Recipe For Easy Chocolate Fudge

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Enjoy rich and creamy squares of decadent fudge thanks to this old-fashioned recipe for chocolate fudge. It takes just 6 ingredients to make this easy chocolate fudge.

Hand holding piece of chocolate fudge with bite removed.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is not just a recipe for chocolate fudge I am bringing you today. This is ammunition 😉. Yes, you heard me right! Put a good easy chocolate fudge recipe in the right hands and you can take over the world. You can get your car tuned up, your grass cut, your dog walked, and have the doors to any building opened for you with a red carpet rolled out in your honor. How do you do this, you ask? Just hold out a plate of fresh, homemade fudge.

This is a no-fail and super easy fudge recipe that anyone can make (I promise!). Mama and Grandmama have been making it this way for as long as I can remember. So, how do you make chocolate fudge? All you have to do is boil the butter sugar, and evaporated milk (yep, we don’t use condensed milk in this fudge recipe), and then add in the chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, vanilla, and nuts (these are optional). Then you have to patiently wait for the chocolate fudge to set before you can indulge.

This recipe for chocolate fudge makes the creamiest melt-in-your-mouth fudge imaginable. If you can stop at one piece… well, you have more control than me!

Ingredients for chocolate fudge.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Unsalted butter
  • Marshmallow creme
  • Evaporated milk
  • Vanilla extract
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips (dark chocolate chips)
  • Sugar
  • Pecans or chopped nuts of your choice (optional)

How to Make Chocolate Fudge

Place butter in saucepot.

Place your butter…

Place sugar in saucepot.

Sugar…

Add evaporated milk to saucepot.

And evaporated milk in a saucepot.

I like to get a really big can of evaporated milk so I can use what is left in my coffee. It makes the BEST coffee creamer!

Candy thermometer in saucepot at the soft ball stage.

You’ll need a candy thermometer because we are going to cook this to the “soft ball” stage.

The candy thermometer has that written on it so you know.

Grease baking pan.

While that is heating up in your saucepan, take some butter and smear it all over the bottom and sides of a 9×13 pan.

Bring saucepot to a boil, stirring constantly.

Place your candy thermometer in the pot. Make sure just the tip is beneath the liquid but don’t let the tip touch the bottom.

It has a handy dandy clip that lets it hook onto the sides.

Bring that to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.

Keep a watch on your thermometer so you will know when it gets to the soft ball stage.

This is going to take about five minutes on medium-high heat.

Once at the soft ball stage, add chocolate chips.

Once it gets to the soft ball stage, remove the saucepot from the heat and pour in the chocolate chips.

Add marshmallow fluff to saucepot.

Add in the marshmallow creme and mix together.

Add vanilla to saucepot.

Add in your vanilla and nuts if using.

Mix together until chocolate chips melt and it becomes a chocolate fudge consistency.

Stir that all up until the chocolate chips melt. It is gonna take a few minutes but don’t worry, it’ll melt.

Pour into prepared pan and flatten with spatula.

Pour into your prepared pan.

Cutting the chocolate fudge into squares once cooled.

Allow the homemade chocolate fudge to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Plate of my chocolate fudge recipe.

This old-fashioned chocolate fudge recipe makes 3 pounds. Enjoy that delicious bite-sized chocolate flavor!

Storage

  • Store leftovers of this easy chocolate fudge in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can store it at room temperature, but it will become quite soft.
  • You can also freeze them for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge before devouring!

Recipe Notes

  • Here are some fun variations to make this recipe for chocolate fudge your own:
    • Substitute the pecans for chopped walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, or pistachios.
    • Add 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows and 1/2 cup of chopped peanuts to make rocky road fudge.
    • Top the fudge with crushed peppermint candy canes at Christmas. You could also substitute vanilla for peppermint extract.
    • Another festive touch is to add 1/2 cup of red and green candied cherries along with (or instead of) the chopped nuts.
    • Top the fudge with sprinkles before cooling.
    • When you add the vanilla extract, stir in a tablespoon of bourbon or rum for an adults-only fudge.
    • Add 1/2 cup of dried fruit, like dried cranberries, raisins, or candied cherries.
    • Add 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips instead of the nuts.
    • Use white chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips instead.
  • If you have leftovers, you can add crumbled fudge to a cup of hot milk to make the best hot chocolate you’ll ever taste. You can else melt it to make a hot fudge sauce and pour it over ice cream or a cake.

Check out my other fantastic fudge recipes:

Fuss-Free Striped Fudge

Cinnabun, Chocolate, and Peanut Butter Fudge!

Fuss-Free Oreo Fudge

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe

Fuss-Free Peppermint Fudge

Plate of my chocolate fudge recipe.

Easy Chocolate Fudge Recipe

Enjoy rich and creamy squares of decadent fudge thanks to this old-fashioned recipe for chocolate fudge.
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate, fudge

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 3/4 cup butter or 1 1/2 sticks
  • 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips 12 ounces
  • 1 1/2 cup marshmallow cream
  • 1/2 cup pecans chopped
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • Combine sugar, milk, and butter in a heavy saucepan and heat to boiling.
    3 cups sugar, 2/3 cup evaporated milk, 3/4 cup butter
  • Stir constantly for about 5 minutes over medium heat or until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage on your candy thermometer (238 degrees).
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat.
  • Add the remaining ingredients. Stir vigorously until well blended.
    1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cup marshmallow cream, 1/2 cup pecans, 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • Pour into a greased 13x9-inch pan. Cool completely and then cut into squares. Makes 3 pounds.

Video

Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 

Optimism and humor are the grease and glue of life.

Without both of them we would never have survived our captivity.

~Philip Butler, Vietnam Prisoner Of War

Found in a book of quotes given to me by my friend and Southern Plate Family member, Terri.

To submit your quote (and make my day because it feels like Christmas every time I get a new quote!) click here.

Similar Posts

123 Comments

  1. You know what’s so good? Making fudge with things like Mars Bars, Snickers and other types of chocolate bars which I don’t think you have there called Cherry Ripes and Bounty, which are a cherry-coconut and a plain coconut. YUM!!!

    My co-worker makes fudge that is just chocolate (and chocolate bars if you’re using), condensed milk and butter. That’s it! It was so good. I didn’t like fudge before because I had a very rich fudge that was I think made with dark chocolate, but she changed my mind after she made her Cherry Ripe fudge!

    Oh I’ve been shopping for you today Christy! I got the kids the only Australian ‘candy’ I could find.

    1. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
      I was afraid I wouldn’t get to talk to you again before you left!
      The cherry bars sound amazing, I’ve never heard of them. I have heard of folks taking their leftover halloween candy and chopping it up to use in cookies and such but fudge sounds even better!!!!

      Getting excited!
      Christy 🙂

      1. Oh dear, had I saw this before I left I would have bought you some Cherry Ripes! They may have some in Auckland so if they do I’ll get a couple for you.

        Atlanta, here I come! lol 🙂

  2. That is very similar to our fudge recipe. Only thing is the one we make you have to stir the ENTIRE time it’s cooking. But it makes five pounds. Have you ever substituted peanut butter chips for the chocolate? I think it’s the best peanut butter fudge ever.

    1. HEY MICHA-
      I WAS JUST WONDERING ABOUT THAT. FUDGE IS FELICIOUS, BUT PEANUT BUTTER IS MY FAVORITE. HOW MUCH PB DO YOU USE IN PLACE OF THE CHIPS? HOW ABOUT 1/2 EACH? IT’D BE LIKE HANNAH MONTANA – THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!!!

      1. I’ve never tried using both but now I’m curious if you could do a layered fudge. We always just used the same amount of PB chips as the recipe called for chocolate chips.

        1. I’ve never substituted peanut butter for chocolate. I use a different recipe when I make peanut butter fudge but it isn’t nearly as easy as this one and I dearly love peanut butter fudge. I don’t know why it never occured to me to make this one that way but I sure will now!

          Gratefully,
          Christy 🙂

  3. Christy,

    You are a woman after my own heart, a lover of fudge and a bargain hunter. My son once told me that if nuclear waste was being sold at a clearance sale, I’d buy it. I love a SALE!! I personally don’t view 15 jars as excessive. Especially because they were on clearance. It is amazing how many uses you can find for a product when you have an abundance of it and going slightly past the expiration date before using isn’t detrimental to the final product in this instance. Since the holidays will be here shortly, I know all your friends and family would be grateful recipients of your yummy looking fudge. Incidentally, I made your apple dapple cake yesterday and was in heaven. That caramel sauce is wonderful. I’ll just bet you could find a way to adapt the recipe into a caramel fudge. Just a thought.

    1. Jane! We need to join together against all of those who don’t understand us! lol
      I’m going to have to show your comment to my husband so he knows I’m not the only one.

      You should see me when they have the big school supply sales. ten cents for a box of crayons? I’ll take three cases, please!
      Five cents for a bottle of glue? I think I need at least thirty or forty bottles! lol

      Everyone is making apple dapple cake this week but me! I think its definitely my turn. I may make it tomorrow 🙂

      Gratefully,
      Christy 🙂

  4. christy i cant wait too try the fudge it looks so yummy ,you are such a pro in fromt of the camera,have a wonderful day tomorrow .cilla

  5. Almost missed you tonight. My husband hollered and told me that woman you like is coming on! Think you should take Brady to taste test your creations. He was so cute!

    1. thank you so much, Billie! And please thank your husband for hooting and hollering for me!!

      I sure do appreciate you watching!!!!!

      I got such a kick out of Brady taste testing too, I definitely hope to have my kids in more segments in the future. I’d really like to have Katy but its a little harder with her being so young, someone has to take care of her while I am doing the other parts and I just don’t have anyone to do that right now.
      She gets a little clingy when other people are around and wants to be right at my hip :).

      Thank you so much, Billie for watching!!!

      If you happen to have time one day and wouldn’t mind, I’d sure appreciate it if you let 31 know you like them featuring Southern Plate!
      You can email the news director at this address, he is the one responsible for having me on there! klowhorne@waaytv.com

      Gratefully,
      Christy

  6. Hahahahaha Christy! Guess what I almost made yesterday????

    I just got too lazy to do it and blew it off. But it’s the marshmallow kind too.

    I like mine with the nuts in it mostly but I like it plain too. Nice tutorial… Now, bring me some fudge sis!

  7. Hi Christy,

    This is the fudge my family makes as well. Nobody can resist it, can they?

    I’ve been thinking about you the past couple of days because of your apple tutorials. My parents have an orchard on their farm and this time of year is crazy for us! I’ve got so many apples and pears it’s hard to find walking room in my kitchen. Just today I made apple butter, honey-vanilla applesauce, apple raspberry fruit leather, unsweetened baking applesauce- sometime this next week I plan on making your Apple Dapple cake.

    Thank you for your posts- I enjoy taking a break and seeing what you’ve been up to in your kitchen.

      1. Absolutely! Come hungry but be warned- you may never want to lay eyes on another piece of fruit by the time you leave. 🙂

        1. Thank you! I will show up with my sleeves rolled up, ready to help. I love working in the kitchen and between the two of us, I am sure that we could make a big dent in all that delicious fruit, using yours, and some SP recipes along the way. Wish you were closer, PA is a little far.

          1. Oh wow, what a wonderful bounty you have!!
            I know just what you mean about the apples though. Whenever I end up with an abundance of fruit I go to town a working on making things and putting it up with such pride and happiness.
            Then after a while…your eyes start to bug out of your head and your feet sure to get tired! lol

            This sounds wonderful though. You’re my kinda gal and I agree with Terri, I think we need to head on over to your place!!!!

            I need to make me some more apple butter again soon. I mainly make it to giveaway and my stores are getting kinda low!
            Gratefully,
            Christy 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe or Post Rating