How To Make Vanilla Fudge | Easy Vanilla Fudge Recipe (2024)

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ByLauren

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Looking for an easy vanilla fudge recipe? Wondering how to make vanilla fudge?

Trust me, I was too. I spent hours online and looked and looked. I tried and tried again. More often than not, I ended up with something that resembled Scottish tablet over fudge and that’s why I had to write this recipe for soft fudge down!

I like my recipes simple and this is a one-pan wonder which I have tried to make as fuss-free as I can while still providing those delicious results that you are looking for.

If a really basic fudge recipe if what you’re after, then make sure to look below!

How To Make Vanilla Fudge | Easy Vanilla Fudge Recipe (1)

Overview

Makes: 40+ pieces
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 2 hours 30 mins (plus 2 hour rest time)

Ingredients

  • 400g Caster sugar
  • 150ml Whole milk
  • 1 tin Condensed milk (397g)
  • 25g Unsalted butter
  • 2tsp Vanilla extract

Utensils

Optional

  • Parchment paper
  • Baking/Sugar thermometer

Instructions

  1. Add your 400g caster sugar, 150ml whole milk, full tin of condensed milk, 25g unsalted butter and 2tsp vanilla to your saucepan and place on a low heat.
  2. Stir gently until all the ingredients have melted and you can no longer feel the sugar grains under your wooden spoon/spatula.
  3. Once your mix is smooth, you want to turn up the heat to a rolling boil.

    Allow this to bubble away with gentle stirring for approximately 15 minutes.

    The mix should begin to thicken under your spoon.

  4. Use a baking thermometer to check the readiness of your fudge, you are looking for this to reach approximately 115°C.

    For those of you (myself included) that do not have a baking thermometer to measure the temperature, we are instead going to check for the soft ball stage.

    So, grab a glass or bowl of cold water and after around 10-15 minutes of boiling, let some of the mixture drop into your water.

    If when you remove it from the water, you can form a soft ball with your fingers, you are done!

  5. Remove your pan from the heat and allow the mix to cool for around 5 minutes.

    It should begin to form a skin in that time.

  6. Then, you want to put in some real arm work and mix, mix, mix with your spatula or wooden spoon until the mix really thickens and loses its sheen.

    It will begin to look matte and resemble what you would consider fudge at this stage.

  7. At this stage, you want to add your mix to your square baking tin and smooth it out to cover all the edges.

    I like to use the back of the spoon as best I can to achieve a smooth surface on top.

  8. Now, you can either pop your fudge into the refrigerator to chill or leave it to set at room temperature.

    It should take around 2 hours but I tend to leave this overnight.

  9. Cut into round 1″ squares.

    Enjoy!

Storage

Store in an airtight container.

This fudge should keep for 1-2 weeks at room temperature.

If refrigerated, fudge can last 2-3 weeks.

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Yield: 40+ pieces

Vanilla Fudge Recipe

How To Make Vanilla Fudge | Easy Vanilla Fudge Recipe (5)

Prep Time5 minutes

Cook Time25 minutes

Additional Time2 hours

Total Time2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 400g Caster sugar
  • 150ml Whole milk
  • 1 tin Condensed milk (397g)
  • 25g Unsalted butter
  • 2tsp Vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Add your 400g caster sugar, 150ml whole milk, full tin of condensed milk, 25g unsalted butter and 2tsp vanilla to your saucepan and place on a low heat.
  2. Stir gently until all the ingredients have melted and you can no longer feel the sugar grains under your wooden spoon/spatula.
  3. Once your mix is smooth, you want to turn up the heat to a rolling boil.Allow this to bubble away with gentle stirring for approximately 15 minutes.The mix should begin to thicken under your spoon.
  4. Use a baking thermometer to check the readiness of your fudge, you are looking for this to reach approximately 115°C.For those of you (myself included) that do not have a baking thermometer to measure the temperature, we are instead going to check for the soft ball stage.So, grab a glass or bowl of cold water and after around 10-15 minutes of boiling, let some of the mixture drop into your water.If when you remove it from the water, you can form a soft ball with your fingers, you are done!
  5. Remove your pan from the heat and allow the mix to cool for around 5 minutes.It should begin to form a skin in that time.
  6. Then, you want to put in some real arm work and mix, mix, mix with your spatula or wooden spoon until the mix really thickens and loses its sheen.It will begin to look matte and resemble what you would consider fudge at this stage.
  7. At this stage, you want to add your mix to your square baking tin and smooth it out to cover all the edges.I like to use the back of the spoon as best I can to achieve a smooth surface on top.
  8. Now, you can either pop your fudge into the refrigerator to chill or leave it to set at room temperature.It should take around 2 hours but I tend to leave this overnight.
  9. Cut into round 1″ squares

Notes

Store in an airtight container.

This fudge should keep for 1-2 weeks at room temperature.

If refrigerated, fudge can last 2-3 weeks.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

40

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 49Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 0g

How To Make Vanilla Fudge | Easy Vanilla Fudge Recipe (6)

Lauren

Peter may be the go to guy for travel tips and information but I like to think I bring the heart (maybe even a little humour) back into our writing.

I’m Scottish and proud, a millennial 30 something and your stereotypical girls girl but as opposed to what the press may say, I don’t see those as negatives and neither should you!

How To Make Vanilla Fudge | Easy Vanilla Fudge Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is vanilla fudge made of? ›

Mix confectioners sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and salt in a 3-quart saucepan over low heat until mixture is hot and creamy. Pour into the prepared pan; refrigerate until fudge has set, about 2 hours. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

What is the secret to perfect fudge? ›

Valuable tips for successful fudge
  • Don't stir during cooking. Fudge can be cooked on the stove or in the microwave. ...
  • Avoid crystallization. During cooking, sugar crystals can stick to the sides of the pan. ...
  • Let cool before beating. After being cooked, the sugar must crystallize again to create fudge. ...
  • Beat the mixture.

Why is my 3 ingredient fudge not setting? ›

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.

What is traditional fudge made of? ›

Fudge is a dense, rich confection typically made with sugar, milk or cream, butter and chocolate or other flavorings. The base for fudge is boiled until it reaches the soft-ball stage (135 to 140 degrees F), then stirred or beaten as it cools to minimize the formation of sugar crystals.

What makes fudge taste like fudge? ›

Fudge incorporates sugar, milk, butter, and other ingredients such as cocoa for chocolate fudge. The chocolatier then heats these products together until they melt. After this, the mixture is beaten during the cooling process. Think of fudge as a food consisting of crystallized sugar.

What happened to vanilla fudge? ›

Following the release of their final album, Rock & Roll, Vanilla Fudge played a few U.S. farewell dates and disbanded in early 1970, although they have reunited and toured together since.

Should you stir fudge while it's cooking? ›

Don't stir!

Once the fudge reaches soft-ball stage on the candy thermometer, remove from the heat and let the temperature drop to 110°F. Keep that spoon or spatula out of the pot until this happens. If you stir too early in the process, you'll make the sugar crystals too big and end up with grainy fudge.

What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›

Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.

What makes fudge moist? ›

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.

How to make fudge thicker? ›

If your fudge is soft or runny, it probably didn't come up to a high enough temperature while it was cooking. Put it back into the saucepan and add 1–2 US tbsp (15–30 ml) of 35% fat whipping cream. Stir the fudge as it heats, but only until the sugar in the chocolate is completely melted again.

How to make fudge more solid? ›

there is too much leftover water in the syrup and the resulting fudge is soft. To save the fudge, put it in a saucepan with 15 to 30 ml (1 or 2 tbsp.) of 35% cream and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely melted. Then let it boil until the thermometer reaches 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).

How long to boil fudge to soft ball stage? ›

How long does it take to make fudge:
  1. about 18 min to reach boiling.
  2. about 40 minutes to reach soft ball stage.
  3. 60 minutes to cool.
  4. 28 minutes to beat in a KitchenAid (your time for this may vary)
  5. 4 hours to set.

Is evaporated milk or condensed milk better for fudge? ›

The sweetened condended milk is needed as no extra sugar is added to the fudge. If evaporated milk were used then the fudge would not be sweet enough and also would still be too soft unless the fudge is frozen.

What is the best pan to make fudge in? ›

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.

What does cream of tartar do to fudge? ›

Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!

Does vanilla fudge contain chocolate? ›

Something to keep in mind, vanilla fudge doesn't actually need to have white chocolate in it. Fudge requiring chocolate is a misnomer. While many fudges do have chocolate or dark chocolate, this isn't required.

What is vanilla fudge famous for? ›

Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band known predominantly for their slow extended heavy rock arrangements of contemporary hit songs, such as their hit cover of the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On".

What's the difference between fudge and brownies? ›

Fudge doesn't contain very much besides chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and if you want some inclusions like nuts, marshmallows, cookies, cacao nibs, peanut butter, dried fruit and so on. Whereas brownies contain cacao powder (no chocolate!), flour, eggs, butter or oil, baking powder and nuts.

What is white fudge made of? ›

Common Questions About Making White Chocolate Fudge

All you have to do is combine a can of sweetened condensed milk, 3 cups white chocolate chips, and 2 tablespoons butter in a pan, cooking until everything has melted together.

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