Chocolate Syrup
This amazing homemade Chocolate Syrup -- made with five simple ingredients in about five minutes -- is a scrumptious topping for ice cream and makes perfect chocolate milk! It's economical and easy to make using real, straightforward ingredients.
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In case you've never noticed, I've got quite a thing for making my own kitchen staples. There are dry mixes for the pantry, of course, from chili mix to pancake mix to cornbread mix. But I also like to stock my refrigerator with natural, homemade versions of what I used to buy at the grocery store, from barbecue sauce to honey mustard to coffee creamer. So it's only expected that l I should add a delectable Chocolate Syrup recipe to the list, dontcha' think?
Awhile back, I shared a recipe for my to-die-for Homemade Caramel Sauce that whips up in just FIVE minutes with only FIVE ingredients.
And guess what?
Today, I've got a 5-ingredient, 5-minute, homemade Chocolate Syrup recipe for you! It's reminiscent in flavor and consistency to the classic brand that's sold in those famous dark brown bottles and cans...but without any of the crazy ingredients!
Now this is not a thick fudge sauce, mind you. It's a thinner syrup that you can stir into milk or drizzle over ice cream for that perfect banana split.
Why Make Chocolate Syrup?
I stopped buying the “traditional” brand of Chocolate Syrup several years ago in an effort to feed my family real foods made with simple and natural ingredients.
Over time, we’ve tried a few organic brands, but they never tasted quite as good as our old standby. And they could be quite expensive.
But this recipe?
Not only does it taste better than the original, but it's also economical. It's totally cost effective to make it in small batches or big batches.
But best of all, you know exactly what's in it!
Ingredients
I love being able to control what goes into my Chocolate Syrup. And you can't get much more straightforward than just FIVE simple ingredients!
- Water. The base.
- Sugar. Combines with the water to form a simple syrup.
- Cocoa powder. You'll want to use a regular cocoa powder here, not Dutch-processed. As far as the brand, go with Hershey's cocoa powder if that's the brand of syrup you're trying to imitate, or a "fancier" cocoa powder for a more gourmet outcome.
- Vanilla. I recommend using a good-quality pure vanilla extract, since the flavor will shine through.
- Salt. It might seem counterintuitive to add salt to a sweet recipe, but just a tiny bit makes the chocolate flavor pop.
How to Make Chocolate Syrup
I think you will love having this easy recipe (that can be ready in mere minutes!) in your arsenal.
Here's how to do it:
- Make a simple syrup. Dissolve the sugar into the water and cook for a few minutes while occasionally stirring.
- Stir in the cocoa powder and salt, and cook for a couple more minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Your Chocolate Syrup recipe will be pretty runny at this point, so you'll need to refrigerate it in order for it to thicken further.
- Enjoy it warm or allow it to cool for a bit and then transfer to a bottle or jar and pop in the fridge until chilled.
Consistency
Please keep in mind that this is homemade Chocolate Syrup -- not fudge sauce. So while it will set up a bit more once chilled, it is never going to turn overly thick or gloppy.
Yield and Storage
This recipe makes about a pint.
And it should keep in the refrigerator for three to four weeks...if it lasts that long!
Ways to Enjoy It
While there are traditional ways to enjoy this recipe, there are some additional creative ideas that are equally delicious!
- Pour over ice cream.
- Drizzle over brownies or cookies or bread pudding.
- Stir into milk to make chocolate milk.
- Use as a fruit dip for strawberries or bananas.
- Use as a (non-fruit) dip for pretzels.
- Blend into milkshakes.
- Enjoy as a decadent syrup for pancakes or waffles.
Of course, my preferred application is perhaps sneaking it straight out of the jar with a spoon... 🙂
So the next time you're craving some yummy Chocolate Syrup for your favorite way to indulge, I hope you'll remember this recipe and give it a try! This is one of those EUREKA-type recipes that makes me wonder why I didn't try it sooner.
It's a cinch to make, it's all-natural, it's economical, and it's delicious.
You can whip it up in mere minutes with ingredients that you most likely already have on hand.
I'm telling you, friends...your family will deem you brilliant. 😉
More Sweet, Made-From-Scratch Kitchen Staples
Chocolate Syrup
Video
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups water
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small pot set over medium-high heat, mix water and sugar until dissolved. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Stir in cocoa powder and salt, and continue stirring and simmering for about two more minutes or until cocoa powder is all dissolved and mixture is smooth and slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Store chocolate syrup in a jar in the refrigerator.
Notes
- This syrup will thicken as it cools and should have the consistency of store-bought chocolate syrup once chilled. It is not supposed to get thick like a fudge sauce.
- In a tightly-sealed jar or bottle, it will keep in the refrigerator for three to four weeks.
Nutrition
Originally published March 10, 2014, and updated on May 3, 2020, and January 11, 2022.
Great I added 1T butter, old family tradition.
I made it as well! It was delicious!!! Next time I’m going to add the butter too!!!
Thank you sooo much for this recipe! I've been trying to get away from chocolate syrup with corn syrup. This one tastes better than anything I have found in the stores! I will be using it from now on!!
I just made this chocolat syrup yesterday and it has had time to completely cool down. It is very close to Hershey's syrup in thickness. I cooked it about 3 more minutes as I wanted it a bit thicker. That worked. I used raw evaporated organic sugar and Ghirardelli premium unsweetened cocoa with Watkins vanilla. For flavor, I give it a five. It is rich, sweet and full bodied. The latter may be due to the small amount in of molasses in raw evaporated sugar. It does not however, have even a hint of molasses flavor. The only reason I gave it a 4 star review is due to the graininess from the cocoa. Before completing the cooking after tasting the graininess, I added about a teaspoon of butter. I do not know if that helped as it did not seem to taste different. I will be making this again and next time I will add 2-3 teaspoons of butter and pay more attention to the graininess of the cocoa. I will post what I find and how the added extra butter changes the outcome. I hope this helps as I really did like the flavor and would recommend this recipe. It is very easy to make and smooth and tasty in whole milk and on vanilla ice cream.
I use only Hershey cocoa and have great taste and no grainy texture. Only syrup we use in the house!
Loved it! Best chocolate syrup I've ever had. And perfect for so many uses!
This is such a good recipe! We loved the taste and it was super easy to make.
Homemade is the best! My whole family loved this and it was so easy to make!
I'm definitely looking forward to making this! It sounds wonderful, but.....I gotta be a downer and ask if anyone knows what sugar-sub might work well in this mix?
I'm sorry, Michael...I haven't made this recipe using a sugar substitute, but hopefully somebody who has will chime in! 🙂
I looked at other recipes that were almost exactly like this one with just 5 ingredients, and some of the comments said they used the same measure of the sugar substitute as the amount of sugar in the recipe. I think it was splenda, but you can search and figure it out for sure. I searched "best reviewed chocolate syrup recipes," when I saw those reviews.
Hi,
Will this be good for making the syrup brownies replacing the Hershey’s syrup?
Thanks
Hi Sonia! I haven't tried it myself, but as long as you get your homemade chocolate syrup to a consistency that's similar to Hershey's, I don't see why it wouldn't work. Good luck! 🙂
This sauce is absolutely perfect! And so easy!
I've been making my own chocolate syrup for years, one less thing I have to buy!
Isn't it great, Melissa? It's so nice to know you don't have to worry about running out, since the ingredients are so basic that you're likely to always have them on hand! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I love quick and easy recipes! My sons love this for their ice cream!
Really loved this recipe! The only thing I did to make it a little better was add a couple handfuls of chocolate chips, both milk chocolate and semi-sweet which made it taste even better. But the original recipe was very good. I always add my own little extra something to every recipe I try.
Just love this really simple, straight-forward recipe with no yucky additives! My oh my - I can dream up so many great uses for this scrumptious chocolate sauce! Yum! 😀
Thanks so much, Shelley! I hope you have fun using this chocolate syrup in lots of different ways. 😉
Homemade is always the best, especially for children! Thanks Samantha! This recipe is great!
You and your 5 minute 5 ingredients!!! Loved your caramel and loved this as well! Too fun to make my own from scratch!
I was so excited to make this! I have stopped buying chocolate syrup because of the corn syrup. As I was scanning down, I was thinking, "please don't have it as an ingredient!"
I do the same thing with high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup. When I eat it, my pain levels go up a lot. But, there are a lot of products that sneak it in regardless of how consumers feel. I find it in bread a lot.
Is it that much cheaper for companies to use? Why can't manufacturers that use it make a NON corn syrup alternative? I guess I will be making this from now on. I use less than I would with store bought too, so that is a plus.
My hubby is like, addicted to chocolate syrup - I've seen him on countless occasions standing at the fridge, pouring some right into his mouth! (Please don't tell him I told you! 😉 ) This is such a great idea - he loved it!
My husband is constantly wanting sweet snacks! This seems perfect if I just whip up a batch and tell him to make chocolate milk!
This is a must try in our house! We are big chocolate fans, and I love the idea of making this with no additives. Thanks again for a wonderful recipe.
You're so welcome, Kristin! I hope this is a big hit at your house, and hope you're having a great week! 🙂