Chocolate Fudge Recipe (3 Ingredients)

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Creamy, delish, and bursting with chocolatey goodness, this super easy 3-ingredient Chocolate Fudge recipe is any chocoholic’s dream. Satisfy your sweet cravings with just 15 minutes of effort!

Chocolate fudge squares stacked on top of each other placed on a white plate on a wooden tray.

About Chocolate Fudge Recipe

This ridiculously easy recipe is not the traditional old-fashioned way of making chocolate fudge, which is why I love it so much. 

Unlike the traditional method, you don’t need to spend hours cooking and reducing the fudge mixture. All you need is 3 ingredients and 15 minutes of time to make this delicious homemade candy!

It’s such a time saver during the holidays when all you want to do is cook less and spend more time with your family and loved ones. 

Since this fudge recipe is so simple, it’s perfect for making a big batch to gift to your friends, neighbors, mailman, or anyone else you want to show appreciation to!

Ingredients & Substitutions

  1. Baking Chocolate: The chocolate bars used for baking are also known as cooking chocolate. For a really smooth texture I recommend using what is known as couverture chocolate, which has a higher proportion of cocoa butter in the mix. Based on your taste preferences, you can opt for either white chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or dark chocolate.
  2. Sweetened Condensed Milk – You could use any of your favorite brands, but make sure it is sweetened. Feel free to swap in a vegan brand if needed. You can also use evaporated milk, but you’ll need to add icing sugar (a.k.a. confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar) to sweeten it.
  3. Butter – Both salted and unsalted butter work in the recipe. If you opt for unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt. Ghee is also acceptable if you want a richer flavor. You can also use vegan butter if needed.
  4. Nuts: Adding nuts is totally optional, but is a nice way to add some texture. You can use your favorite chopped, toasted nuts or dried berries, or skip the nuts altogether. 
Step-by-Step Guide

How To Make Chocolate Fudge

If you’ve ever made fudge the old-fashioned way, you’re in for a treat. This method is SO MUCH EASIER! Here’s how it’s done:

Prep & Temper Chocolate

1. First, line a 6 x 6-inch square pan with aluminium foil or parchment paper. Keep some extra paper or foil hanging on the sides of the pan so that you can easily lift it when the fudge is set and done.

Chop chocolate and set aside. You could also just keep the chocolate block in a ziplock bag and break it with a pestle.

a square pan lined with aluminium foil.

2. Take 1 cup chopped couverture chocolate, 200 grams sweetened condensed milk (half a can of condensed milk), and 1 tablespoon butter in a bowl or a shallow frying pan.

If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt. Set the bowl or pan aside.

chopped couverture chocolate , condensed milk and butter in a pan.

3. Heat about 1 to 1.5 cups water in a sauce pan or pot on a medium to high heat till the water becomes hot and begins to boil.

water being heated in a pot for a double boiler.

4. Lower the heat and place the bowl or shallow frying pan, containing the chopped chocolate, condensed milk, and butter on the saucepan, making sure that the bottom does not touch the boiling water.

You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts, but I prefer using this double boiler method rather than melting chocolate in the microwave because it’s easier to keep from scorching.

The pan containing the milk chocolate, condensed milk and butter kept on top of the pot containing hot water.

5. As soon as you place the pan on the double boiler, the chocolate will begin to melt.

The chocolate getting melted.

6. Stir often while the chocolate is melting.

Stirring the melted chocolate fudge mixture constantly as it heats.

7. In the photo below you can see that more of the chocolate has melted.

More chocolate has melted in the pan.

8. Stir the fudge mixture non-stop while the chocolate is melting.

Stirring the chocolate fudge mixture.

9. When all the chocolate is melted, turn off the heat.

All the chocolate has melted in the pan.

10. Quickly add chopped walnuts and vanilla extract or vanilla powder, if using.

Chopped walnuts added in the fudge mixture in the pan.

11. Mix very well.

Mixing walnuts in the fudge mixture with an spatula.

Set Chocolate Fudge

12. Using a spatula, pour the entire fudge mixture in the pan lined with the aluminium foil.

chocolate fudge mixture poured in the square tin lined with aluminium foil.

13. Let the fudge first cool at room temperature. Do not cover the pan while it is hot, or you’ll have condensation raining down on it. 

When the chocolate fudge has cooled entirely to room temperature, cover the pan and refrigerate it for 3 to 4 hours or overnight, till it sets completely.

I kept the fudge overnight in the fridge.

The set chocolate fudge after refrigerating overnight.

14. When set, remove the fudge along with the foil and place it on a chopping board.

The chocolate fudge removed from the tin and placed on a chopping board.

15. Slice the chocolate fudge into squares or rectangles. The yield is 350 grams of chocolate fudge from this recipe and makes for about 10 to 12 squares of fudge pieces.

Chocolate fudge sliced in squares.

16. Serve these chocolate fudge squares or wrap them in foil or parchment paper and keep covered in a jar or box in the fridge. These stay good for a month in the fridge.

Chocolate fudge squares stacked on top of each other placed on a white plate on a wooden tray.

Expert Tips

  • Lining your pan or tray: While making any fudge, it is very important to line your pan or tray with a parchment paper or a foil. Keep some extra paper or foil on the sides of the pan so that you can easily lift it when the fudge is set.
  • Tempering chocolate: Chocolate needs to be tempered correctly for a smooth and glossy texture. Tempering means to melt chocolate and then cool it to achieve a stable crystalline structure, that results in a smooth, velvety, glossy and even texture. The best method to melt chocolate is with the double boiler as shown in this recipe. It gives you perfect results every time. 
  • Roasting Nuts: Lightly roasting the nuts will give them much richer flavor. Feel free to use pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, cashews, or pine nuts. 
  • Refrigeration: Make sure to refrigerate the fudge for it to set completely and give you neat squares or cubes. Refrigeration makes the fudge more firm.
  • Scaling: You can easily halve or double this recipe as needed.

FAQs

What happens if you don’t beat the fudge?

In this recipe, nothing! Unlike traditional candy-making methods, all you need to do is temper the chocolate with the butter and sweetened condensed milk, no beating required.

What is the best way to cut fudge into perfect squares?

I suggest running your knife under hot water, then drying it thoroughly. The heat will help you cut through the fudge, leaving perfect edges.

What is the best chocolate to use for making fudge?

So long as you are using a high-quality couverture chocolate, feel free to experiment with different flavors. I’m a fan of milk chocolate in this recipe, but it will also work with white, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate if you prefer!

More Decadent Chocolate Treats!

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Chocolate fudge squares stacked on top of each other placed on a white plate on a wooden tray.

Chocolate Fudge Recipe (3 Ingredients)

This chocolate fudge is a quick, no-bake recipe made with just 3 ingredients – chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and butter.
4.76 from 25 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Cuisine American, World
Course Desserts
Diet Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Easy
Servings 10 pieces
Units

Ingredients

  • 1 cup couverture milk chocolate – chopped, or 150 grams. can add sweet chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate instead
  • 200 grams sweetened condensed milk or half a can of 14 oz or 400 grams sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tablespoon Butter – salted or unsalted
  • ¼ cup walnuts – chopped, optional
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract – or vanilla powder, optional

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • First line an aluminium foil or parchment paper in a 6 x 6 inch square pan. The foil or parchment paper has to cover all the sides and keep some extra on the top.
  • Chop the chocolate. Alternatively you could keep the chocolate bar in a ziplock bag and with a pestle, break the chocolate.

Tempering chocolate

  • Take the chopped chocolate in a bowl or a small frying pan. Add the condensed milk and butter. You can use either salted or unsalted butter. Set the bowl or frying pan aside.
  • In a sauce pan or pot heat 1 to 1.5 cups water till it becomes hot and begins to boil.
  • Lower the heat and place the small frying pan or bowl containing the chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and butter on the pan.
  • Stir and allow the chocolate to melt. Continuously stir the fudge mixture while melting the chocolate.
  • Once all the chocolate is melted, turn off the heat.
  • Quickly add chopped walnuts and vanilla extract or vanilla powder. Mix very well.

Setting chocolate fudge

  • Then pour the entire chocolate fudge mixture in the pan lined with the aluminium foil or parchment paper.
  • Let the fudge cool at room temperature. Do not cover the pan.
  • Once the fudge has cooled at room temperature, cover the pan and refrigerate the fudge for 3 to 4 hours or overnight till it sets completely.
  • Later remove the chocolate fudge along with the foil and place it on a chopping board. Remove the foil from the bottom and sides.
  • Slice the chocolate fudge into squares or rectangles.
  • Serve these chocolate fudge or wrap them in foil or butter paper and keep covered in a jar or box in the fridge.

Video

Notes

  • Lining your pan or tray: Always line your pan or tray with a  foil or parchment paper when making any fudge. Do keep some extra paper or foil on the sides of the pan so that you can easily lift it when the fudge is set.
  • Tempering chocolate: Chocolate needs to be tempered correctly for a smooth, even and glossy texture. The best method to temper the chocolate is with the double boiler as shown in this recipe. You could even microwave the chocolate for a few minutes till it melts. 
  • Roasting Nuts: If you prefer you can lightly toast the nuts. For the nuts you could use pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pecans and pine nuts. 
  • Refrigeration: You do need to refrigerate the fudge for it to set completely and give you neat squares or cubes. 
  • Scaling: You could easily halve or double this recipe. 
  • Substitutions:
    • Replace ghee (clarified butter) with butter.
    • Use couverture semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate or chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate.
    • In place of sweetened condensed milk use evaporated milk but add some icing sugar according to your taste.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Fudge Recipe (3 Ingredients)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 160 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 10mg3%
Sodium 29mg1%
Potassium 197mg6%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 88IU2%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin B12 1µg17%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Vitamin D 1µg7%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin K 1µg1%
Calcium 73mg7%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 9µg2%
Iron 2mg11%
Magnesium 53mg13%
Phosphorus 114mg11%
Zinc 2mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Chocolate Fudge recipe from the archives, first published in Feb 2015 has been updated and republished on May 2023.

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Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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105 Comments

  1. fantastic chocolate fudge recipe!!! i am so glad i found it! 🙂 so quick and easy to make and perfect replacement for store bought chocolates, feels really good to be able to make your own desserts5 stars

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