Make The Rich Chocolate Syrup Of Your Dreams With Just 3 Ingredients

We're living in a time when convenience is king, especially when it comes to cooking. If we need something, we can whip out our phones, place an order, and have said thing at our doorstep within minutes. People hardly need to make anything at home anymore, because it's probably already available in a ready-to-use package. But that certainly doesn't mean packaged goods are better than homemade. In fact, it's well known that homemade food is often superior in taste, cost, and nutrition. And we don't just mean entrees and meals; this applies to goodies like chocolate sauce, too, which can be created with just cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla extract, and some water.

All you need to do is heat your water, sugar, and cocoa powder in a saucepan until it's thick and just begins to simmer. Then, stir in your vanilla extract. You can also add a pinch of salt, which takes all kinds of chocolate treats to the next level. You can use this sauce immediately or store it in the refrigerator. For a little more decadence, our easy chocolate sauce recipe is basically made the same way, but when the initial three ingredients come to a boil, you stir in chocolate chips or morsels and a little vanilla until the chips are completely melted. Sure, you could simply buy your chocolate sauce from the store, but you'll be getting other processed ingredients — like high fructose corn syrup and plenty of preservatives – to go with it.

Most people equate rich chocolate sauce with ice cream and sundaes. While this is a classic and winning combination, it's just one of many ways to enjoy your homemade sweet sauce. Since chocolate with breakfast is always a good idea, use it on your pancakes, waffles, french toast, yogurt bowls, and oatmeal. Stir it into your coffee, or use it to make a mocha. Don't forget the O.G. chocolate syrup use: make chocolate milk! You can also swirl some into your brownie batter, sweeten up salty snacks like popcorn and pretzels by drizzling chocolate syrup on top, blend it with ice cream to make excellent milkshakes, make chocolate egg creams, and use the sauce as a decadent dip for fresh fruit or churros.

If you're feeling adventurous, there are other ingredients you can add to your homemade chocolate sauce to make it extra indulgent. Try melting a tablespoon of salted butter into the warm sauce, substituting milk for the water in your recipe, or adding some fun flavors. A drop of orange or raspberry extract would be delicious, as would a touch of peppermint, which would make it a festive sauce for the holidays. For a Mexican chocolate flavor, mix in a little cinnamon and cayenne pepper.