I‘m going to be honest; I’m not a huge fan of fudge, even though I have several recipes on Eat Laugh Purr. As I’ve said before, I’m more of a savory girl and fudge is very, very rich for me. I can generally eat only a bite or two, which may be a good thing. 🙂 But I’m making fudge today. Why? Because I’m on a quest to redeem myself.
A few months ago, when my brother was visiting, I made some peanut butter fudge. There was a half can of condensed milk in my fridge begging to be used, so after doing some searching online, I stumbled across a peanut butter fudge recipe that … you guessed it—needed a half can of condensed milk. Well, to be blunt, I didn’t like it. Neither did my big brother.
He is too polite to say anything bad, but the fact that he didn’t stuff his face with it, made it pretty apparent that neither of us were overly enchanted with this fudge. I was pretty bummed about it and have been searching for the perfect peanut butter fudge since then.
My needs are simple; I hate candy thermometers. I only use them for caramels and only because caramels are my absolute favorite holiday candy. But otherwise, I really have to be enamored with the recipe to pull out the dreaded candy thermometer.
It’s important to note that is no real logic behind my disdain of candy thermometers. It’s just fussy and I hate fussy. I like simple!
So the perfect peanut butter fudge would not need a candy thermometer; it would be easy to make and most importantly—it was taste delicious! So good that my brother would devour a mountain of fudge while I watched with great satisfaction. My pride would be restored and all would be right in the world again.
So did I find the perfect recipe? Yes, I’d like to think so! This recipe is decadent (as fudge should be) and rich and creamy and …. yes, it is delicious! Sure, it’s still a bit too rich for me to eat more than a nibble, but I have that issue with almost all fudge. The one little bite that I can take is … bliss. Pure bliss.
Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter*
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 230g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 4 cups sifted confectioners sugar*
- 3/4 cup add-ins, such as miniature chocolate chips, peanuts or mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (optional)
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang so you can easily remove and cut the finished fudge.
- In a large microwaveable bowl, add the butter and peanut butter. Microwave for 1 minute on high, then stir. Repeat until mixture is melted and smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla using a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Add the salt if you prefer a salty/sweet fudge and I highly recommend you do add the salt. Add the confectioners sugar and stir until completely combined. The mixture will be very thick, similar to cookie dough.
- Press half the fudge into prepared baking pan. Next Sprinkle your add-ons over fudge, then spread remaining fudge smoothly over top, using a spatula. Optional, top with a few mini peanut butter cups, slightly pushing them into fudge. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until firm. Cut into pieces. They taste best at room temperature, so ideally bring them back up to room temp before serving.
- Fudge may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze the fudge for up to 2 months (My Mom always does this. She makes fudge in advance and takes it out for the holidays.). Fudge will thaw after 2-4 hours in the refrigerator.
Notes
*Sally recommends using store bought peanut butter over homemade. If using natural, make sure the peanut butter is not oily at all.
*Sally says confectioners sugar must be sifted. I cheated a bit here. As I do with flour, I stir the sugar to make it nice and fluffy, then measure the amount I need. I use a light touch, i.e. I don’t press or pack the sugar into the measuring cup.
You can also mix-in the add-ons, rather than layering them in between the fudge. It will create lovely swirls of chocolate. You can also do both. Mix in half the add-ons and than layer the other half between the fudge. 🙂
Recipe from Peanut Butter Fudge
Enjoy!
Tanya
Ho-lee cow. That looks amazing! You don’t have a candy delivery service set up, do you? 😉 I can’t wait to try this recipe out. Thanks for sharing, Tanya!
You’re welcome, Kali! They turned out great and for you – I’d be happy to whip a pan! 😉
Hi Tanya – thanks very much for sharing this recipe. I absolutely LOVE fudge and anything with nuts in it – this looks delicious 🙂
Hi Susan,
You are very welcome! This is a delicious fudge and I think you’d really enjoy it. And it’s pretty simple to make, which is sometimes a bad thing! LOL!
Hi Tanya,
I am with Sue there – just LOVE fudge and chocolates, so this is a deadly thing for us!! I know my kid’s will love it, and I’m going to ask them to make this one, which both of them can manage, now that they’re grown up enough.
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice weekend 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Oh, this fudge is so good, Rich and creamy and I know you and your family would love it. And it’s even better when you can send the kids to the kitchen and have them make it for you. 🙂
You have a great weekend too!
Oh man Tanya, that sounds really really good.
Mom made me some peanut butter fudge a couple weeks ago but it doesn’t have anything in the middle of it. She tried to put chocolate on the top but didn’t make enough so I have half and half. I bet it would be really good with any type of chocolate in the middle though. You can’t go wrong with chocolate or peanut butter anything. Yeah, I’m a big fan.
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe too.
~Adrienne
Thanks, Adrienne! I agree you can never go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter. They were made for each other. Your Mom’s fudge sounds delicious too!
Looks yummy, Tanya! We bought fudge one year in Frisco, CO on a summer vacation. It was so “rich” that we called it Frisco Crisco! Most fudge is too rich for me, but this one looks good. Thanks for sharing!
I hear you, Maggie! I have a hard time with super rich treats too. These are definitely rich, but the peanut butter helps it from be too sweet for me. And Frisco Cisco sounds like it would definitely be too rich for me! LOL!
I’m really not a fudge eater, but love peanut butter cups so I might just like this. I especially love Trader Joe’s mini peanut butter cups. So much so that I won’t buy them anymore! I’ll end up eating the whole container, and my waistline just can’t afford that! 🙂
Me neither, Carol. I can handle about a sliver of most fudge, but the peanut butter helps this from being too sweet for me. I love Trader Joe’s mini peanut butter cups too! They are dangerous, although since I crave savory, I have to be careful of things like chips. I can never eat just one! 🙂
Hey there Tanya,
Oh my yummy peanut butter goodness! I love peanuts but I break out big time.
Yet after looking at this recipe…I’m willing to take the risk!
Thanks for sharing this! Hope you had a great weekend Tanya! See ya around in the Socialsphere!
Oh no! What a bummer that peanuts make your break out. This recipe is definitely worth a breakout … maybe! 🙂 I hate breakouts, makes me feel like a teenager again. I wouldn’t mind my teenage metabolism but I don’t know if I really want to be a teenager again. Been there, done that! Have a great week Corina!
peanut butter and chocolate … one of the best creations EVER. … This recipe is just in time for the holidays! YAY
I agree, Arlelis. Whoever thought to put those two together is a genius! It’s super easy to make, which makes it even better. I’ve got some in the freezer ready to share with my family. It was too dangerous, just sitting on the counter—begging me to take a nibble. Or two!