Recipe For Easy Chocolate Fudge
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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.
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!
Recipe Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Marshmallow creme
- Evaporated milk
- Vanilla extract
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips ( )
- Sugar
- Pecans or chopped nuts of your choice (optional)
How to Make Chocolate Fudge
Place your butter…
Sugar…
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!
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.
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.
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 it gets to the soft ball stage, remove the saucepot from the heat and pour in the chocolate chips.
Add in the marshmallow creme and mix together.
Add in your vanilla and nuts if using.
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 your prepared pan.
Allow the homemade chocolate fudge to cool completely before cutting into squares.
This old-fashioned chocolate fudge recipe makes 3 pounds. Enjoy that delicious bite-sized !
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 or 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:
Cinnabun, Chocolate, and Peanut Butter Fudge!
Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe
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.
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Hi Christy! It’s me again!
I just finished making this fudge (and licking the bowl! hehe) because my mama is coming to visit tomorrow! I got a little confused on the measurements so I hope it is as great as it should be – the spoon sure tasted good! I only found 7oz jars of the marshmallow creme and it looks like that’s what you used too but your directions show 1 1/2 cups (or 12 oz) so I bought 2 jars of the creme and kinda guestimated. Was it a 12 oz jar you used?
Thanks again for the recipe! I’ll let you know if my mama likes it. She’s going in for eye surgery on Tuesday (detached retina) and has to lay flat on her face for a good part of the recovery – I’m so thankful to you for giving me the opportunity to make one of her favorite treats for her before she has to endure that! <3
I am loving all the recipes and am having trouble deciding what to begin with :-). I was wondering if substituting butter in place of margarine will change the texture. I would like to try this in the next day or two. Thank you
Hey Shara!
Butter for margarine would be fine in this. I just use margarine because it’s so much cheaper. But you can switch with no problem!
GREAT to have you here!!
Christy 🙂
This is so not helping me loose the 10 pounds.
Fudge looks great and I can’t wait to give it a try.
My real question is about your plates that are Corelle Crazy Daisy. I have a chance to buy a full set of 8 settings for 25 bucks? Do you think that is a good deal and should I jump on it?
Thanks !
Sandy-I think that is a great deal. I think you are referring to the olive green delicate flowered pattern. If so that was popular in the seventies and is called spring blossom green. They were $20.00 per four piece settings when new. I bought two sets and my ex still uses them daily.My mom had the blue snowflake set at the same time and we thought we had the finest. I now have a full set of the buttefly gold pattern and still find pieces here and there in thrift shops.
My stepmother used to make this fudge at Christmas. She would drop hers onto wax paper from a spoon instead of putting it in a pan and cutting it. (We teased that they looked like Santa-elf poop!) 🙂 One year, she mistakenly grabbed a bag of butterscotch chips that was sitting aside for Hello Dolly, and poured it in the pot instead of the chocolate chips! I loved it so much, that she started making both kinds of fudge.
I think your directions are more thorough than hers, since I tried to make this once, and it was a disaster. I’m going to try this this Christmas. But once in a while, we’ll need a chocolate fix around here, and the kids start asking for some chocolate-peanut butter fudge. My sister gave me the recipe years ago, and it makes enough to pour onto a dinner plate, and everybody share–well, after I get my few pieces! 😉
♥Susan
I meant to say I gain 20 pounds eating the corner PIECES from the fudge PAN.
I just found your website a couple of weeks ago and have fallen in love. My 3 daughters are begging me to make several of your recipes. Today was the dishpan cookies and they are a huge hit.My 2 year old son liked eating them up. This fudge recipe looks almost exactly my grandmothers. You are right about it being the way to take over the world. I have teachers ask for this as their gift at holiday time. Even friends who claim to not like fudge, love my fudge. It is so creamy and smooth. I think I gain an extra 20 pounds at Christmas eating the corners of the fudge (those aren’t good enough for gift giving 😉 ) Thank you for all your work. I have been telling my family and friends about your website. Wishing you all the best.