This marshmallow fudge recipe is based on an original fantasy fudge back-of-the-can recipe – but with extra chocolate. It’s easy to make and makes a massive batch to share with friends!
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Most of us have memories of special foods we enjoyed at Christmas when we were little. The clearest memory for me is of my dad making fudge for all of us (six kids). The last time I remember making his fudge was when we were all living at home 25 years ago.
It turns out the recipe came from the back of a 7-ounce jar of Kraft’s Marshmallow Cream. It’s known as “Fantasy Fudge” and it’s just as good as I remember.
The recipe makes about three pounds of fudge, so I can see why he hasn’t made it in a while; that’s a lot of fudge!
If I make this again I’ll double the amount of walnuts and replace the vanilla with almond extract just to see how it goes. Regarding the marshmallow cream, I think you could easily substitute seven ounces of plain marshmallows.
Swaps & Substitutions
So many of you have made this recipe over the years and shared your variations with us. Here are some of our favorites!
- Swap out the marshmallow cream for 7 ounces plain marshmallows.
- Double the amount of walnuts…
- …or omit the walnuts!
- Swap out pecans or another nut of your choice.
- Swap out half the brown sugar and use pecans (tastes like butter pecan fudge!)
- Replace the vanilla extract with almonds and reduce to 1/4 teaspoon.
- Use peanut butter chips or white chips instead of chocolate chips.
- Add shredded pretzel sticks, crumbled shortbread, or crumbled cookies.
Troubleshooting Fudge
- If your fudge looks grainy, greasy, or separated in the saucepan, you can fix it by adding heavy cream or condensed milk and stirring over low heat until fudge is smooth and uniform.
- Don’t use bittersweet chocolate in this recipe, as it contains too much dry cocoa solids for the fudge to form properly (if you use it, you may need to use the trick above).
- The texture and flavor of fudge improves significantly as it sets and cools. Do not skip the 4 hour setting time. Overnight is even better!
Save and freeze marshmallow fudge
Storage: The fudge will keep at room temperature for about a week or 2 to 3 weeks refrigerated.
Freeze: Wrap the fully set fudge in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze and thaw in the refrigerator for up to a month.
More easy ways to get your chocolate fix
- Homemade Chocolate Truffles
- Chocolate cake in a mug
- Best Chocolate Brownies
- chocolate pudding
- Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Easy marshmallow fudge
Adapted from Kraft’s Creamy Fudge.
Way back when this recipe first came out, it was common to find chocolate chips on 16-ounce bags. Now they’re sometimes in 12-ounce bags or smaller, and this recipe might not get right with that amount of chocolate. Double check your package at the store so you know how many bags of chips to buy.
ingredients
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3 cups granulated sugar
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3/4 Cup unsalted butter
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2/3 Cup (one 5 ounce can) condensed milk
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16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or finely chopped dark chocolate (do not replace bittersweet)
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1 (7 ounces) jug Marshmallow Cream
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1 Cup chopped walnuts
special equipment
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candy thermometer
method
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Prepare the baking pan and gather the ingredients:
Prepare everything ahead of time and have it ready – chopped chocolate, chopped nuts, the marshmallow cream already out of the jar and into a bowl that you can easily scrape out with a rubber spatula.
Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with foil and butter the inside.
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Boil the sugar, butter and milk:
In a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the sugar, butter and milk to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly once the mixture begins to bubble.
Once the mixture is boiling, set your timer for 4 minutes. Keep stirring while it cooks. You should remove the mixture from the heat once it reaches 234°F on a candy thermometer (adjust the height as needed), which should take at least 4 minutes and possibly longer.
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Finish the fudge:
Remove from stove. Quickly stir in the chocolate and marshmallow cream.
Once the chocolate and marshmallow cream are melted and mixed well, stir in the vanilla and then the walnuts.
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In the prepared pan add:
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Cool to room temperature before slicing:
Refrigerate the fudge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. You may want to chill in the fridge to make it firmer.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 154 | calories |
| 8g | Fat |
| 23g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
