Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge, this is the best, creamiest chocolate fudge, made the old fashioned way. The perfect Homemade Chocolate Candy.
I have been a big Candy lover for a long time, especially anything Chocolate such as these Easy Homemade Filled Chocolates or these Italian Chocolate Kisses / Baci.
Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge
Old Fashioned Chocolate FudgeOld Fashioned Chocolate Fudge is everything a homemade fudge should be, so get your candy thermometer ready.
I have been searching and searching for the chocolate fudge that I had tasted when I was about 8 or 10 years old, if you can believe that! This fudge melted in your mouth and was just a little bit crumbly.
I can remember going to the Christmas Bazaar at the Church on Saturday afternoon with a couple of my school friends. I bought my dime bag of chocolate fudge and I still remember thinking “this is the best Fudge I have ever eaten”.
And when we went back to get another bag, the lady was sold out. A sad day for me!
Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge
More Chocolate Candy Recipes:
- Homemade Chocolate Mint Filled Chocolates
- Chocolate Torrone
- Creamy Old Fashioned Caramel Candies
- Homemade Italian Chocolate Kisses / Baci
I think in my quest for “the One” I tasted fudge from any and all chocolate stores. And unfortunately they were all the creamy types just like my Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge.
I wanted that crumbly melt in your mouth fudge!
Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I decided I would google until I discovered my Chocolate Fudge. And discover I did, thanks to Hershey’s, apparently it is their Recipe that gives you that divine fudge.
How to make the best Fudge:
- Line your pan with parchment paper.
- Use a wooden spoon and not a whisk or metal spoon. Apparently it is easier on the fudge.
- Once the fudge boils, stop stirring and continue to cook on low heat so you don’t burn the fudge.
- Make sure your candy thermometer isn’t touching the bottom of the pot because you want the most accurate reading.
- Stir only until the mixture starts to lose it’s gloss.
- Be patient when making this fudge and enjoy every bite!
Adjusting the Fudge Recipe for High Altitude:
To adjust the temperature to your altitude, deduct two degrees from the temperature required for every one thousand feet of altitude above sea level. For example, in this Fudge recipe, if you live 5,000 feet above sea level, you would deduct 10 degrees from 234 degrees.
How to Store Homemade Chocolate Fudge:
Wrap the cut pieces in parchment paper and store in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag. Fudged stored at room temperature can last from 7 – 14 days.
Fudge can also be stored in the refrigerator wrapped and in an airtight container. In the fridge fudge will last 2 – 3 weeks.
If you decide to freeze your fudge, make sure to wrap it up and place it in an airtight freezer safe container, stored in the freezer it can last up to 3 months.
What to make with fudge:
If by chance you have some leftover fudge or for some reason your fudge doesn’t turn out, don’t despair and certainly don’t throw it out! Cut up some fudge add it to some hot milk and stir until smooth and there you have some amazing hot chocolate, maybe the best you have ever had?
Or melt some of the fudge, either in the microwave or over a pot of boiling water and drizzle it over some ice cream or as a ganache on a cake. Hot fudge sauce never tasted so good.
Can I add Nuts or Peanut Butter:
Yes you can add nuts or Peanut butter the best time to add these ingredients is when you add the butter and vanilla.
How to keep your fudge from being Gritty:
- Make sure the sugar has dissolved.
- It could be the fudge wasn’t beaten long enough or hard enough.
Does the weather affect fudge?
Yes it does, on a humid day, once the candy has cooled it may start to absorb moisture from the air, so on a humid day the candy will end up being softer than it is suppose to be.
Therefore it is always better to make candy (fudge) on dry days. Although if you have no choice but to make candy on a humid day then cook it to the highest recommended temperature (which is 237-240F)
Cool weather also helps the candy cool faster that way it has a lesser chance to form the dreaded crystals.
I hope you enjoy this Homemade Chocolate Fudge!
Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge
Ingredients
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup cocoa (unsweetened good quality)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Line an 8 inch square pan with buttered parchment paper.
- In a medium heavy saucepan stir together sugar, cocoa and salt, then add the milk and stir with a wooden spoon (not a whisk or metal spoon).
- Cook over medium heat stirring continuously until mixture starts to boil (a strong boil), approximately 15 minutes.
- Turn heat to low and continue to cook without stirring until temperature reaches 234 °F. Approximately 30 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat, add the butter and vanilla. Do not stir. Cool to room temperature (110°F), approximately 30 minutes. Then beat with a wooden spoon just until mixture begins to lose some of it's gloss (approximately 6-8 minutes).
- Then spread quickly in prepared cake pan and let cool completely, even overnight (at room temperature). Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- You can also freeze the fudge in a double bag, well wrapped. Freeze either in pieces or the whole slab. Can be frozen up to 3 months. Keeps in an airtight container for approximately 2 weeks or in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from November 18, 2017.
Maryanne says
This may sound really silly but I want to make sure I am understanding the instructions completely right and the video unfortunately doesn’t quite answer this for me.
When you add the butter and vanilla it says not to stir.
Are you just adding them into the mix and leaving it without incorporating it or do you stir them in and then leave the mix alone to cool?
Rosemary says
Hi Maryanne, yes just add them in without incorporating, then after the time has passed beat it with a wooden spoon. Let me know how it goes.
Bailey says
I am so happy with how my fudge turned out! My last attempt at old fashioned fudge from years ago was a greasy crystallized brick. This recipe was easy to follow and turned out perfectly! I calibrated my thermometer ahead of time by measuring the temperature of boiling water. It took a very long time for my fudge to reach 234 degrees. I think it’s because I have an electric stove and the setting was too low. The result was well worth the wait! Creamy, melt in your mouth heavenly fudge!
Rosemary says
Hi Bailey, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Yes you certainly need patience to make a good fudge. Take care.
Sophie Gilsten says
My family and I are all lactose intolerant could I make this recipe using lactose-free whole milk?
Rosemary says
Hi Sophie, I have never made it with lactose free, but you could try and see out it goes.
Jackie Mmcmullen says
I used 1.5 cup from can of coconut milk and turned out great.
Deedee says
Hello, I’d love to make this, but my family is never a big fan of really sweet things. Can the sugar be reduced?
Rosemary says
Hi Deedee, no I wouldn’t reduce the sugar it probably won’t work that way. Fudge is extremely sweet.
Bill says
Worked great for me with no candy thermometer I just dropped it in water to see if it stuck togather like a soft ball but a bit to sweet for my tastes.
Ray says
During the covid19 lockdown I said to myself, I’m going to make. I’m an old male. Tomorrow it’ll happen and I will report back on my results. Ray.
Rosemary says
Hi Ray, thanks let me know how it goes.
Shanda says
I followed everything to a T in this recipe and it was undercooked. I think the problem may be the adjustment of temperature due to altitude. I think it was too low based on my altitude. I followed everything exactly, so I think this was the issue. Other recipes have a higher temperature in general.
Cecilia says
Im amased.thid is similar to my mims recipe.im 72 and all family harp on my fudge but i didbt always get it rights
Now thanks to this site. I know where i wss going wrong
Diane Johnson says
I don’t have a candy thermometer, and couldn’t get one because here in New Zealand we are in a Covid-19 lockdown. So I had to do some guesswork and unfortunately my fudge didn’t set firmly. It is soft – too soft to cut. Is there anything I can do to fix it?
Rosemary says
Hi Diane, yes unfortunately I find candy making definitely needs a thermometer. What you can do is make it into a fudge topping. Place it in a pot add a little cream or milk and heat it stirring constantly on low heat. Hope that helps.
Ruth says
According to the Hershey’s recipe that this one is based on, if you don’t have a candy thermometer, you should boil the mixture until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water, forms a soft ball which flattens when removed from water.