This quick and easy peanut butter fudge is a staple in our kitchen around the holidays! It’s soft, creamy and delicious!
There are certain desserts and recipes that I make that aren’t only about the taste, but about the memories.
And this peanut butter fudge is one of them.
There isn’t a time that I make this fudge or eat it, that I don’t think of my grandpa “Pops.”
I got this recipe from him and I hope one day I’ll be able to master it like he had. He still makes it better than anyone I know and when I say he mastered it, that’s an understatement.
I vividly remember the last time I got to make fudge with him and I was trying to study every exact step so I could do it just like him.
He rarely even used a candy thermometer because he would just watch the hot mixture run off the spoon and he knew it was ready when it slowly dripped off.
So even though this old fashioned fudge recipe really is the best tasting fudge I’ve ever had, I love it the most because it gives me wonderful memories of Pops.
I hope that you and your family will enjoy this recipe at the holidays or even year around as much as mine does!
How to Make Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge
This is one of the easiest recipes I have but if you barely overcook it, it’ll quickly turn to crumbles.
So my biggest piece of advice is to cook it slow and as soon as it is approaching the correct temperature quickly remove it from the heat and you’ll be good!
You can always pour undercooked fudge over ice cream, but the only good place for over cooked fudge is in the trash can.
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
2 TBSP cocoa powder
2 TBSP butter
1 cup milk
1 cup creamy peanut butter
Directions:
Step 1:
Butter an 8 x 8 glass baking dish and set aside.
Step 2:
In a medium or large pot, add sugar, cocoa powder, butter, and milk.
Step 3:
Cook on low to medium heat while stirring constantly. Once the mixture comes to a boil use a candy thermometer and watch the temperature. As soon as it approaches a soft ball stage remove it from the heat.
Soft ball stage is 240 degrees F. So once the mixture gets to about 238 degrees I will remove it from the heat because overcooking this fudge will ruin it.
Step 4:
Once you remove the fudge mixture from the heat then quickly add in the peanut butter and continue stirring until the mixture is completely smooth.
Step 5:
Once the fudge mixture is smooth pour it into your buttered dish and let it cool. It should be firm enough to cut and serve within 10 minutes.
Trouble Shooting:
If the fudge is already setting up in the pan before you pour it into your baking dish it has been over cooked.
If the mixture seems too runny when you pour it into your baking dish it may have been undercooked. But give it time because it still may set up. If it doesn’t, it will still taste great and you can serve it on top of ice cream.
Fudge Making Tips
Always cook at a low to medium temperature so that the mixture heats up slowly and doesn’t overcook.
To test soft ball stage without a thermometer, drop a spoonful of the hot mixture into a cup of very cold ice water. If it has reached soft ball stage it will form a soft ball in the water and then flatten out once it’s removed.
Always lean on the side of undercooking versus overcooking as you start testing out the recipe. Overcooked fudge cannot be undone and just crumbles apart. While undercooked fudge will still taste good, it just may not completely firm up.
Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 TBSP cocoa powder
- 2 TBSP butter
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Butter an 8 x 8 glass baking dish and set aside.
- In a medium or large pot, add sugar, cocoa powder, butter, and milk.
- Cook on low to medium heat while stirring constantly. Once the mixture comes to a boil use a candy thermometer and watch the temperature. As soon as it approaches a soft ball stage remove it from the heat.
- Soft ball stage is 240 degrees F. So once the mixture gets to about 238 degrees I will remove it from the heat because overcooking this fudge will ruin it.
- Once you remove the fudge mixture from the heat then quickly add in the peanut butter and continue stirring until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Once the fudge mixture is smooth pour it into your buttered dish and let it cool. It should be firm enough to cut and serve within 10 minutes.
Here are more recipes you may enjoy!
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
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