Name: Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: Softened butter (for greasing the pan); 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips; 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; ½ cup toasted chopped nuts ((optional))

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Easy Chocolate Fudge

Other than eating a piece of straight-up chocolate, fudge is pretty much chocolate in its purest state. The word fudge makes me think of all things sweet and old-timey. I feel like pretty much the only time I see fudge these days (and kind of going back a ways) is when I am on vacation, often somewhere near the water, usually an ocean, somewhere where saltwater taffy is sold. You also see it in landlocked tourist towns, too…though boardwalks come to mind most immediately.

Small squares are the way to go, perfect for nibbling and getting your chocolate fix. I’m not saying you can’t have more than 1 piece, but I am saying that this fudge is rich.

This fudge recipe is easy and it’s fast and when you are craving fudge, or making it for a cookies swap, it’s pretty close to immediate gratification. It doesn’t even take all that long to set, two hours max, and it’s super creamy.

Chocolate Fudge with Condensed Milk

This fudge recipe is straight up simple: it’s basically an adaptation of the recipe you would find on the back of a can of condensed milk. The condensed milk is one of the secrets to making smooth, creamy fudge without messing around too much with temperatures on candy thermometers, or worrying about things getting grainy.

Ingredients for Classic Fudge Recipe

This recipes calls for basically 3 ingredients if you don’t count the salt and butter for greasing the pan. 4 if you want to add nuts! If you’re a baker you probably have these ingredients in your pantry right now.

Semisweet chocolate chips – this is the chocolate part, and the beautiful thing is that you can use chips – you don’t even have to chop the chocolate! Use your favorite brand of semi-sweet chips
Sweetened condensed milk – this ives the fudge its creamy sweetness. Don’t use evaporated milk, make sure it’s the sweetened condensed mil (the cans can look very similar!)
Vanilla – this amplifies the flavor of the chocolate, which sounds counterintuitive, but there you have it! It balances out any acidic notes in the chocolate. Use pure vanilla if possible, not artificially flavored vanilla extra.
Kosher salt – don’t skip the salt – without it the fudge will taste a bit flat.

How to Cool Chocolate Fudge

Finish cooling it in the fridge if your kitchen is warm, but let it come to at least room temperature before refrigerating it to maintain the smooth, velvety texture. Don’t put it in the freezer, which could cause it to become grainy.

This fudge recipe is straight up simple, smooth and creamy and with basically three ingredients.
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Also check out how to make Chocolate Ganache!

Other Old-Fashioned Dessert Recipes:

Other Chocolate Dessert Recipes:

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Ingredients

▢ Softened butter for greasing the pan
▢ 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
▢ 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
▢ ½ cup toasted chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

Line an 8-inch square pan with foil or wax or parchment paper and grease the inside with softened butter.
Combine the chocolate chips, condensed milk and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and stir the vanilla and the nuts, if using, into the chocolate mixture. Pour it into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Let the fudge sit in a very cool dry place until the fudge has set, or if your room is warm, chill but only after it comes to room temperature, about 1 hour more.
Cut into 1-inch squares and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to a week, or in the fridge if it’s not all that cool in your kitchen. Let come to room temp just before serving. Makes 64 pieces.

Notes

Small squares are the way to go, perfect for nibbling and getting your chocolate fix. I’m not saying you can’t have more than 1 piece, but I am saying that this fudge is rich.

Nutrition Information

The nutrition values are provided as an estimate. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a qualified healthcare professional.

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