Smooth and Delicious Marshmallow Fudge
This marshmallow fudge combines butter, sugar, marshmallows, and chocolate chips for a holiday treat that is smooth and oh-so delicious!
I remember reading a sweet children’s book when I was little where the daughter asked for “no nuts, please” when they were making fudge.
I resonated with that little girl because my mom always put nuts in our fudge growing up and I hate nuts in desserts.
Well now that I’m the mom, I make the fudge with no nuts and it’s 1000x better 😉
This is my mom’s marshmallow fudge recipe, sans the nuts, which is soft, chocolatey, and so decadent.
And while this post does feature a recipe, it also has tons of tips on how to make fudge correctly, and how to fix a fudge that’s over or undercooked.
Because after one failed batch and tons of research, I discovered there is a right and wrong way to make fudge and lots of ways to bring back a fudge that’s been, well, fudged.
Step-by-Step Instructions
BUTTER a 7×11 pan and then cover with parchment paper with extra hanging over the sides.
COMBINE 2 cups of white sugar, 2/3 cup evaporated milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup butter in a heavy saucepan.
BRING the mixture to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, while avoiding scraping the sides to reintroduce the sugar crystals.
ONCE the mixture is boiling, stop stirring and allow the mixture to cook for 5 minutes or until it reaches 234-237 degrees Fahrenheit.
WHEN the mixture reaches the correct temperature, remove it from the heat and add in 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. STIR gently to combine.
ONCE the chocolate and marshmallows are combined, beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until the color begins to dull and the fudge loses its sheen (5-15 minutes).
POUR into the buttered pan and allow it to set in a refrigerator (at least 2 hours but ideally overnight).
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
I share lots of helpful tips for making a successful marshmallow fudge in the FAQs, below. But, here a few key things I discovered along the way:
Have all of the ingredients pre-measured and ready to go. I had them all in bowls for pictures, but it made it so much easier to make the recipe along the way!
A candy thermometer is essential. The cold water test kind of works, but a thermometer is exact and will give you the right fudge every time. I grabbed on for $10 at Target.
Don’t throw away the butter wrapper! Use it to grease the pan before putting in the parchment paper.
I used a 7×11 pan for this recipe. You could definitely use 8×8 you just won’t get as many squares.
If your fudge is greasy, it’s likely that the sugar and fat separated somewhere along the way. This is what happened with my second batch! I was ready to throw in the towel, but found that if you reheat the fudge and add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the mixture becomes smooth, it saves the fudge! I added 5 tablespoons of water total and as you can see from the pictures, the fudge is completely fine.
Fudge is a tricky treat to make. It may take you a few times to get it right, but it will feel so good when you do! Just be patient, try all of the suggestions for fixing a grainy, uncooked, or greasy fudge, and have extra ingredients on hand, just in case.
More Like This
Looking for more Christmas treats? You’ll love:
- Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Cinnamon White Hot Chocolate
- Chocolate Almond Balls
- Mini Cherry Cheesecake Bites
- Christmas Cracker Candy
FAQs
Here’s what I found are the secrets to making fudge:
1. You have to use a heavy-bottomed pan that will distribute the heat well or the mixture will stick while cooking.
2. Don’t stir the mixture once it’s come to a boil. There’s a science behind this, but stirring can re-introduce sugar crystals to the mixture which can cause the mixture to seize.
3. Use a candy thermometer to make sure the mixture has reached the correct temperature. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can perform the cold water test: Take a glass of cold water and drop the mixture into the water. Watch how it acts in the water. If it falls in threads or dissolves, it’s not done. If it’s overcooked, it will form a ball that is hard and difficult to flatten. It’s the perfect temperature when it forms a ball that can be easily flattened.
4. Stop beating the mixture when it becomes dull or loses its sheen or you’ll risk over beating it.
As far as this recipe is concerned, yes!
You can use marshmallow creme for the solid mini marshmallows.
You’ll want to substitute 7 oz. of marshmallow creme for the mini marshmallows and add them in with the chocolate chips instead of with the sugar.
If your fudge hasn’t set, you need to re-heat and re-beat it. Here’s how:
1. Scrape the fudge back into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add in 3-4 tablespoons of evaporated milk (you’ll have some leftover from the recipe.
2. Heat the fudge down until it becomes a syrup and bring it to a boil. Allow it to boil until it reaches 234-237 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Once it’s reached the correct temperature, remove it from the heat and let it cool to 110-113 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once cooled, beat the fudge for 5-10 minutes with a wooden spoon or 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer until the mixture becomes dull or loses its sheen.
4. Pour the fudge into a prepared pan and allow it to set in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
If the fudge still doesn’t set after you’ve melted it down again, you can always use it as a delicious hot fudge sauce or dip for fruit!
There are a number of reasons your fudge could have turned out grainy.
It could be that you didn’t dissolve all of the sugar before removing the mixture from the heat. Or, you stirred the mixture when it was boiling. Or it could be that you didn’t beat it long enough or you beat it too much.
But the good news is you can try to fix it!
Just follow the instructions above for fudge that hasn’t set.
I hope your family loves this marshmallow fudge recipe! If you make it, be sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram with @ashcroftfamilytable and use the hashtag #ashcroftfamilytable!
Delicious Marshmallow Fudge
Ingredients
- 2 cups white sugar
- ⅔ cup evaporated milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter
- 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Butter a 7×11 pan and then cover with parchment paper with extra hanging over the sides.
- Add 2 cups of white sugar, 2/3 cup evaporated milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup butter in a heavy saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, while avoiding scraping the sides to reintroduce sugar crystals.
- Once the mixture is boiling, stop stirring and allow the mixture to cook for 5 minutes or until it reaches 234-237 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When the mixture reaches the correct temperature, remove from the heat and add in 1½ cups mini marshmallows, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Once the chocolate and marshmallows are combined, beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until the color begins to dull and the fudge loses its sheen (5-15 minutes).
- Pour fudge into the buttered pan and allow to set in a refrigerator (at least 2 hours but ideally overnight).
