The Best Ever Real Chocolate Syrup Recipe!

A couple years ago, I was at the grocery and noticed something odd.  The chocolate syrup brand that I consider the epitome of what chocolate means was NOT chocolate!  It said 'chocolate flavored'.  What the heck?  I searched the shelves and ALL the syrups and add-ins were labeled 'chocolate flavored'.  I looked at all the ingredients listed and was a little frightened.  Granted, we shouldn't sweeten up all of our foods, but when we do splurge on the sugar foods, they should be good quality and not 'imitation' or 'flavored'.  I went to the web and searched for the best recipe I could find for the least amount of work.  Here it is!


½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Mix the cocoa powder and the water in a saucepan. Heat on medium and stir to dissolve the cocoa. Add sugar, and keep stirring as it dissolves. Let it boil for 3 minutes.  Watch it so that it doesn't boil over (what a mess).  Add the vanilla and salt, stir and let it cool. I pull out empty clean glass bottles and jars out and a funnel and pour.  Old catsup bottles and pretty preserve jars are great to use and make wonderful presentation gifts.  Store it in the fridge until ready to give or to use.  This keeps for several months and is wonderful for ice cream and chocolate milk. Yields two cups.

A quick tip.  Skim the scum off the top as it is boiling and spoon into a ramikin.  Let it cool and harden.  Chip it out and you have a bit of dandy candy to crush up and sprinkle on ice cream.  You can also add another flavor besides vanilla.  Orange or mint is great, but make sure you taste as you go to keep the flavor from becoming too strong.

Tell me what you made and send me pictures of the jars you used.  This is a great way to reuse the pretty jars and bottles you have kept because you couldn't bear to throw away.  And to cut your clutter, give the bottles away filled with your wonderful chocolate syrup to your friends and family.  They can do something with the glassware after they use up the syrup!