‘Tis the season for all things red velvet! This is the best homemade hot fudge sauce recipe EVER! It’s thick, rich, and so unique. Take a look at that beautiful red color! This fudge sauce has all the flavor and crimson color of a yummy red velvet cake. It keeps in the refrigerator for a week or two. When you’re ready to serve just warm it in the microwave and drizzle it over ice cream, cake, or my favorite – a spoon! Updated from the original December 2016 post. Last updated November 2018.
For this recipe you’ll need: unsweetened cocoa, buttermilk, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup, butter, cream cheese, red food coloring, salt, vanilla
Red Velvet Hot Fudge Sauce Backstory
Red velvet is trendy right now and has been for a couple of years. You’ll find recipes for red velvet cookies, fudge, cake, and even hot chocolate. In my area, red velvet has always been a Christmas tradition as well as a wedding tradition. In between times we just eat it because it’s so good!
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Thanks to Steel Magnolias the rest of the country has learned to enjoy red velvet in all of its mouthwatering glory, too.
The buttermilk and cream cheese give this red velvet hot fudge sauce a slight tang. It’s just like a big bite of red velvet cake. I’ve used a small amount of extra dark unsweetened cocoa because I think it gives the best flavor. Of course, you can try it with regular unsweetened cocoa and see which you like best.
Adjust the color by adding more red food coloring but if you add too much it will have a bitter aftertaste. It’s beautiful on vanilla ice cream or spooned over an angel food cake. I imagine it will last about 2 weeks in the fridge but mine’s never lasted more than a day – we eat it up pretty fast.
Homemade Fudge Sauce FAQs
Recipe rated- moderate. It’s not great for younger kids because the sauce gets so hot. It’s likely an easy one for adults to master.
How do you make hot fudge topping?
This recipe makes it so easy! The corn syrup keeps it from getting grainy and the sweetened condensed milk makes it rich and creamy. It’s just a matter of adding the ingredients in the order given and stirring to keep it from scorching on the bottom!
How do you make hot fudge sauce thinner?
When the fudge sauce is cold it will be nearly solid. Warming it up in the microwave will cause it to liquify quite a bit. If it’s still too thick you can gradually at a little hot water or hot milk until it is the consistency you prefer.
How do you make homemade hot fudge sauce thicker?
Cook it a little longer, about an extra 3 or 4 minutes minutes, on low heat without stirring.
How should I store homemade hot fudge sauce?
Store, tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks OR in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Can I make it a different color than red velvet?
Sure, use pink, blue, green, purple… what ever you like! The rest of the recipe will stay the same.
Hot Fudge Sauce Cook’s Notes
- This homemade hot fudge makes a great gift. Just keep it in a jar in the fridge until you’re ready to present it. I wouldn’t try to mail it anywhere without dry ice and overnight shipping though. It’s perishable.
- Cocoa powder keeps the flavor of this luscious sauce very chocolatey. Please don’t substitute regular chocolate – it will throw the texture and flavor off.
- Let the mixture come to room temperature before covering and placing in the refrigerator.
- White shimmery sprinkles are pretty on this at Christmas.
- This recipe makes about a pint of red velvet fudge sauce.
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I think that the touch of dark cocoa is what gives this red velvet hot fudge sauce its authentic flavor. If you use too much cocoa it throws the color off so getting the most flavor from the least amount of cocoa is important. This does the trick.
More of the Best Red Velvet Recipes from Restless Chipotle
I love red velvet cake, sauce, ice cream… you name it. Here are some of my favorites.
- Red Velvet Cheesecake (Would be amazing with this sauce over it!)
- Red Velvet Cut Out Cookies
- Red Velvet French Silk Pie
- Holiday Kiss Cookies
- 50 Best Red Velvet Recipes
One of my favorite regular hot fudge recipes is based on this one from Smitten Kitchen.
Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe
I absolutely am in love with the color of this glorious red velvet hot fudge sauce! It’s so easy to make that you’ll want it in the fridge at all times. Try it over a scoop of the Blue Bell Christmas Cookie Ice Cream… Dang! So good. I like it over vanilla bean bundt cake, too.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars.
- 1 tablespoon cocoa
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 14-0 unce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons or more red food coloring
- 1/8 teaspoon salt dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
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Whisk the cocoa and buttermilk together in a pan over medium heat.
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Continue to whisk until smooth.
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Add the sweetened condensed milk and corn syrup.
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Bring to a simmer, stirring often.
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Add the butter and cream cheese.
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Whisk until smooth.
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Add remaining ingredients and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
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Remove from heat.
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Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Nicole Taggart says
oh boy, this would just be so incredible on a big bowl of chocolate ice cream
Marye Audet says
🙂 it is SO good. I love it.
Lindsay @ The Live-In Kitchen says
This looks like such a fun, beautiful treat! Definitely a showstopper.