5 from 5 votes

Prep Time : 15

Cook Time : 10

The best ice cream toppings, including hot fudge sauce, butterscotch sauce, caramel sauce and marshmallow topping, are naturally gluten free and so easy to make at home!

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Today's recipe is your basic 4-for-1: 4 recipes for the best homemade ice cream toppings and sauces you can imagine. No matter the weather, who doesn't love a warm slice of apple pie à la mode—or just your favorite homemade gluten free ice cream with all the toppings?

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If you're worried about using a candy thermometer, you'll only need it for the marshmallow topping and caramel sauce, not for the butterscotch or hot fudge. And I promise it's all super easy.

rectangular white dish with three scoops of ice cream with brown, orange and yellow sauces, brown sauce in a jar, yellow sauce in a jar on white table

Look how beautiful those sauces are. Just look. And each only takes a few truly basic pantry ingredients (sugar, water, egg whites, chocolate, butter).

Homemade Ice Cream Toppings and Sauces: Hot Fudge Sauce

We start with everyone's favorite: hot fudge sauce. This is not a thin chocolate sauce. This is thick, rich, deep chocolate hot fudge sauce. For chocolate lovers only!

Homemade Ice Cream Toppings and Sauces: Caramel Sauce

Next, caramel sauce. It's thinner than the caramel you'd use to make, oh I don't know, gluten free Twix candies. It's all about the ingredients in the right proportions. And all of these toppings are safely gluten free, naturally so. Plus, most ice cream is gluten free (with a few exceptions).

Homemade Ice Cream Toppings and Sauces: Butterscotch Sauce

Oh, butterscotch sauce, you temptress. Deep, rich butterscotch sauce. Ice cream's best friend.

Homemade Ice Cream Toppings and Sauces: Marshmallow Topping

And last but not least, marshmallow topping. It's not really marshmallow, since there's no gelatin. It's more like marshmallow fluff, but thinner so you can drizzle it on top of that rich hot fudge sauce.

Homemade Ice Cream Toppings and Sauces: Hot Fudge, Butterscotch & Caramel Sauces

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Homemade Ice Cream Toppings & Sauces

The best ice cream toppings, including hot fudge sauce, butterscotch sauce, caramel sauce and marshmallow topping, are naturally gluten free and so easy to make at home!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

Yield: 2 cups

Author: Nicole Hunn

Equipment

Candy thermometer
Stand mixer for the marshmallow topping only

Ingredients

For Hot Fudge Sauce

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup (2 ounces) water measured by weight
6 tablespoons (3 fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream at room temperature
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
2 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter chopped
¾ teaspoon kosher salt

For Caramel Sauce

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup (2 ounces) water measured by weight
6 tablespoons (3 fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream at room temperature
4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter chopped
¾ teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)

For Butterscotch Sauce

4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter chopped
½ cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)

For Marshmallow Topping

2 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg whites at room temperature
1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
⅔ cup (5.33 fluid ounces) water
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

To make Hot Fudge Sauce

In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, place the granulated sugar, cream of tartar, cocoa powder, water and heavy whipping cream, and mix to combine well.
Place the saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue cooking until the mixture thickens and reduces by almost one-quarter (4 to 5 minutes). It will first seem thinner as the sugar melts into the liquid, then eventually thicken.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, butter and salt, and whisk to combine well.
Transfer to a heat-safe container with a lid, and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Store in the refrigerator, and warm in a water bath on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.

To make Caramel Sauce

In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, place the granulated sugar, cream of tartar and water, and mix to combine well.
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat, and cook until the mixture is beginning to turn amber in color (to ensure that you do not burn the sugar, clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and remove it from the heat when the sugar mixture reaches 300°F).
Remove the pan from the heat and, whisking constantly, slowly add the cream. The mixture will bubble fiercely.
Keep stirring until the mixture stops bubbling and is smooth.
Add the butter and salt, and whisk to combine well. Return the saucepan to medium-low heat, and bring back to a simmer.
Cook, stirring frequently, until just slightly reduced (about 2 minutes).
Transfer to a heat-safe container with a lid, and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Store in the refrigerator, and warm in a water bath on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.

To make Butterscotch Sauce

In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, and stir until combined.
Stir in the granulated sugar, and cook over medium-low heat until smooth, stirring frequently. The mixture will clump, and eventually melt after about 3 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and, whisking constantly, add the cream.
The mixture will bubble quite a lot, and the sugar may seize. It will melt again, though. Continue whisking until the bubbling subsides.
Return the saucepan to medium heat and, whisking occasionally, bring to a simmer.
Continue to cook, whisking occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is slightly reduced and coats the back of a spoon.
Add the vanilla and salt, and whisk to combine.
Transfer to a heat-safe container with a lid, and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Store in the refrigerator, and warm in a water bath on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.

To make Marshmallow Topping

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
In a medium saucepan, place the sugar, water, cream of tartar and salt, and whisk together.
Cook the mixture over medium-high heat until it reaches the softball stage (240°F on an instant read candy thermometer).
Remove the cooked sugar from the heat.
With the mixer on low speed(making sure the sugar mixture doesn’t hit the whisk), pour the sugar mixture carefully down the side of the mixer bowl.
Add the vanilla extract, and increase the mixer speed to high.
Beat on high speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or until thick, white and glossy, and pours off the beaters slowly.
Transfer to a container with a lid, and served immediately.
Store in the refrigerator, and whisk until smooth before serving. After about 2 days, the sugars in the topping will begin to crystallize, affecting texture a bit but not flavor.