This Chocolate Syrup Recipe is so easy to make that you will never run to the store for chocolate syrup again! Plus, you can make it as thick or thin as you prefer. It’s perfect to add to a plate of my Banana Split Nachos or be the star of my Chocolate Syrup Mug Cake!
Chocolate Syrup
When you look back in history, chocolate syrup wasn’t used to sweeten your favorite desserts. In fact, in the late 1800s, cocoa was made into a syrup to mask the unpleasant flavors of some medicines! Lucky for us, chocolate syrup soon became packaged for home use (think Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup) and is now used on all our favorite treats! Even better yet, you can make your own!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cocoa Powder – I used standard unsweetened cocoa powder, no particular brand. You can use Dutch Process for a richer flavor.
- Granulated Sugar – I have not personally tested this recipe with artificial or sugar-free sweeteners, but many readers have stated that it will work.
- Water – The substitutions for water are vast! We have tried coffee in place of water as well as milk. Some readers have also used carnation milk or evaporated milk. You can really play around with this particular ingredient substitution.
- Salt – I prefer kosher salt, but if you are using table salt use half the amount listed.
Chocolate Ganache vs. Syrup
Chocolate ganache is generally thicker and shinier than chocolate syrup. It is also usually just made with two ingredients–heavy cream and chocolate. The longer you let chocolate ganache rest, the thicker it will be, which makes it great for cake filling, truffles, and frosting that hardens as it cools.
Chocolate Syrup will also harden a bit as you let it cool, so it could be used as a dairy-free ganache. It would be an excellent frosting, although I would not recommend making truffles with this recipe.
How to Make Chocolate Milk with Chocolate Syrup
This chocolate sauce is basically a replacement for Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup!
To make some of the most decadent and rich chocolate milk of your life, just add 2-3 tablespoons to 8 ounces of cold milk. Stir and enjoy it! Easy peasy!
If you want a simpler version of a delicious Homemade Chocolate Milk, <— try this one!
Looking for More of the Best Chocolate Milk Recipes?
As mentioned earlier, making your own chocolate milk is probably your best bet when it comes to making it fit your nutritional needs. This syrup recipe is great because it can be added to milk in your desired amount. The same goes for my chocolate milk powder. With no preservatives, you know exactly what is going in the powder and you can tweak it as you see fit.
How to Store the Syrup
Once the syrup has cooled, you can scrape it out of the saucepan and into your airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. If you start to notice a film on top, discard it immediately.
Can You Freeze Homemade Chocolate Syrup?
Yes! I like to put it in freezer-safe sealable plastic bags and remove as much air as possible. Be sure to label and date. It should last about 6 months in the freezer. To thaw, place in the refrigerator.
More Syrups and Sauces
Chocolate Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (88.5g) cocoa powder
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Combine the cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and water in a medium saucepan.
- Put the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to simmer.
- Let it simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add in the vanilla. It will thicken as it cools so don't worry if it seems thin.
- Let the syrup cool before storing it in an airtight jar.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Would it make it richer or otherwise alter it too dramatically if I subbed whole milk for the water? Thank you so much for responding.
Can you freeze this? I would love to make it foe hot chocolate but don’t use that much at a time or that often.
Every time I’m looking for a recipe, I forget that I can actually find your recipes outside of Facebook! 😂 I was searching for a chocolate syrup recipe because Trader Joe’s made theirs a seasonal item and it’s the only one my kid loves. Together, her and I made yours and were blown away with the similarities. Thank you for always being there for us via recipes!
I’ll never again buy chocolate syrup from the store.
Hi, how long can I store this in the refrigerator? And also, can I reheat it to make it hard before I poured over my ice cream?
My husband loves ice cream and toppings. He told me several times how good the syrup was😊 Thank you for a delicious and super easy recipe
Gayle
Wow I’m not a big fan of chocolate, but, that is very nice, I even licked the pot. Thank you for sharing your recipe
Could I make this with powdered sugar instead of granulated? That’s all I have right now…and I’m having a toddler chocolate milk emergency😂🤣💖
I haven’t tried it but I think it should work well enough to get you through a toddler emergency! 🙂
the best syrup i ever tasted
yummy yummy. Does it need to be stored in the refrigerator ?
Hi Mary – this is what is says in the post:
“How to Store the Syrup
Once the syrup has cooled, you can scrape it out of the saucepan and into your airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. If you start to notice a film on top, discard it immediately.”