The Hungry MouseEasy Dark Chocolate & Walnut Fudge
This is fudge making on easy mode. Now, I’ve made plenty of fudge in my day. Most of my recipes call for candy thermometers, precise heating and cooling, and a lot of beating (as in, a lot of beating). Not this fudge. This fudge is easy. And it’s really, really good.
This is my one of my mom’s favorite fudge recipes, based on an old Cook’s Illustrated clipping. It’s creamy, dark and, well, downright fudge-y.
The original recipe explains that the tiny bit of baking soda does something to the fudge’s pH to help lighten it up.
Easy Dark Chocolate & Walnut Fudge: A note on ingredients
Be sure to use condensed milk�not evaporated milk.
Sweetened condensed milk is really syrupy. Basically, it’s whole milk that’s evaporated with sugar. It’s thick, sticky, and very sweet. (Evaporated milk is condensed milk that’s not sweetened.)
Sweetened condensed milk
For the chocolate, I used a mix of regular ole semi-sweet chocolate chips and unsweetened Baker’s chocolate.
Oh, and about the nuts. This was amazing with walnuts, but I’ll bet it would also be really good with chopped pecans, hazelnuts, or almonds as well.
For the vanilla, I used the homemade vanilla extract that I’ve had going for years. (Vanilla beans + good vodka = fabulous vanilla extract.)
My bottle of homemade vanilla extract, stuffed with vanilla beans
Easy Dark Chocolate & Walnut Fudge: The basic technique
Basically, you heat most of the ingredients together in an improvised double boiler (or a real one, if you have it) until they *just* melt. Stir in the nuts, then turn the fudge out into a pan to cool and set up.
It’s really that simple. Read on for step-by-step photo instructions.
Easy Dark Chocolate & Walnut Fudge
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 14-0z. can condensed milk
1 Tbls. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
spray oil
Makes about 2 1/2 lbs. of fudge in an 8-inch square pan
Easy Dark Chocolate & Walnut Fudge: Do a little prep
Spray an 8-inch x 8-inch glass pan lightly with oil. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Press it down gently so it sticks. Set the pan aside.
Next, start an improvised double boiler. Put about 2 inches of water in a pan on the stove over high heat to get it boiling.
Measure out your chocolate chips and put them in a large, heatproof bowl.
Chop up the unsweetened chocolate into small-ish pieces. (I like to use a serrated bread knife to do this.)
Toss that into the bowl with the chocolate chips.
Easy Dark Chocolate & Walnut Fudge: Make the fudge mixture
Add the baking soda and the salt.
Stir to coat the chocolate and evenly distribute the salt and baking soda. (You don’t want to end up with clumps of them in your finished fudge.)
Pour in the condensed milk.
Give the inside of the can a scrape with a spatula to get it all out.
Toss in the vanilla.
Stir the whole thing to combine.
Easy Dark Chocolate & Walnut Fudge: Melt the ingredients
By now, your water should be boiling.
Drop the heat to low. Set your mixing bowl on top of the pot of water.
The chocolate should start to melt immediately.
Stir constantly until the mixture *just* melts.
This will only take a few minutes.
When the chocolate has just melted and the mixture is fairly smooth, remove the bowl from the heat.
Stir a little more once it’s off the heat to ensure that all the chocolate has melted.
The mixture will be really thick and creamy, like this:
Easy Dark Chocolate & Walnut Fudge: Finish the fudge
Toss in the chopped nuts.
Stir to combine them well.
Pour the fudge out into your prepared pan.
Smooth it down with a spatula so the surface is fairly even.
Set it in a cool spot (or in the fridge) for a few hours until it firms up.
When it’s firm, cut it up into squares. Or leave it in the pan and slice as needed.
I cut the whole pan up into squares and put each one in a mini-muffin liner.
This fudge keeps well tightly wrapped on the counter for a few weeks. That is, if it lasts.
Enjoy!
17 Comments on “Easy Dark Chocolate & Walnut Fudge”
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This looks positively delicious and ya know I always grab the one I need either evaporated milk or condensed milk___ they shouldn’t stock them side by side;)
Homemade fudge is such a great gift idea.
Not just around the holidays.It is great comfort food anytime.
Cheers !!!
By the way for that homemade vanilla,does Gray Goose qualify and I so want the recipe for that!!!!! Give it up-girl! LOL
I need to know this one.
Three posts in a row with desserts?!?!? Jessie, where is The Beef? Lol!!!
YUM! Everything looks good to me except the nuts! Can you please make a batch JUST FOR ME but without the nuts?
I only like nuts in my pesto.
Good tip on the condensed vs evaporated milk. Easy to overlook
As always, you are an artist!
Gabi.
I have a very important question to ask regarding one of the photographs, and I feel it needs an honest and forthright answer. Where you showed us how thick and creamy the batter is supposed to be?
Did you lick that off of your finger?
I am dying to know.
Yummy. Have you made this without the walnuts? Sorry, can’t stand them, but I do love plain fudge…
This fudge recipe I will definitely try! Looks great!
I love it! This is right up my alley since I do not have any high tech gear to make fudge the regular way lol I also like how you put them in mini muffin liners they are so cute
This fudge recipe looks easy and delicious I’ll must try it
These look fantastic, and what great pictures!! I want to go and try these right now!
My sister sent my thi slink about the fudge and I had to remind myself that they were pictures, or else I was going to bite the screen!!
Looks DE-LISH, Im ging to try it for my sisters baby shower- if they come out as good as yours I will use them as party favors!
Yikes, good stuff and not too difficult. No butter? Delightful! It’s almost healthy in a way….put me down for 2 lbs please Jessie.
Thanks, Nick! Hehehehe…I love it! It’s totally healthy.
xo
+Jessie
hi,
fab recipe.. need to ask a question, i did not have unsweetened chocolate, so i used cocoa powder, which i think i have used a little more than required, the fudge is not setting, its thick but not set.. any idea how can i repair the damage? or if this thick choco-walnut product can be used anywhere else? the taste is good though!
thanks!
Heya, Pre.
Alrighty, I think you just made yourself a killer batch of homemade Nutella.
The sugar in the cocoa powder you used will alter the recipe enough that it won’t set up.
At this point, I wouldn’t try to toss anything else in, especially since you like how it tastes. (Sometimes, it’s best to just stop.)
Like I said, I’d use it as a spread just like Nutella. Depending on how sweet it is and how thick, you might also be able to use it as frosting. Oh! Or fudge sauce for ice cream.
Let me know what you do?
+Jessie
I did the same thing. I used a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder along with the one ounce of unsweetened chocolate I had. It seems to be setting up but I guess I’ll have to wait and see. Did yours set up completely?
I made this for my husband who is away overseas for Valentines Day. It worked like a charm, and I can’t wait to send it to him. Thank’s so much. Really good, and way easy!:)
I made this last night and it was YUMMY!! Thank you!!