How did fudge come into existence anyhow, and exactly what is this delicious confection? Fudge is created when you mix the ingredients to get to the soft-ball stage, which is simply 240°F. Then, the mixture is stirred or beaten as it cooks. Beating the fudge gives this candy a creamy and smooth consistency.
Recipes for fudge first started showing up in advertisements and cookbooks in the 1880s, and it became popular because granulated white sugar became more and more affordable. In fact, a pound of fudge cost about 40 cents in Baltimore, Maryland in 1886, according to a letter written by a Maryland woman
You can make fudge with any flavor you can imagine. Hey, you could probably even make bacon fudge if you really wanted to.
Don’t worry, this recipe is not going to be for bacon fudge, though. We have got a simple fudge recipe that will be suitable for everyone due to how adaptable it is.
Fudge is a beloved treat for many people, and we all have our own preferences when it comes to textures and flavors. While traditional recipes often rely on condensed milk to achieve that creamy, rich taste, the beauty of cooking is in the variety it provides. For those who may not have access to condensed milk, or simply prefer an alternative, there are countless recipes out there that cater to your needs.
I’ve recently discovered the joys of making fudge without condensed milk, and it’s such a delightful delight for the taste buds. With a few simple ingredients and steps, you can create a delectable, melt-in-your-mouth sweet that satisfies your cravings. Not only does this method offer a unique take on a classic, but it also provides an opportunity to explore various flavors and ingredients to make your own signature fudge.
You are going to be such a hit with all your family and friends! Homemade fudge makes such a wonderful gift for the holidays or for a birthday gift.
It tends to keep really well (depending on what ingredients you use, of course) and it always looks so aesthetically pleasing on a plate or in a jar.
What’s so special about our fudge is that it is made without condensed milk! We know that not everyone has condensed milk just lying around the pantry or store cupboard just waiting for you to get a fudge craving.
After years of experimenting, we at The Kitchen Community have finally perfected our Condensed Milk-Free Fudge!
As we have already said, you can easily adapt it to make it suitable for those dairy-free people in your life. As well as this, it is super customizable and you can add your own special extras if you wish.
It is also great for layering other flavors of fudge on top (more on this later in the article). We will also be detailing the best ways to store fudge, as well as how long it actually stores for.
So without further ado, let’s roll our sleeves up, get our aprons on, and get started!
Easy Fudge
Makes: It depends on the size of the tray or tin. For our small, square tin we got 18 equal square pieces.
Equipment needed: Microwavable bowl, utensils for mixing and cutting, a tray or tin, foil
Ingredients
8 tablespoons of butter of your choice. There are some fantastic dairy-free kinds of butter available widely, so we highly recommend using these in place of dairy butter if you are cooking for someone who eats a vegan/dairy-free diet
White chocolate, either a large bar or 1 cup of chips (Again, you can use your favorite dairy-free white chocolate if you wish) Note: the more chocolate you add, the more solid your fudge will be. The less chocolate, the softer it will be.
A quarter of a cup of any milk of your choice (you can experiment here, using coconut milk will give your fudge a coconut taste, oat and cow’s milk is more neutral)
Method
The first step is to line your tray or tin with foil/ aluminum wrap. This will ensure that you will be able to remove your fudge easily after it has been set. To make this even easier, ensure there is foil left hanging over the sides that you can easily grab to remove.
Ensure there is enough room in your refrigerator for the tray or tin of fudge.
If you are using a bar of white chocolate, you should break it into small pieces now. You should add your broken up chocolate or chocolate chips into your microwave safe bowl along with the butter. Place the bowl into your microwave, covering it loosely with plastic wrap if you wish.
Microwave the bowl of chocolate and butter on full power for very short increments of time. We recommend doing 10-20 seconds at a time, removing it to stir each time until it has melted. The goal here is to gently warm the mixture so it melts into a glossy liquid. Take care as the bowl and mixture will be very hot. It is not likely to take more than 1 minute, especially since you will be stirring it every 10 or 20 seconds.
After the butter and chocolate have melted together comes the time to add in your vanilla extract. Simply pour a teaspoon of it into your mixture and mix it once more.
Now for the messy bit! The time has come to add in your powdered sugar or confectioners sugar (they are both the same thing, but some people know it as one name, and others as the other name). Before you do this, you should ensure that your sugar is lump free by sifting it fully until it is super smooth. Add in the sugar slowly, bit by bit. You should mix it slowly or else you risk covering yourself and your kitchen in a fine dusting of sweet tasting snow.
When all the sugar has been added in, you may find that the mixture is a tad thick. If you like it like that then you could skip this step. However, we recommend adding at least a few drops of milk. Add in the milk slowly and mix it well. The mixture should still look glossy and delicious.
When the mixture is finished you can pour the whole thing into your already lined tray. Do this carefully so that you don’t waste any by spilling it. Don’t worry, if you want to keep a tiny bit back to eat, or if you want to lick the bowl, we won’t tell anyone!
Ensure the mixture has cooled down fully. When you are satisfied that it is cool enough you can pop the whole tray in your refrigerator. You can cover it if you wish but there is no need to. It should be refrigerated for at least 3 hours.
When the fudge has been set you can remove it from the tray by picking up the foil hanging over the edges. You can then cut the fudge into however many squares (or rectangle, or triangles…) you want. You can eat it right away, or you can store it in Tupperware or any other air-tight container. We will be discussing the storage of fudge further on in the article.
Customizing your fudge
There are so many ways you can customize your fudge to your dietary needs and taste preferences. Read on to find out more:
You can add in candy, fruit, and nuts to the fudge. Simply mix them into the finished fudge before you put it in the tray o set. We love making fruit and nut fudge with chopped mixed nuts and dried fruit like cranberries and raisins. For something a little different, you could add salted pretzels in there to make a salted caramel inspired fudge. M’n’Ms also work really well in fudge! The only limit is your imagination.
You could easily make your fudge colored by adding a few drops of your desired food coloring to the mixture. You can make them themed, for example, if you are giving fudge as holiday gifts you could make red and green fudge pieces.
You can also use our fudge recipe to make layered fudge. Simply use a deeper tray that can fit two or three extra layers of fudge on top. When you have made one layer of fudge and it has set, you can make another batch and pour it onto the top of the already set fudge. Pop the whole thing in the refrigerator, and after 3 hours, the second layer should have set. Voila, two-layer fudge. You can make as many layers as you like, each with different flavors or candy in there. You could even make the layers different colors by following our food coloring tip above.
You can also add chocolate chip, peanut butter, marshmallow, maple syrup, and maybe some chopped nuts. There really is no limit with this recipe.
Storing your fudge
Fudge can be stored either in your refrigerator or at room temperature. In your refrigerator, you can keep it for around 2 to 3 weeks if you store it in an airtight container.
If you want to keep it at room temperature, you should also ensure it is in an airtight container. It can be kept out of the refrigerator for around 2 weeks.
Keep in mind that fudge may stick together after it has been cut.
They should pull apiary easily, but if you want to avoid this, simply palace some grease-proof baking paper between the layers.
Easy Fudge Recipe Without Condensed Milk
Gluten-free: Yes Dairy-free: No Suitable for nut allergies: Yes
1tbspof butter of your choice. There are some fantastic dairy-free kinds of butter available widely, so we highly recommend using these in place of dairy butter if you are cooking for someone who eats a vegan/dairy-free diet
White chocolate, either a large bar or 1 cup of chips (Again, you can use your favorite dairy-free white chocolate if you wish) Note: the more chocolate you add, the more solid your fudge will be. The less chocolate, the softer it will be.
A quarter of a cup of any milk of your choice (you can experiment here, using coconut milk will give your fudge a coconut taste, oat and cow's milk is more neutral)
Instructions
Line a tray with aluminum foil and ensure that there is foil left hanging over the sides.
Break up your chocolate into small chunks. Place into a microwave safe bowl and add butter.
Microwave for 10-20 seconds at a time until the chocolate and butter are melted.
Add in vanilla extract.
Add powdered sugar or confectioners sugar into the mixture. Use a sieve to ensure that your mixture will be lump free.
Add a few teaspoons of milk and mix further.
Pour mixture into your lined tray.
Leave the mixture to cool down fully before putting it into the refrigerator to set.
Place into the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours.
Remove from the refrigerator and cut fudge into equal pieces to serve.
There you have it! A wonderful fudge recipe that can easily be adapted to most dietary needs, and made dairy-free with ease.
We hope you have enjoyed our article and recipe, and we are sure that you are so relieved that you can now get your fudge fix even when you don’t have that pesky condensed milk to hand!
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
