Decadent and ridiculously easy, this rich Vegan Chocolate Sauce is the perfect topping for ice cream and cakes or even as dip for fruit. Made with just a few pantry ingredients and in just a few minutes, you’ll want to keep a jar of this sauce in your fridge at all times.
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Hey Internet, who doesn’t love chocolate? Well, I guess there are some people who don’t love chocolate, and some people who can’t have chocolate (like my Grandmother, though that doesn’t stop her)… but I’m assuming if you’re on this blog post, you’re a pretty big fan of chocolate.
Me? I’m a chocolate fiend, so I had to develop a vegan chocolate sauce for my vegan ice cream addiction.
I also needed one that was easy, and didn’t harden. If you want a chocolate sauce that hardens, check out the magic shell I made for my vegan ice cream cake.
This one is so easy, you can just cook it in a saucepan on the stove for a few minutes and it’s ready to go. Enjoy it warm like hot fudge on vegan ice cream, or chill it and dip fruit in it later.
Alright, let’s get chocolat-ing? Is that a word? Let’s pretend it is.
What You’ll Need
- Canned coconut milk: This is pretty important to the recipe, as it makes the sauce creamy and luscious. Can’t have coconut? Use any carton of non-dairy milk with a smidge more thickener. You could always add a bit of neutral oil to make it a bit richer.
- Cocoa powder or chocolate chips: This recipe tastes plenty good with either option! Cocoa powder is cheap and easy to use, but the chocolate chips make this vegan chocolate sauce much more decadent, so you choose.
- Sugar: You’ll need some kind of sweetener, so use your preferred option here. I used organic cane sugar (organic because some cane sugars are filtered through animal bone char) for simplicity, but if you want this to be refined sugar-free you could use pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, or date syrup instead.
- Sea salt: Use any kind of salt you like, but a touch of salt really brings out the chocolate flavor here. If you’re avoiding salt, you could try a ¼ teaspoon of espresso powder instead.
- Arrowroot powder or cornstarch: I like to use arrowroot powder to thicken this sauce slightly, but cornstarch will work just as well.
- Non-dairy milk: Use the non-dairy milk of your choice, this is just for dissolving the arrowroot powder or cornstarch in before adding it to the sauce.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Sauce:
- To a small nonstick saucepan, add the canned coconut milk, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Heat over medium heat and whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.
- If melting chocolate chips instead of using cocoa powder, add them to the pan and melt them with the coconut milk and stir until completely melted. Then add the sugar and salt.
- Mix the arrowroot or cornstarch with the non-dairy milk until it dissolves, then add it to the pot. Whisk until incorporated, then cook for about 3-6 minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture has thickened.
- Pour into a jar and let cool for a few minutes before using or storing.
- Refrigerate the mixture in an airtight container for up to a week.
- If the mixture thickens too much in the fridge, mix in a bit of non-dairy milk and shake or whisk until loosened. Heat can also help this process.
More Vegan Sauces
Sauces are so important for vegan folks. Learning to make my own sauces is one of the major things that helped me transition to being vegan, since you can throw them on just about anything and it’s a meal (grains, pasta, potatoes, etc.).
You’d be surprised how many sauces have animal products in them, or even just a lot of sugar, oil, and preservatives. Here’s some of my favorite homemade sauces.
- Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Sauce
- BBQ Sauce
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
- Vegan Honey Mustard
- Tofu Cream Cheese
- Vegan Ricotta
- Vegan Tzatziki Sauce
- Mushroom Gravy
- Quick Vegan Gravy
Anything Else?
As always, I hope you love this recipe–I know I do and so does Mr. Zardyplants. We keep making this over and over again because it’s so easy and a great way to get your (my) chocolate fix.
This vegan chocolate sauce is:
- Chocolaty (I’d hope!)
- Rich
- Lush
- Silky
- Smooth
- Sweet
- And the perfect topping for ice cream, cake, fruit, and more!
Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe or tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)
Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment–ratings help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!
<3 Liz
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Easy Vegan Chocolate Sauce
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 ¼ cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Decadent and ridiculously easy, this rich Vegan Chocolate Sauce is the perfect topping for ice cream and cakes or even as dip for fruit.
Ingredients
- 13.5 oz can coconut milk (see note 1)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder or chocolate chips (see note 2)
- 1 cup organic cane sugar (or sub coconut sugar) (see note 3)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk of choice
Instructions
- Make the chocolate sauce: To a small nonstick saucepan, add the canned coconut milk, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Heat over medium heat and whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.
- Using chocolate chips? If melting chocolate chips instead of using cocoa powder, add them to the pan and melt them with the coconut milk and stir until completely melted. Then add the sugar and salt.
- Thicken the mixture: Mix the cornstarch with the non-dairy milk until it dissolves, then add it to the pot. Whisk until incorporated, then cook for about 3-6 minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture has thickened.
- Let cool: Pour into a jar and let cool for a few minutes before using or storing.
- Store: Refrigerate the mixture in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Too thick? If the mixture thickens too much in the fridge, mix in a bit of non-dairy milk and shake or whisk until loosened. Heat can also help this process.
Notes
- Note 1: This is pretty important to the recipe, as it makes the sauce creamy and luscious. “Lite” canned coconut milk will also work. Can’t have coconut? Use any carton of non-dairy milk with a smidge more thickener. You could always add a bit of neutral oil to make it a bit richer.
- Note 2: This recipe tastes plenty good with either option! Cocoa powder is cheap and easy to use, but the chocolate chips make this vegan chocolate sauce much more decadent, so you choose.
- Note 3: You’ll need some kind of sweetener, so use your preferred option here. I used organic cane sugar (organic because some cane sugars are filtered through animal bone char) for simplicity, but if you want this to be refined sugar-free you could use pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, or date syrup instead.
- Category: Ingredient
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Chocolate
Keywords: Vegan, Oil-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Can Be Refined Sugar-Free, Vegan Chocolate Sauce
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