Easy Soft & Creamy Fudge Recipe (2024)

Smooth as silk, this creamy candy bar fudge makes a large batch and never turns to sugar. Be creative adding nuts, peanut butter, or candies to make your favorite flavor come to life!

Are visions of sugar-plums dancing through your head? I have to admit, I’ve seen a few lately, and they have begged me to share this amazingly easy, smooth as silk, Creamy Fudge Recipewith you!

Easy Soft & Creamy Fudge Recipe (1)

The Best Creamy Fudge Recipe

I know, fudge can be a little bit intimidating. Maybe you’ve even scorched a batch, yelled, “Oh, Fudge,” and vowed you’d never try making it again.

Well, here’s a step-by-step that I hope you will try. I can almost guarantee you are going to love it and find it very easy to make. Who knows, it might even become a new holiday tradition.

Growing up, my Aunt Margaret made our family a 5-pound box of fudge for Christmas every year. It was a gift we all looked forward to and enjoyed throughout the holidays.

What I really like about this recipe is that you can vary it according to your taste. When it comes to candy making, however, it’s essential to use real ingredients. Only real butter, vanilla, cream, and chocolate will do.

That said, you can use milk chocolate, white or dark chocolate (whatever you like best). Just total up the ounces and make sure you use the right amount. Before you know it, you’ll be cutting and sampling a batch of fudge. It will be so yummy, you will start making a list and checking it twice of nice folks you’re going to share it with!

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How to Make Your Own Creamy Fudge

It’s a little bit of hard work paying attention to the exact steps in order and the varying times needed for the recipe, but it’s worth it for this amazing homemade fudge! It’s so versatile and delicious.

Easy Soft & Creamy Fudge Recipe (3)

The Initial Preparation

It helps if you prepare before you even turn on the stove. First, if you are adding nuts, chop then toast them according to package directions and let them cool. Second, in a large heat-proof bowl, break up your chocolate bars. Third, cut your sticks of butter up and set out the vanilla with a measuring spoon beside it. When making candy, it’s good to work quickly. Next:

  1. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper.
  2. Butter a heavy, lidded, pot (my cast-iron enameled pan is absolutely ideal for this task, just be careful not to use metal utensils in an enamel pot or you might scrape the enamel).
  3. Add cream and sugar to the pot and stir together.
  4. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, bring mixture to a rolling boil (takes about 10 minutes).
  5. Once it starts to boil, cover the pot with the lid for 1 minute. This creates steam that will remove any sugar on the sides of the pan.
  6. Remove the lid and place a candy thermometer in or on the side of your pot. DO NOT STIR. Just let it boil away.
  7. When it reaches the softball stage, around 230˚degrees (takes about 15-20 minutes), remove your pot from the heat.

Soft ball stage:This is the stage when the mixture is the perfect consistency for soft, creamy fudge. If you heat it past this stage, it’s irreversible, so pay attention to your candy thermometer!

Tip: I definitely recommend getting a stand auto mixer! You’re going to have to do more stirring later on in this post so it’s a worthy investment.

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Combining and Mixing Everything

Add the butter and vanilla and let it sit for 1 minute, don’t stir it together. Now, this is really important, WITHOUT SCRAPING THE POT, pour the hot candy mixture over your broken-up chocolate.

Next, using a mixer, beat your candy mixture until very smooth and no longer glossy. It will look a bit dull and this is a good thing.

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Adding Some Fun Flavor

Now add nuts, candies, or peanut butter…stir-in whatever your heart desires!

I toasted store-bought pecan chips for about 6 minutes in the oven@350 degrees to bring out their flavor & aroma. Be careful not to over toast though as I burned my first batch of pecans. I did not add oil or anything to them, just spread them dry on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet. My kitchen smelled heavenly after.

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Setting Your Fudge

Pour into your parchment paper-lined pan (I used an 11×7 pan) and cover. Refrigerate till well set (about 5 hours), preferably overnight.

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Cutting Your Fudge

To cut the fudge, using the parchment paper, lift the slab of fudge onto a cutting board. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into even squares.

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Keeping Your Fudge Fresh

Once cut, put Creamy Fudge squares into a container with a sealed lid and keep refrigerated.

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Enjoy Your Delicious & Creamy Fudge!

Here’s hoping you enjoy yourCreamy Fudge,friends. I’d love to hear what you stir-in to your masterpiece and how you make it your own. Thanks for stopping by!

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More Christmas Recipes:

  • Nutella Hot Chocolate Recipe
  • Glazed Donut Muffins Recipe
  • Easy Chocolate Coconut Drops Recipe
  • Grandma’s Date Bars Recipe
  • Mini Cheesecake Tarts Recipe

Find all our Christmas recipes here!

Easy Soft & Creamy Fudge Recipe (11)

Easy Soft & Creamy Fudge Recipe (12)

Easy Soft & Creamy Fudge Recipe

Smooth as silk, this creamy candy bar fudge makes a large batch and never turns to sugar. Be creative adding nuts, peanut butter, or candies to make your favorite flavor come to life!

4.43 / 5 ( 33 Reviews )

Print Rate

Prep Time: 5 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Serves: 24

Adjust Servings: 24

Equipment

  • 9x13-inch pan

Ingredients

  • 3 6.8-ounce Symphony Bars or 20.8-ounces of milk chocolate candy bars, (I like Dove, Symphony or Toblerone Bars)
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 sticks of butter
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 cup nuts chopped and toasted, if desired

Instructions

  • Begin by lining a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper. Next break up chocolate bars into a large heat-proof mixing bowl. Set up electric mixer.

  • Butter the sides of a large, lidded, heavy, pot. Pour cream and sugar into pot and stir together. Place over medium heat and stir constantly, just until it comes to a rolling boil. When it reaches this point, cover pot with lid for 1 minute and then remove the lid. Continue cooking to a soft ball stage, 230˚degrees on a candy thermometer.

  • Remove pot from heat, add butter and vanilla. Let it sit in the hot candy mixture for 1 minute without stirring. Pour candy over broken chocolate bars in mixing bowl. Do not scrape the pan. Beat fudge until very smooth with beaters. Add stir-ins, nuts, peanut butter, or candies at this point. Pour into prepared pan, cover and refrigerate till set, preferably overnight.

  • To cut, using the parchment paper, lift the slab of fudge to a cutting board. Cut with a sharp knife or pizza cutter into even squares. Keep refrigerated in a sealed container.

Recipe Notes

Gluten Free

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Sodium: 10mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g

Easy Soft & Creamy Fudge Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to perfect fudge? ›

You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).

How to make fudge softer? ›

You could also gently heat the fudge with some moisture. This could be done: In the microwave - microwave in short increments with a glass of (warm) water, which creates steam for the fudge to absorb, until the fudge no longer feels/looks dried out.

How to make fudge creamy and not grainy? ›

By cooling the fudge prior to agitation (like in the recipes included in this article), on the other hand, you'll get much smaller, finer sugar crystals and a finished fudge with a smooth, creamy texture. Cool the mixture until it reads 120° F on the thermometer—no stirring. This can take 1 to 1/2 hours.

Should fudge be soft or firm? ›

It should hold together well without being too hard and, above all, has to be melty and silky in your mouth. It's the size of sugar crystals that makes the knees of fudge lovers buckle…the smaller the crystals, the less they are perceived on the tongue and the more the fudge tastes smooth and creamy.

What makes fudge smooth? ›

For first-time candy makers: Look for recipes that call for corn syrup, marshmallows, or marshmallow crème. These ingredients prevent crystallization of sugar into large grains, so the texture of the fudge will remain smooth. Also, recipes using cream or condensed milk are less likely to curdle than regular milk.

How do I get my fudge to harden? ›

If your fudge fails to harden in the fridge, it means that you probably didn't cook it to the right temperature. Fudge is a candy, and that means it is extremely picky about temperature - fudge must be cooked to precisely 237–239 degrees Fahrenheit so that sugar forms the desired consistency when cooled.

What not to do when making fudge? ›

7 Common Mistakes to Avoid for Candy Shop-Worthy Fudge and Caramels
  1. Using the Wrong Pan. All candy and confections start by melting sugar. ...
  2. Stirring the Sugar. ...
  3. Not Using a Candy Thermometer. ...
  4. Leaving Out the Parchment Paper Lining. ...
  5. Skipping the Cooking Spray. ...
  6. Scraping the Pot. ...
  7. Using a Cold Knife to Slice.
Dec 16, 2015

How do you make homemade fudge firmer? ›

The amount of time you cook fudge directly affects its firmness. Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.

Should you stir fudge while it's cooking? ›

Don't stir!

Once the fudge reaches soft-ball stage on the candy thermometer, remove from the heat and let the temperature drop to 110°F. Keep that spoon or spatula out of the pot until this happens. If you stir too early in the process, you'll make the sugar crystals too big and end up with grainy fudge.

What is the key to successful non grainy fudge? ›

While you ultimately want crystals to form, it's important that they don't form too early. The key to successful, nongrainy fudge is in the cooling, not the cooking.

What went wrong with my fudge? ›

If your fudge is tough, hard, or grainy, then you may have made one of several mistakes: You may have overcooked it, beaten it too long, or neglected to cool it to the proper temperature.

What to do with failed fudge? ›

My advice to you is to just pour it in a jar, call it something else delicious, and pretend you meant for it to be that way. The nice thing about my “failed” fudge is that it tastes absolutely delicious! A spoonful of the delectable treat will make you want for more.

How do you keep homemade fudge soft? ›

Wrap your fudge in an air-tight container. Several layers of saran wrap, vacuum seal, Tupperware should all keep the moisture locked in pretty good.

Why did my fudge come out like taffy? ›

If the temperature is too low, the fudge will be too soft and sticky, and if it's too high, it will turn into a hard, crumbly mess. The ideal temperature to cook fudge is between 232-234 degrees F (111-112 degrees C).

What is the soft ball test for fudge? ›

making of fudge

termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers.

Do you stir fudge when it's boiling? ›

Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer

Another key part of a successful fudge texture is when you stir the mixture. Stirring the sugar and milk during the initial stages of cooking allows the sugar to dissolve. However, once the mixture comes to a boil, it's time to put the spoon down.

What does cream of tartar do in fudge? ›

Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!

Can you overbeat fudge? ›

Beating the cooled batter is one of the crucial steps of fudge-making, but overbeating can turn fudge hard as a rock. Pay close attention to the change in appearance and only beat the fudge until it loses its glossy sheen.

How do you cut fudge so it doesn't crumble? ›

How To Cut Fudge
  1. allow the fudge to set in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours.
  2. remove the fudge from the fridge and place onto a flat chopping board.
  3. dip a large sharp flat knife in boiling water, dry it completely and cut one long slice (the heat will help the knife to glide through)
Sep 27, 2019

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