This easy homemade chocolate fudge recipe is rich, chewy and made without condensed milk or requiring a thermometer. It comes together quickly with simple pantry ingredients, making it perfect for holidays, gifting or an easy dessert any time of year.
Chocolate fudge is always a popular treat for the holidays and special occasions, plus its perfect for gifting.
I developed this easy chocolate fudge recipe as many of you had some difficulty with our other chocolate fudge recipe which requires a cooking thermometer.
Our other fudge recipe can be a little difficult to make as the level of heat needs to be monitored to prevent the sugar crystallizing. This chocolate fudge recipe on the other hand is easier as it incorporates a much simpler method of cooking.
So what are the differences between the two recipes?
The differences are in the cooking methods and ingredients:
- our other fudge recipe requires the use of a cooking thermometer, so the sugar does not get too hot and crystallize, but that recipe produces a very smooth fudge.
- this easy fudge recipe uses different ingredients and a simple stirring method, giving a denser fudge with a satisfyingly grainier texture.
I am super happy with the way this recipe tested, it turned out well every time and makes an absolutely delicious chocolate fudge which will have you scraping off the leftovers from the pan and utensils!
So this is the easiest way to make a batch of delicious chocolate fudge so you never have to buy dried out fudge from the shops again!
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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Why this fudge recipe is so good
- Easy chocolate fudge recipe with simple ingredients
- Only takes 15 minutes to make
- No condensed milk and no candy thermometer needed
- Rich, chewy, old-fashioned texture
- Perfect for holidays, gifts, and bake sales
About the ingredients
- Use a good quality brand of unsweetened cocoa powder for best flavour.
- Use whole milk and whole milk powder for rich flavour, avoid low-fat products.
See recipe card for quantities.
Cooking tips
- Use an enamel coated or non-stick pan and wooden spoon.
- Use good quality ingredients for best flavour. We use Nestlé Nido whole powder milk.
- Have all your ingredients close-by as there are no pauses in this recipe.
Step-by-step instructions
Follow our visual step-by-step instructions.
Melt butter in pan.
Add sugar and mix with the butter till combined.
Add milk, salt and vanilla, stirring to combine.
Reduce heat to low and stir in the powdered milk.
Add cocoa powder and stir till mixture is smooth.
Pour into lined dish, cool on counter then cover and chill till fudge is less sticky.
Slice into squares or roll into balls.
Coat the fudge in cocoa powder, crushed nuts or cinnamon sugar.
You can either place the fudge in the fridge to chill, or freeze to reduce moisture till it is no longer sticky.
Top tip
Parchment paper is a better option to facilitate removal of the fudge from the dish. Grease the dish before lining with parchment paper so it doesn’t move around.
Make ahead/storing leftovers
Store in a closed container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Fudge dries up slightly when frozen so wrap it in parchment paper or plastic wrap then place in a sealed container to reduce moisture loss. For best flavour, use within one month. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter in a cool kitchen before serving.
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Are you making our easy chocolate fudge? I’d love to know how it turned out in the comments below.
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Recipe
Homemade Chocolate Fudge (No Condensed Milk)
Ingredients
- butter - 50g ½ cup
- sugar - 200g 1 cup
- salt ⅛ teaspoon
- milk - 240ml, whole milk 1 cup
- whole milk powder - 300g 3 cups
- vanilla 1 teaspoon
- unsweetened cocoa powder - 50g ½ cup
For coating
- unsweetened cocoa powder - or cinnamon sugar/crushed nuts, for coating
Instructions
- Grease and line an 8-inch (20 cms) square dish with parchment paper so the ends hang over the sides and set aside.
- Melt ½ cup butter in a medium pan on medium heat and mix in 1 cup sugar with a wooden spoon.
- Add 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla and ⅛ teaspoon salt and stir to combine and melt the sugar. Then just before it starts to boil reduce heat to low and add 3 cups whole milk powder and ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Stir till all the lumps have dissolved and the mixture is smooth, taking care not to let the mixture stick to the sides or the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring for another 8-10 minutes till the mixture has reduced and thickened to a less sticky paste. The fudge mixture will be a richer deeper brown.
- Remove from the heat and use the wooden spoon to transfer the mixture to the prepared dish ensuring the mixture reaches all corners. Cool on the counter, then cover and chill for 30 minutes till the fudge is no longer sticky and comes away easily from the parchment paper. Slice into pieces or roll into balls and dust with cocoa powder, cinnamon sugar or crushed nuts.
Notes
Only you will see your notes and you can edit them anytime.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically per serving and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
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