Is Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Worth the Effort? (2024)

In our column Fake It or Make It we test a homemade dish against its prepackaged counterpart to find out what's really worth cooking from scratch.

Butterscotch, strawberry syrup, caramel sauce—all great ice cream toppings to be sure, but none as essential to a well-stocked sundae bar as classic, decadent hot fudge. Given that jarred versions of the stuff are widely available on supermarket shelves, is it really worth making your own from scratch? We investigate.

The Contenders
Smuckers Hot Fudge vs. *Bon Appetit'*s Hot Fudge Sauce

Hot fudge is made by boiling together cream, sugar, chocolate, and sometimes butter—the traditional ingredients for fudge—into what is essentially just an undercooked, unset version of the confection. It differs from plain old chocolate sauce by virtue of being gooier and more viscous. Information on hot fudge's history is scant, but we can make an educated guess that it came about as the result of failed fudge-making attempts, which would date its origins to late 19th Century New England.

Relative Costs
Homemade is more expensive. I paid $2.39 for a little over a cup of Smuckers, which works out to 27 cents an ounce. Ingredients for the homemade totaled $7 for a two-cup batch, or 44 cents per ounce.

Relative Healthfulness
Slight advantage to homemade. Both sauces are high in sugar and fat, of course, but the store-bought version also contains a wealth of preservatives and artificial flavor and texture enhancers.

Time Commitment
It took me 25 minutes to make hot fudge from scratch.

Leftovers Potential
Advantage store-bought. The Smuckers can be stored in the refrigerator for weeks after opening, whereas the homemade version should be kept no longer than a few days due to the fact that it contains fresh cream.

What The Testers Said
First let me introduce our panel.

THE HEALTH NUT
A delicate eater, the health nut is calorie conscious but also likes to eat well

THE FOODIE
Calorie agnostic, our foodie judge has a sophisticated palate and a love of cooking

THE DUDE
Ambivalent toward food trends and health concerns, this guy just wants to be fed when he's hungry

THE KID
Between ages of 9 and 12 years old, not jaded, typically not into strong flavors

Testers sampled both sauces blind, alone and on vanilla ice cream.

The Health Nut: Homemade; "Compared to the homemade, the store-bought tastes more like corn syrup than chocolate."

The Foodie: Homemade; "The rich chocolate flavor of the homemade is really unbeatable, plus the store-bought has a sort of off-putting, waxy mouthfeel."

The Kid: No decision; "I like it all!!!"

The Dude: Homemade; "Not only does the homemade have a way better chocolate flavor, but it clings to the ice cream better while the store-bought kind of sits in a puddle at the bottom of the bowl."

The Verdict
Make it.

You get what you pay for with hot fudge, and the high concentration of good-quality chocolate in the homemade version really comes across in terms of flavor. Testers also loved the homemade sauce for its superior texture, and (our adult participants, at least) even said they felt satisfied with a smaller quantity of the homemade fudge sauce because of its richer flavor. **

Is Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Worth the Effort? (2024)

FAQs

How long does homemade hot fudge last? ›

Hot Fudge Recipe

Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before using (it will thicken as it cools). Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Why is my homemade hot fudge sauce grainy? ›

Grainy Fudge

If the melting sugar splashes onto the sides of the pan, it turns back into crystals and causes the fudge to seize up. To avoid this issue, swirl the pan instead of stirring it with a spoon. You can use a wet pastry brush to wipe down any sugar that sticks to the sides of the pot.

What makes hot fudge taste different? ›

Hot fudge is made by boiling together cream, sugar, chocolate, and sometimes butter—the traditional ingredients for fudge—into what is essentially just an undercooked, unset version of the confection. It differs from plain old chocolate sauce by virtue of being gooier and more viscous.

What is hot fudge sauce made of? ›

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, whisk the chocolate, sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, cocoa powder, and salt together until the chocolate is melted. Whisking occasionally, allow the mixture to come to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes.

Does hot fudge sauce need to be refrigerated? ›

Storage: This is just fine kept at room temp for a day, but if you are going to keep it overnight or for an extended period of time, pop it in the fridge and just reheat in the microwave.

What is the difference between chocolate syrup and hot fudge? ›

Ingredients: Hot fudge sauce is typically made with chocolate, sugar, butter, and cream or milk, while chocolate syrup is made with cocoa powder, sugar, and water or milk. Consistency: Hot fudge sauce has a thicker and creamier consistency than chocolate syrup, which tends to be thinner and more liquidy.

What is the secret to good fudge? ›

Valuable tips for successful fudge
  • Don't stir during cooking. Fudge can be cooked on the stove or in the microwave. ...
  • Avoid crystallization. During cooking, sugar crystals can stick to the sides of the pan. ...
  • Let cool before beating. After being cooked, the sugar must crystallize again to create fudge. ...
  • Beat the mixture.

How do you make homemade hot sauce smooth? ›

The more liquid you incorporate—whether it's brine, vinegar, or soy sauce—the thinner your sauce will be. For a smoother texture, prolonged blending is your best bet. If you want your sauce even smoother, then straining that blended sauce is an even better option.

What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›

Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has come to a boil, do not stir it. If you do, the sugar can crystallize, giving your fudge a gritty texture. As you beat the fudge, pay attention to color and texture. Once the fudge loses its sheen and thickens, put down your spoon.

Why is hot fudge so good? ›

In fact, hot fudge sauce is just a fudge that never sets! Cream or milk, sugar, and butter are slowly boiled down until slightly thickened and light caramel-colored. This boiling-down process not only gives the sauce it's great gooey texture, but also contributes that special “fudgey” taste to the chocolate.

How do you thicken hot fudge? ›

Cornflour/Cornstarch: Mix a small amount with cold milk or water to create a smooth paste. Whisk this into your hot chocolate towards the end of the cooking process until it thickens.

What happens if you overheat fudge? ›

Overcooked fudge, which goes beyond 239 F, evaporates the water, which isn't what you want. It also matters how you treat the fudge after it's cooked. Avoid too much stirring while you are heating the fudge since this agitates the sugar and causes it to clump into sugar crystals again.

Why is my hot fudge sauce grainy? ›

The cause of grainy hot fudge sauce is most likely due to overheating the sauce or not heating the mixture to the right temperature. When cooked too low, it can cause the sugar not to dissolve completely and then cool and form granules in the sauce.

What is Dairy Queen hot fudge made of? ›

Artificially Flavored Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream: Milkfat And Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Whey, Mono And Diglycerides, Artificial Flavor, Guar Gum, Polysorbate 80, Carrageenan, Vitamin A Palmitate, Chocolate Flavored Hot Fudge Topping: Corn Syrup, Skim Milk, Sugar, Hydrogenated (Palm Kernel or Coconut Oil), ...

What is McDonald's hot fudge made of? ›

View Ingredients and Allergens

Ingredients: Sugars (sugar, glucose syrup), Water, Milk ingredients, Hydrogenated palm kernel oil or hydrogenated coconut oil, Cocoa, Salt, Disodium phosphate, Potassium sorbate, Natural flavour (plant source), Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, Soy lecithin.

How long before homemade fudge goes bad? ›

How Long Does it Last in The Fridge & Freezer? Homemade Fudge stored in the fridge or refrigerator lasts about 2 - 3 weeks. It provides the cool temperature that this type of fudge exactly demands. The only real time you might need to refrigerate proper fudge is if weather conditions are extremely hot.

How to reheat homemade hot fudge? ›

Use right away or store in a sealed container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave just as when you first made it or immersed halfway in a simmering pot of water.

Can you overheat fudge? ›

It could be that your fudge is overcooked and this causes the sugar to harden. A sugar thermometer will help you to check it reaches the correct temperature which is the soft ball stage at 112 to 116 °C (234 to 241 °F). If it exceeds this, it is heading for a much chewier consistency.

What happens if you boil fudge too long? ›

If there is too much evaporation, when the cooking time is too long, there will not be enough water left in the fudge and it will be too hard.

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