Easy Fudge Recipe: How to Make Chocolate Fudge

Confectionery fudge is a creamy candy that uses three ingredients: milk, butter, and sugar. In some cases, fudge might refer instead to hot fudge, a thick and syrupy substance that chefs often use to top ice cream sundaes or brownies. While candy fudge comes in various flavors, chocolate fudge is the most traditional. There are two main methods for making confectionery fudge: on the stovetop or in the microwave. While the stovetop is the most traditional method, the microwave is a more modern technique and can be a good option for first-timers.

The history of old-fashioned, confectionery fudge is murky, but experts tend to agree it originated in the United States at the end of the 1800s. Emelyn Battersby Hartridge, a student at Vassar College in New York, was not the inventor of the recipe for fudge, but she documented it in a letter she wrote to an acquaintance. As word spread about the confectionary, students and then the public originally referred to it as “Vassar Fudge.”

Since you can add in many topping options and mix-ins, there are numerous variations of confectionery fudge.

1. 1. Butterscotch fudge: The perfect combination of sweet and salty, butterscotch fudge uses butterscotch morsels or homemade butterscotch plus a vanilla fudge base.
2. 2. Chocolate fudge: The most traditional flavor option, chocolate fudge uses dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips. Milk chocolate makes for a sweeter fudge, since it already contains more sugar than dark chocolate. For a richer fudge, use dark chocolate. Choose a high-quality brand for the best flavor.
3. 3. Marshmallow fudge: Chocolate fudge with marshmallows or marshmallow cream as additions results in marshmallow fudge. Swirl in marshmallow cream (or marshmallow crème) to make fantasy fudge; stir in whole marshmallows for pockets of chewy marshmallow; or top a chocolate fudge with dried marshmallows, similar to the ones you find in a hot cocoa mix.
4. 4. Nut fudge: Try mixing chopped walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or almonds into a fudge base of any flavor. Chopped walnuts add a waxier texture than other chopped nuts, but any kind of nut will add crunch and a toasted flavor to the fudge.
5. 5. Peanut butter fudge: Use peanut butter chips or actual peanut butter to make peanut butter fudge. Start with a vanilla fudge base or a white chocolate fudge base. The peanut butter adds saltiness to the sweet homemade fudge and a different type of creaminess.
6. 6. Peppermint fudge: Use candy canes, peppermint extract, or another peppermint candy to make a peppermint fudge. Simply substitute peppermint extract for vanilla extract in the base recipe, then mix in crushed candy canes or sprinkle the peppermint candies on top of the final product.
7. 7. White chocolate fudge: With a sweet but somewhat neutral flavor, white chocolate fudge is a good base for other toppings and mix-ins. Use dried raisins, dried cranberries, nuts, chocolate cookie pieces, or other ingredients of your choosing. You can even try adding food coloring to make seasonal or holiday colors, such as for Christmastime or Valentine’s Day.

Making your own fudge can be an adventurous but worthwhile endeavor, especially for beginners. Here are a handful of tips for making homemade fudge:

1. 1. Choose an easy fudge recipe. If an original recipe seems complicated, start with an easy fudge recipe, sometimes known as a “foolproof” recipe. These recipes use evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, corn syrup, and other less complicated ingredients. These recipes also utilize the microwave or a double boiler.
2. 2. Get a candy thermometer. To closely monitor the temperature of the fudge mixture, it’s necessary to use a candy thermometer. This will stay in the sugar mixture for the entire cooking process, and a good one even includes labels for the different temperature stages involved in candymaking—for example, the hard-ball stage and soft-ball stage.
3. 3. Prepare the baking dish ahead of time. Once the fudge starts cooking, it’s a quick process. Preparing the baking dish ahead of time enables you to easily transfer the mixture from the stove to the prepared pan without any lag time. If there is lag time, the fudge could overcook or crystallize—two scenarios you want to avoid.
4. 4. Store the fudge properly. To maintain the creamy consistency and moistness of homemade fudge, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. Alternatively, wrap the fudge tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze it. Pull the fudge out of the freezer a few hours before you plan on eating it.