Old Fashioned Fudge Recipe

Name: Old Fashioned Fudge
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 4 cup sugar; 1/2 cup butter (cut into pieces); 1 1/2 cup evaporated milk; 1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate (chopped); 1/2 pound milk chocolate (chopped); 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips ((one bag)); 2 cups marshmallow creme; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup pecans (chopped & toasted)

Published: Sep 15, 2023 Last Updated: Sep 15, 2023 by Marye 1901 words. | About 10 minutes to read this article.

Rich, creamy old fashioned fudge recipe without condensed milk that's easy to make with or without pecans. This stuff is the perfect texture, it literally melts in your mouth. If you grew up in the 1960s this is probably the no fail fantasy fudge you remember.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

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I can't imagine a family holiday without this homemade treat available for snacking, can you?

Overhead view of finished fudge squares stacked on a white plate on a beige napkin. — This no-fail fudge recipe has been around for decades and it's still the best!

Table of Contents

🗝️ Key takeaways
🧾 Ingredients
📖 Variations
🔪 Instructions
🥫 Storage
💭 Things to know
👩‍🍳 FAQs
📚 Related recipes
🫶 Restless Chipotle recommends
📞 The last word
📖 Recipe
✍🏻 A note from Marye...
💬 Comments

🗝️ Key takeaways

This easy fudge recipe with marshmallow fluff is the creamiest fudge ever. No need for condensed milk or any special equipment.
It's perfect for holiday gift giving, Valentine's Day, and anytime you want something sweet.
Grainy fudge is caused by sugar crystals not being dissolved properly. Be patient and make sure all the sugar is dissolved.

Mom's easy chocolate fudge recipe has never let me down and it won't let you down either! It's a tried and true, no-fail fudge recipe.

It makes great holiday gifts, hostess gifts, or is just a nice way to end dinner with a cup of coffee.

🧾 Ingredients

What ingredients are in fudge?

Well, this fudge recipe without condensed milk is made with just a few simple things -

Labeled Ingredients for this recipe. — Be sure to use a mixture of different kinds of chocolate for the best fudge!

📖 Variations

Add leftover fudge to hot milk and stir until melted. It makes fantastic hot chocolate.
Substitute vanilla extract with peppermint extract.
Use walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts instead of pecans.
Add espresso powder for mocha fudge.
Stir in mini m&ms.

🔪 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

Step by step images showing how to make old fashioned fudge.

In a large pot, combine sugar, butter and milk.
Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring, until it comes to a full rolling boil. Boil the mixture, stirring constantly and making sure that it doesn't scorch, for 5 minutes exactly.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and quickly stir in the chocolate marshmallow cream, vanilla extract, pecans, and the salt.
Stir the mixture until it is combined thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a greased 13 x 9 pan that's been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with no-stick spray.

Warm fudge in a parchment lined 13 x9 inch pan ready to be chilled. — Homemade chocolate fudge is the best part of the holiday season... ok... ONE of the best parts!

🥫 Storage

Store homemade fudge in an airtight container, lined with wax paper or parchment paper, separating the layers with more wax paper. You can also cover the 13x9-inch pan with plastic wrap if you don't need to be fancy.

Keep in a cool place. It will be fine for several weeks at room temperature if the kids don't find it.

Freeze

Freeze for up to 3 months in an air-tight container.. It lasts longer if you freeze it in an old spinach box. 😉

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: Pre-measure your ingredients because once everything gets going you won't have time to measure!

Be sure to use a mixture of different kinds of chocolate for the best fudge!
Evaporated milk is essential to the creaminess of this easy, homemade candy.
Evaporated milk and condensed milk are NOT the same thing. Be sure to use evaporated milk.
There's no need to use a candy thermometer with this easy no-fail fudge but a timer is super helpful! It won't ever get a grainy texture.
Mom's recipe used chopped chocolate but I use chocolate chips - it's just easier. You can use the chunk chocolate if you want - just chop it small.
Line the pan with parchment or waxed paper. You'll be able to easily get the candy out and cut it into neater squares.
A rubber spatula works great because it scrapes the bottom of the pan easily and keeps the mixture from scorching.
Use a heavy saucepan with tall sides for best results.
This is delicious with a sprinkle of fleur de del salt on top of the fudge.

Overhead view of a slab of uncut fudge with a sharp knife on top. — This makes the creamiest chocolate fudge known to man - I would not lie about something that important.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

Why did my fudge fail?

Usually it's because it's because the sugar isn't fully dissolved and the fudge ends up being grainy. Be patient and give the sugar time to dissolve and you'll have creamy fudge.

How do you rescue failed fudge?

Sometimes you can slowly bring it back to 212F and then remove from the heat and beat it again.

When making fudge do you use salted or unsalted butter?

It's up to you. If you use salted butter then leave out the salt called for in the recipe.

How long does fudge last?

2 to 3 weeks in an airtight container if you keep it in a cool place.

These boozy white chocolate cherries are delicious, too! Make up a box of homemade candy with a few other easy candy recipes like the peanut butter pretzel bites.

A piece of fudge with a bite taken out of it on the table. A plate of fudge is in the background. — This family recipe has never let me down! It's delicious!

🫶 Restless Chipotle recommends

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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.

granulated sugar
milk chocolate chips
bittersweet chocolate chips
semi-sweet chocolate chips
milk
pecans
butter
vanilla extract
marshmallow fluff (marshmallow cream, marshmallow creme)
heavy stockpot
rubber spatula
parchment

📞 The last word

I am sure that this easy, old-fashioned chocolate fudge recipe will become a family favorite in your house if it isn't already.

Remember that it will only be as good as the chocolate you put into it so use the best you can afford.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please give it a 5-star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

First published December 12, 2011. Last updated September 15, 2023 for editorial updates.

✍🏻 A note from Marye...

I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.

Mom's famous fudge recipe (without condensed milk)

Fudge, like many other homemade treats, was something that was only made at Christmas in my house.

My mom was a practical cook except at Christmas and then she went all out with ambrosial fruitcakes, the most perfect fudge ever invented, buttery cookies that were worth arm wrestling over, and magical things I cannot replicate to this day.

The month of December was a flurry of epicurean activity which stopped abruptly on January 2.

At that point we went back to broiled chicken and wedge salad.

To say that I enjoyed the month of December would be an understatement of such gigantic proportions that it would be equal to saying that I simply dislike Monsanto, or somewhat disagree with various politicians.

I lived for Christmastime.

By the time my elementary school teachers began sending home math worksheets with reindeer and Santa hats on them I was a quivering mass of anticipation fueled by those enticing aromas that wafted out of my mother's kitchen.

Fudge was the star of the show, the item that created a release of saliva that nearly dripped from your chin and pooled at your feet.

My mother's fudge was legendary in the neighborhood. It had the best texture, the creamiest mouthfeel, the butteriest melt-in-your-mouth flavor...

My father and I encouraged her to take naps, go to movies, and visit friends so that we could carefully shave off the sides of that creamy chocolaty confection without being detected.

Being caught was certain death or at least a well-placed whack with the wooden spoon.

Dad and I were terrified of the Kitchen Nazi that my mother channeled in December - but not terrified enough to stay away from the creamy fudge.

It was that good.

And the experience later served me well when we did recon and other war games in boot camp.

The flavor secret was in the mixture of chocolate used.

One type of chocolate will give a one-dimensional flavor but three or four will create waves of chocolaty pleasure that the Aztecs could not even imagine.

You can bet I remind my kids every holiday season that they are lucky that they have the privilege of gorging on their grandma's recipe for old-fashioned fudge without dodging the Kitchen Nazi.

More Homemade Candy for Holidays and Every Day

About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them. She's been around the culinary block more than once, turning simple ingredients into mouthwatering masterpieces. With a sprinkle of humor and a dash of wit, she makes cooking feel like a piece of cake (which she can also teach you to bake perfectly). When she's not conjuring up delicious dishes, you might find her sharing laughs with her family, reading by the fire, or scribbling down her next big recipe idea. Marye believes that a good meal and a hearty laugh are the best parts of life. Marye's a NY Times Bestselling author with 10 cookbooks under her belt and her recipes have been featured in Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Today, House Beautiful, Texas Living, Food & Wine, and many more.