Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
54 comments » 
Last February, on the only day that we got more then a mere dusting of snow in Pittsburgh, we celebrated my grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary. As in, 6-0. Sixty. Not 50, which is a feat in and of itself. SIXTY.
We made a day of it, starting with a big family lunch at a restaurant, then an early evening Mass with a special blessing, and finally back to my grandparents’ house for more food, cake, sweets and reminiscing. In between looking through old photo albums, I wandered over to the desserts table and filled my plate a little bit of everything. The one thing that stood out, though, was the fudge. Rich, creamy, chocolatey, and spiked with peanut butter. It was the stuff of dreams. When I asked my grandma about it, she said that it was her neighbor’s recipe, but that she had already left and that she would get me the recipe. It may have taken eight months, but the recipe finally made its way to me, and I wasted no time making my own batch. I swear, your life won’t be complete until you have this fudge!
With the holidays coming up, this would certainly be something fabulous to add to your baking list. It would make any Christmas cookie tray sparkle! Putting the pieces of fudge in individual mini papers or candy wrappers is always a nice presentation if you’ll be packaging it up to take somewhere. Just be prepared for the clamoring that will ensue, and be prepared to act as a mediator when it comes to doling out the last piece!
I’m not sure if spectacular homemade fudge is the key to staying married for sixty years, but it would certainly be worth a try, right?!
One year ago: Chubby Hubby Truffles
Two years ago: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Three years ago: Empire Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
Yield: 64 pieces
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
A recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge from my grandma.
Ingredients:
2½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 cup evaporated milk (from a can)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
½ cup unsalted butter, divided
½ cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extractDirections:
1. Butter an 8-inch square pan and line with parchment paper, using enough so that there is some overhang on the edges.
2. Combine the sugar, cocoa powder, evaporated milk and corn syrup in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and stir until the butter melts. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then cover and boil for 3 minutes.
4. Remove the lid and continue to cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 234 degrees F on a candy thermometer (soft ball stage). Remove from the heat and, without stirring, add the remaining butter, peanut butter and vanilla. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
5. Using a wooden spoon, beat the fudge vigorously until it thickens and begins to lose its gloss (can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes). You can also transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) and beat it on medium speed, being careful to only mix until it thickens and loses its gloss. Do not overmix.
6. Immediately pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Allow the fudge to come to room temperature, then cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill it until set. Lift the fudge out of the pan and cut into 1-inch squares. The fudge can be stored in an airtight container at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator.
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This looks Dangerously Delicious! I totally want to make it!
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Omg looks amazing! Can I make it without the corn syrup? And can I substitute sweetened condensed milk for the evaporated milk and sugar? Thanks
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Michelle on November 29th, 2012 at 10:13 pm
Hi Mariam, I don’t generally recommend substitutions, as the way the recipe is written is the way that I found works for me. I haven’t made the substitutions you mentioned so I can’t guarantee the results you’d have. If you do substitute and have success, please stop back and share your feedback!
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Mariam on November 30th, 2012 at 12:43 am
oh okay, well we don’t really have corn syrup in Australia so do you think glucose would work well?
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Susan on November 30th, 2012 at 8:51 am
Michelle, this link to something David Lebovitz wrote might clear up any questions you have. http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/01/whhttp://y-and-when-to-use-or-not-use-c/
Regars Susan
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Susan on November 30th, 2012 at 8:52 am
Apologies, I meant Mariam!!
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Erin from Long Island on December 3rd, 2012 at 3:04 am
try this link:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/01/why-and-when-to-use-or-not-use-c/
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sounds do-able, can’t wait to try this! so lucky that i have all the ingredients in my kitchen because i want to make it right now haha, thanks for sharing!
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Great looking fudge, Michelle! I have a choc + PB fudge recipe and every year about this time, I dig it out. I need to try yours – it looks wonderful!
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This fudge looks incredible! And you’re right – it would be perfect for a dessert table. Pinning
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It looks so perfectly smooth and delicious!
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This looks so fabulous. Grandma recipes are the best!
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OMG! That is the recipe that my mother used. I haven’t made it in years. I think I have to make some … right now. Thanks for the reminder.
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Should the pb be the commercial variety or will natural [on peanuts as the ingredient] work in this recipe. Thank you!
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Michelle on November 29th, 2012 at 10:14 pm
Hi Teresa, It should be “commercial” and not natural, as the natural has too much oil in it.
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I bet this is INcredible!!!
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My husband loves fudge so much and this is pretty much his favorite flavor combo! It just might be the key to a long marriage for us
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I am about to make a batch of this. I love fudge! Thanks for the recipe.
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My family always argues about which fudge is better – chocolate or PB. This might be a perfect compromise =)
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OMG! I love the recipe, but oh it is so dangerous around me! I could probably eat the whole pan, as long as I had some milk!
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Fabulous looking fudge! Grandma’s recipes are always special. Thanks for sharing!
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It doesn’t get much better than a classic recipe like this one!
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60 years to a long and happy marriage through fudge! I am in!
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sOPUNDS AND LOOKS GOOD DEFINITELY WILL TRY. ALREADY PASSED ON TO RELATIVES . mY mOM MADE THIS TOO, BUT WITH WHITE MILK TKAES TOO LONG TO COOK AND CAN BURN , WHY IS IT THAT U DON’T STIR WHEN COOKING ?
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Michelle on November 29th, 2012 at 10:16 pm
You don’t stir when cooking because it can cause the sugar to seize and produce large crystals. If you do this, the fudge will have a gritty texture, vs smooth.
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I’m almost positive that I could finish one entire recipe in one sitting. Beyond delicious!
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I love fudge!! This sounds easy enough
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You can never go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate. Plus fudge is one of my favorite holiday treats!
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I know you love chocolate and peanut butter together, which is why I love this blog. This sounds sooo delicious and simple to make!
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Looks absolutely perfect. Like a tower of YUM!
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Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I get a little tired of the fudge recipes with marshmallow cream in them. This is perfect – especially since there’s no better combination of flavors in the whole world than peanut butter and chocolate!
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Sounds so good. When I get home will try and see if I can make it.
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Where can I find clear/light corn syrup? I’ve only ever seen one type here in Canada and it is dark not clear. I would LOVE to try this recipe!
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Michelle on December 2nd, 2012 at 10:55 am
Hi Jodi, If you can’t find it in stores, I’m sure you could order it online. Since it’s only a tablespoon you could probably sub dark corn syrup and not have it adversely affect the recipe.
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Jodi on December 2nd, 2012 at 5:55 pm
Thanks Michelle, I’ll give it a try with the dark then first. I appreciate you getting back to me
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Ay idea for how long i could store these? They look like a super xmas present!
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Michelle on December 2nd, 2012 at 10:55 am
Hi Emma, You could store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator for probably about 2 weeks or so.
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What kind of cocoa powder do you recommend? Dutch processed or the more common (in US anyway) kind. Thanks
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Michelle on December 2nd, 2012 at 10:57 am
Hi Rick, For this recipe, I recommend the regular unsweetened natural cocoa powder (like Hershey’s), vs Dutch-process.
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This looks so yummy and the technique reminds me of my grandma’s classic fudge recipe! As with her recipe, I worry that I don’t know when to stop mixing! Is it fairly obvious to you when the mixture “looses it’s gloss”?? This is always the part that is the most challenging for me! Thanks!
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Michelle on December 2nd, 2012 at 10:58 am
Hi Mercedes, Unfortunately I don’t have a hard and fast answer, as it takes just a little bit of practice to get the feel for the consistency. It’s definitely possible to under beat or over beat, and I’ve done both in the past. Once you do it a few times, you get a feel for it.
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There’s nothing like chocolate and peanut butter together in fudge! It reminds me of this little gift shop in my hometown that has loads and loads of fudge. Always tempting!
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Would someone please tell me what I did wrong, as I would like to make this fudge again. I attempted to make this for my husband on Saturday. It totally flopped. It never became solid enough to cut. I use the candy thermometer, boiled it until the needle reached 234, stirred it until it wasn’t glossy, let it cool to room temp and then slid in the fridge. I’ve had to dispose of the entire pan. I have a recipe for fudge that I use every Christmas season; its the one using the marshmallow cream, it comes out perfect each time. Help!
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Lorinda M - The Rowdy Baker on December 18th, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Rethea, could your candy thermometer be off? I let it go to 240 and it turned out perfectly. (It wasn’t intentional – I got distracted!) I replace my glass candy thermometers ever couple of years, just in case.
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This fudge turned out awesome! I love all your recipes I have tried! I will say that with my mixer I only had to beat it about 3 minutes til it lost it’s gloss so keep an eye on it if you use one
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I tried your recipe and it was deeeeeelicious. I’m making a double batch tomorrow!
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How long does it take to harden..making for my sons party
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Michelle on December 20th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
Hi Lauren, Probably about 2 to 4 hours (I always leave mine and do other things, so I never check to see when it first solidifies).
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This is very similar to the fudge recipe we used to use with my grandma, except for the peanut butter. I did make this today and it turned out perfect! Very yummy. Since I have lost my grandmother’s recipe, I was wondering about using yours without the peanut butter. Would I need to add more butter to make up for the missing peanut butter? Thanks!
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Michelle on December 23rd, 2012 at 11:28 am
Hi Beth, I have not tried this without the peanut butter, but you won’t probably need at least a little more butter to account for the peanut butter not being in there. If you try it, I’d love to know how it goes!
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Hey, two questions:
in step 3, when it talks about boiling, what kind of boil are we talking about? A heavy boil vs. simmer? Did you find you had to turn it down to maintain that after you covered it? Or was that just to preserve the moisture?
Also, in step 4, how do you add butter and peanut butter without mixing? They’d just be a glop in the mix! Should I nuke these ingredients to melt them first? Sorry if this is obvious – I’m a complete baking n00b hoping to make something nice for my (rather culinary-inclined) girlfriend this SLiDeR Day (Singles/Long-Distance-Relationship Appreciation). Thanks so much for your help!
P.S. Slider Day is for everyone whose (possibly imaginary) significant other isn’t around so they can eat as many sliders as they want on Feb. 14. Pass it on, we’ll make it a movement.
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Michelle on February 12th, 2013 at 8:21 pm
Hi Sam, You want an actual boil, not a simmer. You just put the butter and peanut butter in there and don’t stir. Yes, they look like a glob, but they will start to melt as it sits, and then when you stir at the end they will get incorporated.
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Thanks for this peanut butter fudge recipe. I think this is a “lost recipe” that I have been looking for. When I was a child there was a 14 minute peanut butter fudge that we used to make. This looks very much like it. Can’t wait to try it to see. Thanks so much.
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That is a really good tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere.
Short but very accurate information… Thanks for sharing this one.
A must read article!
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