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Best Ever Chocolate Fudge Candy – a classic chocolate fudge recipe that’s made on the stovetop. It’s creamy, chocolatey and oh so delicious and perfect for the holidays.
Homemade Chocolate Fudge is one of those things that just screams “Christmas” to me. My dad was a little obsessed with chocolate fudge and actually loved it when the candy didn’t quite set up right and it had a gritty, sugary texture. That man had quite the sweet tooth!
I have tried many, many fudge recipes in my attempt to learn how to make the best chocolate fudge. My all-time favorite recipe though, is from my church youth director. We’ve been making this recipe in our family for a good 30+ years and it’s definitely the best fudge recipe I’ve tried.
A good fudge candy can be easily cut into bite-sized pieces, but won’t melt when you hold it or if it sits out on the counter for a bit. That’s why this is the best fudge recipe! I am also not a fan of marshmallow cream in fudge, or marshmallow cream in general, and so many so-called “easy fudge recipes” call for that. I’m a classic fudge lover, and traditional fudge is actually a candy!
Best Ever Chocolate Fudge Candy
Ingredients
- 18 oz chocolate chips
- 2 sticks margarine (not butter) ½ lb
- 4 ½ cups sugar
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- Sprinkles for topping
- 1 cup nuts chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish or line with nonstick foil (recommended).
- In a large bowl, place chocolate chips and margarine, cut into small pieces. Set aside.
- In a large sauce pan, mix together sugar, evaporated milk and a pinch of salt.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil.
- Continue to cook, keeping at a boil, for approximately 8 minutes or until mixture forms a soft ball when a small amount is dropped into a cup of cold water. A candy thermometer should read about 240 degrees. *Depending on the heat of your stove, this could take anywhere from 7 minutes to 15 minutes; you want to watch closely so that it doesn't burn.
- Pour hot mixture over chocolate chips and margarine. Mix well, then beat with an electric hand mixer until creamy. Â Add vanilla and nuts (optional). Stir well. Â Pour into prepared 9x13" or 11x7" dish.
- Cool in refrigerator. Â (overnight is best)
- Let sit on the counter for about 20 minutes before cutting into squares.Â
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Here’s another fudge recipe we love:
And here are even more delicious fudge recipes:
I’m curious why the recipe specifically states not to use butter? It’s much healthier than margarine and all we use.
Hi Dee – most of the time I would definitely agree with you that butter is better. I’ve had this recipe for about 30 years and it’s a family favorite, so we make it exactly as written. The oils just work differently, making the candy nice and smooth and it’s sets nicely as well.
do i need to use a hand mixer? i know this is so dinosaur – but i dont own one! and my daughter is using my kitchen aid.
Using a mixer hels to make the fudge nice and fluffy. You could beat by hand though, sure.
Do you use milk chocolate chips, or semi-sweet?
Semi-sweet.
So we are using 18 oz of chocolate all at once in the bowl with the margarine?
I’m curious, why margarine rather than butter in this recipe?
It’s just the way it was written – it’s a friends very old recipe, and I think the margarine makes it a little lighter.