Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
This easy, creamy peanut butter fudge recipe is the BEST! Only 4 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time; perfect for the busy holiday season.
Are you a fudge person? Like, a legit fudge person?
Our family doesn’t have a solid fudge tradition; it will show up on cookie trays occasionally, but I don’t have memories of my mom or grandma standing over pots of fudge and stirring, stirring, stirring until it was just right. So I’ve forged my own fudge path, and about 10 years ago, I – a massive peanut butter fanatic – realized that my repertoire was missing peanut butter fudge. I quickly set about righting that wrong.
I love peanut butter fudge because it is infinitely easier than chocolate fudge and, well, it’s peanut butter fudge. What’s not to love? No candy thermometers or intensive stirring required. All you need is butter, peanut butter, a pinch of salt, vanilla, powdered sugar and about 10 minutes. It is so easy, super forgiving, and makes the BEST fudge!
How to Make Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
This recipe is seriously SIMPLE, and don’t we all need a little something simple on our baking to-do list this season? In a word, YES. Let’s get to it!
First, you’re going to combine butter and peanut butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon as it hits that point, remove from the heat and stir in the salt, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar.
Spread it into an 8-inch square pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it has set up, which only takes about an hour.
That’s it! Can you believe it? Seriously the easiest, most failsafe, DELICIOUS fudge on the planet.
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
Recipe Notes
- You can make this in the microwave! Place the butter and peanut butter in a large microwavable bowl; cover with a paper towel and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir, microwave for 2 more minutes, then proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.
- If you don’t have an 8-inch square pan, you can use a 9-inch square pan, but the fudge will not be as high.
- The fudge can be stored in an airtight container or in a freezer ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
I think the best part about this fudge might be that it tastes just like the inside of buckeyes (another holiday staple!), except the fudge involves less steps and also less time. But no chocolate, so I guess it evens out!
If you need a peanut butter fudge recipe that does not require milk, that can be made in just 10 minutes and with ingredients you likely already have at home, look no further. This fudge takes little effort and will be a huge hit on all of those gorgeous cookie trays you’re going to build in a few weeks!
If You Love Peanut Butter Fudge, Try These Recipes:
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
- Snickerdoodle Fudge
- Peanut Butter-Fudge Cheesecake
- Classic No Bake Cookies
- Peanut Butter Buckeyes Recipe
Five years ago: Old-Fashioned Eggnog
Six years ago: Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows
Watch the Recipe Video:
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (283.75 g) unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups (338 g) creamy peanut butter
- Pinch salt
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 4½ cups (510 g) powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Butter an 8-inch non-stick baking dish (or line with buttered parchment paper) and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the butter and peanut butter until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat.
- Add the salt and vanilla extract, then stir in the powdered sugar until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Pour the fudge mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the fudge and refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve. Fudge can be stored at cool room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Notes
- You can make this in the microwave! Place the butter and peanut butter in a large microwavable bowl; cover with a paper towel and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir, microwave for 2 more minutes, then proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.
- If you don’t have an 8-inch square pan, you can use a 9-inch square pan, but the fudge will not be as high.
- The fudge can be stored in an airtight container or in a freezer ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
(Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking)
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in December 2010. Updated in December 2018 with new photos and updated recipe tips.
[photos by Whitney Wright]
I was so excited to try a recipe from the brown eyes baker but to be completely honest, I’m so sad and kind of disappointed. The measurements seem to be off. Even when I started putting the powdered sugar in, I was getting super nervous and wondered if I missed adding in some milk or something. I think I will try to add some because the texture is…well, there really isn’t any texture. Sorry. Just too much sugar, I think.
It’s powdery, I followed the instructions to a T, it was like a powdery PB. I had my guy who did culinary school go over every step with me, he said I followed it to a T. Way too much powdered sugar. So now I’m gonna melt more butter and PB. We shall see 🤷
Very easy and delicious!
It’s good
Fudge came out great, but it’s very soft! What did I do wrong?
I made it tonight. It is fantastic! Highly recommended. Very easy to make.
seemed very easy. I followed the directions to the tee but my fudge was very dry.
I’m going to try this! I’ve never made peanut butter fudge before but a friend that’s having brain surgery asked me if I ever made peanut butter fudge. I said no but I’ll try to find a recipe and make you some before your surgery so that I will try it. Thank you.
Thinks for the recipe
TERRIBLE recipe. I followed the recipe to a “T” and it came out so dry and crumbly it was like dry bread dough. I do not recommend.
I made this recipe with some hesitation (a lot of the comments were not great). It’s delicious. I didn’t have any of the issues that other people mentioned. No, it doesn’t pour, but it’s fudge…it won’t pour. You just need to be able to spread it into the pan, and the consistency was perfect for that. I followed the recipe precisely — right down to sifting the powdered sugar.
HORRIBLE recipe.. dont see how it had ANY review about zero.. measurements are WRONG turned out dry.. could not even POUR it.
I think 4c of powdered sugar was way too much. My daughter and I followed the recipe exactly as written and it is so dry and overly sweet. Really disappointed I wasted my ingredients on this
Oh, a layer of chocolate on top of the fudge and it will be an almost buckeye.
I keep avoiding Graeters because I love their buckeyes (and coffee cakes).
way too much butter for this recipe. i poured about a cup out of the mixed fudge. not good. nov. 2023
I never tried it. But soon as I get the engeredents I’m making it.
This is the perfect creamy with the perfect peanut butter flavor! I am making another batch and adding in some chopped peanuts to add a little crunch.
This is the easiest and one of the best fudge recipes I’ve come across. My family will actually request it when it comes time to assign dishes at family parties!
This is the first recipe from Brown Eyed Baker that didn’t work for me. Granted, I have to make it dairy free for my daughter, but from reading other reviews, that might not have been the problem. Also, I used the microwave version because I was in a hurry. Maybe that contributed to the flop. Neither the alternative butter nor the powdered sugar mixed in well.
Very good! One of my favs.
The fudge is easy and great.
It set pretty well, I’ve never made fudge before let alone peanut butter fudge. It was really hard to cut and think 4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar was a little much but overall pretty good.
Can you do this same thing and make strawberry fudge instead of peanut butter fudge?
Hi Hailey, Hmmm good question. I would need to play around with it, maybe use some sweetened condensed milk instead of peanut butter and crushed freeze dried strawberries.
I used to make an even easer peanut butter fudge with just peanut butter and confectionary sugar. Yes, only 2 ingredients, no boiling, no heating, and hardlly any mixing.
In a bowl just put in peanut butter, doesn’t matter how much! Really! It’s that simple. Just put some peanut butter in a bowl for as much as you want the fudge.
Step 2, add confectionary sugar. Mix with hands into the peanut butter. Add more confectionary sugar until it gets to the right hardness.
Step 3, there is NO STEP 3. Just eat!
I did as the recipe said and it turned out awful. Wasn’t creamy and barely tasted like peanut butter. It tasted more like powdered sugar than anything and it wasn’t soft, just crumbled apart.
Mine turned out awesome! Yuuuuuuummmmmm
Easy and GOOD!
I made it but it didn’t pour into the pan. It was like working with play dough. I had to knead it to get the powered sugar app mixed in.
Recipe sucked I wasted all the ingredients to have a flop..
I did as the recipe said and it was awful
Recipe calls for way too much butter once ya pour into baking on it pools everywhere
I have been using this same recipe for years! I love it. It tastes great and is super smooth. What pan are you using? I love the “Square” edges.
Thanks again for another great recipe. I loved it as did my husband. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Your kids are adorable!
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it, Dolly! Thank you so much, and a Merry Christmas to you, as well! xo