Whether you use chocolate syrup for chocolate milk or as an ice cream topping, this homemade healthier chocolate syrup recipe is for you! Made with real ingredients that you likely already have in the house. This chocolate sauce is thick, decadent and finger licking good.
I used to love the Hershey’s Syrup brand. But have you paid attention to the ingredients? Scary!
For starters the main ingredient is High Fructose Corn Syrup. Then regular corn syrup. Next some preservatives, thickeners, artificial flavors and a heaping of refined sugar with a small mix of processed cocoa.
After reading those, does the beloved convenient store bought chocolate syrup still sound appealing? I don’t know about you but I’ll take a hard pass for my family.
I have never bought chocolate syrup for my kids. And we really don’t have it that often. But when we do, like most things, I make it myself!
It’s ridiculously simple to make and tastes so good! Especially paired with my Ice Cream Topping Recipe.
Ingredients to make my Homemade Healthier Chocolate Syrup Recipe
- Cacao (I prefer to use antioxidant rich organic cacao instead of processed Dutch Cocoa for more health benefits but either can be used 🙂
- Water
- Maple Syrup or Cane Sugar
- Vanilla
- Unrefined Salt
That’s it! And it is delicious–promise!
How to make my Homemade Healthier Chocolate Syrup Recipe
In a medium sauce pan combine water, cacao, sugar, vanilla and salt. Bring everything to a boil over medium/low heat. Boil for 5 minutes whisking constantly. I mean it, don’t walk away or the chocolate may burn. The chocolate will start to thicken as it reduces.
Add to chocolate sauce to a glass jar, cover and add to the fridge. It will thicken more as it cools.
What did I tell you? Nice and easy!
It will last 2 months in the fridge. But I promise it likely won’t last that long!
Enjoy 🙂
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Let’s make my Homemade Healthier Chocolate Syrup Recipe
Homemade Healthier Chocolate Syrup Recipe
Whether you want to make chocolate milk or an ice cream topping, this chocolate sauce is for you. It's thick, decadent and finger licking good.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cacao or Cocoa
- 1 cup Water
- 1/2- 3/4 cup Maple Syrup/Cane Sugar (Depending on your sweet preference)
- 1/2 Tbsp Vanilla
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan combine water, cacao, sugar, vanilla and salt. Bring everything to a boil over medium/low heat. Boil for 5 minutes whisking constantly. *I mean it, don't walk away or the chocolate may burn. The chocolate will start to thicken as it reduces. Remove from heat.
- Add to chocolate sauce to a glass jar, cover and add to the fridge. It will thicken more as it cools.
Notes
Good for 2 months sealed in the fridge.
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This is the best chocolate sauce. It stays soft and when I put it in fridge it didn’t get hard. Love it!
Yes, isn’t it so good? I’m so happy to hear you love it! Enjoy!
What brand of cacao do you use?
i just put it in my blendtec and then in the fridge!
Really? This is fantastic, I will have to try. Thanks for your response!
I use honey or maple syrup instead of sugar and omit the salt. My hubby likes to make chocolate milk with 1 tbspn of this syrup in 8 ozs milk (dairy or nut milk)
What brand of cocoa do you use?
I love using Navitas Organic Unsweetened Cacao Powder
how do you keep the sweetener from crystalizing in the jar
Can I make it with honey instead of sugar? And really. Salt? Oh yeah. a cooks way of enhancing flavor.
Yes, you can use honey instead. You can omit the salt if you prefer too.
This answers my question, thanks. I can’t even stand the smell of maple syrup. Going to try this today with honey. 🙂
Can you use this to make chocolate covered nuts or is the mixture to loose. I’m trying to make my own chocolate covered Brazil nuts. Thanks
This would be too runny. This is more like a Hershey’s chocolate syrup and wouldn’t thicken or harden for chocolate covered nuts. Sorry
How long will this last in the fridge?
Opps nevermind I just saw the notes – 2 months in the fridge
Can you use monk sugar instead of cane sugar? Thanks
This is perfect for me! I have to avoid sugar and highly processed foods, which includes fake sweeteners since they cause cancer. I used a bit less than a half cup of maple sugar, and one tablespoon of this plus 1-2 tablespoons of half and half are an excellent addition to the cold brew I make every day. Yummy and only 3.5 grams sugar per tablespoon. Thank you so much!
Fantastic Mary, love to hear this! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Oops, I meant that I used maple syrup, not maple sugar. Not sure how to edit my previous comment!
Can honey be replaced for maple syrup? If so what would be the equivalent measurement?
I don’t see why not. Recipe measurements would be the same. Let me know if you try and how you like it!
This is pan-licking good! 1/2 cup maple syrup was enough sweetener for me. Looking forward to serving this tonight with my homemade vanilla bean gelato to guests. Thank you!
Love this! So glad to hear Sarah!
Excellent recipe! I used 1/2 organic cane sugar and 1/2 eryththritol and monk fruit sweetener. Trying to get my Fiance away from the Hershey high fructose corn syrup
Crap!! Thank you!
Awesome, I’m so glad you enjoyed with those sweeteners! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I love this recipe! I have been trying to get away from all the additives and sugar that is in so many items. It’s perfect with maple syrup but I also tried it by using a monk fruit/allulose natural sweetener and it worked perfectly! Now I can have my chocolate milk fix whenever I want and not have to worry about what I am drinking!
Add 8 cups of milk and you have the best hot cocoa! This is great. I add the vanilla in at the end though so not to cook the flavor out.
WOW!!! So easy & MUCH better than Hershey’s syrup! Just rich chocolate flavor without the overly sweet taste. This is a keeper!!!