McDonald’s Hot Fudge Sundae Copycat Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• That classic hot-cold contrast: dense vanilla “soft-serve” with warm, glossy fudge.
• Silky, scoopable texture at home thanks to nonfat dry milk and a touch of gelatin.
• Hot fudge that stays pourable and shiny—not grainy or overly sweet.
• Perfect for make-ahead: base chills, fudge reheats beautifully, and assembly is fast.

Grocery List

• Produce: None
• Dairy: Whole milk, heavy cream (2 pints total), unsalted butter
• Pantry: Granulated sugar, packed brown sugar, light corn syrup, nonfat dry milk, powdered gelatin, Dutch-process cocoa powder, semisweet chocolate (bar or chips), vanilla extract, fine sea salt, powdered sugar, roasted salted peanuts (optional)

Full Ingredients

Vanilla Soft-Serve–Style Base

• 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp (40 g) light corn syrup
• 1/3 cup (35 g) nonfat dry milk
• 2 tsp (6 g) powdered gelatin
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) cold water (for blooming gelatin)
• 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Glossy Hot Fudge Sauce

• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• 1/3 cup (110 g) light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup (100 g) packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (35 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter
• 6 oz (170 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream

• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, cold
• 2 tbsp (15 g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) pure vanilla extract

To Finish

• 1/2 cup (70 g) chopped roasted salted peanuts (optional)
• 6 chilled sundae cups or small glass tumblers

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Chill your gear and cups

Place the bowl of your ice cream maker in the freezer for at least 24 hours (if using a freezer-bowl model). Put a metal mixing bowl, your whisk or mixer beaters, and 6 sundae cups into the freezer for 30 minutes so everything is cold when you assemble the sundaes.

Step 2: Bloom the gelatin

Sprinkle 2 tsp (6 g) powdered gelatin over 3 tbsp (45 ml) cold water in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes to fully hydrate—it will look spongy. This step gives the base that dense, soft-serve style body.

Step 3: Cook the vanilla base

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the whole milk, granulated sugar, light corn syrup, nonfat dry milk, and salt. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, until the mixture reaches 170°F (77°C), about 5–7 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the bloomed gelatin until completely dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.

Optional but helpful: use an immersion blender for 15 seconds to make the base ultra-smooth.

Step 4: Chill thoroughly

Pour the base into a metal bowl set over an ice bath. Stir until it cools to about 50°F (10°C), 15–20 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until the base is very cold—39°F (4°C) or below—2–3 hours. Cold base is key to a creamy texture and quick churning.

Step 5: Churn to soft-serve

Churn the cold base in your ice cream maker until it reaches thick soft-serve texture, 15–20 minutes (the base will be around 22–24°F / −5 to −4°C). For a slightly firmer, scoopable texture, transfer to a shallow container and freeze 20–30 minutes. Keep the container covered to prevent iciness.

Step 6: Make the glossy hot fudge

In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream, light corn syrup, brown sugar, cocoa powder, butter, and salt. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until smooth and gently bubbling; continue simmering 3–4 minutes until the mixture reaches 205°F (96°C). Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate, let sit 1 minute, then whisk until silky and glossy. Stir in vanilla. Keep warm for serving at 120–130°F (49–54°C); a small insulated mug or thermos works well.

Step 7: Whip the cream

In the chilled metal bowl, whip the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to soft peaks, 1–2 minutes with a hand mixer (or 3–4 minutes by hand). Keep refrigerated until assembly.

Step 8: Assemble the sundaes

Work with chilled cups. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the soft-serve style vanilla into each cup. Blanket with 2–3 tbsp warm hot fudge. Add a generous dollop of whipped cream. Finish with 1 tbsp chopped roasted salted peanuts per sundae if you like. Serve immediately for that hot-cold, creamy-chocolatey finish.

Pro Tips

• Temperature targets matter: chill the base to 39°F before churning, cook fudge to 205°F for shine, and serve fudge around 120–130°F to keep it pourable.
• Nonfat dry milk + gelatin mimic soft-serve body without eggs—it stays dense yet scoopable.
• Chill everything: cups, bowls, and tools. Cold equipment slows melting during assembly.
• For the classic swirl, spoon the churned base into a large zip-top bag, snip a 3/4-inch corner, and pipe into the cup before topping with fudge.
• Leftover fudge? Store it in a jar; rewarm gently in a hot-water bath or microwave at 50% power, stirring often.

Variations

• No-machine method: Chill the base, pour into a shallow pan, freeze 30 minutes, stir vigorously; repeat every 30 minutes for 2–3 hours. For extra smoothness, pulse the semi-frozen base in a food processor just before serving.
• Peanut buster style: Sprinkle 1 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts in the bottom of the cup, add vanilla, more peanuts, then fudge.
• Double chocolate: Add 1 tbsp extra cocoa to the fudge and use 70% dark chocolate for a deeper, more bittersweet finish.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Vanilla base can be made and chilled up to 3 days ahead. Churned base keeps covered in the freezer up to 2 weeks; it will firm up—let sit at room temperature 5–10 minutes before scooping. Hot fudge keeps 2 weeks refrigerated or 3 months frozen; reheat gently to 120–130°F. Whipped cream is best the day made but will hold soft peaks for 24 hours refrigerated.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate values for one sundae with 1/2 cup vanilla base, 3 tbsp hot fudge, and 2 tbsp whipped cream (no peanuts): Calories 590; Fat 37 g; Saturated Fat 23 g; Carbohydrates 58 g; Sugar 52 g; Protein 7 g; Sodium 180 mg. Add about 50 calories per tablespoon of peanuts.