Vanilla Fudge Recipe – Smooth, Creamy, From-scratch

This classic vanilla fudge recipe is straightforward-to-make, satisfying, and creamy. It’s straightforward that you don’t even need a candy thermometer!

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Straightforward Vanilla Fudge Recipe

It’s almost Christmas time! Can you believe it? Yesterday we woke up without even thinking about it and then suddenly realized it was only 2 weeks away. Considering we still had a few presents to buy, we had a slight panic.

Every year for Christmas, our husband and we like to give some of our customers a thoughtful gift. We value our relationship with them and want them to know we truly appreciate them. Instead of buying some generic gift basket or sending a generic card, we want them to know we actually put some thought and work into it. Last year we made about 10 different types of cookies. This year we decided to do a collection of assorted treats. One of the items we made for them was this vanilla fudge. Yum! Seriously, it tastes like our mom’s from-scratch vanilla ice cream. And let’s be honest here, that’s some of a house favorite stuff on earth.

Vanilla Marshmallow Fudge Recipe Ingredients

• Butter – you’ll want to use unsalted butter here. While salted butter will still give you the right texture, the taste will be slightly different.
• Sugar – granulated sugar is necessary for the fudge and you don’t want to swap it with raw sugar or any sort of sugar substitute. Fudge can be a bit finicky when you start swapping ingredients so you’ll want to stick with granulated here.
• Evaporated milk – low fat and fat free evaporated milk both work great in this recipe. The fat content and structure of evaporated milk lends to the overall texture and end results.
• Almond Bark – while white chocolate technically could be substituted here, you’d need to mess with the ratios and potentially add in shortening for the right texture. If you can’t get your hands on almond bark, a house favorite replacement is going to be candy melts.
• Marshmallow cream – do not substitute this with anything else or omit it. Marshmallow cream is going to be what gives this vanilla fudge its soft texture. By omitting it, you’ll have dense fudge. Some recipes call for replacing it with mini marshmallows, but those are coated in cornstarch which can also mess with the texture of your fudge.
• Vanilla – a good quality vanilla extract always makes a big difference!
• Sprinkles – we like using larger sprinkles so they show up better and you get a good chunk with each piece of fudge.

How to cook Vanilla Fudge

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.
2. Once butter is melted, add in sugar and evaporated milk. Continue to heat over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally.
3. Once the sugar is dissolved, bring to a boil and boil for 6 minutes. Remove from heat and add the almond bark and marshmallow cream until melted, combined, and smooth. Be warned… the marshmallow cream will grow slightly when added to the heat so you may want to add in half at a time.
4. Pour into a 9×13 baking pan lined with foil and greased with butter. Smooth out the top. We use our cake decorating tools to make sure its as smooth as possible.
5. Sprinkle on whatever sprinkles you like. We like to use the larger Christmas ones because they show up better as opposed to the colored sugar. Gently press them into the fudge.
6. Allow it to sit on the counter until it is slightly cooled then place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
7. Once set, pull it out by the foil and turn upside down. Cut into 1″ squares. Enjoy!

How to know when this recipe for Vanilla Fudge is done

You will know the fudge is done when it is set. It’ll still be soft when you chew it, but it will be set enough to be cut.

Tips for Foolproof Fudge with Marshmallow Creme

• When melting your butter, don’t overheat it. Use low heat. You don’t want the butter to brown. Be sure to start adding in the sugar and evaporated milk right after it melts.
• When dissolving the sugar, use medium-low heat.
• The marshmallow cream will expand when added to the heat, so it’s important to add it half at a time to avoid burning and losing some.
• Allow it to cool before placing it in the refrigerator. Don’t rush letting it set.

Straightforward Vanilla Fudge Recipe FAQ

How long Is this recipe for Vanilla Fudge good for?

When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the fudge will stay good for 2 weeks.

How to store this Vanilla Marshmallow Fudge Recipe

To store fudge, we recommend placing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy. It should only be used for estimation purposes and is not a guarantee of any kind. Nutritional information varies widely between brands and types of ingredients used. It is recommended that you calculate the nutritional information based on your own ingredients and brands used. Ereten, LLC makes no guarantees as to the exact nutrition information.