Easy Fudge Recipe
This really is the easiest fudge recipe ever! Chocolate chips, butter, and sweetened condensed milk create the fudge base, and from there you can add as many mix-ins as you’d like. No candy thermometer required!
*Post and pictures updated November 2022*
Homemade fudge is the easiest no-bake treat to prepare around the holidays. You need just three simple ingredients to make it — butter, sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate chips — and the recipe variations are endless!
Whether you prefer your chocolate fudge plain or with chopped nuts, dried fruit, shredded coconut, or another mix-in, you can customize this base recipe as you see fit.
This fudge recipe makes the perfect hostess gift and is also great for cookie exchanges as it travels well and tastes just as good on day one as it does on day seven!
Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients for this fudge are simple and straightforward. Exact measurements are provided in the recipe card below, but here’s an overview of the ingredients list.
- Chocolate Chips: You’ll be using three cups of chocolate chips for this fudge. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but feel free to swap them for white chocolate chips or even dark chocolate.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: You’ll need one 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk. I suggest sticking with the regular version and skipping the fat-free kind. Make sure that you grab a can of sweetened condensed milk and NOT evaporated milk. Sweetened condensed milk is thick and sweet and will give you the proper consistency for this fudge. Evaporated milk is much thinner, and if you use it by accident you will end up with hot fudge sauce, which is not what we’re going for here!
- Butter: You can technically make this fudge with just the first two ingredients, but I’ve found that adding just a couple tablespoons of butter helps create a smoother consistency. Trust me here!
- Chopped Walnuts: This ingredient is completely optional! If you don’t love nuts, feel free to leave them out. You can even swap the chopped walnuts with chopped pecans too.
How to Make Fudge
Don’t bother taking out your candy thermometer, you won’t need it to make this simple recipe. The toughest part about making chocolate fudge is waiting for it to set up in the fridge, otherwise it’s an almost foolproof recipe!
- Prep the baking pan: Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil or parchment paper. Leave a bit of an overhang to make removing the fudge easier later on.
- Melt the fudge mixture: Add the sweetened condensed milk, butter, and chocolate chips to a saucepan. Stir often over medium heat until the mixture is fully melted and smooth.
- Add mix-ins, if using: Remove the fudge mixture from the stove and stir in any chopped nuts or dried fruit you wish to use.
- Chill the fudge until set: Spread the melted fudge into an even layer in your prepared baking dish. Refrigerate it until fully set; this will take about 3 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Fudge Need to Be Refrigerated?
Yes, this chocolate fudge must be refrigerated. It will soften at room temperature, so keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Can the Sweetened Condensed Milk Be Substituted?
Not for this particular recipe. You must use full-fat sweetened condensed milk. Do NOT use evaporated milk, as it’s much thinner and the fudge won’t set properly if you use it.
Can This Recipe Be Doubled?
Yes, simply double the ingredients list and use a 9×13-inch pan instead of an 8-inch pan.
Can Fudge Be Frozen?
Yes, this fudge freezes well for up to three months. Store slices in a freezer bag or freezer container and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Recipe Variations
There are several different ways that you can make this fudge, here are a few of my favorite variations:
- Cookies & Cream: Swap the semi-sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chips and add 1 cup of chopped Oreos.
- Cranberry Pistachio: Use either semi-sweet or white chocolate chips and add 1/2 cup of sweetened dried cranberries and 1/2 cup of chopped pistachios.
- Mint Chocolate: Use either semi-sweet or white chocolate chips and add 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Taste and add more extract as needed.
- Rocky Road: Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the melted fudge mixture, then very gently stir in 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows.
- Peppermint Chocolate: Swap the nuts with crushed peppermint candies or candy canes.
Baking Tips
- You do not need to bring the chocolate mixture to a boil, you simply need to warm it until melted. If you’re worried about your chocolate chips seizing up, you can melt the chocolate mixture in a double boiler.
- Make sure to stir the chocolate mixture often, otherwise it may stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
- When lining the pan with foil or parchment paper, leave some overhang so you can easily remove the hardened fudge and slice it.
More Easy Fudge Recipes You’ll Love!
Recipe Video
Easy Fudge Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (525 grams)
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
- 2 tablespoons butter (30 grams)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional (125 grams)
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving some overhang for easy removal. Set aside.
- Add the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter to a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir often until the chocolate chips are fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Remove from the heat and scoop the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread around into one even layer.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until fully chilled and the fudge is firm. Remove from the pan using the overhang from the parchment paper or foil, slice the fudge into pieces, and enjoy.
If there is a little butter shine on the top, will it reabsorb back into the fudge as it cools?or should I dab it off slightly?
You can just dab it off with a paper towel.
Just made it.
Put it in mini cupcake muffin liners.
I didn’t eat any mixture , but licked the bowl clean!,! So yummy.
I did add vanilla essence…three drops as it is Pure Vanilla.
No room in the fridge, have it setting in the coldest room.
See how it tastes tomorrow, unless I go walk -about tonight!!
Thanks for this recipe. It tastes fine and is easy, but the butterfat separated and left a greasy sheen on top that solidified into white fat when it set up in the fridge. I stirred pretty vigorously, but the butter just wouldn’t combine well. I have a gas range, so I kept it at low heat and would periodically take it off the heat so the chocolate wouldn’t burn and the condensed milk wouldn’t caramelize. Any other suggestions? I did not use nuts as I am allergic. Thanks!
You want to stir the mixture often as its cooking, to make sure everything melts evenly and the chocolate chips don’t burn. If you were mixing it vigourously the whole time, that’s likely why the fat in the butter separated. If this happens, you can use a paper towel to blot off any excess grease on top. If you make it again, I’d recommend stirring it more gently or using a double boiler if you’re afraid your stove is too hot.
Can I mail a batch or will it get too soft?
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe. It will soften at room temperature and if it gets too warm it can be a bit messy.
I used cocoa wafers instead of chips and reduced the amount to 2 1/2 cups instead of 3 cups and followed the recipe but it’s soft and didn’t set up all the way. Does it make a difference what kind of chocolate that works? I had the chocolate from the candy store.
Do you mean chocolate melting wafers? If so, most are usually made with sugar, oil, cocoa powder, etc. and they’re not the same as semi-sweet chocolate chips. You do need to use either chocolate chips or chocolate bars for this recipe. Also, if you’re reducing an ingredient, you need to reduce the other ingredients accordingly.
I have loads of dark chocolate bars, and 85% cacao, 100% cocoa solids dark chocolate called Absolute Black with cocoa nibs, Belgium dark chocolate, and imported dark chocolate from Western Uganda. My question is will sweetened condensed milk be enough to make a sweet fudge? What would you recommend to make it more like chocolate chips?
Hi, Lesley! The sweetened condensed milk will make the dark chocolate a little sweeter, but I’m not sure that it will be sweet enough. I do recommend using semi-sweet chocolate in this recipe.
I have may have completely missed this in the recipe… When do you add the nuts?
You can mix them in as soon as you remove the mixture from the heat.
I followed the directions exactly as well and ended up with a pan of mush. I currently have it in the freezer. I thought how hard can this be, but another fail for me in my family’s eyes. I’m sure it’s not the recipe as so many people have had success with it. I don’t understand!!!
Sorry you had trouble the recipe, Kimberly. The fudge should be pretty thick even when you remove it from the heat and not mushy. Did you happen to use evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk? If so, evaporated milk is much thinner and will yield something similar to hot fudge sauce.
can I use this recipe for fudge brownies?
Are you looking for a fudgy brownie recipe? If so, I have one here.
Im curious if there is a way i can use my candy thermometer for this recipe and what Fahrenheit i could cook it up to?
It’s really not necessary and to be honest I never use a thermometer. You only need to heat the mixture until all of the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth.
I’ve tired this three times now and it just won’t set. Not sure what I am doing wrong.
Sorry you’re having trouble with the recipe, Janie. Did you make sure to use sweetened condensed milk? Or did you happen to use evaporated milk?
Hello! I recently tried making this recipe and found that there were too many dry ingredients. I had to add about a quarter to a third cup of milk to the mixture just to get it to the right consistency. Turned out great though after that! Just be aware that the sweetened condensed milk alone is not enough liquid for the amount of chocolate chips.
The recipe is correct as written, the mixture will be very thick, which is normal 🙂
tasty fudge and SO easy to make! i’m thinking of adding toasted coconut the next time i make a batch.
Omg! This was a perfect recipe!! So impressed with the simplicity and taste! So much fun making for my family. Thank you. I made the plain chocolate and the peanut butter recipes. 🙂
What a wonderful recipe. Thanks so much for sharing.
I used half milk chocolate half semi sweet chocolate. I made a shortbread crust, placed fudge on top, added salted caramel sauce and a little extra pecans. Delicious.
Easy and delicious! We added mini M&M to ours.
I made this and it was so good! It set perfectly and looked exactly like the picture. it doesn’t;t have that kind of grainy texture that fudge from the store had but I think that is even better! I highly recommend this recipe for anyone who wants an easy base fudge recipe!
I made it and it is AMAZING. I only had 2 cups of chocolate chips, so I used the Reese’s peanut butter baking chips for the other cup and it was SO GOOD. Adding the 2tbs of butter is a GAME CHANGER, THANK YOU. So good.
I made this recipe. It was not good. The fudge never got firm, now I have pan of goop. ? I followed the instructions exact.
Sorry the fudge didn’t turn out well for you, Jennifer, but it should have set up. Did you happen to use evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk?
I had sweetened condensed milk, followed the recipe to a T I even put i in the freezer overnight hoping it would get hard, nope, still goopy.
The same thing happened to the batch I made.
Did you make sure to use sweetened condensed milk? If you happened to use evaporated milk, the fudge won’t set up.
I’m wondering if those who said it didnt firm up may have used margarine instead of butter. I made it for the first time today and it turned out perfectly. I cant stop eating it.
This fudge is delicious! I think the butter really makes a difference. I added about a tsp of vanilla and a pinch of salt.. I don’t even like fudge and I cannot stop eating this. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Help! I didn’t have sweetened condensed milk but I did have evaporated milk and sugar so I attempted to make my own and it didn’t work out. My fudge wasn’t thick when in the pot and I was able to pour it into the 8×8 pan. After being in the fridge all night, it’s still soft and it’s stuck to the parchment paper. What can I do to firm it? Any suggestions?
I’m not sure that there’s much that you can do at this point. If it’s really soft, you can try freezing it and see if that helps.
If it taste great you can call it an ice cream topping
can you make fudge with these ingredients
milk
sugar
peanut butter
butter
I actually have a peanut butter fudge recipe here.
Hello! Can I add vanilla to this recipe? If so, how much would you recommend?
That would be fine. I would probably use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon.
Butter salted. Or unsalted
Either one is fine, since it’s such a small amount. I typically use unsalted butter because it’s what I keep on hand.
Mine took too long to melt I guess then started to cook and go up instead. Somehow I messed up the melting part. Now the texture is off in the pan. Hoping it will still taste good somehow.
This recipe was easy, but I was disappointed. It does not taste like traditional fudge. It tastes like melted chocolate chips. I may repurpose the pieces and add them to peanut butter cookies.
Hi! Can I use baking chocolate instead of chocolate chips? Thanks!
Do you mean chocolate bars like Bakers or Ghirardelli? If so, that will be fine. You will need to use an equal amount of weight of chocolate.
Okay great! I’m limited over here in Europe with what American ingredients I can get my hands on. Thankfully I’ve finally count sweetened condensed milk! Looking forward to trying your recipe 🙂
While this was very easy to make I just wasn’t a fan, maybe it’d be better with milk chocolate chips?
You can use milk chocolate chips, but keep in mind that it will be very sweet.
I am going to make this and top my peanut butter cookies with it
Hi!may i use cioccolate bar instaid choco chips?
Yes, that would be fine! Just make sure to use the same amount of chocolate.
I made my first trial batch today, in preparation for making as many batches as I can for an upcoming bake sale! Do you think I could do a double batch if I pour it into a larger pan? Also, what do you think is the best way to package fudge to be given away? I have clear treat baggies but I’m guessing I am going to either need to place them on a plate first, or wrap each piece individually, or put wax paper between pieces. I’m trying to think how to do one of those methods in a cute way and would love any suggestions.
Yes, you can double the recipe and use a 9×13 pan. The fudge will soften some at room temperature, so it may be a good idea to wrap each piece individually and then place them in the treat baggies. Hope that helps!
Thank you! That does help 🙂 I might do a smaller pan than 9×13 to get a thicker pieces of fudge. think I might also keep the fudge in 1/2 lb blocks instead of cutting into small pieces because I think that’ll look better in the bag. What do you think as far as plastic wrap versus wax paper for the wrapping?
I think either one would be fine! Wax paper may look a little prettier though 🙂
How could I make peanut butter fudge like this?
I actually have a peanut butter fudge recipe here.
I want to try this fudge recipe but can I add 1/3 c peanut butter when mixing everything together. I wonder if it will set up in the fridge as well. My family loves choc and peanut butter together. Thank you. Angie
I haven’t tried, but you could possibly swap out the butter for peanut butter. Or you could use some peanut butter chips in place of the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
I use cupcake liners, they’re perfect for individual treats & you can change up the colors
That is brillian!
You could also use mini muffin pans w/mini cup liners and they would already be individually wrapped! ?
So if I use the mini muffin liners do I just pour into the cups? That’s an awesome idea. In these trying times it would be nice to have them individually wrapped.
Hi, Marlene! The mixture is thick, so it won’t be very easy to pour it into the cups. I would recommend using a cookie scoop (maybe 1 to 1.5 tablespoons) and spreading it out into the cups.
I pour it into a regular baking dish to harden, cut it into pretty squares, and then put each square in a mini muffin cup. I prefer without butter. I have used white chocolate chips and Craisins at Christmas time
I looked for this recipe and the first one on the list was for All Recipes, and It called for 1/4 cup of butter and everything else was the same as your recipe, so I tried it and it was very greasy and butter was practically laying on top of the fudge! What a mess! Then I found your recipe and it called for half the amount of butter, so I added more chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk and no more butter and mixed it all up and now it is good. Thank you for the correct information and amount of butter. I now have a double batch to share with people!
I have made this recipe for years, without the butter. I will definitely try adding 2 TB butter next time. I imagine it will be creamier and smoother. Also, I absolutely love walnuts in fudge, but I have friends who detest walnuts, so the variation I came up with is 1 TB (yes that much) almond extract & about 1/2-1 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries. Really tasty.
I am going to make it with the almond extract and dried cherries. That sounds yummy!
I added pour of amaretto to mine along with vanilla extract and it turned out great!
Hello! Can I use this fudge for a cake filling?
Hi, Mary! This would be too thick for a cake filling. I have a chocolate ganache recipe here that you can turn into a frosting that may work better.
Your adjustments to the recipe sound absolutely delicious. I will be trying it myself!