Chocolate Fudge Recipe (3 Ingredients) (2024)

By Dassana Amit
Last Updated: May 27, 2023

Vegetarian
4.76 from 25 votes105 Comments

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Creamy, delish, and bursting with chocolatey goodness, this super easy 3-ingredient Chocolate Fudge recipe is any chocoholic’s dream. Satisfy your sweet cravings with just 15 minutes of effort!

Chocolate Fudge Recipe (3 Ingredients) (2)

About Chocolate Fudge Recipe

This ridiculously easy recipe is not the traditional old-fashioned way of making chocolate fudge, which is why I love it so much.

Unlike the traditional method, you don’t need to spend hours cooking and reducing the fudge mixture.All you need is 3 ingredients and 15 minutes of time to make this delicious homemade candy!

It’s such a time saver during the holidays when all you want to do is cook less and spend more time with your family and loved ones.

Since this fudge recipe is so simple, it’s perfect for making a big batch to gift to your friends, neighbors, mailman, or anyone else you want to show appreciation to!

Ingredients & Substitutions

  1. Baking Chocolate: The chocolate bars used for baking are also known as cooking chocolate. For a really smooth texture I recommend using what is known as couverture chocolate, which has a higher proportion of cocoa butter in the mix. Based on your taste preferences, you can opt for either white chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or dark chocolate.
  2. Sweetened Condensed Milk – You could use any of your favorite brands, but make sure it is sweetened.Feel free to swap in a vegan brand if needed. You can also use evaporated milk, but you’ll need to add icing sugar (a.k.a. confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar) to sweeten it.
  3. Butter – Both salted and unsalted butter work in the recipe. If you opt for unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt.Ghee is also acceptable if you want a richer flavor. You can also use vegan butter if needed.
  4. Nuts: Adding nuts is totally optional, but is a nice way to add some texture. You can use your favorite chopped, toasted nuts or dried berries, or skip the nuts altogether.

Step-by-Step Guide

How To Make Chocolate Fudge

If you’ve ever made fudge the old-fashioned way, you’re in for a treat. This method is SO MUCH EASIER! Here’s how it’s done:

Prep & Temper Chocolate

1. First, line a 6 x 6-inch square pan with aluminium foil or parchment paper. Keep some extra paper or foil hanging on the sides of the pan so that you can easily lift it when the fudge is set and done.

Chop chocolate and set aside. You could also just keep the chocolate block in a ziplock bag and break it with a pestle.

Chocolate Fudge Recipe (3 Ingredients) (3)

2.Take 1 cup chopped couverture chocolate, 200 grams sweetened condensed milk (half a can of condensed milk), and 1 tablespoon butter in a bowl or a shallow frying pan.

If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt. Set the bowl or pan aside.

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3. Heat about 1 to 1.5 cups water in a sauce pan or pot on a medium to high heat till the water becomes hot and begins to boil.

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4. Lower the heat and place the bowl or shallow frying pan, containing the chopped chocolate, condensed milk, and butter on the saucepan, making sure that the bottom does not touch the boiling water.

You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts, but I prefer using this double boiler method rather than melting chocolate in the microwave because it’s easier to keep from scorching.

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5. As soon as you place the pan on the double boiler, the chocolate will begin to melt.

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6. Stir often while the chocolateis melting.

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7. In the photo below you can see that more of the chocolate has melted.

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8.Stir the fudge mixture non-stop while the chocolate is melting.

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9.When all the chocolate is melted, turn off the heat.

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10.Quickly add chopped walnuts and vanilla extract or vanilla powder, if using.

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11.Mix very well.

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SetChocolate Fudge

12.Using a spatula, pour the entire fudge mixture in the pan lined with the aluminium foil.

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13.Let the fudge first cool at room temperature. Do not cover the pan while it is hot, or you’ll have condensation raining down on it.

When the chocolate fudge has cooled entirely to room temperature, cover the pan and refrigerate it for 3 to 4 hours or overnight, till it sets completely.

I kept the fudge overnight in the fridge.

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14. When set, remove the fudge along with the foil and place it on a chopping board.

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15. Slice the chocolate fudgeinto squares or rectangles. The yield is 350 grams of chocolate fudge from this recipe and makes for about 10 to 12 squares of fudge pieces.

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16. Serve these chocolate fudge squares or wrap them in foil or parchment paper and keep covered in a jar or box in the fridge. These stay good for a month in the fridge.

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Expert Tips

  • Lining your pan or tray: While making any fudge, it is very important to line your pan or tray with a parchment paper or a foil. Keep some extra paper or foil on the sides of the pan so that you can easily lift it when the fudge is set.
  • Tempering chocolate: Chocolate needs to be tempered correctly for a smooth and glossy texture.Tempering means to melt chocolate and then cool it to achieve a stable crystalline structure, that results in a smooth, velvety, glossy and even texture. The best method to melt chocolate is with the double boiler as shown in this recipe. It gives you perfect results every time.
  • Roasting Nuts: Lightly roasting the nuts will give them much richer flavor. Feel free to use pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, cashews, or pine nuts.
  • Refrigeration: Make sure to refrigerate the fudge for it to set completely and give you neat squares or cubes.Refrigeration makes the fudge more firm.
  • Scaling: You can easily halve or double this recipe as needed.

FAQs

What happens if you don’t beat the fudge?

In this recipe, nothing! Unlike traditional candy-making methods, all you need to do is temper the chocolate with the butter and sweetened condensed milk, no beating required.

What is the best way to cut fudge into perfect squares?

I suggest running your knife under hot water, then drying it thoroughly. The heat will help you cut through the fudge, leaving perfect edges.

What is the best chocolate to use for making fudge?

So long as you are using a high-quality couverture chocolate, feel free to experiment with different flavors. I’m a fan of milk chocolate in this recipe, but it will also work with white, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate if you prefer!

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Chocolate Fudge Recipe (3 Ingredients) (23)

Chocolate Fudge Recipe (3 Ingredients)

By Dassana Amit

This chocolate fudge is a quick, no-bake recipe made with just 3 ingredients – chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and butter.

4.76 from 25 votes

Print Pin Save

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Cuisine American, World

Course Desserts

Diet Vegetarian

Difficulty Level Easy

Servings 10 pieces

Units

Ingredients

  • 1 cup couverture milk chocolate – chopped, or 150 grams. can add sweet chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate instead
  • 200 grams sweetened condensed milk or half a can of 14 oz or 400 grams sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tablespoon Butter – salted or unsalted
  • ¼ cup walnuts – chopped, optional
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract – or vanilla powder, optional

Instructions

Preparation

  • First line an aluminium foil or parchment paper in a 6 x 6 inch square pan. The foil or parchment paper has to cover all the sides and keep some extra on the top.

  • Chop the chocolate. Alternatively you could keep the chocolate bar in a ziplock bag and with a pestle, break the chocolate.

Tempering chocolate

  • Take the chopped chocolate in a bowl or a small frying pan. Add the condensed milk and butter. You can use either salted or unsalted butter. Set the bowl or frying pan aside.

  • In a sauce pan or pot heat 1 to 1.5 cups water till it becomes hot and begins to boil.

  • Lower the heat and place the small frying pan or bowl containing the chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and butter on the pan.

  • Stir and allow the chocolate to melt. Continuously stir the fudge mixture while melting the chocolate.

  • Once all the chocolate is melted, turn off the heat.

  • Quickly add chopped walnuts and vanilla extract or vanilla powder. Mix very well.

Setting chocolate fudge

  • Then pour the entire chocolate fudge mixture in the pan lined with the aluminium foil or parchment paper.

  • Let the fudge cool at room temperature. Do not cover the pan.

  • Once the fudge has cooled at room temperature, cover the pan and refrigerate the fudge for 3 to 4 hours or overnight till it sets completely.

  • Later remove the chocolate fudge along with the foil and place it on a chopping board. Remove the foil from the bottom and sides.

  • Slice the chocolate fudge into squares or rectangles.

  • Serve these chocolate fudge or wrap them in foil or butter paper and keep covered in a jar or box in the fridge.

Video

Notes

  • Lining your pan or tray: Always line your pan or tray with a foil or parchment paper when making any fudge. Do keep some extra paper or foil on the sides of the pan so that you can easily lift it when the fudge is set.
  • Tempering chocolate: Chocolate needs to be tempered correctly for a smooth, even and glossy texture. The best method to temper the chocolate is with the double boiler as shown in this recipe. You could even microwave the chocolate for a few minutes till it melts.
  • Roasting Nuts: If you prefer you can lightly toast the nuts. For the nuts you could use pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pecans and pine nuts.
  • Refrigeration:You do need to refrigerate the fudge for it to set completely and give you neat squares or cubes.
  • Scaling:You could easily halve or double this recipe.
  • Substitutions:
    • Replace ghee (clarified butter) with butter.
    • Use couverture semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate or chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate.
    • In place of sweetened condensed milk use evaporated milk but add some icing sugar according to your taste.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts

Chocolate Fudge Recipe (3 Ingredients)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 160Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 10mg3%

Sodium 29mg1%

Potassium 197mg6%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 88IU2%

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%

Vitamin B6 1mg50%

Vitamin B12 1µg17%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Vitamin D 1µg7%

Vitamin E 1mg7%

Vitamin K 1µg1%

Calcium 73mg7%

Vitamin B9 (Folate) 9µg2%

Iron 2mg11%

Magnesium 53mg13%

Phosphorus 114mg11%

Zinc 2mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Chocolate Fudge recipe from the archives, first published in Feb 2015 has been updated and republished on May 2023.

Chocolate Fudge Recipe (3 Ingredients) (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients for three ingredient fudge? ›

Ingredients
  • Chocolate chips – Semi-sweet works best. You can use dark or milk chocolate instead. If you want to use white chocolate, use an extra cup of chips.
  • Sweetened condensed milk – One 14oz can.
  • Vanilla – Extract, paste, or vanilla bean.
Nov 17, 2020

What is the secret to good fudge? ›

Tips for Making Fudge
  • Monitor the Temperature with a Candy Thermometer. If you end up with soft fudge that turns into a puddle in your hands or hard fudge that is a bit reminiscent of a crunchy candy, improper temperature is likely to blame. ...
  • Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer. ...
  • Beat Thoroughly.
Mar 8, 2023

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's the main ingredients in fudge? ›

This delicious fudge recipe is easy to make in the microwave with just 3 ingredients: chocolate chips, condensed milk, and butter. Add nuts, mini marshmallows, or candy before chilling to make this treat even more decadent, or try peanut butter chips instead of semisweet chocolate chips to make peanut butter fudge.

What makes fudge hard or soft? ›

If there is too much evaporation, when the cooking time is too long, there will not be enough water left in the fudge and it will be too hard. Conversely, if the cooking time is too brief and there is not enough evaporation, too much water will remain and the fudge will be too soft.

Do you stir fudge while it is boiling? ›

Stir the ingredients to dissolve the sugar until the mixture comes to a boil. If your recipe uses milk, stirring will keep the mixture from curdling. But once it reaches about 236–238 degrees F/113–114 degrees C (the "soft-ball" stage), do not stir it or even shake the pan.

What makes high quality fudge? ›

You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).

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.

Why do you add vanilla to fudge? ›

Vanilla is often added to chocolate candies or other chocolate recipes because it complements and accents the flavor of chocolate.

What happens if you forget the vanilla in fudge? ›

Vanilla is not an essential ingredient in fudge. The essential ingredients are sugar (or an equally calorie-rich sugar substitute like corn syrup), milk and butter. Everything else you might find in a fudge recipe is just added to modify the basic flavor, texture and/or color.

How do you firm up homemade fudge? ›

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.

What's the difference between fudge and chocolate fudge? ›

Although fudge often contains chocolate, fudge is not the same as chocolate. Chocolate is a mix of cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sometimes sugar and other flavorings and is hard and brittle. Fudge is a mixture of sugar, dairy and flavorings that is cooked and cooled to form a smooth, semi-soft confection.

What is Irish fudge made of? ›

In a medium sized saucepan, combine 4 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, 1 can of evaporated milk, and 1/2 pound of butter. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat first and then cook slowly, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes. Pour the milk mixture into the very large bowl holding the chocolate chip mixture.

Why won't my condensed milk fudge set? ›

It sounds like your fudge simply wasn't heated enough. Fudge is basically a superconcentrated syrup, and it sets when sugar dissolved in the water (from the butter and milk) comes out of solution as the mixture cools and forms crystals.

How to make soft fudge set? ›

How can you fix soft fudge? Put it in a microwave safe bowl that is large enough that it won't boil over. Reheat it to the boiling point and cook for about 3 more minutes. Then you can beat some powdered sugar into it if this doesn't make it set.

What makes fudge dry and crumbly? ›

Candy that isn't cooked long enough will end up too soft; overcooking makes fudge crumbly or hard. High-quality fudge has many small crystals. If the process of crystallization begins too early, fewer crystals form and they become much larger.

What makes fudge thick? ›

Tiny microcrystals in fudge are what give it its firm texture. The crystals are small enough, however, that they don't feel grainy on your tongue, but smooth. While you ultimately want crystals to form, it's important that they don't form too early.

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