Creamy Traditional Old-Fashioned Fudge

In this Instructable, I will show you how to make traditional fudge. This creamy old fashioned fudge recipe is so yummy. If you are a fudge lover like me you have got to try this. I love all kinds of fudge, 3-ingredient microwave fudge, peanut butter fudge, cookies, and cream fudge, etc. My aunt gave this recipe to my mom in 1968, and I remember helping her make it when I was young. It is similar to a fantasy fudge. We always had it around the holidays. Creamy old fashioned fudge is more finicky than microwave fudge, but it tastes better to most people. If I can do it, you can do it. Let's get started and make some fudge from scratch!

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Follow the steps below or watch the video tutorial or do both. :)

Step 1: Ingredients and Tools

Ingredients:

• 2 cups white granulated sugar (400g)
• 1/2 cup of butter, salted or unsalted (113g)
• 1 cup mini-marshmallows or 10 large marshmallows (50 to 60g)
• 2/3 cup of evaporated milk (158ml)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or use milk or dark chocolate) (170g)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (5ml)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (117g) (optional)

Tools:

• Medium to a large pot, a heavy bottom is best
• Wooden spoon or silicone spoon
• Spatula 7x11 or 9x9 inch pan
• Parchment paper or cooking spray
• Knife
• Candy Thermometer

Step 2: Heat the Ingredients

Traditional fudge can be tricky to make sometimes, it isn't as full proof as this 3-ingredient microwave fudge, and it takes longer, but definitely worth it, if you have the time to try it out.

Begin by adding the butter, I usually cut it into smaller chunks, sugar, marshmallows, and evaporated milk to a heavy bottom pot. If you don't have one, you can use a regular pot. The heavy bottom pots heat more evenly.

TIP: If you can't find evaporated milk, you can use whole milk. Evaporated milk is traditional cooking milk.

Place the pot on your burner and set the heat between medium-low and medium. Sometimes I like to start with medium-low, and then once everything melts, raise the temp to medium for the rest of the time.

The next few points are crucial. Stir constantly throughout this whole process. Use a candy thermometer if possible. The temp needs to be raised to 234F/112C. It's okay if it is a few degrees over or under. This is the softball stage.

From the moment you put the pot on the burner until it reaches the correct temp, it will take 15 to 20 minutes.

TIP: If you don't have a candy thermometer, once the mixture starts to boil, set the timer for 6 minutes. That should give it enough time to reach the proper temp.

Step 3: Chocolate and Vanilla

Once the sugar mixture reaches 234F/112 C. Remove it from the heat and add in the chocolate chips. Stir, stir, stir. You will get a good workout. Once melted, add in the vanilla extract. Keep stirring for a few minutes until it loses most of its shine and is duller looking. Then add in the optional chopped walnuts.

Step 4: Let It Set

Scoop the hot fudge out of the pot and into a baking pan (11x7 or 9x9 inch pan) lined with parchment paper, or spray it with cooking spray. Parchment paper is my favorite because it makes it so easy to remove the fudge and then cut it.

Spread the fudge out with a spatula until it is level. Then let it sit at room temperature for an hour or two to set. You can also leave it overnight. If you do, after an hour or two, I recommend, covering it with plastic wrap, which helps it to no dry out. Not necessary, but something, I like to do.

Step 5: Cut and Serve!

And when the fudge becomes firm, it is ready to be cut. It is common to just cut it up into little cubes.

TIP: If your knife sticks when cutting, dip it in hot water, and dry it off, then cut. The warm blade cuts the fudge easier.

Enjoy!!

**Print the recipe here if you like.

Step 6: Troubleshooting

Here are a few fudge troubleshooting tips. Again, this kind of fudge can be finicky, but if you follow these tips, you should be fine. :)

1. If your fudge turns out grainy, which can happen, and you don't like the way it tastes, some people don't mind, all is not lost. You can put the fudge back into the pot, add 1 cup of water or about 1/2 cup of cream with it. Set the heat to medium-low and gently melt the fudge. Make sure the stir otherwise it will burn. Heat it back up to the proper temp. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool for 15 minutes, then stir it for about 4 to 5 minutes. And then back into the pan.

2. If your fudge doesn't set most likely it wasn't heated up to the proper temp. You can follow the steps above which will solve that problem as well. Also, if it is a humid or rainy day, sometimes that will affect the setting process.

Step 7: Video Tutorial

Now check out those steps in action with this video tutorial. :)

Comments

[Maria Ravandiel]

Yum!!! The last time my sister made fudge it was for a gathering...and it turned into a gooey mush of chocolate: we overheard one lady say "I like this gooey-gooey chocolate!" lol I'm sure these turned out a lot better! :)

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

haha yeah, this kind of fudge can be finicky at times. :) most likely she didn't heat it up to the correct temperature and didn't stir it enough after it was off the heat.

[Maria Ravandiel]

Okay: I'll keep that in mind the next time she makes fudge lol :)

[t.rohner]

Hi Matt
I made it according your receipe (by weight).
Short before it reached the temperature, it got so hard to stir that i added a little water.
After about 5 minutes at the temperature, i needed to add some more water.(This was probably a bit too much in the end.)
Then i added the chocolate and the vanilla extract, stirred some more and filled it into the prepared form. After 3 hours at room temperature, it was still soft. So i put it outside and it got hard. (It's colder, than a fridge outside right now...) When it warms up again, it softens but it tastes great.
Now my question: Is your evaporated milk sweetened? (Yours looks less viscous than mine)
In the shop i bought my evaporated milk, they only had the sweetened kind.
Do you think, that's the cause i needed to add so much water?

It's really a fantastic receipe and i will cook it again... (Maybe this gets my excuse to buy a Kenwood CookingChef)

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

Glad you tried it! Traditional fudge can be finicky at times, and takes a few goes to get it perfect sometimes. My evaporated milk is unsweetened. And you used evaporated milk right, not sweetened condensed milk? It does look yummy!! The reason why it didn't set most likely is that the temp of it didn't reach the softball stage 234 F/112 C, at least that is the most common reason for fudge not setting. :) A candy thermometer really is the best way to tell if it is at the right temp or not. It shouldn't be too thick. Make sure to just heat up only the milk, sugar, and marshmallows to the right temp. You can even add the butter after with the chocolate chips. So heat those up and stir constantly until it reaches 234 F/112 C, then after that remove it from the heat and then add in the butter, chocolate, and vanilla. And stir for 3 to 5 minutes. I can't think of a reason why the marshmallow, milk, sugar, and butter mixture were too hard for you to stir...hmm

[t.rohner]

The temperature was definitely correct. I used my infrared thermometer, which I doublechecked with my high precision brewing thermometer(calibrated to 0.1 Celsius).
But I used sweetened condensed milk.
I added the butter right from the beginning, as I think you also did.

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

Ahh okay, yes the sweetened condensed milk was the problem. For this particular recipe only use evaporated milk or whole milk. That is why it was so thick for you before adding the chocolate. But glad it still turned out tasty even if it didn't set properly.

[lawman2u]

My grandson and I made it. Simple and Delicious. But my mix came out a little more loose than yours. I brought the temp to 225 but didnt let it simmer there for 5 minutes. Still Delicious. Thanks. (He took half home for his dad)

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

So awesome! :) Like I mentioned in the other comment, next time, make sure to bring the temp up to 234 F to 236 F, and it will set better for you. :)

[DLMarcum]

Looks great. I use to make it with my Mother every year for the holidays, along with caramel.

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

Thank you so much! That is awesome!

[ELECTRONFLYER1]

I WAS JUST FINE TILL THE END THEN I SUDDENLY GOT VERY HUNGRY.

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

lol awesome! :)

[snehaboppani200]

I don't have marshmallow instead of that we can use anything

[DLMarcum]

My mother's receipt used marshmallow fluff instead of marshmallows.

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

Hi there! Not for this traditional fudge recipe, you can try this easy 3 ingredient fudge recipe https://inthekitchenwithmatt.com/easy-homemade-fudge-recipe

[Gallagher17]

I gained three pounds(!) just reading the recipe!
Tomorrow,...I'm going to give it a go!..!
(My 'future' fitness sudio thanks you!)
Thanks Matt.
Well explained,..
great photos,
...well broken down
I'm heading over to your website now.

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

LOL best compliment ever, thank you!! :) :) Good luck, let me know how it turns out and if you run into any issues. :)

[jenbaver]

I'm going to make this for my Mom for the holidays. She loves fudge!

[In The Kitchen With Matt]

Awesome!! :) :)