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!
Yield: 2 cups
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.
Notes
Serving size and preparation time are per individual recipe, of which there are 4.