An easy, creamy pumpkin fudge that can be made without a candy thermometer on the stovetop! Spiced with fall spices and topped off with white chocolate, this is a decadent and seasonal candy.
Those of you who enjoyed my no-thermometer-needed easy fudge recipe will love this Fall-flavored version!
Pumpkin Spice Fudge
Fall is the best time of the year for food, especially desserts!
Pumpkin spice can be added to just about anything (see my Pumpkin cheesecake or pumpkin chocolate chip cookies as prime examples) and as the weather turns chilly it’s so cozy to just hole up in the kitchen and get baking.
I love experimenting with Fall ingredients and could spend all day every day making pumpkin and apple infused desserts. This pumpkin fudge recipe is a recent favorite of mine, it’s simple, made on the stovetop, no thermometer needed. Also it’s a pumpkin fudge made without marshmallow fluff — I’ve just never been a huge fan of marshmallow fluff in my fudge.
We are using a bit of pumpkin puree in this pumpkin fudge for flavor, but what really gives it that cozy fall spice is the spices that we’ll be adding. You’ll need 1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, but if you don’t feel like running out to the store to it you can follow my recipe for homemade pumpkin spice. I always like to make this in bulk and keep a stash in my spice drawer.
As for the pumpkin, when you are buying this at the store make sure to grab pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling (which contains other ingredients that are unnecessary for our fudge).
This recipe only uses a small bit of pumpkin (¼ cup) so if you’re looking to use up the rest of the can I recommend you check out some of my other pumpkin recipes (I highly recommend you try the pumpkin cupcakes!).
More Candy Recipes To Try:
Enjoy!
Pumpkin Fudge
Ingredients
- 3 cups (510 g) premium white chocolate chips I recommend using Ghirardelli, I do not always get consistent results using other brands.
- ½ cup (120 ml) sweetened condensed milk (please note that this is condensed and NOT evaporated milk and that you are to use only ½ cup and NOT the whole can).
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (55 g) pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (click the link for my homemade pumpkin spice recipe)
- 1 drop orange gel food coloring optional, but it's what will give your fudge that Fall pumpkin color.
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (85 g) white chocolate melting wafers optional, for drizzling (may use additional white chocolate chips instead, but the melting wafers will set faster).
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat, combine white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter.3 cups (510 g) premium white chocolate chips, ½ cup (120 ml) sweetened condensed milk, 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- Stir frequently until chocolate chips and butter are mostly melted.
- Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice and stir well until all ingredients are completely combined (the chocolate and butter should be completely melted at this point). Reduce heat to low.¼ cup (55 g) pumpkin puree, 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- Stir in food coloring, if using, and vanilla extract.1 drop orange gel food coloring, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir in cornstarch.1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- Remove fudge from heat and spread into prepared pan.
- Transfer fudge to the refrigerator and chill until firm (preferably overnight).
- Once fudge has set, melt melting wafers according to package instructions and drizzle over fudge, if desired.½ cup (85 g) white chocolate melting wafers
- Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Today’s Pumpkin Fudge Recipe was originally sponsored by Challenge Dairy, thank you for supporting the brands that support Sugar Spun Run! All thoughts and opinions are, as always, 100% my own.
Colleen
Can another starch, such as tapioca or arrowroot be used in place of the cornstarch? We can’t have corn
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Colleen! I think arrowroot will work fine here. 🙂
Jourdain Nickerson
My children and husband loved this fudge. I was worried I may have burnt it because I was multitasking while making it, but no!! This was my first time making fudge of any kind and to quote my husband “this is so good, why have I never had this before in my life” haha ❤️ Thank you so much. I love your recipes!!
Sam
That is so awesome, Jourdain! I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Kristin
Great recipe. It was rather windy which is understandable but it can be tricky with something as hands on as fudge but once you get the hang of the recipe it’s fine. However I accidentally used half cup of pumpkin which worked out fine. I used a fresh Long Island cheese pumpkin I cooked to make various things. I used a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and a half teaspoon of cinnamon cause I think I actually love the cinnamon spice the best. I like that this recipe actually uses an amount of pumpkin that you can actually taste some only use a tablespoon or a couple of teaspoons at that point I don’t see the point to even using pumpkin I would just admit it that and call it a pumpkin spice fudge. it helped that I accidentally used double the amount that I think even with a quarter of a cup and still a good amount that you could taste. I’m going to try it next time with the called for amount of course and I’ll compare the results.
I like that this was a creamy gooey fudge not a crumbly dryer fudge. I will definitely make this again. initially I was looking for a recipe without the white chocolate chips but it’s the most recipes called for it. I just didn’t want to spend lots of money for my holiday treats since we do a lot of baking and cooking around this time of year. I decided to just buy the cheapest brand I can find I love Ghirardelli but for the amount I needed I wasn’t going to paid that price. All in all a great recipe
Kerry
I have all of the ingredients except pumpkin. Not one single store in my area has canned pumpkin. Can I make a different flavor of fudge with the other ingredients?
Sam
Hi Kerry! I would recommend my easy fudge recipe, or my easy cookie dough fudge. 🙂
Kristin C
I used fresh and it worked great. I just booked the pumpkin until tender and most liquid evaporated. Sorry for the delayed response. I just made the recipe.
Patti
I think I had a similar experience as David; I chilled in the fridge for 8 hours, then seeing it was still pretty sticky put it in the freezer overnight (approx 12-14 hours). While it was certainly “firm” and able to be cut, it has more of a chewy/sticky soft caramel consistency. I also used the ghiradelli and followed instructions to a T. The only thing I found odd in the cooking process was that the butter didn’t seem to want to combine with the other ingredients, and the chocolate & condensed milk didn’t “melt” so much as morphed together into a lump until the other liquids were added. Altogether, still very tasty!
Sam
Hmm I’m so sorry this has happened, Patti! I think your pan may have been too hot if they didn’t melt together properly, but I’m glad you were still able to enjoy it! 🙂
David Daggs
So….. Tried a batch last night and tastes good, looks good but didn’t set right. The recipe called for lining the pan with parchment paper but the video had aluminum foil. I had just tried the easy fudge recipe (making them together) and the aluminum worked great. My pumpkin fudge is sticking the the foil and it is not hard it has the texture of very thick dough? I chilled it in the refrigerator all night.
What do you think is wrong?
David
Sam
Hi David! So either aluminum or parchment would be fine and shouldn’t make a difference. What brand of chocolate chips did you use? I’ve been having problems with Tollhouse and other brands not firming up properly as they should and am wondering if that might be the issue.
David Daggs
Thank you for replying. I love that you get back so quickly. I used the ghirardelli like you recommended. The easy fudge recipe set up nicely but the pumpkin didn’t for some reason.
Sam
Of course, I just wish I had a better solution for you! That’s so odd that one did set up and one didn’t, they’re both based off the same formula and while the pumpkin puree could theoretically make the pumpkin fudge softer, there are enough other ingredients that should safely counteract that. I really am just not sure why it didn’t set up, I’m sorry. I’ll test it again myself but it should be firm, and I’m sorry you didn’t get that result 🙁
David Daggs
Good news, Sam!! I came home after letting the pumpkin fudge sit at room temperature (it was in the fridge all night) and it had set up during the day!! Still softer than the other fudge but not doughy and nice texture to go along with great taste. Came off the foil easily too!
Yay!!
David
Sam
Oh wonderful! I wonder what made it take so much longer to firm up! Thanks for the update, David, I do appreciate it 🙂
David Daggs
Sam,
Just curious but is there a way to share pictures of our attempts at your recipes with you?
David
Sam
I wish there was an easy way to do this on the blog but unfortunately I don’t have a way to share images here. The best way would be to tag me #sugarspunrun on Instagram or share a photo in my Facebook Baker’s club.
David Daggs
Thanks Sam, I guess I should join the 21st century and join those social media sites.
In the video you had little pumpkin candies you put on top. I liked that look but didn’t know where to get those so I made a batch of your cream cheese frosting, colored it and piped little pumpkins on top my fudge. I haven’t tasted it yet but it looks pretty good! And my kids can’t wait to try them!!
Thanks for the recipes!
David
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, David, for trying my recipes! I hope that everyone enjoys them! 🙂
Sheri-lyn Chelsea
Hi David. The little candies are found in the Candy corn autumn mix. Sometimes you can find a candy corn bag of just pumpkins. I hope this helps.
Jake Erdman
Either this isnt mobile accessible or theres no actual recipie just a video with no quantities. A recipie would be very helpful as opposed to a list of ingredients.
Jamie
click “Pumpkin Fudge Recipe” (in the very first line of the post). it takes you to the recipe on the sponsor page
shawnna
hey girl- this looks so delish!