BY 
I am an admitted holiday slacker. You know how Sara spends 3 days decorating her house for every holiday and says things like her epic Valentine’s Day breakfast are no big deal? I would love to be awesome like that, but alas, I am not. I am a low-key holiday-er.
Now, granted, we just got back from vacation…
and during the last few days of our vacation, I caught a little virus and haven’t been feeling great. And even though I didn’t eat turkey on Thanksgiving this year, I’ve been busy baking my own little butterball, if you get what I’m saying. Do you get what I’m saying? We’ll get to meet the little turkey in June, which means I’m smack dab in the middle of lovely morning sickness and exhaustion. So yeah, it may be the week after Thanksgiving, but I still have a stray Halloween decoration up, nary a Christmas tree in sight.
Because I’m already behind and because I’m a holiday slacker, one of my favorite holiday treats is this fudge. It is so dang easy, not like that temperamental toffee that I can only get to work 1/3 of the time, or time-consuming like caramel-wrapping. You can make it in less than a half hour, let it chill in the fridge for up to a couple of days, then cut it into squares and deliver it. Or eat it all yourself. Although I’m pretty darn sure that 5 pounds of fudge translates into much, much more than 5 pounds of body fat.
I got the original version of this recipe years ago off the same mommy message board where Sara and I “met” (all over again) when my oldest was a baby. I’ve tweaked a few things to be consistent for the widest amount of readers, but Kathy Jacobs, wherever you are, this is the easiest, most delicious fudge I’ve ever made.
You’ll need a 12-oz. can of evaporated milk, 4 cups of sugar, and 2 1/4 cups of mini marshmallows.
I know some people think marshmallows in fudge are cheating. Are they? Maybe. But marshmallows also make consistently good fudge because the “candy” part is already done for you. And anything that makes the holidays easier (and yummy fudge into my snack plans) is good in my book, cheating or not.
Cook the marshmallows, sugar, and evaporated milk
over medium heat, stirring frequently (constantly at the end, preferably with long sleeves and a hot pad, not that I’m speaking from any kind of firsthand experience), until the mixture reaches 230 degrees. Remove from heat.
While the marshmallow mixture is cooking, line a 9×13″ pan with aluminum foil, allowing the edges to hang over the edge. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
While keeping an eye (and spoon) on the marshmallow mixture, combine 1 12-oz. bag of milk chocolate chips, 1/2 c. of semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 sticks of butter, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla in a large glass or metal mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer).
When the marshmallow mixture has finished cooking, pour it over the chocolate chip mixture. Use a heavy-duty mixer, a handheld electric mixer, or a whisk to beat the mixture together on low speed until the chocolate is completely melted, all the ingredients are fully combined, and it’s just starting to lose its sheen.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely.
Now…this is a great jumping-off point for adding other ingredients. If you want to add nuts, you could always add chopped walnuts or pecans to the mixture before pouring the it into the pan. You could use those fancy new-fangled peppermint marshmallows instead of regular marshmallows to make peppermint fudge and then sprinkle chopped Andes mints on top of the fudge before it cools. You could top it off with marshmallows and chopped nuts for rocky road fudge or even make half of the fudge mixture with peanut butter chips and then swirl the two mixtures together. The sky is the limit. Well, at least the candy-making sky–you can’t make the fudge into, say, 2 million dollars, awesome as that would be.
After the fudge has cooled completely, cut it into 1″ squares and deliver it to unsuspecting neighbors, friends, and teachers. And yourself. Never forget to deliver fudge to yourself.
This will make about 117 1″ pieces of fudge. That’s a lot of happy people with very little effort on your part.
Creamy Chocolate Fudge
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from Kathy Jacobs
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups mini marshmallows
1 12-oz. bag milk chocolate chips
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 sticks butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a large heavy saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and marshmallows and insert a candy thermometer into the mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently (constantly at the end) until the temperature reaches 240 degrees.
While the marshmallow mixture is cooking, line a 9×13″ pan with foil and spray it with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
After you spray the pan, combine the butter, chocolate chips, and vanilla in a large glass or metal bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer). When the marshmallow mixture is cooked, pour it over the chocolate chip mixture. Beat the mixture with a hand-held electric mixer, your stand mixer, or a hand-held whisk on low speed until the mixture is well-combined, smooth, and just starting to lose its sheen. Pour it into the prepared pan. Chill completely in the refrigerator before cutting into 1″ squares.
Optional Mix-Ins, Toppings, and Changes:
-Use peppermint marshmallows and top with chopped Andes mints for peppermint fudge
-Use 1/2 chocolate chips and 1/2 peanut butter chips (in 2 separate bowls) and then swirl the two mixtures together for peanut butter fudge.
-Add 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
-Top with chopped walnuts or pecans and marshmallows for rocky road fudge
Makes 117 1″ squares/5 pounds of fudge.
Make sure to check out the fun giveaway on The Scoop as well!
Oh yum this looks wonderful and I love the idea of peppermint marshmallows!
And YAY on your own butterball!!! Congrats!!!
I’m so stinkin’ excited for your little butterball. I can hardly wait to find out if it is a he or a she, and what names are on your list for consideration…wait- this isn’t even my grandchild! I’m super happy for you and Sam. Love the pictures of your babies at WDW too. So cute.
Anyway, I make a hot fudge sauce (it’s pretty much the only recipe I’ve ever created by myself) that uses sweetened condensed milk, semi sweet chocolate (not chips) butter and marshmallows, and it is awesome. I eat it with a spoon- right out of the jar. I’m afraid I’d do the same thing with this fudge. Yes, marshmallows can be an ingredient in fudge. There, I’ve just given you permission.
So stinkin’ excited…! Hope you won’t be too sick for too long.
Do you share your recipe for hot fudge sauce?
Sure. You can find it here-
http://nanasangelbabies.blogspot.com/2011/11/they-win-some-they-lose-some.html
Screw visions of sugar plums…I am having visions of this creamy chocolate fudge!!
Yay for a new baby! That is such exciting news 🙂 Thanks for the awesome recipe–I can’t wait to try it out!
Congrats on the new baby!! I had to read that paragraph twice to realise what it meant!! Can’t wait to find out more and thr fudge looks amazing.
MMMMMM,…Your creamy chocolate fudge looks so superb & mighty pretty too!
😉
Congrats for your new baby to be! That’s great news!
MMMMMM,…Your creamy chocolate fudge looks so superb & mighty pretty too!
😉
Congrats for your new baby to be! That’s great news!
Fudge is my favorite Christmas treat EVER! Vanilla fudge though – chocolate is a close second!
Wow! I just made a similar version of this recipe (http://mormonmavens.blogspot.com/2011/11/budge.html). We call it “Budge” because that’s what my toddler calls it! I used all semisweet, though. I’m not much of a milk chocolate fan, but I wonder what it would taste like in this recipe.
Congrats on the new baby! And don’t feel bad about no Christmas decor….I don’t have any up yet either and I don’t have morning sickness as an excuse.
Congratulations!!
And, wow, this fudge looks delicious!
Congratulations!!! I’m pregnant and due in June too! 🙂 Also, Mmmnnnn….fudge! 🙂
Congratulations Kate! So super exiting! And I can’t think of a better way to announce a pregnancy than with a recipe of 5 lbs of fudge. They both sound great!
How exciting, Congrats!!
That fudge looks so heavenly! I love the combination of milk chocolate and semi-sweet chips. It’s the only way to make chocolate fudge in my opinion. It’s how my mom always makes it. Yum! Andes mints on top sounds sooo good too!!
So exciting! My little turkey will be here in March. I am only about 3 weeks out of my misery, so thankful it’s in time for the holidays!
Yippee! Congratulations! And, yippee, I love fudge!! 🙂
Thank you, Thank you. I am a celiac (aka wheat-a-phobe) and as such have to take my own desserts to holiday get-togethers. I always make enough to share, but once everyone finds out my cupcakes are gluten-free, they skip them. As such, I had 3 dozen triple chocolate and pecan pie cupcakes over Thanksgiving. They were awesome, so I couldn’t let them go to waste. Alas, I let them go to waist as my skinny jeans can attest this morning. But, fudge will be my savior for Christmas. Wait. Let me reword that. Fudge will be my jeans savior for Christmas. No one has to know it’s GF and I don’t have to consume it all myself. Yeah me!
Congratulations! What a blessing babies are.
I can’t wait to try this fudge recipe. I have also put your cookbook on my Christmas list. I am hoping with the name, authors, and publishing company, my husband will get the hint. Ha ha.
Congratulations! That is very exciting news. Hope you get over the morning sickness soon.
Congratulations!!!!!
Congratulations, having just gotten out of that stage myself a couple weeks ago, I feel for ya! I couldn’t even check your site or cook meat for 8 weeks or even plan a menu! One of my girls had a bday while I was sick and it was all I could do to make a cake, then a few weeks later another daughter had a bday and I was feeling myself again. She got a themed party. How sad. So I totally understand the decorations and I’m impressed you can post a recipe at all!! Best of luck!
This is my grandmother’s recipe too.. you’re right, it’s ALWAYS good:)
Oh girl, morning sickness is the worst. Hope you recover in time to eat lots of Christmas cookies!! Can’t wait to see the little butterball next summer!!
Congratulations! And…oooooo the fudge looks yummy and easy. I like easy and since I’m looking at a fifteen hour work day only two days before my annual Christmas Cookie party, I may be going the easy route this year! Thanks for sharing!
Congratulations!! I’m always looking for a good fudge recipe. Have you ever done more semi-sweet to milk chips ratio? I love dark chocolate, and just wondering. I’ll probably try it anyway, because it’s very rare to find milk chocolate anything in my home. 🙂 Hope the morning sickness terminates soon!!
You can totally play around with the semi-sweet to milk ratio–the original recipe actually called for all semi-sweet, and while I’m normally a bigger fan of semi-sweet, for some reason, even with all the sugar, I felt like it came out a little bitter. But yes, definitely feel free to mess around with the ratios! 🙂
Congrats on the new baby!
Fudge is one of my favorite Christmas treats. My Mom has always made the best in my opinion. I asked for her recipe for the first time last year and tried it (as we didn’t live in the same state). It turned out great. But, she’s even more of a cheater than you, she used marshmellow fluff, not even just regular marshmellows 😉 And all in the microwave!
I will be trying this recipe though. I’m a sucker for anything chocolate and mint, and your mention of those peppermint marshmellows drew me in!
Congrats! June is a great month…That’s when I was born! That fudge looks really yummy. Thanks for sharing. And don’t worry, I had my halloween decorations up clear til past Christmas one year and I had no kids nor was pregnant. College will do that to you I guess. 🙂 Congrats again!
Congratulations Kate! Thanks for sharing this recipe, may have to try this instead of my easy peasy Eagle Brand Condensed Milk version!
I’ve always made my fudge with marshmallows and had no idea it was cheating. I didn’t know there was another way 🙂 Oh well, I’m stickin’ to it!
And good luck with baby #3!
Congratulations! I am pregnant and due at the end of June. Yay for Junebugs! I have been pretty sick too, but my doctor gave me Zofran and now my life is back!! I didn’t even decorate for Halloween this year, so you get a thumbs up from me for even doing that while puking your guts out!
Congratulations! The best part of being pregnant during Christmas time it that you don’t have to feel guilty about the sweet treats you eat. And marshmallow in fudge is definitely acceptable!
This is very much like the Weight Watcher’s recipe only using fat free evaporated milk. It is yummy!!!!
Congratulations on your new bun in the oven!!!
Everyone is getting fudge this year thanks to this fantasically easy recipe!!! 🙂 <3 you guys for making fabulous stuff easy for us busy moms!
Congratulations on the little butterball!
Thanks for sharing this. Fudge is like my FAVORITE treat, and I have been looking for a simple recipe. I hope the morning sickness gets better. I am 21 weeks and it just started to let up yesterday (fingers crossed).
Congrats on the new little one!! I am 17 weeks and still needing my zofran/unisom cocktail. Holidays and morning sickness are not a good combo!
Fudge is so super yummy! Wish sugar didn’t make me so darn sick while preggo! Might have to make some and be extra sick for the day. 🙂
Congratulations on your new baby! June babies are the best, no being pregnant during the summer!
Thanks for another yummy recipe, my neighbors will be thanking you or cursing you for the extra pounds they gain. 🙂
Congratulations! Keep us posted when you find out if it is a girl or a boy!
Congrats!!! We need more babies in the world. I hope you feel better soon 🙂
Best morning sickness advice–put a granola bar or other snack on the table next to your bed before you go to sleep. Before your feet touch the ground in the morning eat your snack. Getting up without a complete empty stomach helps–though nothing, including drugs, ever gets rid of it. (I puked my way through three kids. I feel your pain.)
How exciting for you! Congratulations! And this fudge looks heavenly…I will for sure be trying this out!
Congrats! Can’t wait to try this recipe! Life is Good 🙂
Congratulations! You’re family is adorable! This recipe is definitely going on my holiday to-do list! I’m thinking of adding a layer of minty white fudge on top with crushed candy canes, for fudgey peppermint bark!
I’ve been reading OBB for a few months and love you guys, but have never commented. So, here goes. 🙂
First of all – Congratulations!! Secondly, hubs and I just got married in early November and we honeymooned at the Happiest Place on Earth. I too left with a nasty cold and it took me two weeks to recover. Ugh! That was definitely not a part of the “magic” that I wanted to bring home. Finally, that fudge looks delicious and I think I’m going to have to try it this year!
Congratulations! Babies are great! Fudge is too!
“Congratulations!” and “Hey, me too!” (re the baby due in June and the holiday slacking!) came to mind when I read this post! Congratulations!
Congrats on your baby! 🙂 I hope you start feeling better soon!
Congrats on your pregnancy!! So awesome!
Congrats on the baby! And no worries about the Christmas decor, I am due with our first in a few weeks, and we are lucky to have a stray candy cane floating around.
Since I may not be up to the usually holiday baking, this may be my go to recipe to give out to friends this holiday!
Congrats on the baby! And don’t feel bad about the lack of Christmas decor. I have no excuse at all, but will likely not put anything up this year. Maybe I’ll pull out the puzzle nativity that my mom made me, but since we’re traveling for Christmas, that would involve pulling out a box just for one thing. Can’t wait to try your fudge!
Congrats on your pregnancy!! Thanks for the simple recipe, every year I look for a simple fudge recipe to do and love the addition of using marshmallows!
Congrats and thanks for the yummy recipe!!!!
Congrats on the baby! I can’t wait to try this fudge (so simple).
Congratulations!! So exciting to have a new baby. My mom’s fudge calls for marshmallow creme, I wonder how different it is from actual marshmallows in a finished product?
No difference at all (except I don’t know how much creme to use in this recipe, haha!) It’s just that the marshmallows are already melted for you. 🙂
Just yesterday my husband was saying that we should make fudge and I sat there thinking “I have no idea how to make fudge… let alone good fudge.” Thanks for the recipe, he’ll be thrilled. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this great recipe!! It’s so nice to see these great holiday treats that don’t take long to make. As a working mom of three, I am always looking for something quick and easy (cheating or not).
Congrats on the little one on the way!
Congrats on the new addition. I think I found my new go to fudge recipe. Thanks.
Congrats on the little nugget! How exciting! What a great time to be preggo – over the holidays so you can eat! 🙂
Congrats on the baby! I’m due in early July so I know completely what you’re going through. 😛
Hah! This is from Kathy? I totally remember her! How funny. 🙂
I am going to have to make this, Kate. That is hard for me to accept. I do not wish to gain 5 pounds of fudge weight. But it’s like I don’t have a choice!
Recipe added to my box 🙂 Congrats on the new little one!
Congrats on the baby! This blog is currently getting me through my own pregnancy (esp. with those ginger cookies). 🙂 Where does one find peppermint marshmallows? I’ve never seen ’em!
I just saw them at Walmart while I was sad about not finding my peppermint chips.
Yep, look with the other marshmallows or with the seasonal baking stuff! 🙂
Congrats, Kate! How cool… love those little babies, hate the morning/afternoon/evening sickness. Mine lasted all day. UGH. And this fudge… well, I’ve think I’m going to find the 8 lbs I’ve lost over this lovely holiday season. Can’t wait to try it. 🙂
Congratulations on the happy news!!! But bummer about the morning sickness. Anyone who has never experienced that should count their blessings! Your fudge sounds awesome. My father-in-law made fudge every Christmas (8 or 9 different varieties) and when he passed away last year, my husband and I took over the duties. The recipes we got used Marshmallow Fluff, but I like the idea of regular marshmallows. Thanks for the recipe.
Congratulations on baking another bun!
YUM! I absolutely love fudge!
Oh my gosh Kate! Congrats! June, huh…in LA? Sister I feel your pain as I’ve had a March, June, & July babies…March & July in Texas. Make sure you start propping your feet up now!
I’m so scared, haha! 🙂
Congratulations Kate! And I have a new grandson on the way in April. Oh babies…
Hooray for a new baby – I’m excited for you! Congratulations!
Awwwwww, a BABY!!!! YAHOOO!!! :)) Congrats to you and your family! 🙂 And this fudge recipe looks awesome! 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe. I was just wondering where I could get it as I have been buying the boxed do it yourself version. Congratulations on your baby news – hope you are feeling better soon. Hugs.
I’ve always avoided making fudge using marshmallows, which is really silly considering the family propensity to FAIL at fudge-making. You may have just convinced me to try it.
Congratulations on your new little turk… er baby! I too, hope the morning sickness passes quickly so you can enjoy the Christmas season.
Congrats on the baby! Reading this post gave me a killer chocolate craving and a way to use the bags of chocolate chips that I can’t stop munching on. My morning sickness is finally fading (I’m due end of May!) so I used nap time to whip up a batch and added a teaspoon of pure mint extract to it. Licking the spoon has never been so satisfying!
Oh my gosh! This is my recipe! I’m so glad you used it and posted it here!
Congratulations on the new butterball!
YEAH FOR BABIES! Congrats
Wonderful news about the little Butterball! Congrats!
Congratulations! I hope you start feeling better soon.
This fudge looks so good. I’ve never tried fudge, but the peppermint fudge sounds too good to pass up.
Congratulations on the soon-to-be family expansion! May your morning sickness go away quickly and leave you energized and glowing with good health. Thank you for another wonderful recipe, I think I will be brave and try it. I can even mess up the marshmallow fluff fudge recipe. (My family has settled for the chocolate chips/condensed milk version for years.)
KATE! Oh my goodness, how exciting. Congratulations! I’m crossing my fingers that you start feeling better soon.
This fudge looks absolutely divine – I may just have to make it tonight.
That is my Great Aunt Rose’s fudge but we use marshmallow fluff. Congrats on the baby in June. My daughter is having her second in June also and it sounds like you two are in the same boat. Hoping you get to feel better soon.
I love a good and easy fudge. Yay! Congrats on the baby on the way!
Yay for a new baby! I hate morning sickness though…could do without that! Thanks for the fudge 🙂 Too bad it does not get rid of nausea…
Congratulations! Boo to being sick during the holidays, but hopefully it will subside soon!
I love your blog (and your cookbook). I have been looking for an easy fudge recipe that I could make and send to my husband who is deployed in Afghanistan. Do you have any idea how long this fudge would stay good and any tips for keeping it fresh while in transit from Japan (where we are stationed) to Afghanistan?
I would cook it slightly longer (like to 240 degrees) and then keep it in an airtight container and it will do awesome! 🙂
Congrats! I’m so sorry you are feeling icky though. I hope you start feeling better very soon!! Thanks for the recipe: can’t wait to make it. I’ve tried those 3 ingredient recipes and they taste nothing like fudge! I’ll be sure to let you know how much weight I gained because I guarantee this fudge is not leaving my house! 🙂
Thanks — will be trying this SOON! Yum 🙂 And congrats on the roasting turkey. . .what a fun summer you will have!!!
congratulations on your little butterball!! i was barely pregnant duuring Christmas time and sucked on tiny candy canes all the time–it helped with the morning sickness. not walking back into the kitchen after cooking was helpful, too–any leftover smell just about floored me! good luck and your fudge sounds delicious
Congratulations Kate! I have a fudge question. I like to devour my fudge at room temperature. Does this fudge become too soft if not stored in the fridge?
This will do better after it’s firmed up in the fridge initially, but…I would cook it to 240 degrees instead of 230 and then it will be perfect at room temp (although it will dry out faster, so be sure to not hold back in the eating… 🙂 )
This is the fudge my family has made for years only we use, wait for it… MARSHMALLOW CREAM, so much easier!!
I love fudge! Love your cookbook!
Congratulations !! Also – you can never go wrong with fudge !!
Delicious! I’m always afraid of making fudge, but this looks fantastic! I’m also due in June! I’ve only had mild morning sickness, but I have had the flu twice ( I threw up Thanksgiving and all my turkey) and then had food poisoning. Nothing like losing 10 pounds in the first trimester! Good luck!
OK, so I’ve been making similar fusge for a few years but using marshmallow cream instead. My question has always been, what’s the easiest way to cut fudge (and apple cider caramels for that matter) without making pieces that look like my kids cut it. Any suggestions?
Use the foil that you left over the edges to lift the fudge from the pan. Then trim off the ugly, foil-touched edges. Make sure your fudge is cold and then use something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SSZ4Q4/ref=asc_df_B000SSZ4Q41802975?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B000SSZ4Q4
Just cut straight down. For the caramels, try heating up the scraper and it will help with the caramels.
Hope that helps! 🙂
Congratulations! I’m 8 1/2 months pregnant with #2, so appreciate any simple holiday foods or ideas. We may have to try this fudge.
Kate, my fudge turned out horribly grainy! Where did I go wrong?! Oh, it’s awful! Not awful tasting, just awful looking. I’m so depressed. It might just be the nothing-ever-turns-out-right-when-you-make-it-for-someone-else curse.
Oh, I don’t know! That’s so sad! The thing I love about this recipe is that because you don’t cook the chocolate, it’s not supposed to come out grainy. What brand of chocolate did you use?
See the Comment #97 from the genius who I got the recipe from. 🙂
I used hershey’s chips. But it was grainy before I added it to the chocolate. I even cooked it to 235 thinking the sugar would eventually melt…but no luck. I don’t remember scraping the side of the pot too many times to make it a grainy as it was. I’ll try it one more time before I go back to the rachel ray 5-minute fudge. Wish me luck!
Congrats on the new baby!! I am pregnant with our second and due June 24th.
The thing that makes fudge grainy is the sugar crystalizing. When you stir it over the stove, don’t scrap the sides of the pan when the sugar tends to build up.
That should say…scrape the sides of the pan where the sugar builds up.
congrats on the new baby!!!
Kate, I LOVE your blog and the great ideas on it. It’s wonderful that you are expecting! Love, Lorraine R.
I got online to try to find some inspiration for dinner tonight, soon to be distracted with talk of fudge and a baby! Congratulations!!
Congratulations! The fudge looks yummy and kid proof!
Congratulations! We just had our 6th butterball so I’m right there with you on having decorations for the wrong holiday and wanting to make things simple. The only difference is that my morning sickness is done.
You have mentioned your toffee difficulties before and I’m always surprised because I think toffee is so much easier than fudge. I probably just need to practice more. The only thing I’m really good at with fudge is turning grainy or otherwise ruined fudge into the most delicious hot chocolate. As long as you don’t burn the chocolate you can just stir a chunk of it into milk and heat it until it looks ready to drink.
Thanks for the recipe! I have a little one with multiple food allergies, and since this was already GF, I decided to try to make it dairy free as well. I used dairy-free chocolate chips and dairy-free margarine and instead of the evaporated milk I used coconut milk. They turned out amazing! You couldn’t even taste the coconut and the texture was perfect. Thanks for the inspiration!
Kate, congratulations on your lovely news! Your sweet announcement brought tears to my eyes and I’m not a mom nor have any desire to be – but people who are wonderful parents and who want babies should HAVE babies! Best wishes to you and your family.
Congratulations!!! And thanks for the yummy fudge recipe. Hope you feel better soon.
Just a few ?’s about the fudge…Is it creamy or a little grainy from the sugar? Does it hold up well at room temperature or does it turn soft? Just asking cause I was thinking about making fudge for our entire ward and wanted to hand it out on Christmas Sunday. Thanks! My husband is bishop and we always do something for everyone as our way of saying thanks and we love you…So, if there are any other economical treats out there that would be better let me know. The past 7 Christmases we have chocolate covered pretzels, carmel popcorn, chocolate covered popcorn, chocolate cover licorice, etc. So, just trying to think of something different. Thanks!
It’s definitely creamy (or supposed to be–check out comment #97 to see an answer to graininess concerns… 🙂 ). After it’s chilled, it holds up pretty well, but if you prefer a firmer fudge, try cooking it to 240 degrees. It will dry out more quickly and easily, but it will hold up better at room temp. 🙂
Okay, I made a batch of this to test out and take to our Ward Christmas party last Friday and they were SO creamy and delicious. Needless to say, they were gone in seconds–literally. I used Ghirardelli milk and semi sweet chocolate chips. I will try the Ghirardelli dark chocolate as well. I also added orange oil to half of the recipe and made 2 different kinds, regular milk with chopped pecans and orange flavored. SO good! I will make both of those again as well as batches with crushed candy canes on top and one with mini m&m’s. THANK YOU for sharing this recipe. I haven’t made fudge this easy and this tasty in a VERY long time because I usually get it too grainy or too soft. This was perfect!
I’ve melted white chocolate over pretzels, peanut m&ms, and broken up candy canes. Just add enough pretzels so the chocolate just coats everything. It’s super easy and looks really festive. A little goes a long way too.
Absolutely amazing!! Easiest and best fudge I’ve ever made
Can you make this ahead of time and freeze and it will still taste good unthawed? If so, how long will it store in the freezer?
Good news on your baby. Congratulations!!
I made the fudge recipe last night. It was really thin as I put it in the 13×9 pan, but I went ahead and chilled it. This morning I went to cut it and it is the consistency of taffy. (Tastes amazing! but I can’t cut it into pieces) I went back through the directions and I followed them. I am wondering if my candy thermometer isn’t right. Could that be why?
Thanks for a good fudge recipe, and CONGRATULATIONS!!
Haha! What a cute way to “announce” your big news! Conrgats and best wishes to a smooth pregnancy.
Okay so I tried this tonight. The fudge is still cooling but I sampled the remains in my mixer bowl… and it is delicious! I do have one note though, maybe change the order. Get the chocolate chips and butter and vanilla ready in the mixing bowl first, and then start the marshmallow mixture on the stove. I was scrambling to get it all measured in time because the marshmallow mixture cooked a lot faster (and filled my pot a lot more) than I expected. Can’t wait to try the final product!!
Congrats on your new butterball!!! 🙂
Oh my heck, this is the best fudge recipe I have ever tasted and I have been around a long time. I really made it to get a head start on neighbors gifts, but there might not be that much left. Keep them cooming gals, all recipes are so great.
Made this tonight for our family treat. YUMMM!!!! Every recipe we have made of yours is WONDERFUL! And SO congrats on the baby.
So i followed the recipe, but my double batch of fudge came out to the consistencey of frosting. So delicious though. Did I not cook it to a high enough temp? Would it be possible to recook to get it to firm up more?
See, this is where things get tricky with candy-making. Because every elevation is different, and because every candy thermometer is probably off by at least a few degrees, and because the relative humidity plays a huge factor into how candy turns out, consistency can be hard to reach. Which is honestly why we don’t post a ton of candy recipes. 🙂
I wouldn’t re-cook it–things could get very ugly. But next time, maybe try cooking it to 240 and see how it comes out.
I’m glad it tasted good at least! 🙂
I cooked this last night and even though taste wise its great, mine was crumbly! It wasn’t creamy and smooth and most certainly didn’t “pour” into the pan. I live in SLC, Utah and I followed the printable recipe which states to cook to 240 degrees and yet in the step by step pictorial you state to cook it to 230 degrees. So did I over cook it??? Im sad….was supposed to be for neighbors.
Thanks for a lovely recipe – really want to try it out.
Just one question – is that 230 degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit? I’m assuming Fahrenheit?
I made this today, and was VERY excited to have found peppermint mallows at Wally World. I used those, and added a packet of Starbucks Via (those instant packets), Christmas Blend of course, to make….wait for it… Peppermint Mocha fudge!! Sprinkled some crushed peppermints on top before putting it in the fridge. I found heaven. 🙂
LOVE this blog ladies!!
MMM…this looks good!
Do you think this would ship well??
p.s.-congrats!
Help, what did I do wrong! Mine came out too soft to cut!
See, this is why I hate posting candy recipes, because there are so many variables and I hate it when things go wrong. It sounds like your fudge could’ve used a little more time/heat, and it could be due to all sorts of factors like elevation, humidity, your candy thermometer being even a few degrees off (I would venture to say that most of them are). If you make it again, I would try cooking it to 240.
can I use all semi-sweet chips?? I don’t have any milk chocolate chips
Yep! I just like it better with mostly milk chocolate chips. 🙂
So…. I had made a batch of fudge earlier today (not your recipe) and it was NASTY. Tasted okay but I can’t get over the gritty/grainy texture. Found this recipe of yours…… and while I didn’t have milk chocolate chips (only had semi-sweet) I just substituted semi-sweet for all of it and so far, it tastes YUMMY! Thank you for saving my day!!
Congrats to you!!!! 🙂
I hope you don’t mind me chiming in again. I first made this recipe at sea level and have since moved to 7,600 ft. It has worked for me both places. I don’t use a candy thermometer, I just boil it for 10 minutes. It should be a nice caramel color and be getting pretty thick. And I do get the butter, chips and vanilla ready first, like previous comment suggested.
I made the fudge and it is delicious but it didn’t get hard enough. It is still a bit gooey. I cooked it forever and it didn’t get to 240 degrees but the bottom started to burn. I thought maybe my thermometer was not working so I continued on with the recipe. Any ideas? Thank you.
So, my first attempt was an epic fail :(…but apparently I wasn’t the only one who ended up with frosting like consistency. After reading your suggestions I have gathered its time to buy a new candy thermometer (mine is my mom’s that is probably almost as old as me! Which isn’t that old…but old enough ;))! Hopefully the second go around is more successful!
I wanted to add that mine came out a little soft (still tastes DELICIOUS – husband is thrilled that they’re too soft for gifting or cookie trays! ha!).
I pulled up the article on my iPhone to follow the recipe, which says to cook the mixture to 230. I later noticed that the print-out version of the recipe says to cook it to 240. I will try again, cooking to 240! 🙂
Is it best to store the fudge at room temp. or in the refrigerator? I can’t wait to make this recipe!
Does this fudge freeze well? It looks really great (and easy!) and I would really like to make as gifts.
I made this today and it was delicious! I’ve tried making my mom’s traditional fudge about half a dozen times, and I’ve never gotten it to turn out right. It’s either gritty or too soft, but this was just right. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate, but next time I think I might use a mix of dark chocolate chips and semi-sweet. Mmm! Oh, and I just generously greased a glass 9×13 dish with butter instead of dealing with foil and cooking spray, and it worked out just fine.
I prefer to use marshmallow fluff as opposed to the actual marshmallow.
You can use any flavor of chips with this, I do it with peanut butter.
Oh my goodness, this is the best fudge ever! Thank you so much!
I was excited to have some good homemade fudge and found this recipe. However, I followed the instructions meticulously and it didn’t turn out. The fudge wouldn’t set up.. There must something missing in the instructions.
Congrats on the baby! I am excited to make this for our neighbor treats. thanks for sharing!
Congrats on baby to be!! I hope you feel better very soon. I had a question on the fudge- made it today and it did not solidify even after being in fridge for several hours….any ideas why that would happen? It was very hard to cut but tasted amazing 😉 thank you!!
Never mind I just read comments above and found my answer- sorry to repost!
aww, bummer. Mine did not set up right. It’s soft, more like thick frosting. It’s yummy off the spoon though.
I made this fudge and have to say that it is THE BEST fudge recipe I have ever made!!! Oh my, soooo creamy. I have been on the search for years for the perfect recipe and thanks to you beautiful ladies I now have found it.
One thing I did, is I made some for a gift and it wasn’t set up in time, so I poured it into a cute little jar, put a cute lid on, and tied a spoon onto the jar with some nice ribbon, and called it “Jar of Fudge”. It worked well, because the fudge turned out soft anyway, so it was easy to eat it with a spoon! Your own little treat to keep stashed away. I think I got the idea from how you put your hot fudge sauce in a jar and gave it away like that. Thanks!
So, is there any way to save a batch of crumbly fudge? Mine tastes fine, but looks more like ground beef than fudge.
Whoa–in the text, you said to cook the marshmallow mixture to 230 degrees, but the printed copy says 240. Could that be my problem? It was kind of hard to get it higher than 230. Which is right?
I changed it to 240 because technically, that’s the proper fudge temp, but every time I’ve cooked it to 240, it dries out very quickly and is pretty crumbly. So I originally had it at 230, but everyone was saying their fudge was too soft. If you cook it for a good 5-10 minutes at 230 and it won’t go higher, you’re probably good to go.
Thank you Kate for giving me my first positive fudge experience ever! I’ve always failed with it before, but this was so easy and perfect and delicious!
Confession, in case it helps anyone else: I didn’t have a candy thermometer and it still turned out! I always break them, but I bought a new one just for this but it was too cheap and unreliable to use. 🙁 So someone had mentioned another website with a similar recipe. That one said to boil for 10 minutes. That’s what I did (without a thermometer) and it turned out great. I know there was a lot of luck involved, but it really was my first fudge success ever after many attempts over the years!
After reading comments I’m not sure if it matters, but in the written description and pictures part of the post it says to cook it to 230 degrees, but in the printable recipe part it says 240. I just made mine (firming up in the fridge right now – so excited!), and cooked it to 240 degrees without knowing that there was a different option. Is there a significant difference between the two? Thank you for your CONSTANT supply of awesome recipes – I’ve been following you guys for a couple years now and consistently love everything!
Shoot – sorry, I guess I didn’t read all the comments – I see comment #138. Thank you!! And Merry Christmas!
My fudge didn’t get very hard, is that the way is’s suppose to be?
YUM! I made the peppermint version (using the peppermint marshmallows, milk and semi sweet chocolate chips and then sprinkled the Andes chips on top after) but I must have done something wrong! It was so soft (even though it was sooo delicious) it didn’t ever feel like my grandma’s fudge or other people’s that I have tried. Do you think that my thermometer was just off? How long does it usually take to get to 230 degrees? And I wasn’t sure how long to mix it to “lose the sheen”. I have bad lighting in my kitchen and I mixed it for a while (like 10 minutes?) but I want to make it again since it was sooo good but want it to be more firm! Help Kate!!
Made this yesterday and thought I had ruined it completely! I was cooking it and the bottom started burning even though I was stirring constantly. I was so bugged and stressed and thought it was going to fail, but I tried anyway and it seriously turned out perfectly despite the little bits that came off the bottom! And I think I scraped the sides too, but it was the creamiest, yummiest fudge I think I’ve had. Everyone loved it and couldn’t stop eating it. I got so many comments about how great it was. My husband said it was the best he’s ever had and he liked it even better than oreo balls (if you’ve had those-they are delish!). I made the mint variety with peppermint extract and Andes mints on top. Soooo stinkin’ good! Thanks for the recipe!
I was reading the comments about the temperature–I learned from a candy making expert in my ward that the temp in most recipes is based off of sea level boiling point, which is 212. She said that you need to figure out at what temp water boils in your area (by sticking a candy thermometer in boiling water) and then adjust the temp in the recipe to that. So water boils at 206 (6 degrees below what it does at sea level) where I live, so I subtract 6 degrees from the temp the recipe says. So for this recipe I took it to 234 instead of 240 and mine turned out perfectly. I don’t know how exact you have to be, but from what she said it seems like it’s pretty exact. I hope that helps. I’m not an expert at candy making, but this lady is and that’s what she said to do, so I followed it and my stuff has been turning out great!
So I made this fudge and it will not solidify so I can cut it. It’s been a full day in the fridge and it is gooey still. What did I do wrong?
Wish I’d read the comments before I made it instead of as trouble shooting afterwards, mine is grainy too and yes I did scrape the sides of the pan…habit. Still tastes good to me but the texture isn’t right. Not sure if it is shareable.
I like comment 102 from Ellie to help with what to do with my grainy fudge if it remains that way after cooling. Hot Chocolate, my kids will be quite excited!
First, congratulations on your pregnancy! I hope the morning sickness eases up and I wish lots of health and happiness for you, the little one and your family!
Second, could you possibly share what kind of candy thermometer you use or recommend one? Mine is off by at least 50 degrees, and the one I had before that had the same problem. I need one that’s accurate, but the reviews I see on most of them on Amazon are iffy. Maybe there’s no such thing as an accurate candy thermometer? How will I ever know when my fudge is done??
Kate, help! I made the fudge yesterday to give as Christmas gifts to our church friends today, but even after sitting in the fridge all night, the fudge is still SUPER gooey. What did I do wrong?!?
I just popped the whole pan into the freezer, hoping that will help but I fear it will turn goopey again once it’s in the tins headed to our friends…
And what will I do with all that ruined fudge if I can’t salvage it as gifts? I certainly don’t want to eat it all, though it is SUPER delish! I’m thinking maybe I can serve it w/ ice cream or maybe make a milkshake with it? Oy.
Congrats on the new munchkin! Such fun. And Merry Christmas!
Sorry, I didn’t read all of the comments before I posted mine and now I see that a handful of folks had trouble w/ goopeyness! Maybe I’ll put it into jars as one woman suggested? Thanks!
I made this fudge and it is the best chocolate fudge I’ve ever had! Seriously…I love it! Thank You for this recipe! :o)
Cross your fingers! I made this fudge tonight (first time fudge maker.) And since I myself am a procrastinator, if it does not work out this will be the first time I have not sent in a treat for my children’s holiday party. But the batter tasted good. The second batch was much easier to make than the first. I have a question, How long do you normally mix the end result before it starts to lose its sheen? My kitchen is dark and it was hard to tell.
Thanks for the recipe and congrats on the baby.
It turned out perfectly. Huge hit with the kids and teachers at school and my hubby likes it too. We are going to try to make different flavors this weekend. Thanks for the recipe.
I made this today but with all semi-sweet choco chips. It turned out perfectly and was SOOO delish!
One thing that would be nice to have on the recipe though is the approximate amount of time to beat the fudge. I had no idea how it should look as it became less glossy. I had to refer to another cookbook and follow the beating directions there. I still wasn’t sure whether it was going to work out right.
I tried to make this fudge yesterday, in fact I made 5 batches, it’s been in the fridge since yesterday afternoon and it is still not hard enough to cut. I followed the directions and recipe exactly. Any suggestions on how to get my fudge to firm up?
Did you make more than one batch at once? Because every time I’ve done that, it’s never set up right. 🙁 I should have included that in the directions. If not, your candy thermometer may have been off (it’s a very common problem–most candy thermometers are off by at least a few degrees).
I have my own little turkey due in june- which is why I’m just now busting out neighbor gifts (three days before christmas!!) thank you for an easy breezy fudge recipe. merry christmas- and may your (our 🙂 second trimester be SO much better than round one!
I tried making your Creamy Chocolate Fudge & followed the recipe exactly – it NEVER hardened. I put it in the freezer for two days – still so soft I couldn’t cut it. What did I do wrong?
I did make multiple batches but I made every single one separately. I didn’t double the directions, I followed the direction exactly and made one batch at a time, two days later and it is still runny. Any suggestions? I’m so disappointed, I made 5 batches and they are all runny 🙁
Ummm….wow. This fudge turned out perfectly and so delicious! I was nervous because of all of the comments about it not setting up, but we had no trouble at all! We made sure to cook it over medium heat until it reached 240 (it boiled for 15 minutes and ended up being a light caramel color). It took about 5 minutes to mix it (on a low-medium speed) in my KitchenAid until it “lost its sheen”–though I wasn’t really sure it ever did. :/ As long as I was mixing it, it still looked shiny, but when it was still, it looked a little dull, so I decided to call it good. We live in the Salt Lake Valley (UT), in case people are wondering about the elevation. Hope some of this info helps someone! And a big THANK YOU for this fabulous recipe!! I just love you ladies! Merry Christmas!
Just dropped by your site. I do like the fill and colors. Very nice.
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I want you to know how much I hate the Mill Stone pop-up. You have become too commercial and have too many “sponsored” items. I love your recipes but increasingly find myself going to other cooking blogs that are commercial free and pop-up free. I loved you in the days of old when your “blog” was truly a blog.
So I just made this fudge a few hours ago, and so far it hasn’t set up yet. Did I do something wrong? It’s been in the fridge for about three hours…
How do you store the leftovers? I was so excited to finally have a fudge turn out but then I kind of forgot about it and it sat in the fridge overnight uncovered and uncut. Now it’s all hard and grainy. I have it sitting out on the counter now hoping it will soften up a bit.
I’d cover it tightly with plastic wrap. 🙂
This is the best fudge I have ever made! I love legit fudge but it is such a challenge to make. But I hate how easy recipes like microwave fudge taste. Usually I hate most homemade recipes. I feel like this recipe has everything I love about both! It is creamy but solid enough that it doesn’t turn into puddles. And it is so easy! I have tried many different recipes and I know I’ll be making this recipe every Christmas from now on!