If you’re looking for the Best Fudge Recipe, you can stop right here. This homemade fudge is so simple and yummy, everyone will love it! 
The Best Fudge Recipe Ever
I’ve been trying to make goodies to take over to the neighbors but for some reason, everything seems to be disappearing before I can even get it on the plate. So last night I was in the kitchen until late getting a bunch of stuff made! I wanted something delicious but needed it to be quick and easy. Then I remembered this recipe. It’s the best fudge recipe I’ve ever tried and it is so easy to make. It only takes a few minutes to mix up a few simple ingredients and then you just let it set up. It’s perfect to take to holiday gatherings or to give as gifts.
–If you like fudge, you’ll love these Fudge Brownies too!
The Best Fudge Recipe
What you need:
- 1/2 cup of cream
- 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
- 3 cups of chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
- 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate (4 oz)
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
How to make the best ever fudge:
In a saucepan, warm the cream and the sweetened condensed milk up together. Stir continually and do not boil.
–Freeze your leftover cream in Cream Cubes for other recipes.
Once the milk mixture is warmed and almost to the boiling point, remove it from the heat and add in the chocolate chips and chocolate bars. Stir well.
Return to the heat to make sure all the chocolate had melted and is smooth and creamy. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour the hot mixture into a very well greased 8×8 pan or a pan lined with wax paper or tin foil. Let it cool overnight or for several hours until it’s set up.
Cut into bite-sized pieces and enjoy!
Need to print this to add to your Recipe Binder? Get the Simple Fudge recipe below:
The Best Fudge Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of cream
- 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
- 3 cups chocolate chips I used milk chocolate
- 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate 4 oz
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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In a saucepan, warm the cream and the sweetened condensed milk up together. Stir continually and do not boil.
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Once the milk mixture is warmed and almost to the boiling point, remove it from the heat and add in the chocolate chips and chocolate bars. Stir well.
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Return to the heat to make sure all the chocolate had melted and is smooth and creamy. Stir in the vanilla.
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Pour the hot mixture into a very well greased 8x8 pan or a pan lined with wax paper or tin foil. Let it cool overnight or for several hours until it's set up.
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Once it is setup, cut into bite-sized pieces.
Fudge Variations
Yum. Chocolate. This fudge is amazing just as it is, but if you want to change it up, here are some variations you could try:
Add-ins:
Stir in one or more of these ingredients to your fudge before pouring it in the pan:
- Marshmallows
- Walnuts or Pecans
- Candied Cherries
- Dried Fruits
- Peppermint Extract
- Coconut
Toppings:
Add these on top of your fudge as it sets up:
- crushed peppermints
- melted white chocolate drizzle
- chocolate shavings
- Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce
Be creative! Or don’t and just eat it as is.. either way, you won’t be disappointed!
Dairy Free Fudge Recipe
To make this fudge recipe dairy free, use dairy free chocolate chips, coconut cream in place of the cream, and sweetened condensed coconut milk in place of the milk. I made the fudge this way last year and it was a huge hit!
Looking for more delicious and easy recipes? Here are a few more to try:
Sweet Penny Treats for the Holidays
Old Fashioned Christmas Cookie Recipes
Do you enjoy making fudge? Have you tried this recipe?
This Best Fudge Recipe was originally published on Little House Living in December 2014. It has been updated as of December 2019.
My four year old daughter and I just whipped up a batch of fudge…and are licking the bowl clean. We can’t wait for the fudge to cool! Thanks for sharing another awesome recipe! 🙂
How much and when do you add the vanilla?
Add 1/2 t. after you remove it from the heat.
ok so what did I do wrong, followed directions to a T and let it set overnight and still not solid, really have to put it on spoon to try to eat it, can not pick up wit fingers
I’m not sure Karen. If all the instructions were followed it should have turned out. Did you use any different ingredients?
More then likely you didn’t heat it to the right temp. Another thing to remember about fudge that I learned from my Grandmother is “Low and slow” so don’t try to do it on high heat it will not work. Hope this helps!
So if your fudge doesn’t set up it is most likely due to the weather. If the barometer is low you should not make candy of any kind. Wait until a sunny day for fudge making. 🙂
do you use heavy cream??
thank you
Yes, this recipe uses heavy cream or whipping cream.
Sounds like people are having a very difficult time with your recipe. Expensive ingredients to use and go through all the process and it becomes a flop!!!! No thank you, I won’t be trying this recipe until it’s revised.
I’ve made this recipe many many times without issue and do not have a reason to revise it at this time. Which ingredients in this recipe would you consider expensive? Sweetened Condensed Milk can be made at home if one does not want to buy it from the store.
I made several batches of this fudge recipe last year with no problem at all. I delete all other fudge recipes that come up in my email feed because this really is the best. Easy and super yummy.
Can I ask what size of condensed milk you used?
12 ounces.
How could I adapt this to make different flavors? If I add peanut butter will it change the consistency?
Thanks for sharing. Reminds me of my Grandmothers fudge recipe. 🙂
You cannot substitute cream or anything else for sweetened condensed milk. Borden’s is the most popular brand of sweetened condensed milk.
Do you let it cool at room temp on the kitchen counter, or do you put it in the fridge to cool?
You could do either, but putting it in the fridge will speed up the process! 🙂
Hi, I live in the UK, I have just been reading your wonderful fudge recipe, can you tell me if your measurements are I cup sizes, we use metric sizes here, and I didn’t want to add too much or too little, thank you. Lynn.
Yes, these are all in cup sizes.
Thank you for sharing this, I have been looking everywhere for a fudge recipe that didn’t have marshmallow cream in it!!!!
Oh… Fudge, how I love thee…
But I gotta ask about the serving plate… Is that a flattened blue mason jar? Because it is way. too. cool.
It is! I found it on Etsy several years ago 🙂
I am interested in the dish you have your fudge on. Is that a melted mason jar? Did you make that or find it?
Yes it is! I found it on Etsy a couple years ago.
Disappointed it did not include nuts. The fudge looks attractive &
yummy, but somehow, disappointing without nuts
I guess that title wasn’t a lie 😉 It looks incredible!
Mmm, fudge. Seems like a pretty simple recipe, too! I like simple. 🙂
Cream and chocolate? I’m sold! Making this tonight.
Enjoy Janeene!
This looks fabulous!
Merissa, this does look VERY good. We always have fudge at Christmas, and I love trying new recipes for it. One year I tried an amazing peanut butter fudge with chocolate topping….and could never find the recipe again. So I am pinning yours to make sure I have it on hand! 🙂 Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe with us at Treasure Box Tuesday! ♥
Oh my…. yum!!!!
Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!
Hi, This sounds so simple will be making it this afternoon, so fingers crossed. (First attempt at fudge.)
So glad to run across this!! I made the marshmallow cream kind for 25 years, but haven’t had fudge since we went organic a few years ago. Thanks!
I added chopped cranberries soooooooo good. Will make for Christmas it will be pretty for neighbors gifts.
When people ask questions about your recipes that are things you have obviously left out – such as amounts or sizes of ingredients. It is the courteous thing to do to not simply answer the commentor who posed the questions in the comment area, but also to actually go in and fix your mistake in the ingredients and/or directions part of your recipe. i cannot believe the number of people who post recipes and do this, never thinking to actually correct such things so still others won’t come along with the same questions, having to read through everyone else’s comments and your answers (possibly) to find out what you SHOULD have already fixed when someone initially pointed it out to you. Thank you for your courtesy and consideration to your readers.
Maria, I’m sorry that you have had trouble. Please be aware that we do go in and fix recipes if needed and as far as comments go…it would be impossible to keep up with every single one as we get hundreds or even thousands each week. I do the best I can but my family time always comes before blog time so it can be limited.
I think she is referring to there not being a listed amount of vanilla extract, which you clarified for someone in the comments 🙂 Love your blog as we are trying to make most food from scratch now, and can’t wait to try this recipe!
Ha – love the title! But when it comes to fudge, it’s worth it, even if it’s not the healthiest! Thanks for sharing at the Thoughtful Spot!
Good Morning Merissa!
I ALWAYS appreciate what has been GIVEN to me freely and your site is wonderful.
If you ever post a recipe for kindness and manners, someone will surely complain about it. Alas.
I am very curious to try this recipe. I have never made chocolate fudge except for the one on the back of the marshmallow cream container.
I prefer to set it in the fridge because it gives it a texture I prefer but that is how Mom always did it. I don’t know how to describe it – more solid perhaps? Either way, it’s fudge! Enjoy the experience.
I wish you and yours wonderful holidays and a Happy New Year.
I think fudge is always good, no matter what! Thank you for the well wishes. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season as well!
I’m going to give it a try. It sounds perfect! Loads of great tip[s in the comments too.
I always struggle with storage to keep fudge the right texture. Double wrapped (wax paper and then foil) and in an airtight container is suggested.
And for those trying fudge for the first time – how many pieces does this recipe yield?
Thank you!
This will fill an 8×8 pan. How many pieces it yields will depend on how big you cut them 🙂
Yummo! And, what a coincidence, my husband was just asking me over breakfast when I was going to make fudge again and I’d lost the recipe I used years ago. A time saver to see your recipe and woohoo, you’re right that its simple. Going to give it a go. Thanks, Merissa!
Melissa,
I’ve never written but have really enjoyed your blog for a long time. I love scratch cooking and it all tastes so much better! I think you are awesome to do all that you do!!
Merry Christmas!
Thank you so much Glenda!
If I wanted to use your dairy free version you say to use coconut cream instead of heavy cream but do you mean coconut milk? Coconut cream is solid and not liquid. The consistency of those two are very different.
No, coconut cream will work much better in this recipe than coconut milk. Coconut milk will not give it the same texture as the cream in the final product.
Anytime fudge doesn’t set up, don’t panic. It can make great ice cream topping.