An Easy, Step-by-Step Guide to Making Perfect Christmas Fudge
I love fudge! It’s one of those classic holiday treats that’s a must-have every Christmas. Growing up, our neighborhood always surprised each other with treats during the holiday season. My neighbor Marla would make the best fudge. It was smooth, rich, and perfectly set. I always looked forward to her batch.
As I got older and moved out for college, I tried to make fudge on my own — but found it was much easier to eat than make. I had multiple batches that burned, didn’t set properly, or just turned into a big, gooey mess. After many attempts and writing down my recipes to replicate, I can finally share! So this year, I’m sharing my foolproof, no-fail fudge recipe with you. Follow these simple steps, and I promise you’ll have the perfect fudge every time.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Kerrygold butter
- 2 1/4 cups Organic Cane Sugar
- 1 Small 5oz can of Evaporated Milk
- 1 1/4 tbsp Organic Vanilla Extract
- 12 oz Semisweet Chocolate
- 7 oz Marshmallow Fluff
- 9×9 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1: Prep the Pan
Line your 9×9 pan with parchment paper. Do NOT forget this step! This is the easiest way to get fudge out of the pan, and keep a smooth shape without it sticking to the pan and ruining all your hard work. The parchment paper will make sure your fudge easily comes out when it’s time to cut it.
Step 2: Heat the Pan
I cook using a stainless steel pan. So it is important to first heat the pan slightly to prevent sticking, then add the butter. Once the butter starts to melt, add the sugar. Let the mixture warm up for about 2-3 minutes while you stir occasionally. Then add can of evaporated milk.
Step 3: Add Marshmallow Fluff
Now, it’s time to add the marshmallow fluff. Stir it in.
Step 4: The Critical Low-Heat Stage
This is where most people go wrong — don’t rush this step! Keep the heat low for about 5 minutes to let the ingredients blend together. After that, turn the heat up to medium and let it bubble just slightly for another 15 minutes. This slow simmer helps the sugar dissolve properly.
Step 5: Stir Constantly
Keep stirring constantly during this time. The key is to avoid burning the sugar, which can turn the whole batch into a caramel disaster. So stir without ceasing! I find the best tool for this recipe is a silicone spatula because the marshmallow mixture washes off easy.
Step 6: Check for Sugar Crystals
After about 15 minutes, check your spatula. If you see (and taste) any crunchy sugar granules, continue heating and stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. This is crucial — if there’s any undissolved sugar, your fudge will be gritty. Keep testing until fully dissolved.
Step 7: Add the Chocolate
Once the sugar is fully dissolved, turn off the heat, but keep the pot on the stove top, add the semisweet chocolate and fold it into the mixture. This should only take about 1 minute. The fudge will start to thicken.
Step 8: Transfer to Pan
Quickly transfer the fudge mixture to your parchment-lined pan. If you notice that the fudge is already starting to set as you transfer it, you’re on the right track! That means your fudge will hold its shape as it cools. You DON’T want to leave the fudge in the stovetop pan and wait long or it will start to set and then when you pour in the pan it won’t be smooth.
***This is a great spot if you want to add crushed candy canes, chopped nuts etc. Add ontop of the fudge after pouring into the pan.
Step 9: Test the Texture
After it’s in the pan, taste test some of the mixture that is still left on the spatula or pan (for satisfaction of course). If it’s gritty, unfortunately, you’ll need to restart the recipe and boil the sugar either on a higher heat (but don’t burn) or just for longer. It’s not good to return the whole recipe back to the pan and try and dissolve it (trust me I’ve tried) it doesn’t set/get firm doing that.
Step 10: Cool and Cut
Let the fudge cool for a few hours, pull out the parchment paper and flip over, you will have a nice smooth side of fudge. Cut into squares. This basic recipe is perfect but feel free to add chopped nuts or peppermint candy canes, andies mints etc. ontop right after it’s poured into the pan. Enjoy!
A Few Tips:
- Make sure to follow the steps exactly as written, especially the slow simmering process. That’s the key to a smooth, set fudge.
- If you’re having trouble with sugar dissolving, add more time on the heat. It’s better to be patient than to rush the process. Most recipes I have followed in the past call for 5 min to dissolve the sugar, I use organic sugar (so I think this is why it takes longer) but it usually takes 15-17 min on a lower heat to dissolve and not burn.
- It’s ok if the top of the fudge don’t look appealing in the pan, when you go to serve this, you’ll flip over the parchment paper and have a nice smooth square.
- If you’d like to add nuts or other mix-ins, this base recipe is perfect for customization!
Feel free to check out this parchment paper for your 9×9 pan — it’s the perfect size and makes clean-up a breeze!
Enjoy your perfect fudge — I’m sure it’ll be a hit this holiday season!
Merry Christmas!
This is one of our many traditions, for ideas on how we live a December full of fun, joy, and giving read my lifestyle blogs.
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Enjoy your perfect fudge — I’m sure it’ll be a hit this holiday season!