This healthy, sugar-free chocolate sauce is silky smooth, creamy and dairy-free. It's a luscious cacao recipe made with coconut milk and raw cacao powder, creating a low-carb hot fudge sauce that is actually a superfood. You’ll want to drizzle this dark chocolate sauce on everything! And, you’ll never believe it’s sugar-free, dairy-free, soy-free, paleo, keto, and FODMAP-friendly!
Jump to:
Truthfully, this low-carb chocolate sauce will blow your mind. The thick, rich, chocolatey goodness is truly as good as it looks. It’s a heavenly, dairy-free hot fudge sauce that you will definitely need to keep on hand at all times to satisfy those chocolate cravings. It's one of my easiest and favorite cacao recipes.
This velvety, sweet decadence pairs extremely well with homemade sugar-free whipped cream. They both take just a few minutes to whip up and make any dessert extraordinary.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Made with 5 simple, healthy ingredients – whole-food ingredients mixed with cacao create a healthy chocolate sauce you can feel extra good about eating
- Quick and easy – it takes only a saucepan and 10 minutes to make
- Special diet friendly – this luscious sauce can create amazing dessert experiences that fit into keto, paleo, low-carb and low-FODMAP diets. It’s also a vegetarian and vegan chocolate sauce.
Ingredients
- Coconut milk – full fat is best. I love using the Thai Kitchen brand because their coconut milk always stays homogenous and pourable.
- Cacao or cocoa powder – I always use raw cacao powder. It’s a nutritional powerhouse with a pure chocolate flavor. Cocoa powder is also a great option.
- Sweetener – use your favorite alternative sweetener or paleo sugar. See Recommended Sweeteners, below.
- Vanilla – enhances the chocolate flavor
- Salt – makes the flavors pop!
Cacao vs Cocoa
Cocoa and cacao powder are very similar. Both come from the beans of the cacao plant, which are harvested and fermented to develop flavor and texture. The only difference between the two is how much heat is applied to process the beans. Cocoa beans are roasted at high temperatures to reduce bitterness and create a darker powder. However, the cocoa loses some of its nutritional value in the process.
Cacao is made from unroasted beans. They are processed at a lower temperature before they are ground into a powder or chopped into pieces to create cacao nibs.
Cacao is one of nature's superfoods. It's full of antioxidants, flavonoids, fiber, iron, trace minerals and is a natural mood elevator. It boosts serotonin, tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylethylamine - all neurotransmitters that make us feel happy, content and cozy. You'll find cacao recipes to be just as wonderful and delicious and recipes made with cocoa.
Generally, cacao can be used in place of cocoa powder. Since it is less processed, it has a stronger and more bitter flavor than cocoa.
Recommended sweeteners
I have experimented with monkfruit/erythritol blends, allulose and stevia and have had great success using all three. If you're using allulose, you will need to increase the amount of sweetener used by 50%, as it's less sweet than other alternative sweeteners.
The brand of erythritol I used yielded wonderful results. However, erythritol can crystalize when cooled if used in recipes where the ratio of sweetener to liquid is too low. I have not had that problem with this recipe, but results may vary depending on the brand used. Using a 50/50 mix of erythritol and powdered stevia has also worked well.
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat.
- Whisk until thoroughly mixed and heat until very hot, but not simmering or boiling, stirring often
- Serve warm or let cool and refrigerate
TIP: Boiling coconut milk can cause it to lose its smooth, creamy texture. Always heat just until very hot, but not boiling.
How to store
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. I don’t recommend freezing because the structure of the sauce could break, yielding an uneven texture.
How to serve
Serve your keto fudge sauce at room temperature, warmed or chilled. When refrigerated, it gets a bit thicker and is almost pudding consistency. To re-heat and make it more pourable, simply microwave for a few seconds, until it loosens up a bit.
Serve this versatile and healthy chocolate sauce in a number of ways:
- Over ice cream – so classic and delicious
- Drizzled on cake or brownies – stack a few Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies or make an easy Chocolate Mug Cake - both decadent cacao recipes. Also, try it with a Skillet Cookie topped with homemade whipped cream and pour away.
- Chocolate dipping sauce – dip Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, berries or fruit
- Chocolate spread – use as a spread over a warm slice of pumpkin bread. So good.
Variations
- Use a different extract – replace the vanilla extract with almond, orange or peppermint extracts
- Add instant coffee – just a teaspoon or two will enhance the chocolate flavor and create a magnificent mocha sauce
- Warming spices – add a few pinches of cinnamon, homemade tikka masala (curry chocolate sauce is magical) or black pepper
FAQ
Cacao is low-FODMAP in serving sizes of about 30 grams. Low-FODMAP chocolate depends on the amount of lactose contained in the chocolate variety. Cacao is raw chocolate, with no lactose.
Chocolate sauce is generally thicker than syrup. Syrups are usually thinner, sweeter and more pourable. Sauces contain more savory notes, often made with a base containing cream or butter and have a balanced, rich flavor, velvety texture and glossy appearance.
Yes, coconut milk is FODMAP-friendly in servings up to about ½ cup. Larger servings contain moderate to high quantities of oligosaccharides that may exacerbate symptoms.
Coconut milk is a very nutritious dairy-alternative. The health benefits of coconut milk are many and consuming it in moderation can be beneficial for health. It contains medium-chained triglycerides (MCTs) that may benefit weight loss, increase satiety and endurance. It is also rich in antioxidants, may have anti-inflammatory properties and is high in vitamins and minerals.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how you liked it by giving a star rating and leaving a comment!
📖 Recipe
Sugar-free Chocolate Sauce (Dairy-free)
Ingredients
- 13 ounces coconut milk (about 1 can - full fat)
- ½ cup raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
- ½ cup monk fruit sweetner (or sweetner of choice - see Notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or a good fleur de sel is best)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat.
- Whisk until mixed thoroughly and heat until very hot, but not simmering or boiling.
- Serve warm or let cool and refrigerate.
Notes
Recommended sweeteners
I have experimented with monkfruit/erythritol blends, allulose and stevia and have had great success with all three. Keep in mind, if using allulose, you will need to increase the amount of sweetener used by 50%. The brand of erythritol I used yielded wonderful results. However, erythritol can crystalize when cooled when used in recipes where the ratio of sweetener to liquid is too low. I have not had that problem with this recipe, but it may vary depending on the brand used. Using a 50/50 mix of erythritol and powdered stevia also made a delicious keto hot fudge.Variations
- Use a different extract – replace the vanilla extract with almond, orange or peppermint extracts
- Add instant coffee – just a teaspoon or two will enhance the chocolate flavor and create a magnificent mocha sauce
- Warming spices – add a few pinches of cinnamon, homemade tikka masala or black pepper
Nutrition
*Net carbs = carbohydrates - fiber
Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools and does not include optional ingredients unless otherwise indicated.
Holly Eaton says
Rather than using monk fruit with erythritol, how much pure monk fruit would i use?
Tracey Hatch-Rizzi says
Hi Holly,
Thanks for a great question! I've never experimented with this swap before, but from my research, it looks like 1/32 teaspoon of pure monk fruit sweetener is about the equivalent to 2 teaspoons of sugar, so about 1/16 teaspoon for the recipe should be enough. I'd would definitely err on the side of adding too little, so maybe a 'light' 1/16 teaspoon - you can always add more if needed. Let me know how it turned out!
Best,
Tracey
Ozark Bellue says
This sauce is delicious! I had all ingredients on hand and it was easy to make. It will be perfect for our keto cheesecake and chocolate/mocha keto ice cream! Thank you!
Tracey Hatch-Rizzi says
Hi Ozark,
I'm so glad you like the sauce! I'm certain it will be the perfect addition to those desserts - sounds mouthwatering!
Happy eating,
Tracey
Janice says
Oh....my....god!!!!! This is THE most delicious chocolate sauce I have ever tasted!. I usually don't care much for sweet sauces and on top of things because they tend to be different kinds of sweet that don't go well together. This sauce is simply divine. Easy to make and yummy!
Tracey says
So glad you like it! I feel the same way about it. To. Die. For. Am I right?