This thick and rich hot fudge sauce recipe is made with just 5 simple ingredients! Sweetened condensed milk makes it ultra creamy, and a shot of brewed coffee amplifies the deep chocolate flavor.
This post has been sponsored by The Folger Coffee Company. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Growing up, my parents were not coffee drinkers - diet cola was their choice for a morning caffeine fix. But my grandparents were a different story...
I can vividly remember waking up to the smell of freshly brewed Folgers coffee on weekends spent with them. My grandma would fix me toaster waffles with extra butter and syrup, and I'd sit quietly eating, as my grandfather sipped his black coffee while doing the daily newspaper crossword puzzle.
Fast forward more years than I'd care to admit and coffee is now part of MY daily morning routine. So when I spied these cool vintage-style Folgers Limited Edition Collector's Cans at Target, I couldn't help but take one home with me. And when I peeled the vacuum-sealed foil off the top? I was instantly transported to those early mornings of my childhood with on whiff.
I love the ritual of making my morning coffee - it's my time to relax and start the day off in a positive manner. Lately I've been using the pour over method to prepare my morning cup, and it's such a simple reminder to slow down and enjoy the little things each day.
I have a short window between getting my middle schoolers and high schooler out the door and waking my elementary schoolers, and this short break is my time.
Two heaping tablespoons of coffee, eight ounces of hot water poured over the top, a drip of cream, a little sucanat, a dash of cinnamon, sip and enjoy. No crossword puzzles for me, though - just a good book on my Kindle and I'm happy!
I imagine that both my grandparents and I started drinking coffee for the same reason - that little jolt of caffeine that helps you get moving in the morning. Yeah, I really needed that when I was working third shift through college...
What I don't know is if they ever really grew to love the taste of it as I have. I enjoy using its bold flavor in cooking, as with these Chocolate Chip Coffee Muffins and this coffee marinade for steaks. (Incidentally, coffee grounds are also amazing for removing the smell of burnt popcorn from your microwave.)
But one of my very favorite pairings with coffee is chocolate - as in this hot fudge sauce recipe I'm about to share.
Coffee just naturally enhances the flavor of chocolate and is an important addition to this thick and rich hot fudge sauce that boasts just five simple ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, high-quality bittersweet chocolate chips, salted butter, pure vanilla extra and a shot of strong brewed Folgers coffee.
And if you're not a coffee fan? Don't worry about it. This hot fudge doesn't taste overtly of coffee - it just serves to temper some of the sweetness and gives great depth of flavor.
Simply place all of the ingredients, except the vanilla extract, in a double boiler, and in just five minutes, you have the easiest, most delicious hot fudge sauce! Whisk in the vanilla extract, and it's ready to serve over vanilla bean ice cream and more. Or to just eat with a spoon, as my kids were doing every time I turned my back...
No worries if you don't own a double boiler - I prefer to keep my kitchen gadgets to a minimum, so I don't either. Instead, I turn to this simple double boiler hack time and time again.
Printable Recipe ↓
Hot Fudge Sauce With Sweetened Condensed Milk
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12-ounce) package bittersweet chocolate chips
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter, and coffee in the top pan of a double boiler over simmering water.
- Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
This recipe does make a rather large amount of hot fudge sauce, a total of two cups. You could easily halve the recipe with excellent results, or you can store the extra in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Simply press a piece of plastic wrap down on the surface of the hot fudge to prevent a skin from forming. It reheats well using the same double boiler method as when prepared.
Sandy says
Tonight I'm making this wonderful fudge sauce for the second time. My grandkids are coming for the holidays and they will be thrilled. This is easy to make and delicious. Highly recommend!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Love to hear this, Sandy. Enjoy the holidays with your family!
Elizabth says
OMG, OMG
I love this sauce. Your kids are right you can just eat it with a spoon.
I went looking for a thick chocolate sauce for my chocolate covered cherrie cupcakes I’m taking to a little birthday get to gather tomorrow, I use Nutella a lot but I have a couple friends who are allergic to nuts and they will be there.
Your sauce is perfect and oh gosh it tastes so good. Thank you.
Tara Kuczykowski says
I'm so happy to see your comment? I've always felt like this is one of the more underrated recipes I've shared. Hopefully others will start discovering it, too!!
Leah says
@Elizabth, I just made this, delicious! I added a dash of cinnamon, perfect! It’s consistency is smooth and so much better than store bought sauce! I will definitely be making this again.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Yes, a little cinnamon is delicious addition! So glad you loved it.
Ammar says
Seems like a great recipe, maybe because it includes condensed milk I was wondering, how much water with the coffee?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Ammar! I just the standard strong brew that I mentioned in the post: 2 heaping tablespoons of coffee + eight ounces of hot water using the pour over method. It should be easy enough to convert that over to a standard drip coffeemaker. If you're using a Keurig, just use the strong setting.