You’ve found it! The best chocolate fudge recipe — a classic, old-fashioned, chocolate fudge recipe made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry (no condensed milk here).
I thrive on traditions.
More accurately, I thrive on traditions that revolve around food.
Christmas Eve just wouldn’t be the same without my grandmother’s home cooked dinner (roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, buttered broccoli, the works). Birthdays require cake (last year Zach tried to tell me he didn’t need a cake, not realizing this was non-negotiable), and every Easter my siblings and I make homemade Easter candy together.
And, every Valentine’s Day, my mom makes a big batch of old-fashioned chocolate fudge for us to enjoy. Not just any fudge — the best chocolate fudge — creamy, rich, soft and chocolaty, made with plain and simple everyday ingredients: sugar, milk, corn syrup (not to be confused with high fructose corn syrup, these are not the same thing), chocolate, butter and vanilla. No condensed milk, no evaporated milk, and no marshmallow fluff is used here, only basic ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
I can’t remember exactly when my mom first started making it, but fudge can be tricky and a bit time-consuming and so she made it a once-a-year thing, a Valentine’s Day tradition. On this highly anticipated day, she carefully measures and manipulates the ingredients, bringing them to a boil and checking her thermometer for “soft ball” stage. Finally, after a lengthy cooling period, my siblings and I were allowed to analyze the results.
When she first started making fudge, sometimes it would come out a bit grainy on her first attempt (especially since, trying to satiate the chocolate greed of 6 children, she would double the batch, which I do not recommend you try when making candy), but that never stopped my siblings or myself from devouring each and every last delectable chocolate crumb.
At this point, though, she definitely has this recipe down, and I wanted to share it here, with you. I called her numerous times throughout the process to make sure I had all of her tricks and tips so please make sure to carefully read them before beginning. If you follow the instructions carefully, you shouldn’t have any problem (but don’t be discouraged if things don’t come out perfectly the first time; candy making is a skill that may take more than one attempt!).
I’d hoped to have this fudge recipe up on the blog a lot sooner, but I had to keep making and re-making it until I was certain that I had it down. So here are the tips and tricks gleaned from my mother and from lots of trial and error on my part that should help you end up with perfect fudge every time:
- Don’t crank your heat up too high when bringing your mixture to a boil. Medium-high does not mean high-high to speed up the boiling process. Fudge takes patience. Break your chocolate into pieces (they don’t have to be too small or chopped, but don’t just toss a whole block in there) and allow it time to melt while the mixture comes to a boil. Don’t stop stirring (with a wooden spoon) this whole time.
- Don’t scrape the sides of the bowl above the mixture line. Chocolate, sugar, and milk will spatter the sides. Use a damp pastry brush to clear this off of the sides of the pot because the granules from the sugar can make your fudge too grainy if they fall back into the mixture.
- I recommend using room temperature butter when you add it to the fudge mixture. Perhaps it would be fine to use cold, but I do not want to do anything to “shock” the fudge and make it drop its temperature too rapidly, so I use room temperature butter and have gotten better results with this.
- Once you add your butter and vanilla DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES stir your mixture, you want to disturb it as little as possible. The butter will melt as it cools, and you will stir it in later. Please, leave it alone until the temperature dips just below 110F, not a degree before then.
- Once you finally dip below 110F, stir, stir, stir… but don’t stir too much. I know, this is vague, and it may take you more than one try to get a knack for this. For perfect fudge, you want to stir until the mixture begins to lose its glossy sheen and is thick, this can take a few minutes. Stirring fudge can be a workout, keep going without stopping, and it’s not a bad idea to have someone else nearby ready to help you with the stirring if you’ve been skipping arm-day at the gym.
- When stirring your fudge for the final time and pouring it into your prepared pan, don’t scrape the sides of the bowl above the mixture line — again, you want to keep those granules out of the fudge.
There you have it. A perfect fudge recipe and some tips to make sure it comes out perfectly. If you have any questions or need some help trouble-shooting, please feel free to drop your questions in the comments section and I’ll see if I can help.
Maybe it’s time for you to incorporate this recipe into your own food traditions.

Best Chocolate Fudge
Ingredients
- You will need a candy thermometer for this recipe
- 3 cups sugar granulated
- 1 cup milk
- 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
- 2 oz unsweetened chocolate broken into pieces, 100% cocoa
- 3 Tbsp salted butter room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
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Generously butter an 8x8 baking dish and set aside.
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Lightly dampen a pastry brush and keep nearby the stove.
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In medium-sized saucepan combine sugar, milk, corn syrup and chocolate over medium heat.
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Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly, occasionally brushing the side of the pot with the pastry brush to remove crystals that might fall into your fudge.
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Once mixture begins to boil, attach your candy thermometer to the pot (make sure the bottom of the thermometer isn't touching the bottom of the pan).
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Stir mixture occasionally until your thermometer reads 238F (soft ball stage).
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Immediately remove pan from heat and add your butter and vanilla extract. Do not stir the butter and vanilla! Allow it to set and melt
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Leave mixture undisturbed until your candy thermometer reads 110F.
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Now, using a clean wooden spoon, begin to stir the mixture vigorously (be careful not to scrape the sides or you may knock sugar crystals into the fudge, causing grainy fudge) until it begins to lose its shiny sheen and thicken (It will take a good bit of stirring before the fudge is just right, your arms will get tired and it's not a bad idea to have a back-up stirrer... seriously!)
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Immediately once the fudge begins to thicken pour into prepared 8x8 pan.
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Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.
Recipe Notes
*Please see notes in post for tips and best results
For an easy, no candy thermometer required fudge recipe, try this Cookie Dough Fudge:
Or get more use out of your candy thermometer with these Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows
Or try these Salted Caramel Buttercream Candies:
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
Oh man, I could DEFINITELY go for some of this right now! I’m drooling on my desk. 😛 What a fun V-Day tradition. Feel free to send me some if you have any extra!
Sam says
Haha, will do! Thank you, Jess!
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction says
This fudge looks scrumptious, and a keeper! I actually have all the ingredients, which means only thing… I need to make these ASAP! 🙂
Sam says
DO IT 😉 ! Thank you, Marsha!
Amanda says
Food traditions are so fun. Fudge on Valentine’s day sounds so sweet, and it looks so creamy and delicious.!
Jann Forrest says
OK stupid question-never used white chocolate chips before. Can I substitute regular chocolate chips or will that affect the taste on the spice fudge?
I avoid any recipes that make me use a thermometer. They drive me crazy 🙂
Love your emails.
Sam says
Hi Jann! You left this comment on my chocolate fudge recipe but I’m thinking you meant to leave it on the gingerbread fudge (since you said “spice fudge”), is that right?
If so, while you could use regular chocolate chips, it would definitely affect the taste, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing (it would simply taste like chocolate gingerbread, and it’s really just a matter of if your taste buds like that flavor combination) but I think this would be best if you could find white chocolate chips. The white chocolate taste is mostly overcome by the spices, which gives this fudge the perfect gingerbread flavor.
I hope this helps and I’m glad you enjoy the e-mails! Please let me know if you have any more questions about the fudge 🙂
James says
The recipe initially calls for a buttered 8×8 pan but later says 13×9. Which is it?
Sam says
8×8! Thanks for pointing that out I’ll fix it
Ashley says
I had the same question but glad I found the answer in the comments!
Sam says
Don’t be discouraged! Candy is tricky, with some practice I am sure you will get it!
Carol Mitchell says
So glad to find this in an easy-to-forward format, this is virtually the same as my grandmother’s recipe and I can attest that it is the BEST! Only difference is her handwritten recipe calls for a pinch of salt. Your tips are all exactly right about the wooden spoon, medium-high heat, not stirring etc. My grandmother would cut the 3 T of butter into somewhat smaller bits while it was still cold out of the refrigerator and then it would be about room temp when it was time to add it, sprinkling the bits over the top of the mixture and of course not stirring. Really appreciate all the work you put in to testing and writing this up, it’s perfect!
Sam says
I am so happy to hear this!! Thank you, Carol, I appreciate you commenting! 🙂
Wendy says
Hello,
Do you use whole milk?
Thank!
Sam says
Yes I do! I hope you love the fudge, Wendy! 🙂