Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 cup granulated sugar until evenly blended and free of lumps.
- Add 1 cup cold water and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or adjust to taste). Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Once it starts to boil, continue whisking and cook for about 3 minutes, until it begins to thicken. (The syrup will be fairly thin while hot and will thicken as it cools.)
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. Taste and, if desired, while the syrup is still warm, stir in additional granulated sugar or a little more kosher salt a small amount at a time until it reaches your preferred sweetness and seasoning.
- Transfer the cooled syrup to an airtight glass container and refrigerate. The syrup will keep in the refrigerator for at least one month.
Notes
Notes
Consistency Tips
If it’s too thick, it cooked for too long. Try cooking for less time. 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.
*Sugar/Sweetness Notes
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. Be sure to let it cook a bit more so that the sugar dissolves!
Storage Tips
Store syrup in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator. The syrup should keep, refrigerated, for at least a month. I haven’t yet tried freezing/thawing this homemade chocolate syrup, but I think it would work fine.
I have had readers ask if they can can this recipe, and my answer is that 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.
Consistency Tips
If it’s too thick, it cooked for too long. Try cooking for less time. 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.
*Sugar/Sweetness Notes
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. Be sure to let it cook a bit more so that the sugar dissolves!
Storage Tips
Store syrup in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator. The syrup should keep, refrigerated, for at least a month. I haven’t yet tried freezing/thawing this homemade chocolate syrup, but I think it would work fine.
I have had readers ask if they can can this recipe, and my answer is that 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.