This classic vanilla fudge recipe is easy-to-make, delicious, and creamy. It’s so easy that you don’t even need a candy thermometer!
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Easy Vanilla Fudge Recipe
It’s almost Christmas time! Can you believe it? Yesterday I woke up without even thinking about it and then suddenly realized it was only 2 weeks away. Considering I still had a few presents to buy, I had a slight panic.
Every year for Christmas, my husband and I like to give some of our customers a thoughtful gift. We really value our relationship with them and want them to know we truly appreciate them. Instead of just 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 I made about 10 different types of cookies. This year I decided to do a collection of assorted treats. One of the items I made for them was this vanilla fudge. Yum! Seriously, it tastes like my mom’s homemade vanilla ice cream. And let’s be honest here, that’s some of the best 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 really 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, the best 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 – I like using larger sprinkles so they show up better and you get a good chunk with each piece of fudge.
How to Make Vanilla Fudge
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.
- Once butter is melted, add in sugar and evaporated milk. Continue to heat over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally.
- 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.
- Pour into a 9×13 baking pan lined with foil and greased with butter. Smooth out the top. I use my cake decorating tools to make sure its as smooth as possible.
- Sprinkle on whatever sprinkles you like. I like to use the larger Christmas ones because they show up better as opposed to the colored sugar. Very gently press them into the fudge.
- Allow it to sit on the counter until it is slightly cooled then place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- 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.
Easy Vanilla Fudge Recipe FAQ
The secret to perfect fudge is in the temperature of the ingredients when you’re cooking and cooling it. Don’t get them too hot and let them cool properly.
For this recipe, you need to use evaporated milk. Condensed milk does not give the same taste or texture and should not be substituted in place of the evaporated milk.
The best and easiest way to make sure your fudge is creamy and not grainy is to heat the ingredients to the right temperature and stir so that it’s able to get smooth and melted.
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, I recommend placing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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Easy Vanilla Fudge Recipe with Evaporated Milk
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter 1/2 cup
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup evaporated milk
- 8 oz almond bark
- 7 oz marshmallow cream
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- sprinkles
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.
- Once butter is melted, add in sugar and evaporated milk. Continue to heat over medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally.
- Once the sugar is dissolved, add the vanilla and stir to combine.
- Bring it 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.
- Pour into a 9×13 baking pan lined with foil and greased with butter. Smooth out the top. I use my cake decorating tools to make sure its as smooth as possible.
- Sprinkle on whatever sprinkles you like. I like to use the larger Christmas ones because they show up better as opposed to the colored sugar. Very gently press them into the fudge.
- Allow it to sit on the counter until it is slightly cooled then place in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Once set, pull it out by the foil and turn upside down. Cut into 1″ squares. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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. Sweetly Splendid, LLC makes no guarantees as to the exact nutrition information.
Can I substitute white chocolate chips instead of the almond bark?
Also, I forgot to add in original comment, can I substitute heavy cream instead of evaporated milk also? Thank you!
I would not substitute heavy cream for evaporated milk. The fat content is very different and will greatly change the overall setup and texture.
Hi Becky, You could but I would also add 1 tablespoon of shortening to be sure that it hardens up properly. It will be a lot more rich tasting as well with the white chocolate compared to almond bark. You could also use white chocolate candy melts instead of almond bark. Those will harden in a similar way as the almond bark.
This recipe is insanely delicious and careful… addicting! Perfect holiday treat.
Just a heads up Kara – the step to put the vanilla in is missing in the directions. Just thought I would let you know <3
Thank you so much for letting me know! I’ll get that added right now. I’m so glad you liked it!!