My mom’s easy fudge recipe is made with evaporated milk, marshmallows, butter, and chocolate chips making it the best fudge I’ve ever sunk my teeth into.
I have lots of treats I love to make during the holidays. Recipes like my Christmas wreath cookies, chocolate dipped almond cookies, and my homemade Baileys Irish Cream are fun traditions that spread holiday cheer. But my all-time favorite is my mom’s homemade fudge recipe. My mom has made this fudge every single Christmas—and only at Christmas. It’s her go-to to give as neighbor gifts but she always keeps a stash for herself, usually eating it for breakfast with her coffee. Yes, it’s THAT good and yes, she is THAT smart to eat chocolate for breakfast. Hey, you only live once. This old-fashioned fudge recipe is a family legend and originally came from my grandma. But to me, it’s all my mom’s. This fudge is made with evaporated milk, chocolate chips, butter, and nuts. It’s rich, fudgy, and delivers a solid bite your teeth will easily sink into. I first shared this recipe way back in 2011, the first year I started blogging. But when my mom stopped by when I was making the fudge, I quizzed her for all the details of her fudge-making ways, because she IS the master.
What’s in This Fudge Recipe
My mom has some definite rules when it comes to the ingredients that make the best fudge recipe, and they are:
- Marshmallows: Make sure your marshmallows are fresh when making this fudge recipe. My mom’s recipe calls for 12-15 jet-puffed marshmallows, not the extra large, just the regular size. She says the more marshmallows you use, the more the fudge will taste of marshmallows. We both usually use 15.
- Evaporated milk: Use the full-fat evaporated milk. This isn’t the time to worry about calorie skimping.
- Sugar: Not much to say here than what was said above. Just enjoy it.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet is the way to go for the best chocolate flavor. My mom says Ghirardelli is her favorite so that’s what I use too.
- Butter: Your butter should be at room temperature so it will melt quicker when the hot ingredients are added to it and the chocolate chips.
- Vanilla: Use a high-quality vanilla extract, not the cheap stuff. The few dollars make a big difference.
- Nuts: Nuts are optional, but we love the smooth and crunchy of the combo. We always use pecans but you could use walnuts too. Mom says don’t chop the nuts too fine or they’ll disappear in the fudge.
How to Make This Fudge Recipe
Prep your fudge dish. Use a 7×11-inch baking dish and save the butter wrapper to wipe and grease the baking dish. My mom leaves it at that, but I also line the pan with parchment paper so I can easily pull the chilled chocolate fudge out like a brick.
Cook the sugar and evaporated milk. In a non-stick electric fry pan, stir together the sugar and evaporated milk until smooth. Add the marshmallows and set the frying pan to 250°F. Cook, stirring constantly, until the marshmallows have melted and turned a lovely golden brown color.
Stir until the butter melts. Add the hot marshmallow mixture to a large bowl with the chocolate chips, softened butter, and vanilla, and use a strong wooden spoon to stir the mixture until the butter melts. This is why you need to be sure your butter is at room temperature so it melts easily.
Use your muscles for a glossy finish. Add the nuts, then beat the chocolate mixture with the wooden spoon for 2 minutes or as long as you can, scraping down the sides as you go. Work quickly so the fudge doesn’t set.
Add it to the pan, man. Transfer the fudge mixture to the prepared baking dish. My mom suggests shaking the pan so the fudge evenly distributes. I use a cake spatula to make swirls and swoops, like frosting, or you could give it a smoother finish if you’d like.
Fridge it, baby. Refrigerate the fudge for at least 3 hours up to overnight, then slice and serve. Store in the refrigerator where it will keep for at least one week.
And that’s my mom’s famous fudge. It’s one of our favorite family traditions, and I hope it will become one of yours too. If you make this recipe even once, my bet is it will.
What is the Secret to Good Fudge?
In my mom’s traditional homemade fudge recipe, it’s all about using high-quality chocolate, room-temperature butter, and fresh marshmallows (and allowing proper time for your fudge to set).
How to Store Homemade Fudge
This chocolate fudge will last up to a week in the fridge. You’ll want to keep it covered with plastic wrap to prevent fridge smells from soaking into it, or transfer it to an airtight container.
Can I Add Other Mix-Ins?
You probably could, although I’ve only ever made this fudge recipe as written. But I don’t see why you couldn’t add any of the following:
- Mini marshmallows
- Chopped Oreos
- Crushed peppermints or candy canes
- White chocolate chips
- Other types of nuts, such as pistachios, walnuts, or macadamia nuts
- Dried fruit, such as cranberries, blueberries, or tart cherries
- Top with flaky sea salt
Can I Use Sweetened Condensed Milk?
No, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk are two totally different milk products. You must use evaporated milk in this chocolate fudge recipe.
How Long Does Fudge Need to Set?
This homemade fudge recipe needs at least 3 hours in the refrigerator to set. It must be stored in the fridge to set up, otherwise, it’s too soft to slice properly and won’t last as long.
Tips for Making the Best Homemade Fudge
Use the best quality ingredients. This homemade fudge recipe is so simple, so you really need to use the best quality ingredients you can get your hands on. Real vanilla, high-quality chocolate chips, and real butter are all key ingredients here.
Use an electric fry pan. The sugar, evaporated milk, and marshmallows are cooked at 250°F and a non-stick electric fry pan is the easiest way to keep the temperature accurate and consistent. This is the frying pan I use. I’ve never made this fudge on the stovetop so I don’t know how it would turn out if you do.
How to make sure your fudge doesn’t crystallize. Mom says to mix the sugar and the evaporated milk, then add the marshmallows before turning on the heat. Keep your heat at 250°F and stir constantly until the marshmallows melt.
The key to avoiding crystallization is to continue to cook the marshmallow mixture until it turns a light, tawny brown, scraping down the sides of the frying pan as it cooks. Plan on at least 5 minutes or more.
And there you have it! My mom’s recipe will make you proud. If you make it, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and a comment below. Would love to hear if it’s worthy of your family traditions too.
How to Make THE BEST Easy Fudge Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter at room temperature and sliced
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (Mom recs Ghirardelli)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup evaporated milk
- 15 regular sized marshmallows (make sure they’re fresh)
- ¾ cup pecans roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the room-temperature butter, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Save the butter wrapper to butter a 7×11-inch baking dish then snugly fit with a piece of parchment paper, allowing enough parchment to fall over the long sides of the pan, like a sling, and set aside.
- In a non-stick electric frying pan, stir together the sugar and the evaporated milk until smooth. Add the marshmallows and set the frying pan to 250°F.
- Cook and stir constantly with a rubber spatula, cleaning the sides of the pan as the marshmallows begin to melt. Once the marshmallows have melted, continue to cook and stir until the sugar has melted and the mixture turns a tawny tan, about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and pour the hot mixture over the butter and chocolate chips in the bowl. Working quickly, use a wooden spoon to stir the butter and chocolate until they melt and combine. Add the nuts, then vigorously stir the mixture until glossy, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer the chocolate mixture to the baking dish and smooth the top with an angled offset spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
- To serve, let the fudge sit for 1-2 minutes after removing it from the fridge, and use the parchment paper to lift the fudge from the pan to a cutting board. Cut, and serve.
