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This Easy Chocolate Fudge recipe is made with just 3 ingredients! Chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla come together to make a homemade fudge that’s bursting with chocolate flavor. It’s a simple treat to put together for gifts and sharing this holiday season.
Table of Contents
Easy Homemade Chocolate Fudge
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE FUDGE
THIS FUDGE RECIPE ONLY TAKES 3 MINUTES!
Get the Recipe
Easy Homemade Chocolate Fudge
I’ve been loving testing out new fudge recipes lately. Did you catch my Easy White Chocolate Cranberry Fudge recently? SO good! Both that fudge and this one are so rich and creamy, it’s hard to stop eating them!
Now, there are two great things I’ve found about fudge lately. One – it can be incredibly easy to make. And two – it’s a delicious treat to snack on when taking care of twins. 😉 The only problem with that is it might be too easy.
But of course easy is exactly what we need this time of year. So much going on, so little time and oh my gosh, Christmas is like 10 days away. When did that happen?!? I’m so not ready. And if you’re not fully prepared and need something quick, this fudge is for you. Not to mention, it’s a great chocolate fix if you’re losing your mind a bit and chocolate makes you feel better. 🙂
So to get started making this easy chocolate fudge, you’ll need just three ingredients – chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Hopefully you’re like me and already have those 3 things in your pantry at all times.
Grab a 9×9 inch pan and line it with parchment paper and set that aside. Then put the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk into a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave them for one minute, then stir to combine and let the residual heat do as much of the melting as it can. If it needs another 30 seconds or so, go ahead and heat it some more, then stir it until it’s melted.
Once everything is melted together, add the vanilla extract and combine everything. Working quickly, pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Let the fudge cool to room temperature before cutting into squares. You could also let it cool in the fridge to speed up the process, but it doesn’t have to be refrigerated.
THIS FUDGE RECIPE ONLY TAKES 3 MINUTES!
This chocolate fudge is so easy to make, it takes all of about three minutes! A minute to prepare the pan and ingredients, a minute to melt the chocolate and a minute to spread it out into the pan. Seriously – SO EASY! You will be enjoying the best chocolate fudge before you know it! Dense, rich, chocolatey, delicious! What are you waiting for?!
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 58 reviews
Author:Lindsay
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:1 minute
Total Time:11 minutes
Yield:20-25 pieces
Category:Dessert
Method:No Bake
Cuisine:American
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Description
This easy chocolate fudge recipe is made with just 3 ingredients and is full of rich chocolate flavor! A simple Christmas or holiday gift you’ll love.
Ingredients
2 cups (12oz) semi sweet chocolate chips (do not use milk chocolate)
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Line a 9×9 square pan with parchment paper that covers the sides of the pan. 2. Place the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl and microwave for one minute. Stir well to combine and allow the heat to melt the chocolate chips. If needed, microwave for another 30 seconds or so, until the chocolate is completely smooth. 3. Stir in the vanilla extract, then quickly transfer the mixture to the lined pan and spread evenly. 4. Refrigerate the fudge until firm, 2-3 hours. 5. Cut the fudge while it’s still cold (right out of the fridge) and store in an air tight container. Fudge can be stored at either room temperature or the fridge. It will be softer at room temperature.
Add a simple wooden or paper stick, some transparent gauze wrapping, a bow and a creative label to any piece of fudge, and you've now got something that looks more like an expensive candy apple than a humble square of fudge.
The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.
First, the chocolate needs to be wrapped in something cushy, like bubble wrap (which we hope always gets reused and recycled), to give it protection for the inevitable bumps and bruises the package will endure in transit. Second, the bubble-wrapped chocolate must go in a stiff cardboard box.
Place the fudges in small trays together with random cuts of your desserts and fruits. Note: Put the big fruits first. Arrange your christmas puddings at your round cake stand with lid. Drop some wafer sticks on your metal bowl.
By cooling the fudge prior to agitation (like in the recipes included in this article), on the other hand, you'll get much smaller, finer sugar crystals and a finished fudge with a smooth, creamy texture. Cool the mixture until it reads 120° F on the thermometer—no stirring. This can take 1 to 1/2 hours.
The most common culprit behind unset fudge is inaccurate temperature control. If the sugar mixture hasn't reached the correct temperature, your fudge won't set. Ensure you use a reliable candy thermometer and follow temperature guidelines meticulously to achieve the desired consistency.
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.
OPTION 2) Freeze it overnight. Cut it into squares. Cover each square thickly in melted chocolate, ensuring no part of the fudge is exposed. Cross your fingers and hope that the chocolate sets firmly before the fudge starts to thaw, and later impress your friends as you present them with your soft-centred chocolates.
If your fudge doesn't firm up after a few hours, you either have too high an amount of liquid to sugar, or your mixture hasn't reached the soft-ball stage. Using a candy thermometer can help home cooks avoid this problem.
Tiny microcrystals in fudge are what give it its firm texture. The crystals are small enough, however, that they don't feel grainy on your tongue, but smooth. While you ultimately want crystals to form, it's important that they don't form too early.
If your fudge fails to harden in the fridge, it means that you probably didn't cook it to the right temperature. Fudge is a candy, and that means it is extremely picky about temperature - fudge must be cooked to precisely 237–239 degrees Fahrenheit so that sugar forms the desired consistency when cooled.
Secondly, the pot's material should allow for good heat distribution hence your top choice should be copper cookware or a pot with a copper core. Copper's exceptional heat conductivity offers unparalleled temperature control, an asset when working with finicky ingredients like sugar.
When fudge is a verb, it means to avoid straightforwardly answering a question or addressing a subject: "Just answer my question and don't fudge the issue!" Fudge is an American word from college slang meaning "a made-up story."
Homemade fudge is wrapped in foil and wax paper to keep it fresh while shipping. Christmas cookie tins used to ship homemade treats. A simple, homemade gesture can go a long way — literally, almost 3,000 miles.
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