What is the secret to good 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).

Is evaporated milk or condensed milk better for fudge?

Tips For Making Dad's Old Fashioned Fudge Choose Pure Vanilla Extract- For a wonderfully rich and robust flavor, pure vanilla extract is recommended over imitation vanilla. Use Evaporated Milk- Make sure to use evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk.

Why won't my condensed milk fudge set?

It sounds like your fudge simply wasn't heated enough . Fudge is basically a superconcentrated syrup, and it sets when sugar dissolved in the water (from the butter and milk) comes out of solution as the mixture cools and forms crystals.

Does fudge made with condensed milk need to be refrigerated?

No, fudge doesn't need to be refrigerated . Store it in an airtight container (with wax paper between layers) at room temperature for one to two weeks.

What not to do when making fudge?

7 Common Mistakes to Avoid for Candy Shop-Worthy Fudge and Caramels Using the Wrong Pan. All candy and confections start by melting sugar. ... Stirring the Sugar. ... Not Using a Candy Thermometer. ... Leaving Out the Parchment Paper Lining. ... Skipping the Cooking Spray. ... Scraping the Pot. ... Using a Cold Knife to Slice. Dec 16, 2015

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.

Why is condensed milk not advisable?

Evaporated milk has added sugar and carbohydrates which are very high , making sweetened condensed milk not healthy for nutritional intake for babies and children, Ali explained.

Why is my condensed milk fudge grainy?

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 .

What happens if you use sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk?

These items are essentially the same with one big difference: no sugar is added to evaporated milk. Sweetened condensed milk also has 60% of the water removed, but contains 40% sugar. Due to the big flavor difference, they cannot be substituted for each other .

What makes high quality fudge?

It's the size of sugar crystals that makes the knees of fudge lovers buckle…the smaller the crystals, the less they are perceived on the tongue and the more the fudge tastes smooth and creamy. Cooking, and beating after cooking , is the key to successful fudge.

What makes fudge moist?

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.

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!

Can you mess up 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.

Best Fudge Recipes with Condensed Milk (2024)

All our best creamy, silky smooth dark and white chocolate fudge recipes with condensed milk in a variety of flavors and colors all in one spot!

Best Fudge Recipes with Condensed Milk (1)

Best Fudge Recipes Ever

I LOVE fudge and can't get enough of it. To make things easier I've put all our most popular chocolate fudge recipes, and my personal favorites, in one place!!

I consider this to be a list of the best fudge recipes ever. Ok I'm being a little dramatic but have a look below and hopefully you will want to try at least a couple of them.

Let me tell you that each easy chocolate fudge recipe is just so good. Almost too good for words but then you're dealing with a person that always has a fudge stash hidden in my freezer for whenever the need arises! Unfortunately the need arises way too often!

You will find fudge recipes of all flavors such as mint fudge or peanut butter fudge, and all occasions such as this Christmas fudge or red velvet fudge for Valentine's Day.

What is Fudge?

Fudge is a semi-soft candy that usually contains sugar, butter or cream, corn syrup and flavorings. Most common is chocolate fudge, but these days other flavors such as caramel, peanut butter and others may be involved.

Fudge may also be smooth or may have other ingredients such as dried fruit, nuts, and candy added to it as well.

Making old fashioned fudge and traditional fudge involves endlessly, (yes sometimes it feels like that), stirring ingredients in a pot on your stovetop. Slow and low my grandma used to say and she wasn't kidding.

You have to constantly stir over a low temperature in order to make sure the ingredients don't burn and the sugar doesn't crystallize. It has to be cooked at a specific temperature, requiring a candy thermometer or all of your hard work was for nothing.

Being a long time fudge lover I have tried so many different kinds and hands down, the best fudge recipe is made with condensed milk.

Why You Will Love Fudge With Sweetened Condensed Milk

Only requires a few main ingredients and requires minimal stirring and effort.
It’s easy to change up the flavors by using different nut and fruit extracts like almond, peppermint or lemon.
You don't need to be a professional or have any candy making skills whatsoever to make any of these fudge recipes.
Easily alter any recipe! That’s the most amazing thing about this list of the best fudge recipes with condensed milk!
More stable with a much longer shelf life.
A fudge that freezes beautifully and defrosts easily and quickly on the counter.

How to Serve Fudge

Serve it up as a sweet treat to eat! It works great alone or added to a dessert display when you have company coming over.

Use it for perfect edible gifts. Add to gift baskets, gift boxes or just wrapped up with cellophane gathered together and tied with a big bow or ribbon at the top!

Make a sweet tray. Pick up a platter at your local dollar store that you can wrap with cellophane. It’s the perfect thing to bring along as a hostess gift when visiting friends and family.

Variations and How to Flavor Fudge

There is so much flexibility when it comes to making the best fudge recipe with condensed milk. Here are a few of my favorite ideas!

Change the Shape

For simplicity, you can simply pour it into a square or round pan and then cut it up into squares.

For a fancier look, use silicone molds to control the size and shape of the fudge pieces. The molds will allow you to have more control of the look of your finished product. Silicone molds do take some extra time to fill and decorate but in the end the result will make it definitely worth the little bit of extra time.

Use Different Chocolates

Milk chocolateis a sweet chocolate that you can either use in recipes, especially cookie recipes, or just to snack on. It contains at about 10% cocoa with added sugar, milk and cocoa butter.
White Chocolate Almond Bark (Confectionery Coating)comes in a different forms from chips to blocks to squares. Despite it's name, it doesn't contain nuts and is valued for it's texture, taste, and melting ease.
Unsweetened chocolate Made solely of cocoa butter and cocoa solids, the taste of this chocolate is bitter and usually unsuitable for eating, so it's generally only used in baking. It's perfect in cake, cookie or brownie recipes.
Dark chocolate Since it's sweeter than unsweetened chocolate and has less sugar, it's quite popular with those that want a sweet treat but are health conscious because again, it has less sugar than other chocolates. It has 35% cocoa.
Bittersweet chocolate is a sweetened dark chocolate that also contains at least 35% cocoa. It is mostly used in baking and is great for recipes that call for a strong chocolate flavor.
Semi-sweet chocolate This chocolate is also made with at least 35% cocoa and is the most versatile form of chocolate. It's ideal for baking and eating and can be found in many chocolate chip cookie recipes. It also has cocoa butter and sugar added.
White chocolate: White in color and usually made with just cocoa butter, milk and sugar. It works great to make lighter color fudge. I've got a whole post you can read to learn more about using white chocolate in fudge.

How to Flavor Fudge

The best part about fudge is that you have to remember that you can add anything and everything you can think of into it, flavors that will be acceptable or desirable.

The only thing you really need to keep in mind when choosing ingredients to add is that anything that works well with chocolate will likely taste great in fudge.

Everything from dried cranberries, pistachios, M & M's, or pretzels work great! My son’s favorite is the kitchen sink, as we call it. It has everything under the sun in it and it always changes! Here are more ingredients to add:

nuts
coconut
cookies
cream filled cookies
dried fruits
marshmallows
cereal
broken pretzels
M&M's
toffee bits
butterscotch chips
chocolate chips
caramel chips
smarties
malt balls
chocolate covered caramels
mints
sprinkles or sparkles

Best Fudge Recipes Video

Best Fudge Recipes with Condensed Milk (2)

How to Store Fudge

If you're wondering how long will condensed milk fudge last, I've got it all right here!

Room temperature: Fudge made with condensed milk will last up to 2 weeks at room temperature, in an airtight container.
Refrigerator: Store it in an airtight container in your fridge it will last up to a month.
Freezer: Store it different sized portions if desired. Wrap it in parchment paper or plastic wrap, and store in an airtight container or freezer bag with as much air removed as possible, for up to 3 months.
Thaw: When you need some frozen fudge, place it on your kitchen counter to thaw overnight.

Fudge FAQs

Do you need to cook flour before adding it to fudge?

Not every fudge recipe uses flour but some do. It helps the fudge keep its shape a little bit better. Since fudge isn’t really cooked, is it safe to eat uncooked flour?

The FDA recommends heating flour since processing flour doesn’t contain a step that heats the flour to kill any bacteria or germs. You can easily do this by toasting the flour in the oven. Place it on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes. You can also heat it in the microwave for 1:15 minutes on high, stirring every 15 seconds.

Do I need a thermometer when making fudge with condensed milk?

Nope! It's super easy to make and there's no need to cook it to a specific temperature for it to set!

The Best Fudge Recipes

Are you ready for the good part? Here are all my favorite fudge recipes! There's such a variety of flavors and colors that make fudge perfect any time of year.

Sugar Cookie Fudge

Sugar Cookie Fudgeis easy, rich and creamy! Full of sugar cookie flavor, decorated in bright sparkles or sprinkles, perfect as a dessert or edible gift!

Get the Recipe

Best Strawberry Cheesecake Fudge

This Best Strawberry Cheesecake Fudge recipe is cheesecake in fudge form, easy to make with white chocolate, cream cheese, graham crackers and strawberries!

Get the Recipe