This luscious Keto Chocolate Sauce is smooth and creamy and full of rich, fudgy flavor. Drizzle it over your favorite keto ice cream for an amazing dessert experience!
Here we are in the dead of winter and I am craving ice cream. A big bowl of keto ice cream topped with ribbons of this luscious keto hot fudge sauce. It’s one of my favorite things in all the world.
You know those people who are always complaining that they are cold? I am one of those people. And yet, I could eat ice cream with hot fudge sauce any time of year. It doesn’t matter if it’s high summer and broiling, or dead winter and freezing. A sugar-free dessert like this makes me happy!
But it’s not just for ice cream. This keto chocolate sauce is so darn good, you can drizzle it over keto brownies, spread it on some keto chocolate chip cookies, or spoon it over keto cheesecake. Or you could just eat it with a spoon!
Why you will love this recipe
I first created this hot fudge sauce way back in 2015, and it was delicious. But much has changed in the intervening years and I wanted to see if I could make it better. Do I even need to tell you that it was a success?
This sauce is just as thick and velvety and chocolatey as it ever was. It pours over that ice cream, melting it just slightly as it goes, and becoming more fudgy as it cools against the frosty dessert.
But I also made it a little bit lighter in calories, and it stays gooier and softer. I switched out the sweetener so it no longer recrystallizes as it cools. And it’s easier to reheat.
And the best part is that you can adapt it for interesting flavors. Consider mint extract instead of vanilla. Or orange extract! Or coffee, or raspberry, or caramel. Can you see why I am craving ice cream?
Reader Reviews
“Very good recipe. I made this tonight and served it on top of low-carb vanilla ice cream with toasted pecans. My teenage daughter and I both thought it was delish!” — Tanya P.
“THE. BEST. FUDGE. SAUCE. EVER! I frankly eat it like pudding.” — Sheila B.
“Oh my goodness, I have now me this over and over. I keep the leftovers in the refrigerator. Swirl this in some low carb ice cream (no matter the flavor) it is to die for! Thank you!!!!!” — Nancy
Ingredient Notes
- Heavy whipping cream: This is the creamy base of the hot fudge sauce. You could also use coconut cream.
- Water: I used a little water to help thin the sauce and reduce the calories and fat a bit. Your ice cream provides plenty of that anyway!
- Allulose sweetener: The sweetener you use determines the final consistency of the sauce. You can use erythritol, but it will solidify and recrystallize as it cools. Allulose makes it more fudgy, and it stays creamy (although it still firms up).
- Butter: This helps the sauce thicken and also adds creaminess.
- Unsweetened chocolate: Make sure to choose chocolate that is 100% cacao, with no sweeteners at all. It is lower in carbs and also helps the fudge thicken and set properly.
- Espresso powder: This is optional but it really brings out the chocolate flavor.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract and salt.
Step by Step Directions
1. Add the wet ingredients: Combine the cream and water together a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sweetener and butter.
2. Simmer the mixture: Bring to a simmer, whisking until the sweetener dissolves. Cook 5 minutes, whisking frequently. Do not let it boil.
3. Add the chocolate: Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate and let sit 3 minutes, to melt. Add the vanilla extract, espresso powder, and salt, and whisk until smooth.
4. Use as desired: Drizzle over your favorite low carb ice cream or use as chocolate fondue. It can also be used to glaze cakes or donuts.
5. To rewarm: Place the desired amount of sauce in a bowl and microwave on 50% power in 20 second increments. You can also add the sauce to a heat-safe bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring frequently.
Tips for Success
As mentioned above, the sweetener you use makes all the difference. Allulose keeps this keto chocolate sauce softer and it won’t recrystallize. You can use other sweeteners but the consistency won’t be quite the same.
I prefer unsweetened chocolate for recipes like this, so I can control the sweetness and the consistency. Many sugar-free chocolate brands contain erythritol, and that will change the outcome.
I often add espresso powder to chocolate recipes to deepen and enhance the chocolate flavor. It does not make the recipes taste like coffee or mocha in small quantities, but it does bring out the best notes of the chocolate.
Different brands of unsweetened chocolate can affect how thick the sauce is. If you find your sauce not thickening up as it cools, whisk in a little cocoa powder (1 to 2 teaspoons). Alternatively, if it’s too thick, return to low heat and whisk in some cream. Different brands of unsweetened chocolate can
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a very different recipe than my Sugar-Free Chocolate Syrup. That recipe is made with water and cocoa powder, and is a thinner syrup similar to Hershey’s. It’s great for beverages and cocktails, although it works as an ice cream topping too. This Keto Hot Fudge Sauce is cream based and made with real chocolate, so it has a richer flavor and a velvety consistency. Both are great recipes!
Store this sugar-free chocolate sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week. It It will firm up and become more like soft fudge in the fridge. To use, gently warm until melty.
This keto hot fudge sauce recipe has 3.9g of carbs and 1.9g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.0g net carbs for 2 tablespoons.
Serve this sugar free hot fudge sauce over:
Keto Chocolate Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup allulose sweetener
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp espresso powder, optional
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Whisk the cream and water together in a measuring cup. Pour into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sweetener and butter.
- Bring to a simmer, whisking until the sweetener dissolves. Cook 5 minutes, whisking frequently. Do not let it boil.
- Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate and let sit 3 minutes, to melt. Add the vanilla extract, espresso powder, and salt and whisk until smooth.
- Drizzle over your favorite low carb ice cream or use as chocolate fondue. It can also be used to glaze cakes or donuts.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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another winner from your amazing kitchen. kids and us adults eat mostly Primal and this over some banana ice-cream was the bomb!!!! I think your recipes make everyone love me just a little bit more ha ha ha.
<3
OH my goodness — I made this tonight and served it on top of the Halo Top vanilla bean ice cream! It is so luscious – I could just eat the chocolate sauce with a spoon!!! So rich and chocolate-y …… I just love this sauce so much AND dang, it was so easy to prepare!! Thanks again for another FAB recipe!!
I agree with everyone. The best choc sauce, EVER!!! I always find both eryhtritol and stevia on it’s own has some form of aftertaste. But in combination, it’s magical.
Thanks again for yet another wonderful LCHF recipe?
Please help me I’m looking for a way to make sugar free, low carb butter cream. Can you help
me?
It’s pretty easy. https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2013/11/vanilla-bean-coconut-flour-cupcakes-and-teaching-children-about-kindness.html
Your recipe titled Best Low Carb Hot Fudge Sauce is truly the best. I made it today for the first time. It is wonderful, exactly like the ones I remember from my pre-diabetic days. The only change I made was to use THM Gentle Sweet. Thank you! I’m looking forward to trying the ice cream recipes next!
Thanks, Vicki!
Your Hot Fudge Sauce recipe is excellent! I made ½ the recipe and used it as topping on 4 different deserts. My favorite was unsweetened strawberries and low carb vanilla ice cream. The richness of the chocolate sauce made it extraordinary and so satisfying. It is amazing one layer makes a dessert so special.
Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
omg i can’t wait to make this! you’re such an inspiration!! but i can’t find Swerve here in my country. can I substitute it with granular erythritol or liquid splenda instead? oh and when will it expire once we produce it- thinking of making them as gifts for my friends!! 😉
x
Granular erythritol will work alright but you may get some recrystallization. This lasts a week or two in the fridge, as long as your cream is fresh when you make it.
Is there s secret to thickening this sauce? I did a half recipe: 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 1/6 cup swerve, 1.25 oz 100%baking chocolate. Brought the swerve and cream to a simmer, took it off the heat, added the chocolate for 5 minutes, whisked in the 1/4 tsp vanilla. What I have is a (cooled) thick hot chocolate the texture of the cream. Definitely not fudge sauce. What is in this recipe to make it thicker than cream? Is the swerve supposed to caramelize? Thanks.
No secret…usually when you add the chocolate and then it begins to cool, it gets very thick. Still pourable, but thick. I make this very often and mine is always much thicker than cream. If yours is too thin, I suppose you could add some cocoa powder.
I’ve been doing low carb for 4 years now, and I crave chocolate at times. Made this recipe and it’s wonderful! I found that if I add just a little more chocolate, it gets thicker, almost like fudge when chilled. I keep a batch in the fridge and when the craving hits, I just eat a spoonful! So satisfying, I don’t need the ice cream! Thanks!
You nailed it, actually. I’ve done fudge based on this very recipe! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2014/11/easy-low-carb-chocolate-peanut-butter-cup-fudge.html
Soooo I just had two bowls of ice cream….. :-/ dangerously delish indeed!!
We just tried your Perfect Low Carb Vanilla Ice Cream today and couldn’t believe how perfect the texture was! It was so smooth and creamy, even using regular Swerve! I had one of my senior moments and didn’t realize it said “powdered” Swerve until I was already well under way with the recipe. I put the ice cream in the freezer for about 2-3 hours before serving it, and it was perfectly scoopable with a nice, creamy texture! When making the Low Carb Sweetened Condensed Milk for this ice cream, you say to “simmer gently” for 1 1/2 hours to reduce mixture by half. I’m not sure if my heat was too low, but my mixture was only reduced by about 1/3 after close to 2 hours. I didn’t think the mixture should bubble, so I kept it below a boil the entire time. I went ahead and added that amount to the rest of the ice cream mixture, so it did make a really full batch that was right up to and slightly over the sides of the ice cream maker. I had planned to make your Hot Fudge Sauce today to go with it, but noticed that it also calls for the powdered Swerve. I didn’t want to push my luck, so will wait a few days to try it as I have some powdered Swerve ordered and it should be here any day. I was just wondering if you think this Hot Fudge Sauce could be used to turn your Perfect Vanilla Ice Cream into Fudge Ripple Ice Cream? I haven’t seen any low carb ice cream recipes for Fudge Ripple, and that was always one of my favorites. Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes and for sharing them with us!
I think the fudge sauce would be perfect for a Fudge Ripple!
You can probably powder your own erithritol in the VitaMix. I did that with xylitol. Similar product, so should work.
This is super easy and yummy. Today I made it a second time and decided to try it with coconut cream instead of whipping cream as I’m lactose intolerant. It turned out just as good. I poured it over your slow cooker chocolate cake for a lava cake taste! Enjoyed every healthy bite!
Sounds delicious!
I’ve made this with great success several times and enjoyed it YUM. This time however, the oil separated out and while it was still tasty, it was oily and goopy. Any ideas on what went wrong?
Did you use the same brand of chocolate? Lower quality chocolate can do that. Also too much heat can cause that issue as well.
THIS IS SO GOOD! Seriously easy and unbelievably delicious! I have already had it on low carb ice cream, on strawberries, and with your cream cheese pancakes…yummm and thank you!
oh, and yes, off the spoon too…
Best dark chocolate I have found is Lindt 90%. In Portland it is available at Fred’s, also Target, and most other markets.
Carolyn could use use raw cacao powder or a mix of both. I have the unsweetened chocolate and also some totally awesome cacao powder fro tru vibe. Thanks in advance.
I am not sure about the cacao powder but I’d say it’s worth a try.
I made this tonight with raw cacao powder and cacao butter (1:1)- it was SPECTACULAR! I melted the cacao butter, whisked in the sweetener and cacao, and then whisked in the cream. Heaven. I froze the leftovers in muffin papers- I am hoping in the morning I will have milk chocolate cups!