Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Tootsie loves chocolate milk. When I really started reading labels, however, we stopped buying that popular bottled chocolate syrup. Go ahead. Check the label. I thought I was doing a good job of avoiding high fructose corn syrup, and instead, I was mixing it in my children's milk for a special treat. Great job.

Anyway, I set out on a search for a "healthier" chocolate syrup. Believe it or not, I found one. We love it! It's great for chocolate milk and as an ice cream topping. It's so much better than the bottled kind. Best of all...no HFCS! I used organic evaporated cane juice, but sucanat would be even healthier as it is processed even less.

*Revised 5/19/11~ Since posting this recipe, we've eliminated sugar as much as possible from our diets. When we do use a sweetener, it's raw honey. I'm happy to say this recipe works well with honey...and you don't need as much as you think you do :)

1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
1 cup evaporated cane juice or sucanat (or 1/2 cup raw honey)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt

Combine cocoa, sweetener of choice, and salt in a saucepan. Add water, and mix until smooth. Bring mixture to a boil. Allow it to boil for 1 minute. (Do not over boil.) Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla. Cool and pour in mason jars. Store in refrigerator for up to a month. Makes about 1 pint.

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