Perfect Never Fail Fudge Recipe - An Old Fashioned Family Recipe (2024)

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This tried and true, old fashioned chocolate fudge recipe will never let you down. Never Fail Fudge turns out perfectly rich, smooth and creamy each and every time you make it. Made with chocolate chips, marshmallow fluff and heavy cream, it is never grainy, and always delicious.

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Isn’t it crazy to think that the holidays are just right around the corner? Once that happens, you will see all sorts of recipes for fudge. But I am here today to save you from all of those other unnecessary fudge recipes. I have you covered with this old fashioned Never Fail Fudge Recipe – and it’s the last you’ll ever need.

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Sure – it sounds like I am boasting, and maybe I am a little bit. But it really is that good. And those people tell you that you can only eat fudge at Christmastime, you don’t need that negativity in your life anyway.

This easy fudge recipe here turns out perfect every. single. time. I can attest to that because I have made it a lot. It truly is the best fudge recipe. I promise.

I received free sugar from Imperial Sugar in exchange for writing this post. All opinions are my own.

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This post is my final chocolate recipe share this week for our group #Choctoberfest . It’s been a delicious week FULL of chocolate recipes and I decided to save this luscious fudge for last.

WHAT IS CHOCTOBERFEST?

#Choctoberfest is an annual recipe-sharing event. As I mentioned, I’m joining other food bloggers from around the world to create delicious chocolate recipes. This year, over 70 bloggers are joining together for a week full of chocolate cakes, pies, cookies, puddings, tarts, candies, and more. You can follow along by searching for the hashtag #Choctoberfest on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.

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For this fudge recipe, I used Imperial Sugar. They are always a generous sponsor of this event. Look at the fun measuring cups and baking mat they sent, in addition to a good supply of sugar.

What is Fudge Made Of?

Homemade fudge is a chocolate candy that has been made for over a century. Back in 1880, it became a popular homemade candy due to the fact that you could make homemade fudge with no special tools, and the basic recipe used butter, sugar and milk. All things that were on hand and economical. too.

Over the years, ingredients have changed, some use marshmallow fluff like I do, some use sweetened condensed milk. My chocolate fudge recipe uses heavy cream. Some recipes call for cocoa powder, where this recipe uses chocolate chips.

Using the chocolate chips gives you the ability to make your fudge recipe semi-sweet, as I do, or milk chocolate over even dark chocolate. You could even toss in part peanut butter chips to give it a whole new flavor level.

Ingredients in Never Fail Fudge:

  • sugar
  • cream, milk
  • butter
  • marshmallow cream
  • chocolate chips
  • nuts if desired

In a saucepan over medium heat cook sugar, butter and cream until it reaches medium soft ball stage – 236 degrees F. Be patient. It takes about 30 minutes. Watch closely and stir frequently. Don’t be surprised when it bubbles up. It’s fun! Kind of like a science experiment!

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In the past, I have always used an old candy thermometer. They are so NOT user friendly. This year, life got easier when I used my Thermapen Mk4 . I had no idea that a thermometer like this, that I typically use for meat, would work so well with candy. It’s amazing because it reads almost instantly.

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There was no trying to rig the little clip on the side of the pan, make sure it wasn’t touching the bottom but was in the candy far enough to read…blah blah blah. Every once in awhile I stuck it into the candy mixture to test the temperature. When it read 236 degrees, I removed it from the heat.

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Have your marshmallow cream and your semi-sweet chocolate chips ready to go in.

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Stir the chips and marshmallow cream into the warm mixture.

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From here you will pour it into a 9×13 pan, lined with buttered parchment paper.

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Spread it evenly in the pan. Chill until set.

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Pull up on the ends of the parchment paper and transfer the fudge to a cutting board to cut into squares. I got about 63 pieces of fudge, but I didn’t cut them super small. You could cut them quite small and it would go a long long way.

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This fudge can be made ahead and frozen. It also travels really well. I box it up and place sheets of waxed paper in between the layers.

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^LOVE IT? PIN IT!^

Like I said before, fudge isn’t just for Christmas. I decided to show you just how easy it is to make it for all sorts of holidays.

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Halloween Fudge!

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Christmas Fudge!

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(my personal favorite) Valentine’s Day Fudge!

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Changing up the sprinkles for holidays makes that all pretty easy. Plus, it gives you an excuse to eat fudge year round! 😉

Speaking of fudge, I have several other fudge recipes right here. Nothing like this. but that gives you all sorts of options, right?

An Affair from the Heart Fudge Recipes:

  • Eggnog Fudge
  • Grinch Fudge (white chocolate fudge)
  • Mint Fudge
  • Snickers Candy Bar Fudge
  • Caramel, Toffee, Pecan Fudge
  • York Peppermint Patty Fudge

See All of My Candy Recipes

Perfect Never Fail Fudge Recipe - An Old Fashioned Family Recipe (18)

Perfect Never Fail Fudge Recipe - An Old Fashioned Family Recipe (19)

Once you make this perfect fudge recipe, you’ll quit looking at all of the others! What do you say we get to the recipe for Grandma’s Never Fail Fudge? Perfect Never Fail Fudge Recipe - An Old Fashioned Family Recipe (20)

Perfect Never Fail Fudge Recipe - An Old Fashioned Family Recipe (21)

4.42 from 123 votes

Print Recipe

Never Fail Fudge

This tried and true, old fashioned recipe for Never Fail Fudge won't ever let you down. It turns out perfectly rich and creamy each and every time you make it.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Additional Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course: Candy

Cuisine: American

Keyword: best, chocolate chips, chocolate fudge, creamy fudge, easy to. make fudge, Fudge, fudge candy, fudge with marshmallow fluff, fudge without condensed milk, Grandma's fudge, homemade, How do I make fudge? old fashioned, how to make the best fudge, never fail, not grainy, old fashioned fudge, perfect fudge, recipe, traditional fudge

Servings: 9 x13 pan

Calories: 83kcal

Author: Michaela Kenkel

Ingredients

  • 3 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup cream
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1 7 ounce container marshmallow fluff
  • 1 12 ounce package semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup nuts optional

Instructions

  • Line a 9x13 baking dish with buttered parchment paper. Set aside.

  • In a good sized sauce pan, heat butter, sugar, milk and cream. Stir frequently and watch closely. When temperature reaches 236 degrees F (medium soft ball stage) remove it from the heat.

  • Stir in marshmallow fluff and chocolate chips until smooth.

  • Spread into prepared pan.

  • Chill for a couple of hours in the fridge, until set.

  • Remove by lifting the edges of the parchment. Remove paper and cut into squares. Store in a cool place. Can be frozen in an airtight container.

Notes

Freezes and ships well.

Nutrition

Serving: 2pieces | Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 19mg | Sugar: 11g

Perfect Never Fail Fudge Recipe - An Old Fashioned Family Recipe (22)

Perfect Never Fail Fudge Recipe - An Old Fashioned Family Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good fudge? ›

Tips for Making Fudge
  • Monitor the Temperature with a Candy Thermometer. If you end up with soft fudge that turns into a puddle in your hands or hard fudge that is a bit reminiscent of a crunchy candy, improper temperature is likely to blame. ...
  • Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer. ...
  • Beat Thoroughly.
Mar 8, 2023

Why is my old fashioned fudge not hardening? ›

The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.

What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›

Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.

How do you thicken fudge that won't set? ›

OPTION 3) Sieve together some powdered sugar and cocoa powder, and gradually work this into your unset fudge until it reaches the consistency of dough, then roll out and cut into squares, or shape into balls and then roll in powdered sugar (roll the balls in icing sugar, not yourself).

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

What makes high quality 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).

Should I stir fudge while boiling? ›

Stir the ingredients to dissolve the sugar until the mixture comes to a boil. If your recipe uses milk, stirring will keep the mixture from curdling. But once it reaches about 236–238 degrees F/113–114 degrees C (the "soft-ball" stage), do not stir it or even shake the pan.

Can you reboil fudge that hasn't set? ›

How can you fix soft fudge? Put it in a microwave safe bowl that is large enough that it won't boil over. Reheat it to the boiling point and cook for about 3 more minutes. Then you can beat some powdered sugar into it if this doesn't make it set.

How do you firm up homemade fudge? ›

If your fudge is soft or runny, it probably didn't come up to a high enough temperature while it was cooking. Put it back into the saucepan and add 1–2 US tbsp (15–30 ml) of 35% fat whipping cream. Stir the fudge as it heats, but only until the sugar in the chocolate is completely melted again.

Why did my fudge turn 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 happens if you cook fudge too long? ›

Candy that isn't cooked long enough will end up too soft; overcooking makes fudge crumbly or hard. High-quality fudge has many small crystals. If the process of crystallization begins too early, fewer crystals form and they become much larger.

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.

Why does my fudge fall apart when I cut it? ›

Overcooking or Undercooking:Solution: Cooking the fudge for too long or too short a time can affect its texture. Follow the recipe instructions closely and use a timer to avoid overcooking.

Will powdered sugar thicken fudge? ›

How to thicken your fudge? If your fudge it noticeably thin, you may want to add more chocolate. If you are out of chocolate, you can also add 1/4-1/2 cup of powdered sugar. This, however, can make the fudge very sweet.

Why is my fudge not getting hard? ›

If the fudge is very soft and slightly chewy then it is possible that it did not quite cook to soft ball stage and next time the mixture should be cooked to a slightly higher temperature (soft ball is 112-116c/235-240F and a sugar or candy thermometer can help).

Should you stir fudge constantly? ›

It is important to stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken and its surface starts to look dull or matte. Now is the time to stop beating and pour the fudge into a mould. Another tip: Do not scrape the sides of the pan or the spoon used for stirring.

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!

What keeps fudge from getting hard? ›

Too Soft or Too Hard Fudge

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.

Why is my fudge crumbling when I cut it? ›

The ingredients for fudge are combined and cooked to 234 degrees, cooled to 110 degrees without stirring, then beaten until creamy. Candy that isn't cooked long enough will end up too soft; overcooking makes fudge crumbly or hard.

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