Homemade Chocolate Fudge
Soft chocolate fudge made with sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips, set in the fridge with no candy thermometer required.
- Measurements grams + cups
- Cuisine American
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Condensed milk does the job a sugar syrup would normally do, so there is no boiling to a temperature and no thermometer.
- Five ingredients, one saucepan, and the only real skill is keeping the heat low.
- Cuts into small squares that hold their shape at room temperature, which makes it practical to give away.
Recipe
Homemade Chocolate Fudge
Condensed milk fudge that sets in the fridge, no thermometer.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled. The method below still refers to the original quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1. Line a 20 x 20 cm / 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.
- Step 2. Combine the condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter and salt in a heavy-based saucepan.
- Step 3. Heat over low, stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. This takes about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Step 4. Take the pan off the heat as soon as it is smooth, and stir in the vanilla.
- Step 5. Scrape into the prepared pan and spread level. It will be thick.
- Step 6. Chill for at least 2 hours, until firm all the way through.
- Step 7. Lift out using the parchment and cut into 25 small squares.
Notes
- Keep the heat low and keep stirring. Chocolate held too hot seizes into a grainy, dull mass, and once it has seized there is no recovering it.
- Take it off the heat while it still looks slightly under-melted. Residual heat in a heavy pan finishes the job, and that last thirty seconds on the burner is where most fudge goes grainy.
- Cut small. This is rich enough that 25 squares from an 8 inch pan is a sensible portion rather than a stingy one.
Homemade Chocolate Fudge — Simple Table Recipes · https://simpletablerecipes.com/recipes/homemade-chocolate-fudge/
Ingredient Notes
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Not evaporated milk. Condensed milk is thick and heavily sweetened, and it is what sets this fudge — evaporated milk is unsweetened and thin, and will not firm up.
- Chocolate chips
- Chips contain stabilisers that help them hold together as they melt, which suits this method. Chopped bar chocolate also works and gives a softer, richer set.
- Salt
- A quarter teaspoon in a pan this sweet is not optional seasoning — without it the fudge reads as flatly sugary rather than chocolatey.
Equipment
- 20 x 20 cm / 8 x 8 inch pan
- Parchment paper
- Heavy-based saucepan
- Silicone spatula
Substitutions
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Dark chocolate gives a less sweet result and pairs well with the condensed milk. Milk chocolate makes a very sweet, softer fudge that needs the full chill to hold its shape.
- Vanilla
- A teaspoon of instant espresso powder stirred in with the vanilla deepens the chocolate without tasting of coffee. Peppermint extract works too — use about half as much.
- Additions
- Fold 80 g of toasted chopped nuts or flaky sea salt over the top before chilling.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or at cool room temperature for about a week. Separate layers with parchment so they do not fuse.
Freezing: Freeze wrapped and boxed for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge still wrapped, so condensation forms on the wrapping rather than on the fudge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my fudge grainy?
The chocolate got too hot and seized. It happens quickly over anything above low heat, and stirring will not bring it back. Use a heavy-based pan, keep the burner low, and take it off before the last few unmelted pieces have gone.
Why won't my fudge set?
Almost always evaporated milk used in place of sweetened condensed milk, which will not set at all. Failing that, it simply needs longer — two hours is a minimum, and a warm fridge or a deep pan can need three or four.
Do I need a candy thermometer?
No. This method skips the sugar-syrup stage entirely; the condensed milk is already concentrated and sweetened, so there is no temperature to hit.
Can I make this in the microwave?
Yes, in 30-second bursts at medium power, stirring between each. Stop while a few pieces are still visible and stir them out with the residual heat — the microwave overshoots easily and seized chocolate is the usual result.
How do I cut fudge cleanly?
Chill it fully, lift the whole slab out on the parchment, and use a long knife pressed straight down rather than dragged. Wipe the blade between cuts.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes — double everything into a 23 x 33 cm / 9 x 13 inch pan for the same thickness. Use a larger pan on the stove too, since a deeper layer of mixture is harder to keep evenly heated.
Did you make this?
Let other people know how it went. One tap, nothing to fill in.
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