Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Okay I know I’m gonna get some eye rolls on this one. It’s fine, I get it and I can take it but just put down that big brown squeeze bottle for a minute and stay with me (I know, I know you’re super busy!) because this really is so simple and quick to make.

I like chocolate syrup as much as the next person, probably more. One of my all time favorite comfort meals consists of toast with butter, peanut butter, raspberry jam and a big glass of chocolate milk. It never fails to cheer me up and straighten me out. We use to buy the big brown squeeze bottles from (you guessed it) Costco until I realized the very first ingredient listed was high fructose corn syrup and then I just couldn’t do it anymore because I’ve read too many Michael Pollan books – he is such a buzzkill! We simply didn’t have any for a very long time but recently I decided we needed to have it on hand because I got tired of seeing my husband’s sad face when he didn’t have anything to put on his vanilla ice cream. So I did what I usually do, looked at about a dozen different recipes online, realized how basic it was and started making my own. I add a little coffee extract to really bring out the chocolate flavor otherwise this recipe is pretty much the same as everybody else’s.

I hope you try it… You can use any kind of cocoa powder, I used a Dutch processed one but that’s not necessary. If you use Hershey’s cocoa powder it will probably taste even more like the big brown squeeze bottle. Put it in your own bottle and use it on ice cream, for hot cocoa, milkshakes and of course, delicious cold chocolate milk.

Chocolate Syrup
(makes about 12 oz, double the recipe if you want)

1 cup sugar (less processed organic if you can)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp coffee extract (optional)

Place sugar and cocoa powder in a saucepan and whisk together.

Gradually, add water a little at a time, first making a paste then thinning it out so it’s really well combined.

Cook over medium heat stirring often, until the sugar dissolves then turn it up to medium-high and bring to a rolling boil.

Stirring often and keeping a close eye on it, allow the mixture to boil for 5 minutes. If it starts to go crazy and rise to the top of the saucepan, turn the heat down a bit so it doesn’t boil over.

After the 5 minutes, remove it from the heat and test it with a cold spoon, it should be thick enough to coat the spoon and stay put when you run your finger through it as shown below. It will seem thin but will thicken as it cools.