A classic sweet treat recipe, fudge is one of those staples of American confectionary. It’s gotten that status as a king of the candy world for two reasons: It tastes great and it can be made with only a handful of ingredients.
At its simplest, fudge can be a recipe with just 2 parts! That’s an insanely small shopping list you need for this kind of sweet!
Its history is just as short and sweet as a God fudge itself. First made in the United States in the mid to late 19th century, fudge recipes started getting printed in advertisements and papers shortly after.
As refined sugar started to become more available for a lot more Americans, fudge became a way of making a candy that could be made with as few ingredients as possible, whilst still being a great treat to share that wasn’t seen as a cheap candy option with little effort for people.
Given the success fudge has found in kitchens around the world, I’d say it’s doing pretty well for itself!
One of the staple flavors of fudge you can find out there is maple syrup, known for its sweetness amongst even other fudges, as well as that trademark creamy texture that all the best fudges have, this flavor is always a standout at any candy store or vendor.
There are hundreds of recipes for maple fudge you can find online, which can make it such a hassle to figure out which ones to try for yourself.
That’s why we’ve selected the best 4 for you. Some will be great examples of the classic recipes, others will have clever little spins on this old favorite of millions, but all with certainly be mouthwatering to the taste.
So, if you’re ready to start baking, we’re ready to give you this handy little guide, so let’s get to it!
1. Pure Maple Fudge by Sonia
To start us off, here’s a classic take on the old maple fudge recipe by My Evil Twin’s Kitchen. Don’t worry, the only sin you’ll be doing here is enjoying some top-quality fudge once it’s done!
The main thing you’ll want to keep in mind for this dish will be how long you need to boil your ingredients.
Remember, just because a recipe list is short, doesn’t mean there aren’t a couple of knacks to learn for good food. But with a little practice and a lot of patience, you’ll have some truly gorgeous fudge to enjoy at the end of it.
First, you start by greasing the edges and bottom of a loaf pan, any old one will do, with some good butter, before you line parchment paper along the inside of it. Make sure there’s a little overhang from the paper on it, as this will be useful for later.
Then you want to put your maple syrup in a large batch cooking saucepan, and bring it to its boiling point, then simmer it for 5 minutes. Careful whilst you’re doing this; the syrup has a tendency to rise quite a bit while it’s boiling.
Once that time is up, pour some heavy cream into your boiling saucepan. The cream will start to mix with the syrup once the temperature comes back up to a boil, so don’t mix it. In fact, the recipe actually recommends that you don’t!
Make sure your mix gets to about 234 and 237 °F/ 112 and 114 °C before going on to the next step. This can take about 20 minutes before it reaches that. Once it hits that heat, take the pan off the heat and add your butter, then it cool for a few minutes.
Then comes the tricky part: getting the right amount of air into your mix. You’ll want to beat it with some kind of implement, like an electric mixer, until it starts to lose shine as it crystallizes. The recipe says sometime around 5 minutes, but you’ll need your own judgment for this.
Once it’s got there, stop and pour your mixture into the loaf pan, spread it out, then put it in the fridge for a couple of hours. The parchment paper will help you pull it out of the mold once it sets.
For the full recipe and ingredients list, go to the home blog here. It has a great set of pictures to help you with every stage you are at.
2. Maple & Walnut Fudge
Like peanut and butter, or apples and cinnamon, maple and walnut fudge is a classic combination that goes great together. The smoothness of the fudge with the bite of the walnut is a combo for the ages.
Like with the last recipe, you’ll want to grease a loaf pan up with some butter, then line it with some good parchment paper.
Then you’ll want to bring the syrup to boil, making sure that it doesn’t spill over the edge of the pan it’s in, before adding that heavy cream into the mix, letting it mix on its own under the heat.
Then, you’ll want it to reach 234 and 237 °F/ 112 and 114 °C, which should take about 20-25 minutes before you take it away from the heat it was on, so you can let it cool. The recipe recommends about 10 minutes.
Then you can start to beat the mixture until it starts to thicken and loses some of that shine it had before, Then you can add in some chopped walnuts.
Once you’re done beating it, you can pour the mix into your loaf tin, then let it set in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours. Chop into slices, then cubes, and you’re ready to serve!
Click here for the original recipe and its full list of ingredients.
3. Easy Maple Fudge by HowToMakeEasyFudge
This is a great recipe to try out if you’re new to making fudge, or knew to cooking and baking in general. With only 2 different ingredients needed in this mix, you’ll be able to make an amazing treat out of almost nothing! Plus, with it being so simple, you’ll be able to add as many kinds of add-ons t your shopping list for this one.
First, you start by melting a bowl or cup of microwaveable white chocolate chips in the microwave (that is also microwavable, obviously), for about 1 minute on high power, stir, then return to them for another minute, then let it sit for 3 minutes, to let the chocolate sit in the heat to help it melt.
Then, you stir the white chocolate until it has all melted. Keep in mind, you should dry not to overheat your chocolate in the microwave, or else it will burn and be unusable in your fudge.
Ten, you should grease your loaf pan and line with parchment paper, as you would with any other fudge recipe.
Then, you pour your maple syrup into your melted chocolate and stir them well, until they’re fully mixed. This is the point where you’ll want to add your extra if you have them. The recipe recommends walnuts, the classic, or waffle pieces, amongst a few other options. Then you can pour and spread the mix into your pan, making sure it’s flat for a good spread of fudge, before putting it in the fridge to set for three hours.
And that’s it! No-fuss, no need to boil anything overheat, just a microwave, some chocolate, some maple syrup, and a tray! It’s that simple!
For the full recipe, follow the link here. They have some great tips for things to add to your easy fudge, as well as some alternative ways to prepare your ingredients if you’re interested.
4. Vegan Maple Fudge by Alisa Fleming
Thinking about trying to go dairy-free? Just because you can’t have cream, doesn’t mean you can’t make great maple fudge!
For a great vegan-friendly recipe, we recommend this variation by Go Dairy Free. It’s still smooth, it’s still rich, it’s everything you want in a fudge recipe, just without animal milk!
Once again, you start by greasing a loaf or baking tin, then lining it with parchment paper.
To start cooking your ingredients, put your sugar, coconut milk and oil, maple syrup, and salt in a pan, and start to boil them whilst you’re stirring the mix together. Once it starts rising as it boils, turn the heat down, and let the ingredients reach the ideal heat to go to the next step, with this recipe says is around 234 and 237 °F/ 112 and 114 °C.
Once it’s that heat, you can take the mix off the heat and start to beat in the vanilla extract. Keep beating it for 10-15 minutes, whilst the whole mixture starts to thicken up a little and cool down. The recipe handily says that it will have a similar consistency to frosting, which is a helpful tip to keep an eye out for.
Then, it’ll be good to pour your mix into your pan, spread it out evenly, then put it in the fridge to set for a couple of hours, anywhere between 2 and 3 hours should be good. It should be solid when you eventually take it out. Then you can slice it up into those recognizable fudge cubes, and it’s good to serve
Even with the extra ingredients, it’s a simple recipe once you get the hang on of it. The key difference here is the addition of coconut milk instead of dairy cream. For a full list of all your ingredients, go to this link here to Go Dairy Free’s original recipe.
in summary
Finding the perfect maple fudge recipes online can be overwhelming, so we’ve taken that stress off our shoulders. These 4 mouth watering maple fudge recipes are true to traditional maple fudge that you’ll find in confectionary shops. If you’re looking to replicate that, these will hit the spot!
