Recently, I set out to create the best hot fudge sauce ever, and friend, I think I've done it! This delightful dessert topping is incredibly smooth and sultry, with less sugar than most. Thanks to one of my favorite pantry staples, it's also packed with nutrients and fiber. Let's dig in!
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You may be wondering what exactly that pantry staple is; well, friend, it's California prunes! Now, you might be raising an eyebrow at the mention of prunes in your chocolate sauce. But trust me, prunes bring a natural sweetness and a depth of flavor that perfectly complements the richness of chocolate, making them the perfect sneaky addition to your chocolate sauce.
How Prunes Elevate Your Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe
Prunes, often associated with promoting digestive health, are a delightful surprise in desserts. This dried fruit is the perfect secret ingredient when creating chocolate sauce because the prunes and chocolate blend together effortlessly. All while the prunes amplify the flavor of the chocolate without overpowering it.
Beyond their reputation as a healthy snack, prunes contribute rich, caramel-like undertones and add depth and complexity to this hot fudge sauce!
Prunes don't just enhance the taste; they elevate it to new heights. Making this the most delightful hot fudge you have ever tasted.
Friend, prunes are like Mother Nature's candy. They're sweet, chewy, and the perfect substitute for sugar, fat, and even eggs in lots of recipes.
Prunes also offer many nutritional benefits. High in fiber, they promote a healthy gut and aid digestion. Prunes are also packed with antioxidants, which help protect against cell damage and support overall well-being. So, indulging in a prune chocolate sauce like this means treating yourself to a delectable dessert that also offers nourishment! Winning!
The Prune Puree Revelation: Elevate Your Sauce with Silky Sweetness
When creating the best chocolate sauce for ice cream, prune puree is one ingredient that stands out for its versatility and flavor-enhancing qualities. This smooth and velvety concoction is the secret ingredient that takes this sauce to a whole new level!
Prune puree serves as the backbone of this chocolate sauce, providing a luscious texture and intensifying the sweetness of the chocolate chips. To create prune puree, simply blend pitted prunes with boiling water until smooth and silky. You can make this concoction as thick or as thin as you like. For this particular recipe, I started with ¾ - 1 cup of boiling water and then added additional water in small amounts as needed to achieve the thick, almost scoopable texture you see above.
The prune puree blends in effortlessly with the half-and-half and melted chocolate, creating a silky smooth consistency that ensures the sauce coats your ice cream with velvety chocolate perfection.
How to Make a Luxurious Hot Fudge Sauce For Ice Cream
At the heart of any exceptional chocolate sauce lies the foundation—a velvety, smooth, and rich base. To achieve that perfect texture and taste, we must pay attention to both the quality of chocolate and the method of melting it.
Selecting high-quality chocolate chips is so important for a truly remarkable sauce. Whether you prefer dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate, opt for brands with rich flavor profiles and superior quality!
When it comes to melting the chocolate, gentle heat and patience are key. Avoid overheating or rushing the process. It can lead to a less desirable grainy or scorched texture. Take your time and let the chocolate melt for just a few minutes undisturbed in the warmed prune puree and cream mixture before whisking it in. This ensures a hot fudge sauce that has a luxurious mouthfeel.
Achieving Harmony in Chocolate Fudge Sauce
Creating the best chocolate sauce requires a balancing act. We want the sweetness of the prunes to shine while ensuring that it blends with the other elements in the sauce. Achieving the perfect balance is the key to a truly remarkable dessert experience!
The hint of vanilla extract adds an aromatic note to this hot fudge sauce. If you are feeling adventurous, a dash of espresso powder can elevate the flavor intensity to all new heights.
Finding the perfect balance in your homemade hot fudge sauce is a personal journey. Start with small additions, tasting, and adjusting along the way until you achieve the flavor profile that you enjoy the most. Don't be afraid to trust your taste buds, and let your creativity guide you.
Here Are Some Other Delicious Recipes That You Can Make Using Prune Puree!
Chocolate-Covered Prune Fudge Cake
Covered in a delicious chocolate ganache, this chocolate fudge cake makes an absolutely incredible paleo dessert. That's right, I said paleo - naturally sweetened, no refined sugar, no processed sugar - just an incredible chocolate fudge cake that most everyone can enjoy.
An Epic Hand Pie With The Best Caramelized Onion Recipe
Take any grilled cheese or hand pie recipe to the next level with this delicious caramelized onion recipe made with prune puree from Dinner Cult!
An Easy Recipe for Baked French Toast with Apples
This naturally sweetened recipe for baked French toast that I created for California Grown pairs buttery Brioche bread with cinnamon-laced Granny Smith apples, cream cheese, and toasted walnuts.
A Simple Broccoli Stirfry Recipe for Hectic Weeknights
This broccoli stirfry is an easy and nutritious weeknight plant-based meal that goes from start to finish faster than you can cook a pot of rice. This recipe is chock-full of crisp, tender broccoli with just the slightest char and a generous helping of the homemadeTeriyaki Sauce recipe I created for California Prunes that is free of refined sugars and loaded with big flavor!
If you’ve given our hot fudge sauce recipe a try, I would be so grateful if you would rate the recipe with a star rating and let me know what you think in the comments below!
PrintEasy Hot Fudge Sauce
This delightful dessert topping is delicious and has less sugar than most. Plus, it is packed with nutrients and fiber, thanks to one of my favorite pantry staples, California Prunes. Trust me, no one will even know they're in there!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 8
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
1 ½ cups half and half
½ cup prune puree, see notes.
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the half and half, prune puree, and brown sugar by whisking over medium heat until the mixture is smooth, has thickened, and small bubbles form around the edges.
Stir in the butter until it melts, then turn off the heat.
Pour in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and allow them to sit undisturbed in the mixture for 2 minutes.
After 2 minutes, add the vanilla extract and then whisk to incorporate the extract and the melted chocolate chips.
Serve warm or cool.
Notes
Prune puree:
- 16 ounces pitted California prunes
- 1 ½ cups hot water
To reheat chilled hot fudge sauce, use low power in the microwave, or if stored in a glass jar, place the jar in a saucepan, fill the pan halfway up the side of the jar with water, then gently heat over medium heat until simmering. Take caution when removing the glass jar from the simmering water. The glass and the contents inside will be hot.
This hot fudge sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in a jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 10 days.
You can freeze this hot fudge sauce for up to 3 months to store it longer. To thaw, use low heat in the microwave or reheat over medium heat on the stovetop.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 heaping tablespoons
- Calories: 391
- Sugar: 44.4 g
- Sodium: 40.1 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.6 g
- Protein: 5.3 g
- Cholesterol: 10.9 mg
Click here to see our Google web story about how to make Hot Fudge Sauce!
Looking to learn more about California prunes? Keep scrolling!
Our friends at California Grown know a thing or two about prunes and delicious ways to use them. Check out the articles and recipes below by clicking on any of the images.
Essie says
Quite good. I would have liked it a tad thicker, and a tad more chocolatey, but good. Maybe use more chips next time?
Once the puree is made this is a simple recipe.
meg@thismessisours says
I am so glad you liked it! The chocolate sauce will set more once it has chilled in the fridge. Hopefully that gets it to more of the consistency you are looking for. Also, you could use less water in the prune puree to make it thicker from the start.
Essie says
Thanks for the tip, Meg. I'll try that. I still think I'll add a few more chocolate chips. I can't get enough chocolate!
Essie says
I tried making the prune puree for this recipe using the recipe at the link. It took more than 3 times the water to make the prunes even close to the pourable consistency described. Now I'm not sure it will work in the recipe.
meg@thismessisours says
I have added our recipe for making prune puree to the notes section of the recipe card. You can use either our version or the one on California Prunes. Ours uses more water which will achieve a thinner sauce theirs is thicker which will produce a thicker hot fudge sauce.