This recipe is for vegan fudge made the authentic old-fashioned way! Rich, creamy, melt in your mouth chocolate fudge, like the kind that you would find in a fudge shop! This isn't 2 or 3 ingredient fudge made of melted chocolate chips, or healthy fudge made from nut butter. This fudge uses a candy-making process and is cooked on the stovetop, but I promise the little extra effort will be well worth it when you taste your first bite!
I grew up with a mother who is a serious chocoholic and her chocolate of choice was old-fashioned fudge. She has made at least a batch a week ever since I can remember. When I went vegan, I was scared that I would never be able to enjoy her fudge again, but she simply made it with soy milk and vegan butter, and it came out better than with cow's milk. (Even she admits that her old fudge recipe is better when made with soy milk.)
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❔ Why make this recipe
Chocolate fudge made on the stovetop is simply delicious. It's slightly dry to the touch, but the second it touches your mouth it starts to melt and you know that you are biting into something special. It's a taste that will bring you back to bake sales, grandma's kitchen, fudge shops, or Christmas cookie trays from when you were a kid.
🌟 Troubleshooting
This old-fashioned recipe produces the best-tasting fudge, but it's not an easy no-fail method. If you follow the recipe exactly and use a good candy thermometer, it's actually fairly simple, but I had many batches fail before I realized that my thermometer was not calibrated correctly.
Candy making is a very precise process and you will need a good candy thermometer to make sure that it sets correctly. However, I must tell you that even with a candy thermometer, the fudge will come out differently every time depending on the weather. Even though my mother has made hundreds of batches, it still sets up differently every time she makes it depending on the humidity.
You will have the best results if you make it on cool dry days with low humidity. However, my mother and I have had many rainy days that just called for a batch of fudge and when it doesn't set up firm enough, we call it Spoon Fudge and we enjoy it just the same.
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Sugar - use dry light-colored sugar like organic cane sugar. Don't try to swap this out for a healthier alternative. This is not healthy low-sugar fudge.
- Cocoa Powder - any good quality cocoa powder will work.
- Salt - for flavor.
- Plant-Based Milk - I usually use soymilk, but oat milk or Ripple are also good choices. You want to use plant milk that has fat and protein content similar to cow's milk, so almond or rice milk are not great choices.
- Vegan Butter - any high-quality vegan margarine will work well, you don't want to use the cheap brands of margarine that are watery when they melt. You can also use the stick version of my homemade vegan butter if you wish.
- Vanilla Extract - for flavor.
🔪 Helpful tools
- A candy thermometer - make sure you have a good quality candy thermometer to give you an accurate temperature reading.
- A medium-sized saucepan with a heavy bottom. (Your fudge mixture will bubble up and rise to almost triple the amount when it's boiling, so make sure you use a 4-quart pan or larger.)
- A wooden spoon to stir the fudge. You don't want to use a metal spoon or whisk.
- An 8-inch square pan or a pie dish will also work.
- Parchment paper allows you to lift it out of the pan and cut it into nice squares, but you can also spread a little butter on the pan if you don't have parchment paper.
🥄 Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. (Give the pan a little spray oil before setting in the parchment to make it stick to the pan and not move around on you.)
- Put the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and soy milk in a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom.
- Turn on the heat to medium, and stir frequently until it comes to a strong boil. (this will take about 15 minutes) It will get very foamy looking.
- Turn down the heat until it continues at a slow boil and stir it occasionally until it reaches 234° F (112.2° C) on a candy thermometer. (this will take about 15 more minutes) The syrup will appear darker and get lower in the pan when it's close to 234° F. Watch it closely once it gets to about 230° F, it can go to 234° F quickly.
- Immediately remove it from the heat (set it on a cool burner) and add the vegan butter and vanilla (don't stir or move it, let the butter melt and float to the top).
- Once the pan is cool enough to keep your hand on the side of it for about 5 seconds without needing to take it away, it is time to stir the fudge. (This will take about 15-20 minutes after cooking)
- Sit down and set the saucepan on your lap (to give you leverage and keep your arm from getting too tired) (you can put a tea towel under the pan so it's not too hot on your legs) and stir well until all of the butter and vanilla are incorporated and it starts to thicken slightly or lose its gloss.
- Once it starts to thicken or get less shiny, immediately pour it into the parchment-lined pan and smooth it out evenly.
- Allow it to cool to room temperature before taking it out of the pan and cutting it into squares.
👩🏻🍳 Pro tips
- Make sure to use a pan with a heavy bottom so it heats evenly.
- Use a wooden spoon not a metal spoon or a whisk to stir the fudge.
- Keep a close eye on the thermometer. The second that it reaches 234° F (112.2° C), turn off the heat and remove it from the burner. (Don't just turn it off and let it continue to sit on a hot burner!)
- Don't let it cool too much before you begin beating in the butter and vanilla or it will set in the pan.
⛰️ High altitude instructions
For every one thousand feet of altitude above sea level, deduct 2 degrees from 234° F. For example, if you live 5,000 feet above sea level, you would deduct 10 degrees and only cook your fudge to 224° F.
🥡 Storage
Wrap the fudge in parchment paper and store it in an airtight container on the countertop for 1 week or in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. You can also seal it in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
This fudge makes a great special treat for holidays and special occasions! It's perfect for a homemade gift of chocolates for Christmas or Valentine's Day! You can check out more about how I do this in my post about homemade vegan chocolates.
If the process of making homemade vegan fudge overwhelms you or you want a healthy alternative, my healthy almond butter freezer fudge is delicious, super easy to make, and is made in minutes with only 3 ingredients!
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Vegan fudge recipe
Vegan Fudge
Equipment
- A candy thermometer - make sure you have a good quality candy thermometer to give you an accurate temperature reading.
- A medium-sized saucepan with a heavy bottom. (Your fudge mixture will bubble up and rise to almost triple the amount when it's boiling, so make sure you use a 4-quart pan or larger.)
- A wooden spoon to stir the fudge. You don't want to use a metal spoon or whisk.
- An 8-inch square pan or a pie dish will also work.
- Parchment paper allows you to lift it out of the pan and cut it into nice squares, but you can also spread a little butter on the pan if you don't have parchment paper.
Ingredients
- 3 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup soy milk (or oat milk or Ripple)
Add in after cooking
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. (Give the pan a little spray oil before setting in the parchment to make it stick to the pan and not move around on you.)
- Put the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and soy milk in a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom.
- Turn on the heat to medium, and stir frequently until it comes to a strong boil. (this will take about 15 minutes) It will get very foamy looking.
- Turn down the heat until it continues at a slow boil and stir it occasionally until it reaches 234° F (112.2° C) on a candy thermometer. (this will take about 15 more minutes) The syrup will appear darker and get lower in the pan when it's close to 234° F. Watch it closely once it gets to about 230° F, it can go to 234° F quickly.
- Immediately remove it from the heat (set it on a cool burner) and add the vegan butter and vanilla (don't stir or move it, let the butter melt and float to the top).
- Once the pan is cool enough to keep your hand on the side of it for about 5 seconds without needing to take it away, it is time to stir the fudge. (This will take about 15-20 minutes after cooking)
- Sit down and set the saucepan on your lap (to give you leverage and keep your arm from getting too tired) (you can put a tea towel under the pan so it's not too hot on your legs) and stir well until all of the butter and vanilla are incorporated and it starts to thicken slightly or lose its gloss.
- Once it starts to thicken or get less shiny, immediately pour it into the parchment-lined pan and smooth it out evenly.
- Allow it to cool to room temperature before taking it out of the pan and cutting it into squares.
Notes
- Make sure to use a pan with a heavy bottom so it heats evenly.
- Use a wooden spoon not a metal spoon or a whisk to stir the fudge.
- Keep a close eye on the thermometer. The second that it reaches 234 F (112.2° C), turn off the heat and remove it from the burner. (Don't just turn it off and let it continue to sit on a hot burner!)
- Don't let it cool too much before you begin beating in the butter and vanilla or it will set in the pan.
- For every one thousand feet of altitude above sea level, deduct 2 degrees from 234° F. For example, if you live 5,000 feet above sea level, you would deduct 10 degrees and only cook your fudge to 224° F.
Nutrition
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Leave a comment and starred review! I would love to hear from you!
Hi Monica
I tried making the fudge last night. I put the ingredients in the pan set a 15 minute timer and stired frequently. It never seem to reduce. I kept going, followed next step. Then mixing it it never seemed to thicken or loose its shine. I poured into the pan and place in the refrigerator. It never solidified it tastes great but looks more like jot fudge consistency. Can I try reboiling it? Your thoughts. Happy Holidays Brenna
I don't think that you can reboil it once you add butter to it. I like to use it like chocolate syrup to make hot chocolate if it doesn't set. Do you have a candy thermometer? That is the best way to get it to the correct temperature to set properly.
Is this gluten-free as well as dairy free? Thank you
Yes, it's both gluten and dairy-free. Enjoy!
Just made this to bring to a dinner party hosted by a friend with a dairy allergy. I used mixed nuts and dried cherries - gorgous! Had a hard job stopping my husband from demolishing all right away 🙂
I'm so happy that the recipe worked well for you! The nuts and cherries sound delicious! 🙂
Many Thanks~
You're welcome. 🙂
I have made this several times now. It got rave reviews from everyone! I'm currently addicted. Thanks!
I'm so happy that you like it, Melo! 🙂
I can't get it to set right it is too creamy. What am I doing wrong?? It's sooo good but can't get it to set right. I followed instructions to a T.
This recipe comes out differently due to the humidity in the air. It works best on low humidity days. If it's too soft, just put it in the fridge for at least a few hours and it should frim up.
I’m so pleased to find this recipe, as I make regular fudge like this & have been trying to make it vegan for some friends.
Question - do you use unsweetened soy milk? Is there a particular kind you like? Soy milk come in so many varieties. Thanks!
Jennifer
I've used many types of soy milk and they all work well. I usually use plain or vanilla soy milk that is found in the refrigerated section of the store. 🙂
So I started making this and then realized I did not have a candy thermometer like I thought I did, if I just cook it at the time you stated do you think that it will work?
It is very hard to gauge it correctly with time alone. You can drop the hot syrup into cold water to test for the softball stage. If you drop it in the water and it dissolves or flattens, it is not hot enough. If it gets hard very quickly it is too hot and has reached the hardball stage.
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make them?
You can make it up to 3 weeks ahead as long as you keep it in the fridge. Enjoy! 🙂
THis looks so good! What a great treat to make for Christmas while still sticking to being vegan!
Can you use coconut oil in place of the butter?
Yes, I think that it should work fine. Enjoy! 🙂
Thank you so much, Monica (as well as for your prompt response to this!). I'm very much looking forward to this recipe. Happy, Healthy Holidays!
Made this recipe today and it came out great! Tastes amazing! Thank you!
You are very welcome! I'm so happy that you liked it! 🙂
Hi Monica! I tried your recipe tonight since it looks amazing! Except it took us 35 minutes to beat it once it was cooled and it was still glossy. And it never set properly after that. I wanted to ask you if you know a reason as to why it stayed glossy after stirring it that long?
Thank you!
Hi Catherine, fudge making in this way is a very tricky thing. It comes out a little differently every time even if you do everything the exact same way. The humidity in the air makes a big difference in the final product too. Mine comes out like that when I try to make it on rainy days or if I'm running a humidifier in the house. You may have also not gotten it hot enough. Even if you brought it to 230 F and not 234 F, it will not set as firm. I hope that you try it again. I know it's a little fussy, but well worth it when you master it! 🙂
This looks very good. ^-^ Do you know how I could make it just brown sugar fudge?
That was always my favorite kind. 🙂
Thank you very much.
I'm not sure, since I always made the chocolate fudge, but brown sugar fudge sounds delicious! I think you could swap out the white sugar for brown sugar and omit the chocolate and you may have good results. 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! I've been looking for an authentic vegan fudge recipe and was thrilled to find this. Making it the old fashioned way is well worth it.....I followed the recipe exactly and the taste and texture are just like I remember! Yum!
You're welcome! I'm so happy that you liked it! 🙂