White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Recipe (2024)

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Whether you’re looking for a fun holiday gift or just a way to treat your family, this white chocolate peppermint fudge recipe is a classic.

White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Recipe (1)

I was so surprised to read that it's believed fudge originated from Baltimore, Maryland!

I may be a Florida girl now, but I'm originally from the Old Line State. I still make Maryland crab dip and Old Bay crab cakes, both recipes from my home state, and both delicious!

This fudge is rich and creamy, but with the refreshing taste of mint. It is one of those dishes that feels like it should be complicated, but it really is an easy recipe for the holiday season.

The red and white colors are ideal for the winter months, making this a great homemade Christmas gift for family or friends.

The only problem is that this festive fudge tastes so good it may be hard to give it away! You’ll want to make extra to get through the holiday months.

If you also love all things peppermint this time of year, be sure to check out these Christmas Peppermint Brownies, Double Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies, and these to die for Peppermint Mocha Cookies.

Jump to:
  • 🖤 Why We Love this Recipe
  • 🛒 What Goes Into This Fudge
  • How to Make White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge
  • 📖 Variations
  • FAQs
  • 💭 Top Tips
  • More Sweet Holiday Treats
  • White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Recipe

🖤 Why We Love this Recipe

This white chocolate fudge recipe takes only a few ingredients and minimal prep time. That can be your little secret, though, because it is so rich and luxurious that everyone will think you spent a lot of time on this homemade fudge.

All of the ingredients are easy to obtain at your local grocery store. For some added gift-giving pizazz, pick up some holiday-themed boxes to give slices of fudge away.

Most of the time needed for this recipe is just chilling it in the fridge. Just mix this up and then write out those holiday cards or wrap some gifts while you wait. Yay for multi-tasking during this busy time of year!

🛒 What Goes Into This Fudge

Creamy, sweet, and minty, there are not a lot of ingredients needed to whip up this white chocolate peppermint fudge recipe.

White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Recipe (2)

Key Ingredients

White chocolate chips. It wouldn’t be fudge without a chocolaty base. In this case, it’s white chocolate chips that provide that creamy fudge starter.

Sweetened condensed milk. To make your white chocolate fudge even more creamy, sweetened condensed milk is a must. Without it, basically you’re just making a chocolate bar.

Mint extract and candies. It would be impossible to have minty fudge without the mint. The peppermint flavor comes from both mint extract and peppermint candies.

See recipe card for quantities and full directions.

How to Make White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

With only a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time, it doesn’t get much easier than this fudge recipe!

Step 1: Prepare an 8x8 inch square baking dish by lining it with parchment paper, and set aside.

Step 2: Add the condensed milk to the chocolate chips in a glass bowl.

Step 3: Heat the sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate chips in the glass bowl over water in a double boiler over medium heat until they start to melt.

You can also do this in a regular pan with just a few inches of water covering the bottom of the bowl.

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Step 4: Fold in half of the crushed mints or crushed candy canes, peppermint extract, and salt. Stir until combined.

White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Recipe (5)

Step 5: Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan. Use a rubber spatula to make sure the fudge is even and smooth.

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Step 6: Sprinkle the rest of the crushed mint candy pieces on top of the fudge.

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Step 7: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set (about 1 hour). Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Recipe (8)

📖 Variations

Any of these variations would make a great holiday gift!

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge. Love the richness of dark chocolate when it mixes with the chill of peppermint? Simply swap out the white chocolate chips for dark chocolate ones and keep everything else the same.

Rocky Road Marshmallow Fudge. Prepare the fudge as above, but omit the mint extract and peppermint candies and swap the white chocolate chips for milk chocolate chips.

Once the fudge is put into the pan, but before it sets, swirl in a half a cup of marshmallow creme. Top with mini marshmallows and a few more chocolate chips, and then chill until set.

Mint Oreo Fudge. Instead of topping with crushed peppermint candies, use crumbled mint Oreo cookies on top. They add a great texture and a wonderful chocolate-mint flavor.

Cranberry Bliss Fudge. Replace the mint extract with orange extract, and stir in ½ cup of dried, sweetened cranberries instead of the crushed mint candies. Top with chopped walnuts or pecans before chilling.This is another one that's perfect for holiday parties!

FAQs

Can you melt the chocolate in the microwave instead of a double boiler?

If you’re not a fan of cooking fudge on the stove top, you can make it in the microwave. Simply put the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high for 60 seconds. Stir and microwave in 30-second intervals until melted, and then blend in the sweetened condensed milk, mint extract, and salt.

How long will the fudge keep?

When kept at room temperature, fudge will last around 2 to 3 weeks. Putting fudge in the fridge will actually remove moisture from it, making it dry and crumbly.

Do you need a candy thermometer for making fudge?

Some fudge recipes do call for a candy thermometer to monitor the tempering of the fudge. Generally, those recipes use butter and sugar. Because this recipe uses sweetened condensed milk, there’s no need to carefully monitor the temperature with a candy thermometer! One less thing!

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💭 Top Tips

Keep a close eye on the chocolate while you are melting it. If you’re using a double boiler method, make sure that you have enough water in the bottom of your double boiler so that it doesn’t boil off.

Also, keep an eye on the chocolate to make sure that it melts but doesn’t burn. If you feel it starting to stick to the pan, remove it from the heat.

Don’t have an actual double boiler? Use a fondue pot! If you have a fondue pot lying around, it is a great way to slowly melt the chocolate without the setup of a double boiler.

Add colorful swirls for a festive look. Want to make your fudge even more festive? Once it's in the baking pan, but before you chill it, drip a couple drops of food coloring on the top of the fudge. Use a knife to gently swirl the food coloring into the fudge, leaving ribbons of color throughout.

This fudge makes such a nice way to say thank you to those who serve us all year long, like our mail delivery person, trash pick up, and people we hire throughout the year. We love food gifts for Christmas!

I'd love to know what you think of this easy white chocolate peppermint fudge. If you make it, please give it a rating. Thank you!

White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Recipe (10)

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White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Recipe (15)

White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Recipe

This delicious recipe for White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge makes a creamy and festive dessert that’s perfect for Christmas!

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Chill time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 20 pieces

Calories: 254kcal

Author: Kelly Stilwell

Ingredients

  • 2 12 oz. bags of white chocolate chips
  • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • ¼ teaspoon Peppermint extract
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • 25 starlight mints crushed

Instructions

  • Prepare an 8x8 inch square baking dish by lining it with parchment paper, and set aside.

  • Heat the sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate chips in a double boiler over medium heat until they start to melt.

  • Fold in half of the crushed mints or crushed candy canes, peppermint extract, and salt. Stir until combined.

  • Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Use a rubber spatula to make sure the fudge is even and smooth.

  • Sprinkle the rest of the crushed mints on top of the fudge.

  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set (about 1 hour). Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Notes

Keep a close eye on the chocolate while you are melting it. If you’re using a double boiler method, make sure that you have enough water in the bottom of your double boiler so that it doesn’t boil off.

Also, keep an eye on the chocolate to make sure that it melts but doesn’t burn. If you feel it starting to stick to the pan, remove it from the heat.

Don’t have an actual double boiler? Use a fondue pot! If you have a fondue pot lying around, it is a great way to slowly melt the chocolate without the setup of a double boiler.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @kastilwell or tag #FFFP!

White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good fudge? ›

Tips for Making Fudge
  • Monitor the Temperature with a Candy Thermometer. If you end up with soft fudge that turns into a puddle in your hands or hard fudge that is a bit reminiscent of a crunchy candy, improper temperature is likely to blame. ...
  • Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer. ...
  • Beat Thoroughly.
Mar 8, 2023

Why didn't my white chocolate fudge set? ›

Fudge Didn't Set

If your fudge turned out super sticky, or it didn't set as it cooled, it probably never got hot enough. This mistake is super easy to avoid if you use a candy thermometer and cook the fudge to the temperature specified in the recipe (usually between 234 and 239°F).

What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›

Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.

Why won't my 2 ingredient fudge set? ›

The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.

Is evaporated milk or condensed milk better for fudge? ›

Use Evaporated Milk- Make sure to use evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk. If you accidentally use sweetened condensed milk your fudge will be incredibly over the top sweet. Cut up the Butter– Before adding the butter in make sure to cut it into smaller pieces for faster melting.

What makes high quality fudge? ›

You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).

Can you fix fudge that didn't set? ›

It sounds like your fudge simply wasn't heated enough. ... If it's overcooked (resulting in grainy fudge) or undercooked (resulting in poor setting) all you really need to do is add a bit of cream, reheat the fudge to the target temperature, and let it set again.

What can I make with fudge that didn't set? ›

OPTION 1) Depending on how runny it is, you can either use it as a frosting for cakes, or a sauce for ice-cream. OPTION 2) Freeze it overnight. Cut it into squares. Cover each square thickly in melted chocolate, ensuring no part of the fudge is exposed.

What is the difference between white chocolate and white fudge? ›

Chocolate uses elements of the cacao bean; even in creating white chocolate, cocoa butter from the cacao bean is the main ingredient. Fudge, however, is a confection made both with and without cocoa or other chocolate elements. You can substitute vanilla or peanut butter, for example, for the chocolate.

Should I stir fudge while boiling? ›

Stir the ingredients to dissolve the sugar until the mixture comes to a boil. If your recipe uses milk, stirring will keep the mixture from curdling. But once it reaches about 236–238 degrees F/113–114 degrees C (the "soft-ball" stage), do not stir it or even shake the pan.

Why is my old fashioned fudge not hardening? ›

You didn't cook it long enough. Fudge needs to be heated to the "soft ball" stage. It is salvageable, but you'd have to be very careful of sugar crystallization. If you make a mistake you'll wind up with a grainy mess.

How long do you boil fudge to get to soft-ball stage? ›

How long does it take to make fudge:
  1. about 18 min to reach boiling.
  2. about 40 minutes to reach soft ball stage.
  3. 60 minutes to cool.
  4. 28 minutes to beat in a KitchenAid (your time for this may vary)
  5. 4 hours to set.

How do I know if my fudge is going to set? ›

The mixture may seize and become grainy. Use a candy thermometer or conduct a cold water test to check if the fudge is done. Do not rely on the cooking time indicated in your recipe. The fudge is ready when a candy thermometer reads between 112°C to 114°C (234°F to 237°F) or the mixture forms a soft ball in cold water.

Why does my fudge fall apart when I cut it? ›

Overcooking or Undercooking:Solution: Cooking the fudge for too long or too short a time can affect its texture. Follow the recipe instructions closely and use a timer to avoid overcooking.

How long does it take for fudge to set on the counter? ›

Once the fudge has thickened and the nuts are added, pour the fudge into the prepared pan. Allow it to set at room temperature until firm, about three hours or overnight.

Should you stir fudge constantly? ›

It is important to stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken and its surface starts to look dull or matte. Now is the time to stop beating and pour the fudge into a mould. Another tip: Do not scrape the sides of the pan or the spoon used for stirring.

What does cream of tartar do in fudge? ›

Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!

How do you keep fudge smooth? ›

So, the key to smooth yet firm fudge, pralines, and fondant is to first bring the mixture to a high enough concentration and then let it cool off somewhat before starting to stir. And once you do start to stir, stir fanatically and without stopping for the finest, creamiest texture.

What would cause fudge not to harden? ›

The most common culprit behind unset fudge is inaccurate temperature control. If the sugar mixture hasn't reached the correct temperature, your fudge won't set. Ensure you use a reliable candy thermometer and follow temperature guidelines meticulously to achieve the desired consistency.

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