Homemade Chocolate Syrup
from 1950s Betty Crocker Cookbook

Sometimes, chocolate syrup and sauce are used interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two.

Chocolate syrup is made with just water and no additional fat like cream or butter. It’s thinner in consistency than sauces and easily mixes into drinks. This is what this recipe is.

Chocolate sauce or hot fudge is usually even thicker in consistency and made with milk, cream, or butter. See Chocolate Sauce

FMM: Other recipes I've looked at used 1 1/2 cups each sugar and water to 1 cup cocoa, even 1 cup of all three, sugar, water, cocoa. Alton Brown even add a couple of tablespoons of corn syrup, probably to help thicken it.

Hershey's Chocolate Syrup primarily consists of high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, water, cocoa, and sugar, with added preservatives and flavorings. It also contains ingredients like potassium sorbate, salt, mono- and diglycerides, xanthan gum, polysorbate 60, and vanillin (an artificial flavor), This recipe would be a lot healthier.

Chocolate Syrup
from 1950s Betty Crocker Cookbook

Combine in saucepan . . .

1 cup cocoa or 4 sq. unsweetened chocolate (4 oz.)
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Stir in . . .

2 cups cold water

Simmer until smooth and thick (about 5 min.), stirring or beating with a rotary beater. [There’s no need to bring it to a rolling boil, which often results in a bitter, almost burnt-tasting sauce.]

Cool and add . . .

1 tbsp. vanilla

Stir well. Pour into jar. Seal. Store in refrigerator.