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Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge

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Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge, this is the best, creamiest chocolate fudge, made the old fashioned way.  The perfect holiday candy.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge, creamy and slightly crumbly this melt in your mouth homemade fudge is the best. Old 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!  It figures my biggest memory was food.

This fudge melted in your mouth and was just a little bit crumbly.

2 photos of making chocolate fudge, the mixture before boiled and when boiling

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 thing 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, creamy and slightly crumbly this melt in your mouth homemade fudge is the best.

Another childhood memory I have was a Saturday evening with my sisters and one of my sister’s decided to make fudge. 

Can you imagine how thrilled I was thinking I was finally going to taste that incredible melt in your mouth creamy crumbly fudge once again!

Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge

pieces of chocolate fudge, one leaning against another

Alas it didn’t happen, we or should I say they were too hungry to wait and devoured it even before the stirring was finished!

More Chocolate Candy Recipes you may enjoy!

Homemade Creamy Nutella Liqueur

Homemade Chocolate Mint Filled Chocolates

Chocolate Torrone

Easy Homemade Filled Chocolates

Creamy Old Fashioned Caramel Candies

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!

4 pieces of chocolate 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.  

A couple of important tips to make this the best Fudge.

  1.  Line your pan with parchment paper.
  2.  Use a wooden spoon and not a whisk or metal spoon.  Apparently it is easier on the fudge.
  3.  Once the fudge boils, stop stirring and continue to cook on low heat so you don’t burn the    fudge.
  4.  Make sure your candy thermometer isn’t touching the bottom of the pot.
  5.  Stir only until the mixture starts to lose it’s gloss.
  6.  Be patient when making this fudge and enjoy every bite!

a piece of chocolate fudge up close

4.39 from 21 votes
Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge, creamy and slightly crumbly this melt in your mouth homemade fudge is the best.
Print
Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge, creamy and slightly crumbly this melt in your mouth homemade fudge is the best. 
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 20 pieces
Calories: 154 kcal
Author: Rosemary
Ingredients
  • 3 cups 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
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Line an 8 inch square pan with buttered parchment paper.

  2. 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).

  3. Cook over medium heat stirring continuously until mixture starts to boil (a strong boil).

  4. Turn heat to low and continue to cook without stirring until temperature reaches 234 °F.  

  5. Remove pot from heat, add the butter and vanilla.  Do not stir.  Cool to room temperature (110°F), then beat with a wooden spoon just until mixture begins to lose some of it's gloss (approximately 5-7 minutes).

  6. Then spread quickly in prepared cake pan and let cool completely.  Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

  7. 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!

Nutrition Facts
Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge
Amount Per Serving
Calories 154 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 7mg 2%
Sodium 43mg 2%
Potassium 67mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 32g 11%
Sugars 30g
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin A 2%
Calcium 2.5%
Iron 2.3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge, creamy and slightly crumbly this melt in your mouth #homemade #chocolate #fudge is the best.
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Comments

  1. So guys I tried it and I couldn’t get it to set. With that same batch I decided to just throw it back on the heat and repeat the heating and cooling process, figured it couldn’t hurt considering I was just gonna throw it away and it actually set the second time and it taste great so maybe if you batch doesn’t set if all else fails try this. Mine just didn’t get hot enough the first time.

    Reply

  2. I can’t tell if I’m making this right. My first 3 times were disasters (wouldn’t set, wouldn’t set, burnt). The 4th time someone told me to take into account elevation because I live 6,000 sqft above sea level I’m supposed to take 12 degrees off the 234 temperature. Well I wanted to be safe and do 220 so I did that and when I got to the stirring part it set in the pot after like 3 min, I tried to transfer it to the pan but it was too late. It tasted good but crumbled when I tried to transfer to the pan. Should I cook to even lower than 220? Or stir for only 2 min?

    Reply

    • Hi Julia, well since it didn’t burn then I would leave it at 220 maybe 218, but yes I would stir it for less, 2-3 minutes just until it starts to lose it’s gloss. Hope that helps, let me know. 🙂

      Reply

  4. My mother in law taught me to make fudge using this same recipe except using canned evaporated milk. For the first time ever I just tried to make it with whole milk, I will never try whole milk again. It didn’t fudge. I have always been able to spoon and make individual pieces of candy. Guess the mother in law knew something Hershey’s didn’t know.

    Reply

    • You must cook exactly as directed. The whole milk recipe works for me every time but you must use candy thermometer and beat it until it losses its gloss. It’s not easy but so worth it. It tastes so much better than the evaporated milk one. It’s the granulated sugar that makes it grainy and so much better than the smooth fudge when you use condensed milk or marshmallow creme.

      Reply

  5. How can I make the crumbly melt in your mouth peanut butter fudge? Please help! I AM TIRED OF SPENDING $50.00 FOR A POUND OF FUDGE & HAVE TO WIT FOR IT TO SHIP!!

    Reply

    • Hi Melanie, I’m trying a old fashioned homemade peanut butter fudge today, so fingers crossed it works out. 🙂 I know the cost of fudge is crazy.

      Reply

  6. I gave this a try over the weekend because I had a major chocolate craving lol and it was awesome – I followed the instructions exactly as you wrote them and didn’t have any problems.

    Reply

  7. This recipe!!!!!!!
    IT IS SOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!
    I used it at Christmas to make all of my neighbour gifts.
    Then again last week I made a batch up to take to a friend as a treat with coffee..
    Best ever recipe Thank you 😀

    Reply

  11. I want to use my baker’s chocolate as did my mother… alas I can’t find her recipe book…
    Help me. will this recipe allow for use of bakers chocolate…???

    Reply

    • Hi Bill, I would say yes you could use it. I have never used bakers chocolate (not available in Italy) but it just seems to be less sweet than regular. Let me know how it turns out.

      Reply

  12. I so wanted this to work. I followed the instructions very literally. As soon as it got to a strong boil, I turned the heat down, as per the directions. When you’re waiting for the temperature to get to 234 degrees, are you waiting for it to cool down to 234 degrees? Or are you supposed to let it cool a bit and then turn the heat up a bit to get it back up to 234 degrees? I have a very efficient induction stove top, and the temperature cooled rapidly to 234 degrees within a minute or so. In total, the mix was on the stove only for about five minutes. When I turned it down it cooled so fast, that I thought five minutes couldn’t be right, so I slowly turned the heat up again until it got to 234 degrees. Then I followed the directions very carefully. No hope of setting, even though I beat it for about fifteen minutes with a wooden spoon. Can you clarify about the temperature and also give an indication of times? Thanks.

    Reply

  13. This recipe sounds like what I am looking for but I love nuts in my fudge, when would you recommend adding the nuts to this recipe?

    Reply

  17. Whole milk is used in this recipe, often cream is used in fudge -why the ‘healthier’ version?
    Does it matter which is used?
    Thanks look forward to trying this

    Reply

    • Hi Karen, this is the original Hershey Recipe and it is whole milk, please do not substitute or it won’t work. This recipe needs to be followed exactly. I think it is made with milk because it has a longer cooking process. Let me know how it goes. Have a great week.

      Reply

      • Hi Rosemary,
        I just made the old fashioned fudge using coconut milk and palm oil, making it vegan. Guess what, it turned out so well you wouldn’t know it wasn’t made with dairy!
        Thanks for all you do in the kitchen. Love your blog!

        Reply

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