This homemade chocolate syrup recipe isn’t only an acceptable replacement for commercially-made versions, it sort of beats the pants off of store-bought. Buh bye, Hershey’s syrup!
Chocolate syrup costs pennies to make, it takes all of 10 minutes to whip up, you know exactly what went into it (no high fructose corn syrup here!), AND it tastes ah-mazing.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love this Chocolate Syrup Recipe
- What Readers Say About This Recipe
- Chocolate Syrup Ingredients
- How to Make Chocolate Syrup
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ideas for Using Chocolate Syrup
Why You’ll Love this Chocolate Syrup Recipe
This homemade chocolate syrup recipe makes milk, coffee, smoothies, ice cream – you name it – taste fantastic.
I love this version because it’s not overly sweet. It’s just nice and purely chocolatey, yet with very few ingredients. FOUR ingredients, in fact – okay, five if you count the water!
I first shared this recipe over 10 years ago, in 2013. Since then, thousands of people have made it and asked qustions/shared feedback; so I’ve tweaked and added all kinds of substitution notes etc. so that you’re sure to have glossy, perfect chocolate syrup success.
What Readers Say About This Recipe
- “OMG! This is the best chocolate sauce I’ve ever tasted! I have to say the tablespoon of vanilla really made it fabulous! Thank you!”
- “I lost count how many time I made this chocolate syrup. So easy, simple yet super tasty!”
- “Waaaaayyyyy better than the real thing! I highly recommend.”
Chocolate Syrup Ingredients
The list of ingredients is so, so simple.
- Cocoa powder – Use a good quality 100% unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder like Guittard or Ghirardelli. But in a pinch, Hershey’s works fine too.
- Granulated sugar – just your typical white sugar!
- Pure vanilla extract – because vanilla + chocolate are BFFs.
- Salt – I use kosher, but you can use sea salt or table salt, just start with about half of what the recipe calls for or your chocolate syrup will be too salty.
- Water (pretend it’s there in the photo)
How to Make Chocolate Syrup
Here’s how to magically make chocolate syrup from cocoa powder, sugar, salt, vanilla, and water!
Simply stir together the cocoa powder and sugar in a medium saucepan, then add the water and salt. It won’t combine right away, but keep going and watch the magic happen!
Cook, stirring, over medium heat just until it comes to a boil, becoming glossy, smooth, and glorious. Let boil for a very short period of time, remove from heat, and add the vanilla. You’re done!
Tips for Success
- Achieving the right consistency: You want to boil your chocolate syrup for 3 minutes, no longer, or it could come out too thick. If it’s too thick, it cooked for too long. If your current batch has thickened up too much, try heating the sauce gently and thin with a bit of water. If your syrup appears too thin, try cooking it for a bit longer, but if it’s coating the back of your spoon it’s probably the right consistency. Remember, it thickens a lot once it cools.
- Sweetness level: This chocolate syrup recipe as written makes a nice, dark, slightly less sweet chocolate sauce. Add up to 1/2 cup more sugar for a sweeter syrup. If you add the sugar after cooking the syrup, be sure to taste your chocolate syrup while it’s still warm and if it’s not quite as sweet as you’d like, add some more sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until it’s sweet enough for you. Then sure to let it cook a bit more so that the sugar dissolves, adding more water as needed to achieve the right thickness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use more (or less) vanilla?
Yes! I called for 1 tablespoon because I love the stuff. But now that vanilla is at a premium, personally, I only use a teaspoon or so. It shouldn’t drastically affect the final outcome.
Can I use regular table salt instead of kosher salt?
Yes! I would start with half the amount then add a pinch or more later on when you taste and adjust.
Can I use Splenda instead of sugar?
Readers have reported success with substituting Splenda! Here are their comments.
- I followed your recipe, but replaced cup of sugar with 1/2 cup of Splenda. It worked! Tastes great and blended well with milk for chocolate milk. Thanks!
- I made this with stevia (pure stevia powder – I used 3/4 teaspoon) dissolved in half a cup of water instead of the sugar. mixed cocoa powder 90% dark and 10% milk.
Can I substitute honey, coconut sugar, or agave syrup for the granulated sugar?
- Honey: I have tried this and it does not work out – the honey makes the syrup way too thick. Sorry!
- Coconut sugar: I have not tried this personally, but a reader did report success!
- Agave syrup: The result is thick (like with honey) but one reader reported she still loved it that way.
Can I can this chocolate syrup recipe?
I wouldn’t do it, just because you have to be really careful what you preserve via canning. I’m not sure the pH for the chocolate syrup would make it a safe candidate. But you can freeze it!
Can I Freeze Chocolate Syrup?
Yes! Make a big batch, place it in an airtight container like a mason jar, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or use the “defrost” setting in your microwave and stir until smooth.
You can also freeze smaller portions in ice cube trays, then pop the frozen cubes out and store in a freezer bag. Convenient for smaller portions!
Ideas for Using Chocolate Syrup
- Stir into milk and drink cold or heat it up for hot chocolate! I love it in oat milk. Start with about a tablespoon of chocolate syrup per 8 ounces of milk or so and stir in more until it’s the exact chocolatey level you crave. “Chocolatey level” being an official term, of course.
- Drizzle it over ice cream – like homemade vanilla ice cream. Yum.
- Try it in a smoothie like this Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie. So good!
- Stir it into coffee with a splash of cream. Instant mocha!
- Or go with a cold coffee situation. Add to your cold brew or try this Frozen Mexican Hot Chocolate Mocha!
- Add it to your next milkshake for the perfect chocolatey situation.
- Cocktails love chocolate! Add a drizzle and drink up. This Chocolate Martini looks perfect.
Easy Homemade Chocolate Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar*
- 1 cup cold water
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cocoa powder and sugar until blended. Add the water and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and whisk over medium heat just until begins to boil, stirring constantly.
- Let boil just until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Your chocolate syrup will still be fairly thin (it thickens to a syrup-like consistency once cool). Taste and stir in additional salt until dissolved, up to 1/4 teaspoon, if desired.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Cool. Taste again. If it’s not sweet enough for you, add a bit more sugar and stir in the warm syrup until dissolved.
- Store syrup in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator. The syrup should keep, refrigerated, for at least a month.
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a vegetarian home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m married to an enthusiastic carnivore, and my mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen – one tasty recipe at a time. These days, with a name like mine, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
My syrup is granular or sugary texture. What did I do wrong? How can I get it smooth?
How long does this keep in the the refrigerator?
your recipe didn’t work out for me, the consistency was too runny for my taste 🙁
Hi Evelyn, if you are up for trying it again, I’d suggest cooking it a bit longer for a thicker result. Also, it thickens a lot once chilled.
Why my chocolate syrup became thick n sticky after some time? N how to use if it is thick? Can I heat it again before using?
Can it be made without any sort of sugar? I want to use this for my coffee to make homemade mochas, but I like to use 1 Stevia in it. So I’d rather try to add sugar to my coffee to taste vs it already being in the sauce.
If you look through the comments, I think some people have used one-to-one stevia substitutes with success. Hope that helps.
Xylitol is my favorite sub for sugar. 1:1 ratio for subbing.
This was soooo easy and delicious and so much btr than store bought!;we’ll nvr buy it again!
OMG! This is the best chocolate sauce I’ve ever tasted! I have to say the tablespoon of vanilla really made it fabulous! Thank you!
Hi Kim! I’m so glad this was a hit for you. Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a review!
I needed quick chocolate syrup for a lite Chocolate martini.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.. I will try this soon
My own technique is for bachelors-just the cheapest, quickest way to chocolate flavor. Take cocoa, add water, then use spoon to make mixture the desired thickness. Now you can sweeten to taste. Now you don’t have bubbles of un-mixed powder at the top.
Waaaaayyyyy better than the real thing! I highly recommend.
I let the syrup cool a bit before adding the vanilla, super good! I use it to make (peppermint) mochas at home 🙂
Love this syrup…. make it for our vanilla ice cream… keeps well in fridge and tastes great…. I cut recipe in 1/2 for us…..
It turned out amazing!
I made this the the first time with cacao it was perfect. I made it again with cocoa and it turned out thick and grainy. I much prefer the flavor with the cacao. It wasn’t as bitter.
I lost count how many time I made this chocolate syrup. So easy, simple yet super tasty!
How do I know if it’s good quality cocoa powder or not? Why do I have to bring it to boil? Couldn’t I just add boiling water to the cocoa powder and sugar?
It’s part of the process of making a smooth emulsified product with a great consistency for the purposes. You could always try what you are suggesting- but it may not be a very good consistency and could separate.
Can you store in fridge
Yep!
I put too much salt and what if you put the extract in while it’s still cooking
Can use table salt?
Crazy good delicious, followed recipe exactly and turned out amazing!!! The 30 day shelf life in the fridge will never be an issue with this recipe! Thanks!!!
haha I agree with the shelf life comment! 🙂 I’m so happy this was a winner for you. Thank you so much for the review!
This recipe is as simple as it gets – and the chocolate syrup is fantastic! I love that it’s not too sweet.
Really good recipe, the best! Didn’t know choc syrup is that easy to make. Thank you
This recipe will make a difference by using top quality ingredients.
I used Guittard Cocoa powder, Organic Sugar, Kosher salt and I used both vanilla bean paste and some Madagascar vanilla bean extract. I did add more sugar, salt and vanilla to mine. This recipe will change by the type of ingredients you add. Not all cocoa powder/vanilla is the same and can really affect the outcome.