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Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe

This quick and easy peanut butter fudge is a staple in our kitchen around the holidays! It’s soft, creamy and delicious!

Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge on a Plate

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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 on a Plate

Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge

4.72 from 7 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

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.
Keyword peanut butter fudge
Tried this recipe?Mention @audreyslittlefarm or tag #audreyslittlefarm

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Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

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Caramel Apple Cheesecake

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Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge on a Plate

5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My whole family loved my Grandma’s fudge. She always made it for Christmas and never used a recipe. No one ever thought to write down the ingredients or watch how she did it. We assumed we had time, but then she passed away unexpectedly at the age of 57. The family has tried to replicate this recipe and ruined so many batches that 20+ years later we all gave up trying. I have searched for a recipe that sounded close to what my family had concocted from their memories. Nothing ever came close until now! This is it! The first batch I made came out perfectly and I didn’t wait for it to completely cool before cutting a piece and trying it. I almost cried and called my mom and sister to tell them I had found it and shared the recipe. I live in Europe now and can’t be with my family for Christmas, but this recipe has me feeling connected to them. I gave pieces of fudge to my children while sharing stories of my Grandma with them. Thank you Audrey and “Pops” for sharing this recipe and bringing such joy to my family.

    1. 5 stars
      I was born and raised in Alabama and my grandmother used to make this too. My mother passed in 2014 at the age of 58 and no one had the recipe, and I believed it would be lost forever, but here it is! I’m so glad I found it!

  2. 5 stars
    So happy to have found this recipe. Just like what my Grandma used to make….except she never measured anything and didn’t write the recipe down!

    I tried my hand at fudge previously using the soft ball method like she used to, and I flopped so many batches. I don’t have a candy thermometer, but I do have an infrared thermometer and it worked a charm!

    First perfect batch down, many more to go!

  3. 5 stars
    I’ve tried making fudge several times and it never ever turns out right, THIS was perfect. Exactly what I was looking for, tastes like what you get at a specialty store. So tasty. I made half a batch in a smaller container and it worked out lovely. ( I was wary of trying another fudge recipe! ) Thank you for sharing, delightful!

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