This easy 4-ingredient vegan chocolate sauce recipe is ultra quick to make (5 minutes!), versatile and silky and rich in texture. Plus, it is made using cocoa powder for a healthy chocolate sauce recipe! It makes for the perfect topping for pancakes, fresh fruits, ice cream, brownies, oatmeal and coffee or lattes. 100% vegan, dairy-free and naturally gluten-free.
This vegan chocolate sauce is hands down one of my favorite healthy chocolate recipes. I should have shared it before!
It is unbelievably delicious yet crazy easy to make.
It literally takes 5 minutes to whip up a batch, and you will only need 4 simple ingredients to make it. No cream, no white sugar, no oil (no coconut oil or vegan butter) and made without chocolate chips. Just some antioxidant-packed raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder), maple syrup, a touch of oat milk (or any milk) for some creaminess and vanilla extract, if you have some.
All you have to do is whisk the ingredients together, then warm up to help dissolve the cacao powder and heat up the sauce. And then, generously drizzle over ice cream like a vegan hot fudge or use it to flavor and decorate cakes, healthy banana pancakes, vegan brownies, crepes, etc. I even use it as a chocolate syrup for coffee, smoothies and lattes. It is healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast!
Let me know if you gave it a try ❤️
❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Ultra fast and easy recipe that uses only 4 ingredients
- Delicious rich dark chocolate flavor with a silky texture
- Endless ways to serve it
- Healthy vegan chocolate sauce: made with cocoa powder and no added white sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, no preservatives and made without any added fats.
- Vegan, dairy-free and naturally gluten-free
🗒 Ingredient notes (+ substitutions)
- Raw cacao powder or cocoa powder: both work, use whatever you have at home. Cacao powder is less processed and higher in antioxidants, also has a stronger and more rich chocolatey flavor, although unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder will work beautifully for this recipe.
- Pure maple syrup: sweetener of choice for this vegan chocolate syrup. It brings an almost caramel-like flavor and has the perfect texture to make the sauce smooth and creamy. I haven't tried it yet, but you might be able to swap it for agave nectar. In any case, do not swap for granulated sugar as it would not create the same texture.
- Oat milk: or any plant-based milk you have or like. Oat milk is great for creating a thicker and richer consistency, but soy milk, almond milk or cashew milk would also be great. If you don't have any milk, then simply use water!
- Vanilla extract: optional, but vanilla enhances the richness of the chocolate and boosts the sweetness naturally too.
⭐️ Full list of ingredients (+ quantities) down below in the recipe card!
📝 Variations
You can flavor this amazing chocolate sauce with more ingredients, such as:
- Spices: you can make a Mexican chocolate version by adding some spices to it, especially cinnamon, but also nutmeg, cayenne pepper or cardamom.
- Sweet and salty: add a pinch of sea salt to the sauce for a salted chocolate flavor.
- Protein boost: you can add a spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter to the saucepan and whisk well until dissolved to add more plant-based protein, but also more rich texture and a delicious nutty flavor.
- Coconut chocolate sauce: swap the oat milk for coconut milk (in a box or from a can) for a nice flavor. You might have to add more of it if needed to make the sauce thinner and use full-fat coconut milk for a treat!
🍴How to make a vegan chocolate sauce recipe
Step 1: In a small saucepan, add the oat milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and cacao powder.
Step 2: Then using a whisk, stir the mixture until completely combined and smooth, which can take 30-60 seconds.
Step 3: Turn on the heat to low and keep whisking while the sauce is slowly warming up. Watch carefully so the mixture doesn't actually cook! Once the sauce is steamy hot and all smooth, then remove it from the heat.
Step 4: Taste to adjust flavor, then serve right away or store for later.
⭐️ Detailed recipe (+ video) down below in the recipe card!
💡 Helpful tips
- Stay close to the saucepan while the sauce is warming up. It goes fast and you don't want to cook the mixture or it can change the texture. You are looking to warm it up to help dissolve the cacao and create that silky-rich texture. Stay beside the saucepan and almost constantly whisk while it is warming up. Then, remove it right away when done!
- Cocoa powder can be stubborn when trying to dissolve it in a liquid. I find that all clumps eventually dissolve if I vigorously whisk for a little while, but sifting the cocoa into the saucepan might help speed up this process.
🍴 Serving suggestions
There are so many ways you can serve this delicious homemade chocolate sauce! But here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy it:
Vegan chocolate dipping sauce
You can serve it warm in a small bowl alongside fresh fruit, such as bananas, strawberries, apples, raspberries or pineapple. It makes for an easy recipe for a chocolate fondue that's healthier. Also check out this strawberry fruit dip recipe!
You can use it as a sweet dipping sauce for vegan churros, energy balls (perfect with these vegan edible cookie dough bites) or cookies (amazing with these 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies ).
Vegan chocolate hot fudge
Another classic would be to drizzle the warm dairy-free hot fudge sauce over your favorite ice cream (we love this Oatly vanilla ice cream).
Here are more chocolate topping serving ideas:
- make layered vegan ice cream sundaes (which would be great combined with bananas, whipped cream, tahini caramel, vegan chocolate chips and crushed nuts)
- garnish freshly baked vegan brownies (perfect with these banana brownies!)
- top this peanut butter fudge recipe
- drizzle over pancakes or waffles (perfect over these high-protein pancakes)
- garnish vegan individualized baked oats when serving
- drizzle over cake and muffins
Vegan chocolate syrup
To use this recipe as dairy-free chocolate syrup, then you might need to slightly adjust the consistency and add 1-2 extra tablespoons of oat milk.
You can add homemade chocolate syrup to so many drinks to make them sweeter and boost their chocolate flavor. Here are a few pairing ideas:
- Peanut butter coffee
- Healthier chocolate milkshake
- Iced strawberry latte
- Chocolate bubble tea
- Oat milk hot chocolate
- Iced dirty chai latte
Vegan spreadable chocolate ganache
Once done, you can transfer the leftover chocolate sauce into the fridge and it will turn into the BEST spreadable chocolate ganache you will ever have. Here are ways you can use the chilled ganache:
- granola bars
- cake (try it over this vegan cookie cake!)
- overnight oats
- peanut butter toasts
- vegan black forest cake
- vegan sandwich cookies
❗️ Storage tips
This chocolate sauce stores very well, so don't hesitate to make more to use it throughout your week. Keep it in an airtight glass container (a mason jar is great for that) for up to one week.
As mentioned above, once chilled, the sauce gets thicker and will not be pourable anymore. Instead, you can scoop it or spread it in dessert or breakfast recipes.
If you want to bring back that pourable consistency after storing, then simply leave it on the counter at room temperature until thinner, or speed up the process by warming it up just for a few seconds in the microwave or on the stove.
You can also freeze this sauce! Keep it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight and warm it up as needed before serving.
❓ FAQs
Yes, you can! Simply whisk well the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl until completely smooth. Then, heat it up for 15-20 seconds at a time whisking well in between. Do not warm it up too much or the sauce will cook and change in texture.
This recipe is pretty much fail-proof and easy to customize by tweaking the ingredients as you go. So simply add a little more cacao powder, whisk well and repeat until you reach desired consistency.
No, this is an oil-free and no-added-fat sauce, meaning that the sauce might get thicker once in contact with cold ice cream, but it will not harden like store-bought ice cream bars covered with crunchy chocolate.
🍫 More healthy vegan chocolate recipes made using cocoa powder
I hope you like this vegan chocolate sauce recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Sauce (4 Ingredients, Healthy, Easy)
Ingredients
- ½ cup cocoa powder - or raw cacao powder
- ⅓ cup maple syrup - or more to taste
- 5-7 tbsp oat milk or any plant-based milk or water - or enough for desired consistency
- 1 tsp vanilla extract - optional
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and whisk well to combine (the cocoa powder can take a few seconds to be fully dissolved).
- Then, warm up on low-medium heat stirring often or almost constantly. The sauce will slowly become silky, smooth and thinner. You can add more milk (1 tablespoon at a time) to reach desired consistency as needed. Also, taste and add 1-3 extra teaspoons of maple syrup if looking for a sweeter sauce.
- Important note: you do not want to actually cook the sauce or the texture will become thick and even crumbly. So, stay right beside the saucepan and remove it from the heat once it is steamy hot and the texture looks good to you.
- Once you removed it from the heat, let it rest for 2-3 minutes, then enjoy it right away or store it for later.
Video
Notes
- Storage tips: keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. The sauce will thicken significantly while cooling down. You can use the cold chocolate ganache straight from the fridge as a spread or reheat slightly using the microwave or the stove until it gains its pourable consistency back (leaving it at room temperature for 30 minutes will also give it its thinner consistency back).
- Serving suggestions: there are endless ways you can serve this sauce, but my favorites are over ice cream, pancakes, in coffees or lattes, with churros or used as a dipping sauce for fresh fruits.
- Once the sauce turns into a thicker spreadable chocolate ganache after resting in the fridge for a few hours, then you can use it like chocolate frosting over cakes, granola bars, brownies, morning toasts, etc.
- Be sure to check out the blog post for more tips and serving ideas!
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
Which cocoa powder do you recommend? I’m looking for one without heavy metals (as much as possible) and ethically sourced. Thanks.
Hi Wendy! I used the one from Navitas Organics! I get it online or at Whole Foods Markets.