Chocolate Syrup (Homemade)

Homemade Chocolate syrup is a simple recipe that you can make it in a jiffy and hardly takes any expertize. Tastewise, the recipe may not be a exact copy of the store brought one but almost similar. I wouldn't claim a complete replica of Hershey's chocolate syrup but definitely a better choice as it is free of prservatives. Initial lockdown days we hardly got these stuff in stores as people had stocked up homes with all of the baking stuffs. And that's the time I started thinking alternatives and this quite worked good.

We should definitely make these once in a while at home just to know the amount of sugar we feed our kids in the name of jams, squashes, spreads and syrups. Your eyes may pop out seeing the amount of sugar needed to make 3/4 cup syrup is about half cup of this empty calories. The ingredient list says malt extract, corn syrup, liquid glucose, cocoa solids, thickeners. I had made the Hershey's Almond spread and that's surely a keeper, do give that a try if you haven't. Chocolate Syrup is demanded by kids mostly on top of ice creams, pancakes, crepes. And my kids have liked the homemade version and am happy to have tried. 

Preparation time ~ 2 minutes
Cooking time ~ 10 minutes
Author~ Julie
Serves ~ 3/4 cup syrup
Ingredients
*cocoa powder 3 tbsp or 4 tbsp
granulated sugar 1/2 cup
vanilla extract 1 tsp
water 1 cup
salt a pinch

Method

• Mix the cocoa powder in another 2 tbsp of water without lumps.
• Heat the remaining water with sugar, let it come a boil on medium flame.
• Add in the cocoa paste and cook on medium flame for 2-3 minutes until its considerably thick like store brought chocolate syrup.
• Add the vanilla extract and salt, mix well just before ending. Switch off flame and cool completely before storing in bottles. (I preserve in refrigerator)

NOTES
* Adding 3 tbsp yields the exact store brought flavor of chocolate syrup. If you are looking for a bitter sweet chocolate syrup then go ahead and add a tbsp more.
* Use good quality cocoa powder, I used Hershey's cocoa powder.
* Adding salt enhances the sweetness.
* If you love more vanilla flavors then go ahead and add more vanilla extract.

* The ingredients listed in store brought chocolate syrup also has corn syrup in it which adds to the thickening. I tried adding a tsp of corn flour when I made once to get the thickening but the thickening caused by corn syrup but the chocolaty flavor looks reduced a bit and so I felt this way its best to make without corn flour.