Homemade chocolate syrup that’s sugar free and keto friendly – this stuff is pure chocolate bliss and it stays pourable! This easy keto chocolate sauce is the perfect dessert topper and takes only 15 minutes to make. Drizzle it over your favorite low carb ice cream, or stir into your favorite beverages for chocolate milk!
I’m so excited for this recipe, I am doing that happy dance. If only you could see me now, gloating and giggling madly about my homemade sugar free chocolate syrup. It’s a Hershey’s copycat recipe that tastes like the real thing with no junk!
And best of all, it doesn’t harden or recrystallize. It really stays pourable and perfect for as long as it lasts. Which, with my kiddos around, isn’t very long. They loved it and I’ve made promises to them that I will make it any time they ask.
It’s crazy easy to make, too, and whips up in about 15 minutes flat, using only 5 ingredients. So I won’t mind making batch after batch after batch. As long as it keeps the kids happy, right?
Let’s be honest, it keeps mama pretty happy too.
Keep in mind, this is not the same as my Low Carb Hot Fudge Sauce. That recipe is meant to be thick and fudgy, the sort of sauce that becomes almost chewy when it hits the cold ice cream. This keto chocolate syrup is cocoa bases, thinner and pourable. It really is like Hershey’s syrup, but a whole lot healthier!
Chocolate Syrup Inspiration
If it’s so easy to make, why hadn’t I tried before? Well, it all comes down to the different properties of low carb sweeteners. You know I love Swerve as my preferred sweetener for baking. But it just won’t work in a liquid application such as this. It re-crystallizes too much.
But lately I’ve been experimenting with other sweeteners such as allulose and Bocha Sweet. These are both very useful in their own right but they also have their limitations. I find that for baking, they have a tendency to make things too soft. I used half allulose in a cookie recipe a few weeks ago and they were very cake-y. Not the crisp chewy cookie I was going for!
And while Bocha Sweet has been a godsend, I tried it in meringues and they never EVER firmed up. They were like goo that we had to peel off the parchment paper.
What I’ve learned is that all low carb sweeteners have their advantages and disadvantages. What’s most important is to harness the advantages of one and play it off against the others. Sometimes that means mixing sweeteners to get the right consistency, and sometimes that means using one sweetener over another.
To create a true syrup that stays pourable, I knew I had to skip the Swerve, so I decided to try allulose. I found a good conventional recipe for copycat Hershey’s syrup and followed the method pretty closely, boiling the water, cocoa, and sweetener until it thickened.
And it worked perfectly!
Tips for Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup
Use the right sweetener: This is of the utmost importance to the outcome of the recipe. You need a sweetener that thickens and doesn’t recrystallize. Your options include allulose, Bocha Sweet, or xylitol. Erythritol based sweeteners won’t work.I’ve noticed for a long time that the more you heat erythritol in a liquid application, the MORE it tends to recrystallize.
If you want to save money and find the allulose or Bocha Sweet too expensive, you can cut it with some erythritol but I wouldn’t do more than half. Both allulose and Bocha Sweet stay so soft and liquid, they may help offset the recrystallization, although it may still happen a bit.
Use good quality cocoa powder: Don’t use raw cacao powder. It’s very hard to get it to whisk into liquids and it’s more bitter same as a good Dutched cocoa powder. For this recipe, I used Rodelle Organic, but I also recommend Ghirardelli or Guittard.
Don’t forget the salt! Salt helps enhance and intensify chocolate flavors, so don’t skip it. Don’t skip the vanilla either.
Let it boil: After it’s all whisked together, let it come to a boil and cook undisturbed for a bit to thicken. You do need to watch it carefully, turning down the heat if it’s in danger of boiling over. It should begin to bubble very thickly as it gets close to being done.
Let it cool: It will continue to thicken as it sits. Then you can store it in the fridge or even on the counter for a few days. There isn’t anything in it that will spoil and ours was fine for a week. Any longer than that and I’d say keep it in the refrigerator. You may need to gently re-warm it to help it be pourable.
How to Use Homemade Chocolate Syrup
It’s delicious drizzled over ice cream, cheesecake, or any kind of keto dessert! And it mixes in easily with milk, coffee and other beverages. It makes a spectacular mocha.
We did find that for something that wasn’t already sweetened, such milk or coffee, you needed to add a bit of additional sweetener to your taste. I don’t want to change the amount of sweetener in the actual recipe, since it was plenty sweet when drizzled over ice cream.
My youngest went wild for this and she loved making chocolate almond milk. We simply added a few drops of liquid stevia to get the sweetness right for her. She also tried it drizzled over a keto biscuit but that wasn’t hugely successful. Hey, I give her props for trying!
What will you do with your sugar free chocolate syrup?
My Favorite Easy Keto Chocolate Recipes
Keto No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup allulose (see recipes notes for substitutions)
- ⅔ cup good quality cocoa powder (I like Rodelle)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk together water, sweetener, cocoa powder, and salt. Continue to whisk until well combined.
- Bring to a boil and let cook, not stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, until it's thickened. Watch it carefully so it doesn't boil over. It will bubble very thickly when it's ready.
- Remove from heat and add vanilla. Whisk to combine. Let cool half an hour before transferring to a jar or bottle.
- Pour over ice cream or stir into your favorite low carb milk. If adding to milk, you may need to add a bit more sweetener to taste.
Notes
Michelle says
My was a little thin. Is there a way to make it a bit thicker?
Erica B says
Hi Michelle, I’m obviously not Carolyn, but I’ve made the recipe twice. The longer you let it cook, the thicker it gets.
L.S. says
Sorry, I’m a bit confused. Can I use swerve as the sweetener?
Thanks!
Carolyn says
No, you can’t. I thought I was pretty clear here. It will re-crystallize too much. The most you can use is half Swerve, and half Allulose or bocha Sweet.
Erica B says
I made more syrup last night and decided to try cutting the allulose with erythritol as mentioned in the post. I used approximately half allulose and half So Nourished erythritol/monk fruit blend. I also added a few drops of concentrated stevia/monk fruit at the end. It worked well! The flavor is just as pleasant as with 100% allulose, and there’s no crystalization after 12 hours in the refrigerator. The consistency is perfect; it’s a little thinner than my first batch, which I had cooked too long. The first one never really boiled, and I didn’t realize when it was done. The second one did bubble thickly when ready. I think I slightly prefer the darker flavor of the longer-cooked syrup, but both are great. This recipe is very forgiving! Thanks again, Carolyn.
Carolyn says
This is great info, Erica, thank you! I will do my own next time with half Swerve and half allulose because… $$$!
Erica B says
Glad to help. Forgot to mention that my erythritol was powdered. Over 24 hours, and still no crystallization!
Eden says
So good! Thank you for this wonderful option of making it sugar free!
Heather says
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I love chocolate syrup!
Becky Hardin says
Oh yumminess!!! Love some chocolate syrup!!
Stephanie says
Such a delicious recipe and super easy to make. Thanks!
Julie Blanner says
Now I have an excuse to eat a chocolate sundae! Love how easy it is and that it’s Keto as well.
Patty in CO says
Carolyn…you did say we could use zylitol as a sweetener. Does it measure the same as Allulose?
Carolyn says
It should!
Sherri Cook says
Awesome sauce! I made Salted Carmel,Chocloate Chunk Ice Cream yesterday, and this recipe was on my in box today. Of course I had to make it! Heavenly recipes-so good.
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Kate says
I bet this would work great for a chocolate egg cream – syrup, hwc and seltzer. How about coming up with a recipe for vanilla syrup? Thanks.
Melissa says
I am making this syrup for egg creams also. Perfect light dessert and counts as water for the win!
Erica B says
Thank you, Carolyn! As soon as I saw the recipe, I knew I had to make it for my husband, the chocolate fanatic. We just tried it, and he declared it better than any chocolate syrup on the market. He wants to try it on ice cream next. I used allulose, and the syrup is thick, sticky, and pleasantly sweet on its own. We did add a couple drops of liquid monkfruit/stevia blend to our milk glasses.
If anyone is wondering about alternative sweeteners, I think Carolyn’s comments and notes in the post are meant to convey that ONLY allulose or BochaSweet will work in this recipe. Sweeteners impact texture as well as flavor, and no other sweeteners—liquid, granulated, or powdered—will create the correct texture and consistency.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Erica and yes, you nailed it. The only sweeteners are the ones I mentioned but people have a bit of hard time understanding that.
Mirian says
Carolyn I really Love all your recipes Thank you for sharing them with all of us. You are a generous person. God bless you for that! …. where do you buy the Allulose or BochaSweet ?
Carolyn says
I just get mine online at Amazon.
Annette Mahoney says
I buy bocha sweet direct from them
Carla says
I don’t think that “people have a hard time understanding that”, but people have different dietary requirements. I love the taste of allulose, but for me it gives me strong diarrhea and I cannot have it, unfortunately.. Bocha sweet, which is a pentose (5-carbon ring sugar) is metabolized and can raise blood sugar by 20 points. Plus it can also cause GI distress. So, in my case, I stick with my own blend homemade sweetner made with erythritol, xilitol & monk fruit. Xylitol alone also raises insulin level (around 2/3 as sugar), so I always “dilute” it in erythritol.
I use “my blend” in my homemade ice cream and in this recipe. It works great in both, but I do add a teaspoon of brandy to prevent crystallization.
Carolyn says
I do actually think that some people have a hard time understanding that. People would do well to read my primer on Keto Sweeteners to understand that “monk fruit” usually means a monk fruit blend with erythritol and so you need to understand the properties of erythritol.
Additionally, BochaSweet never raises my blood sugar. Another tough to understand thing is that these sweeteners affect us all very individually so there’s no one-size-fits-all (with a few notable exceptions… maltitol isn’t good for anyone!).
Susan says
Carla, thank you so much for doing the research on sugars. I really appreciate it.
Becki's Whole Life says
Oooh – I will have to try this! I have been wanting a chocolate syrup to pour over cheesecake!
kelly says
Could you use Monk fruit sweetner?
Carolyn says
If you mean Lakanto, then no. It’s mostly erythritol.
Mike Street says
Do you think stevia would enhance our detract from the recipe?
Carolyn says
You mean in addition to the rest of the sweetener? if you want your sweeter it should be fine but stevia can be a little bitter when mixed with chocolate.
Brenda Mersch says
Will stevia work?
Carolyn says
No not even a little. Sorry but it doesn’t have the power to thicken a syrup.
Erica B says
Carolyn, I really like the itemized explanations about preferred ingredients and procedures that you’ve been adding to your posts lately! I appreciate the added detail. Thank you for the recipe too.
Daniel K Duprey says
Looking forward to trying your recipe! And many thanks to you (and other bloggers) for experimenting with how different sugar substitutes may be used. For example, it was a Godsend when I found a recipe for candied pecans that was made by boiling erythritol to the hard crack stage. Yumm.
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it, let me know what you think about the syrup!
Lori Kaumans says
Oh man, I can’t wait to try this! A glass of chocolate almond milk sounds so good!
Karla says
Most disgusting thing I’ve ever eaten. Actually didn’t really eat it had to throw it out!!! Yuck!!! Took a long time to get the taste out of my mouth!! I highly recommend not wasting your time making this. Worst Keto recipe I’ve tried so far. I wish people would leave real opinions for these keto recipes but they don’t.
Carolyn says
Wow! For one thing, if it was that distasteful to you, it’s probably a sweetener issue. You may find some of them bitter to your palate but everyone tastes these things differently, so it’s not a problem with the recipe.
But suggesting that the comments or reviews are real? Seriously?
Linda says
Great answer to a very rude comment! Why would reviewers lie about liking a recipe? Makes no sense!
Cynthia Mann says
I have made this twice now, with theist being a double batch! The hard part is not sitting and eating it with a spoon. It is a fabulous recipe. Everyone has different tastes, especially with non-sugar sweeteners, but that is hardly a reflection of the quality of the recipe or the reviews. I tell you what, if I am supposed to be a shill I need a pay raise! 😉
Cynthia Mann says
Oops! Theist= the last lol
Rhea98 says
I understand tastes vary, but this is really good. I actually use Xylitol (160 g), 6 drops of liquid sucralose, and 1/16 tsp ofpowdered stevia extract. I don’t even use a “Good quality” cocoa–just regular Hersheys. My husband is the sugar fiend, but he loves this stuff. I’m trying to wean him off the sugar (again). He’s T2D so he needs to watch it. On the other hand, I will say that eating this on the low carb/lower calorie (keto) vanilla ice cream I make satisfies his sweet tooth. Eating sugar just makes him want more. Note, please: This IS a real opinion for this recipe. It is, though, only my opinion.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Rhea. I do agree!
Jennifer says
I thought it was honestly delicious over ice cream. My only thought is that the allulose I have is not as sweet as sugar. Maybe that left it too bitter for Karla? Goodness!
Erica B says
My comments and opinions from last year were 100% real. ???? I have to say, the quality of one’s cocoa powder makes a big difference here. I used a cheap cocoa powder for one batch, and it was absolutely unpalatable. All the rest using (Rodelle dutch-processed cocoa, if I remember correctly) were truly delicious.
Erica B says
I’m back to make more, now, actually. For real. ????
Lisa says
How do you stop it from sticking to the bottom of the pot if you do not stir it while boiling? The bottom of my pot was hard as a rock! Thank you.
Carolyn says
You need lower heat and a better pan! It shouldn’t stick in a good pan.
Rebecca Jaxon says
Yeah wow. We just made it yesterday and my daughter and I fought over licking out the pan. I just had some on some ice cream, and had to rush back here to post about it. It’s a wonderful texture, even after sitting in the refrigerator for a day. And my daughter used it in her low carb latte this morning, and thought it was very good.
I don’t know why you don’t like it, but I agree, it may be your overly sensitive to whatever sweetener you used. But yeah, you don’t have to accuse everyone else here of lying.
I used pure allulose, that I had ordered online a while back and then lost in the back of my pantry. Now I have a really good use for this allulose.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Rebecca!
Kathy says
A jump to recipe would be MUCH appreciated!
I absolutely love ALL your recipes!
Rachel says
Seriously, you must be somewhat challenged when it comes to cooking. You probably used packets of sweet n’ low instead of this woman’s recommendations. I’ve made this twice now- once with Bochasweet (amazing) and once with Xylitol (very good). Ok somebody give me a pay check now, thanks.
Deborah says
BEST and Easiest recipe ever! I made it for hubby to drizzle over his birthday cheesecake and the leftovers are perfect for hot chocolate cravings! I usually use fairlife milk and heavy cream heated and add this to taste. No complaints from my family. I hate chocolate since my last pregnancy, except when it is not over bitter and more milky tasting…No complaints Carolyn thanks for making a keto lifestyle easier to do! P.S. My go to cheesecake is your NY cheesecake recipe. I get so many compliments from it, and it is seriously the easiest thing to make as long as everything is at room temp.
Carolyn says
So great to hear!
Joy Tomlinson says
I am so excited to have chocolate milk. I had the thought to try it over a biscuit too right before I read about your daughter’s attempt. Do you think that you might develop a chocolate gravy recipe for her/us for our biscuits? ???? Also, do I substitute Bocha Sweet for the same amount as the allulose? Thank you Carolyn for this recipe and for all of your wonderfully delicious recipes! I really appreciate all the work you do for your followers!! Have a great day!
Kat says
Just use about 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum if youre using erythritol. Works perfectly.