Perfect Homemade Fudge
This peanut butter fudge recipe is one of my favorite old-fashioned candy recipes. It’s easy to make, offers the perfect juxtaposition of sweet and salty, and is so, so creamy and soft that, despite its decadence, you’ll find yourself popping piece after piece until you’ve accidentally cleaned out an entire pan that you’d planned on gifting and oh-no, now you have to make more…
Making candy at home can be intimidating, but this recipe is a great one for beginners! Before you begin, make sure to read over my easy tips (detailed below) and grab your candy thermometer, and it’s not a bad idea to watch the video in the recipe card before starting.
First, though, I want to remind you that the biggest “trick” to making just about any candy is really just having lots of patience. Those of you who’ve spent a literal hour steadfastly stirring homemade caramels know this is true, and that you’ll be well rewarded for your efforts.
Don’t crank up the heat to try and speed things along, or you may end up burning your sugar and ruining your fudge! Also, make sure to use a candy thermometer; it’s the most accurate way to know when your candy has reached the exact temperature and consistency we’re looking for. Now, let’s get started!
What You Need
As with most of my candy recipes, you want to have all of your ingredients pre-measured and readily available before you get started (“Mise en place”, as the French say). Here’s what you need:
- Peanut butter. Use creamy, “regular” peanut butter. I don’t recommend using the “natural” kind that separates.
- Evaporated Milk. This is NOT the same thing as condensed milk! Pardon my caps and exclamation points, but this is a common mistake as the two look very similar and are often sold right beside each other, so make sure you grab evaporated milk and shake it really well before adding it.
- Sugar. We’ll be using regular granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter since we’re adding salt ourselves. Make sure to let your butter soften to room temperature and cut it into tablespoon-sized pieces before getting started.
- Vanilla. I love the combination of vanilla and peanut butter here. Homemade vanilla extract is a great option in this recipe!
- A good candy thermometer. I recommend a digital one (much easier to read than the alternative). I’ve linked to the one I use and love in the “equipment” section of the recipe below.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Peanut Butter Fudge
Before you begin: Prepare your work station – Measure out all ingredients and grease or line your pan with parchment.
- Bring to a boil – Stir together the milk and sugar over medium heat until the mixture boils. Use a wet pastry brush to brush away any sugar crystals during this time only.
- Stir continuously – Once boiling, attach your candy thermometer and begin stirring continuously until the mixture reaches 234-236F.
- Remove from heat – Once the fudge reaches proper temperature, remove it from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients until smooth.
- Let it set – Pour the fudge into your prepared pan and let it set completely before slicing.
