Vegan Hot Fudge Sauce

Name: Vegan Hot Fudge Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: ½ cup brown sugar; ⅓ cup cocoa powder; ¼ cup vegan butter; ¼ cup almond milk (or oat milk); 1 pinch salt; ½ tsp vanilla extract

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This epic and easy vegan hot fudge sauce recipe is a must try! A fudgy, rich and decadent chocolate sauce that’s ideal for drizzling over vegan ice cream and desserts. Ready in just 10 minutes too!

The fudge sauce is poured into a jar, the folds from the pour only disappearing after a while becaue of the sauce's thick texture.

There’s something so irresistible about this sauce. It’s incredibly easy to make with just 6 simple ingredients.

Our delightfully dairy-free hot fudge sauce has a smooth, fudgy texture and rich, dark chocolate flavour that will make you want more!

We love to use this sauce to take any vegan dessert to the next level. And of course, it is incredible in a vegan ice cream sundae.

The ingredients for hot fudge sauce. Brown sugar, cocoa powder, vegan butter, almond milk, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

Ingredient tips

Here’s what you need for this easy vegan hot fudge recipe:

Cocoa powder - For the chocolate flavour. We like to use good quality organic cocoa powder, but you can use any variety.

Brown sugar - We like to use brown sugar for the extra caramelly flavour it gives. You can use white or regular sugar if that’s all you have. If you are in the US, then check your brand of sugar is vegan, as some are not.

Vegan butter - This helps to bring richness to the sauce. We like to use a block style vegan butter such as Flora Plant Butter, or Naturli. In the US you could try, Miyoko’s or Earth Balance. If your vegan butter is salted, then you can omit or reduce the pinch of salt to taste. You can also use coconut oil - refined works best so there is no coconut taste.

Almond milk - We really like almond milk for this recipe, but we’ve tested it with oat milk as well. Other plant milks, will likely also work just fine.

Salt - Just a tiny touch of salt enhances the sauce and balances the bitterness of cocoa.

Vanilla extract - And finally a touch of vanilla extract really helps to round out the overall flavour and enhance the chocolatiness.

Step by step pictures

The full recipe with quantities is in the recipe card at the end of the post. But here’s a visual step by step guide with photos.

Cocoa powder and brown sugar combined with a whisk in a small bowl.

Step 1 - Combine the brown sugar with the cocoa powder and whisk together until there are no lumps.

vegan butter is melting in a small sauce pan.

Step 2 - Melt the vegan butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Almond milk is pouring from a small cup into the saucepan with melted butter and the cocoa sugar mix.

Step 3 - Add the brown sugar and cocoa powder mix, almond milk and a pinch of salt to the melted vegan butter. Whisk until smooth.

The dark brown and thick sauce bubbling up in a small saucepan.

Step 4 - Bring the mixture up to a gentle bubble, and then continue to cook and whisk for another minute.

A small spoonful of vanilla extract is whisked into the sauce.

Step 5 - Remove from the heat, and whisk in the vanilla extract.

Serving and storage

To make a delicious vegan hot fudge sundae:

Scoop your vegan ice cream into a glass
Drizzle the hot fudge sauce over the top
Add some vegan whipped cream
Top with toasted nuts or vegan sprinkles, and a cherry.
Vegan caramel sauce, peanut butter or fresh fruit make a delicious addition too!

For a special occasion, we also love this vegan fudge sauce with a piece of warmed up vegan brownie, a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream and strawberries. You can even use it as a sauce for banana splits!

Always serve this sauce hot or warm. When it cools it will be too solid to pour.

To reheat the sauce, heat in 10-second intervals in the microwave until it’s hot and pourable again. Alternatively, reheat in a small saucepan over low heat.

Store vegan hot fudge sauce in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge for up to 7 days. For longer storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to three months.

Vegan fudge sauce drizzled onto vanilla ice cream. A jar of sauce in the background.

FAQs

Why does hot fudge sauce get grainy?

The most common reason fudge sauce becomes grainy is if it is overcooked or gets scorched at the base of the pan. This is why it's important to only cook the sauce for a short time over low heat and stir continuously. Recipes that use chocolate, rather than just cocoa powder like this recipe, are more likely to become grainy.

How do I fix separated fudge sauce?

The oil can sometimes separate out from the sauce when it is overcooked, or reheated too much. This can usually be fixed by vigorously whisking in more liquid, a spoonful at a time, until the sauce is smooth and glossy again.

A vegan sundae with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge sauce, candied nuts and a cherry on top, served with a long dessert spoon..

More vegan chocolate recipes

We hope you enjoy this chocolate fudge sauce as much as we do! There's lots more yummy vegan chocolate recipes to discover here on Vegan on Board:

Our really easy vegan Chocolate Fondue

This 4 ingredient Vegan Chocolate Tart

And this creamy & healthy Chocolate Nice Cream

📖 Recipe