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American

Chocolate Fudge

Chocolate chips melt into sweetened condensed milk with butter, salt, and a pinch of espresso. The fudge chills until it slices into firm squares.

Prep
10 min
Cook
10 min
Total
20 min
Servings
24
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Squares of glossy chocolate fudge with chopped walnuts on parchment

Why you’ll love it

  • Condensed milk is the sugar and the set. There is no candy thermometer to chase.
  • Low heat melts the chocolate without seizing it.
  • Espresso does not make it taste like coffee. It makes the chocolate taste deeper.
  • A full chill is what makes clean squares instead of a soft smear.

Ingredients

Servings24

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment.

  2. 2

    Put the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter in a heavy saucepan.

  3. 3

    Set the pan over low heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot, about 5 to 8 minutes. Do not let it boil.

  4. 4

    Take it off the heat. Stir in the vanilla, salt, and espresso powder.

  5. 5

    Fold in the walnuts.

  6. 6

    Spread the fudge in the pan and smooth the top.

  7. 7

    Cool 30 minutes, then refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

  8. 8

    Lift out the slab and cut into 24 squares.

Pro tips

  • A splash of water in the chocolate will seize it. Use a dry spoon.
  • If the mixture looks grainy, keep stirring over the lowest heat. It usually comes back together.
  • Oil the knife or wipe it between cuts for cleaner edges.

Easy substitutions

walnuts
chopped pecans
instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
semisweet chocolate chips
milk chocolate chips for a sweeter fudge

Storage and reheating

Storage

Keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 weeks, or at cool room temperature up to 4 days.

Reheating

Do not reheat. Let fridge-cold squares sit 10 minutes if you want a softer bite.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
135
Protein
2 g
Carbs
16 g
Fat
7 g
Fiber
1 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients