Peanut Butter Fudge
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This creamy homemade Peanut Butter Fudge recipe uses just six basic ingredients (and no marshmallow or condensed milk!). It takes minutes to prepare on the stove and sets up beautifully every single time. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Perfect Homemade Fudge
This peanut butter fudge recipe is one of my favorite old-fashioned candy recipes. It’s easy to make, offers the perfect juxtaposition of sweet and salty, and is so, so creamy and soft that, despite its decadence, you’ll find yourself popping piece after piece until you’ve accidentally cleaned out an entire pan that you’d planned on gifting and oh-no, now you have to make more…
Making candy at home can be intimidating, but this recipe is a great one for beginners! Before you begin, make sure to read over my easy tips (detailed below) and grab your candy thermometer, and it’s not a bad idea to watch the video in the recipe card before starting.
First, though, I want to remind you that the biggest “trick” to making just about any candy is really just having lots of patience. Those of you who’ve spent a literal hour steadfastly stirring homemade caramels know this is true, and that you’ll be well rewarded for your efforts.
Don’t crank up the heat to try and speed things along, or you may end up burning your sugar and ruining your fudge! Also, make sure to use a candy thermometer; it’s the most accurate way to know when your candy has reached the exact temperature and consistency we’re looking for. Now, let’s get started!
What You Need
As with most of my candy recipes, you want to have all of your ingredients pre-measured and readily available before you get started (“Mise en place”, as the French say). Here’s what you need:
- Peanut butter. Use creamy, “regular” peanut butter. I don’t recommend using the “natural” kind that separates.
- Evaporated Milk. This is NOT the same thing as condensed milk! Pardon my caps and exclamation points, but this is a common mistake as the two look very similar and are often sold right beside each other, so make sure you grab evaporated milk and shake it really well before adding it.
- Sugar. We’ll be using regular granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter since we’re adding salt ourselves. Make sure to let your butter soften to room temperature and cut it into tablespoon-sized pieces before getting started.
- Vanilla. I love the combination of vanilla and peanut butter here. Homemade vanilla extract is a great option in this recipe!
- A good candy thermometer. I recommend a digital one (much easier to read than the alternative). I’ve linked to the one I use and love in the “equipment” section of the recipe below.
SAM’S TIP: Keep a moist pastry brush nearby and (only before the mixture begins boiling) use it to gently wipe down the sides of the pot to prevent any sugar crystals from forming. Wiping this off early will go a long way in preventing sugar crystals from forming later.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Peanut Butter Fudge
Before you begin: Prepare your work station – Measure out all ingredients and grease or line your pan with parchment.
- Bring to a boil – Stir together the milk and sugar over medium heat until the mixture boils. Use a wet pastry brush to brush away any sugar crystals during this time only.
- Stir continuously – Once boiling, attach your candy thermometer and begin stirring continuously until the mixture reaches 234-236F.
- Remove from heat – Once the fudge reaches proper temperature, remove it from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients until smooth.
- Let it set – Pour the fudge into your prepared pan and let it set completely before slicing.
SAM’S TIP: Avoid scraping the sides of the pot when pouring your fudge into your pan, or you may end up with grainy fudge. I’ll usually pour out as much fudge as I can, then scrape the candy on the sides into a separate small container. It still tastes good, so you can enjoy it separately without compromising your fudge.
Frequently Asked Questions
My preferred method for storing this fudge is in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep this way for up to two weeks (just be sure to keep it out of direct sunlight).
Unlike many other candy recipes, peanut butter fudge can also be stored in the refrigerator. The fridge does tend to dry out the fudge though, so it will lose its creaminess if stored this way. If this doesn’t bother you, you can store your it in a sealed container in the fridge and it will keep for several weeks.
This peanut butter fudge recipe is much more resistant to becoming grainy than my favorite chocolate fudge recipe, making it a great option for a candy beginner!
Despite this, I still recommend following a few grain-preventing best practices, like brushing the sugar crystals back into the pot with a damp pastry brush before the candy boils and not scraping the sides of the pot when pouring your fudge out of the pan.
Yes! For best results, allow your fudge to completely cool and set after cooking it. Then, cut it into pieces and wrap each piece individually in cling wrap (make sure to wrap well) before placing in a sealed bag or container to freeze for several months. To thaw, simply allow the wrapped pieces to sit at room temperature for several hours.
Love homemade fudge? Try my cookie dough fudge or festive peppermint bark fudge!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) evaporated milk, shake well before pouring
- ¾ cup (210 g) creamy peanut butter
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- It’s important to have all of your ingredients ready before beginning! Read through the whole recipe before you start and measure out all your ingredients beforehand (the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt should be prepped and ready to go nearby).¾ cup (210 g) creamy peanut butter, 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- Prepare an 8×8 baking dish (this will yield thinner pieces) or 9×5 bread pan (for thicker pieces) by lightly greasing with butter or lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine sugar and evaporated milk in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar, ⅔ cup (160 ml) evaporated milk
- Stir ingredients occasionally over medium heat. During this time (only before boiling), use a wet pastry brush to brush down the sides where any sugar may have begun to settle on the side of the pot to prevent sugar crystals.
- Continue to stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil (don’t turn up the heat, keep on medium or you run the risk of burning your fudge). Once mixture comes to a boil, attach your candy thermometer. Be sure that the point of the candy thermometer is in the middle of the mixture and not touching the bottom of the pan.
- Cook, stirring continuously, until fudge reaches 234-236°F (112-113°C).
- Once fudge reaches temperature, immediately remove from heat and add your peanut butter, butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir (avoid scraping the sides of the pot) until butter and peanut butter are melted and mixture is smooth and has started to thicken (1-3 minutes).
- Pour into prepared pan (don’t scrape the sides of the pot while pouring) and allow to set completely (several hours at room temperature or you can expedite the process by refrigerating).
- Once fudge has set, slice into small pieces and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Hi there! I want to try this for myself and my family, but I am lactose intolerant and usually drink almond coconut milk as a sub, would a substitute milk work if I wanted to make a separate batch for myself? Thanks!
Hi Shivonne! I’m worried if you use almond milk it wouldn’t set up properly, but I haven’t tried it.
Can this recipe be doubled?
Hi Edra! Fudge can be a tricky thing to get just right. You can double it, but it may be difficult to get it perfect. Enjoy! 🙂
I tried your recipe for the first time & wish I could post pics! I made 2 batches in case I messed up the first & they are both PERFECT! Thank you for your wonderful directions ❤
I am so glad you enjoyed the fudge, Melissa! Unfortunately, pictures can’t be posted here but if you have a facebook page, I have a Facebook group and I would love to see it. 🙂
I made this for a friend to bring to a potluck. I followed the instructions to a “T” and it came out amazing! My only quirk is that my digital thermometer’s backlight kept going out lol. I’ve made fudge before but never have I used a thermometer probably because I didn’t have one until recently. Thanks for the great recipe, they absolutely loved it and she got rave reviews for it!
Thank you, Jennifer! I am so glad that everyone enjoyed the peanut butter fudge! 🙂
I love cooking fudge so thank u for sharing the receipt first time came out wonderful thank u so much
Sincerely Kevin dale
I am so happy that you enjoyed the peanut butter fudge, Kevin! Thank you for your comment. 🙂
To keep candy thermometer in the middle of pot I find a skewer very handy that’s the same length of your pots circumference!! Awesome 👍 recipe my first te making it and I nailed it because of her instructions.But keeping the candy thermometer in the middle needed a little finesse!!
I am so glad you enjoyed the fudge Ryan! 🙂
Love this post, my entire family loved peanut butter fudge, thanks so much sharing Sam!
I’m so happy to hear everyone enjoyed!
Hi, just finished making my pb fudge and followed directions and viewed video twice to make sure I did everything as directed. I used a candy thermometer and my batch didn’t start going over 220°F until the sugar mostly overpowered the milk. Once I removed it from the stove, I added the pb and the rest of the ingridients, and the pb just dropped to the bottom and burned on the bottom of the pan, while off the stove. Then I started stirring it and the pb became grainy. What did I do wrong, so the next time I try it I won’t get the same results?
Thanx
Hi Yessica! What do you mean by “until the sugar mostly overpowered the milk”?
Did you use regular peanut butter or did you use a natural version? I’ve never had it become grainy before and it it seems odd that it could burn so quickly. Could your candy thermometer be inaccurate? I’m wondering if the mixture was actually a lot hotter than your thermometer said and that’s why the peanut butter burned?
Here’s a good easy way to check if your candy thermometer is accurate. I hope this helps but I’m happy to try to help you troubleshoot further!
Just a follow up, when I tried the recipe the first time, the milk and sugar boiled and overcooked in the pan. I was using the candy thermometer incorrectly, so the mixture boiled over, and when I added the pb and the rest of the ingredients, the mixture turned grainy, BUT it was delicious. After that delicious mistake, I tried it again this morn, my daughter wants to bring some in for her valentine’s day party, and this time, IT CAME OUT PERFECT!! Smooth, not grainy, and delicious. She is so thrilled to bring some pb fudge in the shape of 💕s for her class party.
Although the 1st time I tried the recipe, the pb fudge came out grainy due to user error, it was still a delicious mistake, and I have grown to like the grainy texture. Thanks for the recipe, it is awesome!
Thank you so much for the feedback, Yessica! I am so glad you were able to enjoy the fudge. 🙂
I was looking for a PB fudge recipe using evaporated milk, trying to find one like my mom made. So I had made evaporated milk by simmering milk for hours,very tiring, all the stirring . I had some left over and found your recipe. This is such a divine PB fudge recipe! My evaporated milk was a bit thick so it may have made the fudge a little grainy and I should have known better.It could possibly have been my sugar ,which was raw organic type. Maybe it was a combination of those two ,raw sugar and thick evaporated milk,however this is the best PB fudge I’ve ever had.So good, and I really don’t mind that mine came out a little grainy.I know my family will LOVE this come Christmas! I may end up making another batch because I can’t stop sampling ☺️Thank you so much for sharing your delicious PB fudge recipe.
I’m so glad you ultimately enjoyed it so much, Shirl! 🙂
I have all no use 80 percent margarine e
Hi Sam, can you use Whole milk instead of evaporated milk ? ( I make my chocolate fudge recipe with whole milk )
Thanks
Hi Denise! I’ve only tried it with evaporated milk and heavy cream. I think it would work, though it might not be quite as creamy.
I forgot how much I loved peanut butter fudge until I made this. It was easy and fun and eating eat made me feel like a kid again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Teresa! Thank you for commenting <3
Can I use crunchy peanut butter??
Hi, Janet! That should be fine 🙂
Why would the peanuts burn when the peanut butter is not added until the milk/sugar mixture is removed from the heat? Just wondering if I’m missing something here. Planning to make soon and wanted to use crunchy peanut butter.
They really shouldn’t, I think they’ll be fine honestly, so long as you stir as indicated. I’m going to update my previous comment as well. Enjoy, Loretta!
Can I use salted butter?
Hi, Susan. Yes you can just reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon. 😃
Usually fudge that is NOT made with marshmallow cream requires a lot of stirring after cooking. Stirring until it loses its gloss. This makes me a little leary of trying it. Does it get reasonably firm, or does it stay soft?
Hi, Pam. The fudge does become firm. You can hold it without it melting in your hand, but it is very creamy. I wouldn’t call it soft. 🙂
Peanut butter fudge made with marshmallow cream runs the richness of peanut butter fudge.
this may be a silly question but is jiffy peanut butter okay? i have not tried this recipe yet but in the comments i saw somebody asking about peanut butter and i want to make sure i use the correct one. Thank you for your recipes! i am brand new to baking and you make it very easy to understand how to bake. I made the biscuits recipe and it turned out great! (they were a little flaky to the point of falling apart, but i used a pastry cutter. they were really good) i am super proud!
Yes that peanut butter will work no problem, I just don’t recommend natural peanut butter (the kind that separates and you need to stir with a knife before using). I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes, Kenzie!! 🙂
What if I do not have a candy therameter, can I still make this peanut butter fudge.
It’s trickier to get the fudge to come out just right without one, but it is possible. You would need to cook to soft ball stage. This means if you drop a bit of the mixture into cold water it should form a soft ball.
Can I use natural peanut butter or does it have to be the regular peanut butter ?
I recommend regular peanut butter, I haven’t tried it with but worry that it wouldn’t set up properly
This is the best peanut butter fudge! Thank you for sharing your recipes Sam!
Thank you so much, Elizabeth! 🙂