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    Home » Dessert » Chocolate Desserts

    Homemade Chocolate Syrup Recipe (77 cents/batch)

    Published: Jan 23, 2022 · Modified: Dec 17, 2022 by Jessica Fisher

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Run out of Hershey’s syrup? No problem! You can make your own with this homemade chocolate syrup recipe. It calls for just four ingredients and comes together on the stove in just about ten minutes, making for a quick and easy sweet treat!

    Use this chocolate syrup recipe to add great chocolatey flavor to your next Iced Mocha or Triple Chocolate Sundae. It’s also delicious stirred into hot or cold milk for hot chocolate or chocolate milk (one of the best recipes to use a lot of milk) or used to dress up a simple Chocolate Banana Marble Cake. Drizzle it over one of your favorite Homemade Pies.

    two glass bottles of chocolate syrup on a brown and blue plaid mat. this …

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    Jump to:
    • Why Make This
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • FAQs & Recipe Costs
    • More Great Syrups
    • Tell us what you think!
    • Chocolate Syrup Recipe

    If you grew up with the brown plastic squirt bottle as a regular feature in your fridge, you know the value of Chocolate Syrup. It’s delicious on so many things — milk, coffee drinks, ice cream, and even cake.

    What you might not know is how incredibly EASY it is to make your own homemade chocolate syrup!

    Why Make This

    This Chocolate Syrup Recipe requires just four ingredients. Yep, all you need are water, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Pretty much a line-up of standard grocery staples you likely have on hand all the time.

    It’s cheap to make! At just 77 cents for a big batch of homemade chocolate syrup, this recipe is a bargain, less than what you’d pay at the store and without the preservatives or high fructose corn syrup. There are many homemade sauce recipes you can make and this is a great one!

    Make just what you need. If you’re not a big user of chocolate syrup, you can make just as much — or as little — as you need. Cooking from scratch is a great way to avoid food waste. Simply scale the recipe on the card by changing the number of servings.

    Ingredients

    Here’s what you’ll need to prep this Homemade Chocolate Syrup Recipe:

    ingredients to make chocolate syrup measured into dishes and laid out on black table.

    sugar – I use a fine grind raw sugar, but you can use regular white sugar as well. If it’s important to you to make the syrup vegan, pay attention to what kind of sugar you use.

    cocoa powder – Be sure to use baking cocoa or cocoa powder, not hot chocolate mix. The latter has creamers and sweeteners added.

    water – As in simple syrup, for this chocolate syrup recipe you need half the quantity of water that you use of sugar. For a coffee-flavored version, see our recipe for Mocha Sauce in which we use coffee instead of water.

    salt – Salt helps bring out the flavor of the chocolate in this chocolate syrup. You don’t need a lot.

    Variations – Feel free to vary the flavoring of this chocolate syrup recipe, by stirring in one of the following with the salt: ¼ teaspoon mint extract, vanilla extract, raspberry extract, orange extract, or ground cinnamon.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Here’s how to make Homemade Chocolate Syrup:

    whisking together the dry ingredients in the pot.
    whisking in the water to the dry ingredients.

    In a medium sauce pan, whisk together the sugar and cocoa. Add the water and whisk until the sugar and cocoa are completely dissolved.

    boiling the syrup in a pot
    the syrup boiling in the pan.

    Bring the mixture to a low boil and allow it to boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the heat as necessary so that it doesn’t boil over.

    adding the salt to the syrup.
    the finished syrup in the pan cooling.

    Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the salt and allow it to cool before transferring to a jar. Once cool, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

    For longer storage, transfer the syrup to a freezer-safe container with a lid and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and whisk to recombine before using.

    FAQs & Recipe Costs

    Is chocolate syrup gluten-free?

    Homemade Chocolate Syrup is made with just four ingredients: sugar, cocoa powder, water, and salt, all of which are naturally gluten-free.

    Can chocolate syrup harden?

    Homemade Chocolate Syrup will harden or crystallize if it is cooked too long or too hot. You want to simmer the syrup for three minutes at a low boil. Do not go longer or you risk something harder than syrup.

    How do you use chocolate syrup?

    You can use chocolate syrup wherever you would use a sweet sauce, such as on desserts like cake or ice cream, in Italian sodas or coffee drinks, or in chocolate milk.

    Recipe Costs

    Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.

    • sugar – $0.44
    • cocoa powder – $0.32
    • salt – $0.01

    While your costs may vary depending on where and how you shop, you can expect to pay about $0.77 for a big batch of Homemade Chocolate Syrup, about 5 cents/ounce, at least half what you’d pay for Hershey’s Syrup!

    chocolate syrup in a glass bottle with a tag tied around the neck with twine, handprinted words on the tag read, "chocolate syrup".

    More Great Syrups

    ginger syrup bottles next to hunk of ginger root.

    Homemade Ginger Syrup Recipe

    sideview of pitcher of peppermint syrup with fresh mint leaves.

    Homemade Peppermint Syrup

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    Homemade Mocha Chocolate Syrup Recipe

    A pitcher of simple syrup next to tea

    Simple Syrup Recipe (Only 2 Ingredients!)

    white spoon and fork on a teal plate logo.

    Tell us what you think!

    We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.

    two bottles of chocolate syrup on a plaid mat.

    Chocolate Syrup Recipe

    Make as much or as little chocolate syrup as you need! This homemade Chocolate Syrup recipe comes together with just 4 ingredients in about 10 minutes.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 16 oz
    Calories: 103kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher
    Cost: $0.77

    Equipment

    • sauce pan
    • wire whisk
    • glass bottle with lid

    Ingredients

    • 2 cup sugar
    • ½ cup cocoa powder
    • 1 cup water
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    • In a medium sauce pan, whisk together the sugar and cocoa. Add the water and whisk until the sugar and cocoa are completely dissolved.
      2 cup sugar, ½ cup cocoa powder, 1 cup water
    • Bring the mixture to a low boil and allow it to boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the heat as necessary so that it doesn't boil over.
    • Whisk in the salt and allow it to cool before transferring to a jar. Once cool, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
      ¼ teaspoon salt

    Notes

    Use the chocolate syrup as a topping for ice cream or cake. You can also stir it into milk or coffee drinks.
    Variations: Feel free to vary the flavoring, by stirring in one of the following with the salt: ¼ teaspoon mint extract, vanilla extract, raspberry extract, orange extract, or ground cinnamon.
    For a coffee-flavored version, see our recipe for Mocha Sauce.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tell us what you think! Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Debbie Mason

      February 23, 2024 at 5:24 pm

      Have enjoyed you site and extensive works.
      I love cinnamon, vanilla for my coffee. Now with new info on adding cocoa it help with so many other thing I have been dealing with. Have done it in a cup of coffee. Just started a pot so I can pour it in every cup without the measuring, stirring to settle ingredients. Gave up International Delight a year ago and have tried so many recipes with disappointment. Cannot wait to try this. If it needs blending, I’ll try that. Thanks for your insight and experience. Looking forward to trying it in 11 hours. You put it all together! Bless you and your family. It smells so good in here!

      Reply
    2. Cheri A.

      January 14, 2024 at 3:33 pm

      5 stars
      I made this chocolate syrup to top ice cream and to put in my coffee. It’s wonderful! We’re on a quest to not only save money but to eliminate all the additives we can. It was a nice treat to have. I’ll definitely make it again. No more brown jugs for me!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        January 14, 2024 at 7:30 pm

        Yay! So glad to hear it.

        Reply
    3. CarolSue

      January 09, 2024 at 7:05 am

      5 stars
      I’ve been making this chocolate syrup for several months. It is delicious, easy and frugal. I love knowing exactly what ingredients are in this. I use it for my husband’s iced mocha coffee (also a recipe from Jessica) and homemade chocolate ice cream. My family tells me how much better these recipes taste with this homemade chocolate syrup. Thanks for a fabulous recipe!!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        January 09, 2024 at 7:10 am

        Yay! That’s so great to hear!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

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