Homemade Chocolate Syrup

I have been looking for an alternative to the HFCS laden Hershey's chocolate syrup for a very long time. I would even go as far as to say years. Even when I cut out everything else with HFCS in it, I had to have my chocolate syrup. I am a chocolate milk fan and Hershey's had always been my go to. I make coffee with occasionally too and let me tell you, on ice that is the best summer cooler ever.

I have tried all of the organic and "natural" brands that are out there and lets face it, they just don't compare. They are too watered down or too bitter. Just not the same. So, I turned to the homemade recipes. Yeah, some of those have been total fiascoes. Some of the recipes were bad, some of them were just way too expensive, some of them burned quickly and some of them were just plain gross. I did learn a little each time though, about what temperature sugar burns at and how to cool things properly and that milk is never needed to add to milk. That last one was an ugly discovery.

This weekend though, I was messing around on Pinterest and came across a pin for a homemade chocolate syrup I had not seen before. Posted to the blog One Good Thing by Jillee, but originally from Glorious Treats, it was way more simple than a few of the others I had seen and it was ingredients I actually have on hand so I decided to just try it out really quick. Quick it was too.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Ghirardelli)
1 cup water
dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small saucepan, add sugar, cocoa, and salt.  Whisk together gently.  Add water.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and cook 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Cool.  Store in the refrigerator. 

Easy Peasy, right? Best of all it is the closest to the name brand syrup as I have gotten! It is a little thinner but just as tasty.

The only thing I would  add or change:

• Be to be sure be sure you stir the water into the sugar mix well before you add heat, otherwise you risk your sugar burning before it ever gets started.  
• Heat slowly and stir almost constantly! There again, you don't want that burned sugar taste. 
• Once it starts to boil, just take it off the heat immediately. It will cook the rest of the way off the heat.
• Last, once that one minute is up, pour it into something else to cool. Bonus points if you put that container into an ice bath. The fast it cools, the better the consistency.
• Personally, I will add half as much vanilla next time. That is kind of a personal taste thing though.

So, there you have it! The best homemade chocolate syrup that I have been able to find. I put mine into a spare picnic ketchup bottle (the kind you can get two for a buck) and just keep a plastic baggie over the top to store it in the fridge.

Like it? Now all you have to do is