Fudge
A soft, creamy candy made by boiling sugar, milk or cream and butter, then beating it as it cools so it sets with very fine sugar crystals.
- Chocolate, sugar and confectionery
- United States
Classic fudge is cooked to the soft-ball stage, about 234 to 238°F (112 to 114°C), then left undisturbed until it cools to about 110°F (43°C) before it is beaten. Cooling first and beating later makes many tiny sugar crystals form at once, which gives fudge its smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture; beating while it is still very hot makes it grainy. Chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter and maple are common flavors.
Many modern recipes take a shortcut with sweetened condensed milk and melted chocolate, which sets without a thermometer. A candy thermometer is still the most reliable tool for the cooked kind.
Bake it at VanillaGoods
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Tools for this
ThermoWorks Thermapen ONEReads in about a second, so you can hit sugar and chocolate temperatures exactly.See it on Amazon
Farberware Stainless SaucepanA heavy base heats evenly so dairy and sugar don't scorch.See it on Amazon
DOWAN 8x8 Ceramic Baking DishThe classic square pan for bars, fudge and small-batch bakes.See it on Amazon
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Related entries
Sources
Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.
- Fudge (Q379138), Wikidata