tips
- Do not boil the mixture – it could cause the chocolate sauce to get too hot and turn out grainy.
- I recommend stirring and babysitting the sauce constantly. It takes less than 10 minutes to come together, but it can burn on the bottom/get too hot easily.
- If you need a smaller amount of chocolate sauce, it’s absolutely fine to cut the ingredients in half, quarters or even into eights.
- If you only have a microwave available, you can alter the recipe as follows: Heat ½ cup of cream in the microwave in a large, microwave-safe bowl in increments, until simmering. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Thin with additional cream until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Store leftover sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, re-heat in a small saucepan with an additional splash of cream.
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Homemade Chocolate Sauce
This easy homemade chocolate sauce comes together with just three ingredients – and it is so rich and creamy!
made it? tap the stars to add your rating!
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chocolate chips OR 6 ounces chopped chocolate
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan.
- Gently cook over medium heat (never boil!), stirring constantly, until chocolate has melted. Stir to make ingredients come together into a smooth sauce.
- Continue gently cooking over medium to medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce has reached your desired consistency.
- Take off the heat, then serve hot for a thinner sauce, warm or at room temperature for a thicker sauce. Store leftover sauce refrigerated for up to 3 days, re-heat in a small saucepan with an additional splash of cream.
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Notes
Ingredient notes
- Heavy cream: Make sure to use heavy cream for the richest results. You can use half-and-half if that’s all you have, but keep in mind that the sauce may come out a little thinner – you could reduce the liquid by ¼ cup to be on the safe side. Evaporated milk works in a pinch, too.
- Chocolate: This really works with any chocolate you like. I used a semi-sweet baking chocolate. Be careful with white chocolate, it splits easily and must be melted over very moderate heat. If you want to use chocolate chips, please know that they contain less cocoa butter because they are usually meant to keep their shape – this means they take a little longer to melt and the end result is a little thicker.
- Salt: Feel free to leave it out if you need to closely monitor sodium levels, it’s not needed to make a great sauce.
Recipe tips
- If you need a smaller amount of chocolate sauce, it’s absolutely fine to cut the ingredients in half, quarters or even into eights.
- If you only have a microwave available, you can alter the recipe as follows: Heat ½ cup of cream in the microwave in a large, microwave-safe bowl in increments, until simmering. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Thin with additional cream until it reaches your desired consistency.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 82kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 13mgPotassium: 18mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 350IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition is an estimate.
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