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Fudge with Nuts is the old fashioned kind, real semi sweet chocolate and marshmallow creme stirred into a rich candy absolutely loaded with chopped walnuts, no candy thermometer required. I made a batch on a chilly Sunday before the holidays and Jason had to hide the tin from himself by Tuesday. If your holiday table always has a fudge plate, my easy chocolate fudge is the smooth, nut free classic to make alongside it.
Marshmallow creme is the vintage trick that makes this fudge foolproof, creamy, and impossible to grain up.
Fudge with Nuts Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 36 pieces
- ⚡ Calories: 226kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Deep chocolate and toasty walnuts with a creamy marshmallow finish
- ✋ Difficulty: Moderate, ten minutes of stirring at the stove, but easier than candy thermometer fudge and only a step up from my mint fudge
Quick Answer
Place finely chopped semi sweet chocolate, marshmallow creme, and vanilla in a large bowl, and line a 9×13 dish with sprayed foil. In a dutch oven, bring the sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 more minutes while stirring. Immediately pour the hot mixture over the chocolate and stir until smooth, stir in the chopped walnuts, and spread the fudge into the prepared dish. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 2 hours before cutting into small squares.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Marshmallow creme blocks the grain. The creme is loaded with corn syrup and whipped sugar, which interferes with crystal formation, so the fudge sets silky without a thermometer.
- The timed boil replaces the soft ball stage. Ten minutes to a boil plus a five minute simmer concentrates the sugar syrup to exactly the right texture, no gadgets needed.
- Chopped bars beat chips. Baking bars are made to melt smooth, while chips carry stabilizers that can leave the fudge waxy.
- Hot syrup does the melting. Pouring the boiling milk mixture straight over the chocolate melts it evenly and instantly, with zero risk of scorching on the stove.
- Two full cups of walnuts is the point. That ratio puts crunchy toasted walnut in every single bite, which is what separates real fudge with nuts from fudge with a garnish.
- Evaporated milk keeps it stable. With most of the water already removed, the milk enriches the candy without making it soft or weepy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No candy thermometer, the timed boil and marshmallow creme make it truly foolproof.
- Two whole cups of walnuts means real crunch in every square, not a lonely nut here and there.
- It has the same old fashioned candy shop charm as my slow cooker peanut clusters.
Key Ingredients
Classic candy plate ingredients, straight from grandma playbook.
- Semi Sweet Chocolate Bars: The foundation. Chop baking bars fine so the hot syrup melts them instantly and completely.
- Marshmallow Creme: The insurance policy. It keeps the sugar from crystallizing so the fudge is creamy every single time.
- Chopped Walnuts: The star crunch. Two full cups, so every square delivers toasty nuts.
- Evaporated Milk: The rich base. Concentrated milk gives the boil body without extra water.
- Granulated Sugar: The structure. Boiled with the milk and butter, it firms the fudge as it cools.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
One pot of fudge, a whole holiday of options.
- Pecan swap: Toasted pecans give a buttery southern spin on the same recipe.
- Rocky road: Fold in mini marshmallows with the nuts once the fudge cools slightly.
- Dark chocolate version: Use 60 percent bittersweet bars for a deeper, less sweet square.
- Salted top: A pinch of flaky sea salt over the pan before it sets makes the chocolate pop.
- Cool mint version: Trade the walnuts for crushed Oreos and Andes mints and you have my no bake mint fudge.
How to Make Fudge with Nuts
- Place the finely chopped chocolate, marshmallow creme, and vanilla in a large bowl and set it aside. Line a 9×13 baking dish with foil, spray it with cooking spray, and set that aside too.
- In a dutch oven or large pot, combine the sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil while stirring constantly, about 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, continuing to stir constantly so the bottom never scorches.
- Immediately pour the hot mixture into the bowl with the chocolate and marshmallow creme. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and the fudge is completely smooth.
- Add the chopped walnuts and stir them in. The mixture will be thick, keep folding until the nuts are evenly distributed.
- Pour the fudge into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Let it come to room temperature on the counter, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into small squares.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Chop the chocolate fine. Big chunks melt unevenly and can leave streaks, aim for pieces the size of chocolate chips or smaller.
- Stir constantly during the boil. The milk sugars scorch fast on the pot bottom, and one burned patch flavors the whole batch.
- Use a bigger pot than you think. The mixture bubbles up dramatically as it boils, a dutch oven gives it room.
- Work fast after the pour. The fudge starts setting immediately, so stir, add nuts, and get it in the pan without stopping.
- Toast the walnuts first for extra credit. Five minutes in a dry skillet deepens their flavor dramatically.
- Cut with a hot knife. Run the blade under hot water and wipe it dry between cuts for clean, sharp squares.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Fudge with nuts is the anchor of every holiday candy plate, and the recipe makes 36 pieces, enough for the party and the gift tins. Box it up with my Christmas shortbread cookies for the prettiest homemade gift tins.
Build a full homemade candy box around it. My gingerbread bars add a spiced option to the same dessert table. A bowl of my Christmas trail mix keeps the grazers busy between squares.
Serve the squares at cool room temperature so the chocolate is creamy and the walnuts snap, and stack them in mini cupcake liners for the bakery look. And a cold glass of my creamy Christmas punch was made for a fudge plate.
Fudge with Nuts FAQs
Grainy fudge means sugar crystals formed, usually from under boiling or from stirring sugar crystals stuck on the pot walls back into the batch. Keep the full 10 minute boil plus 5 minute simmer, stir from the center without scraping the sides, and make sure the marshmallow creme goes in with the chocolate, it is the anti graining insurance. If a batch does grain, chop it up over ice cream and nobody will complain.
Walnuts are the classic, their slight bitterness balances the sweet chocolate perfectly, and this recipe uses two full cups of them. Pecans are the buttery southern alternative, and roasted almonds or hazelnuts both hold their crunch well. Whatever you choose, chop the nuts roughly and consider toasting them in a dry skillet for five minutes first, it makes the flavor noticeably deeper.
Store the cut squares in an airtight container with parchment between the layers. It keeps about a week at room temperature or up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator, and the flavor is actually best a day after it is made. For gifting, it holds up beautifully in cellophane bags or tins, just keep it away from warm spots so the squares do not soften.
Yes, fudge with nuts freezes exceptionally well. Wrap the whole slab or individual squares tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, still wrapped, so condensation forms on the plastic instead of the fudge. Frozen squares also make an excellent secret stash when the holiday version disappears too fast.
No, and that is the beauty of this marshmallow creme method. The timed cook, about 10 minutes of constant stirring to reach a boil, then 5 minutes of simmering, gets the sugar syrup to the right concentration without measuring temperature. The marshmallow creme then blocks crystallization, which is the failure point of old school thermometer fudge. Just keep stirring and trust the clock.
Soft fudge usually means the boil was cut short, so too much water stayed in the syrup. Make sure the mixture reaches a true rolling boil before starting the simmer, and give the pan the full 2 hours in the refrigerator before cutting. If a batch stays stubbornly soft, refrigerate it and serve it cold, or embrace it as the best hot fudge spoon situation of your life.
Made this fudge with nuts? Leave a comment and a star rating below, and tell me walnuts or pecans, I need to settle a family debate!
My vanilla coated cake truffles are the party ready cousin for the same gift tins.
My four ingredient Nutella truffles belong in the same candy box.
Fudge with Nuts
Ingredients
- 16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate baking bars finely chopped
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 2 cups chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Place the chopped chocolate, marshmallow creme, and vanilla into a large bowl, and set aside. Line a 9×13 baking dish with foil, spray with cooking spray, and set aside.
- In a dutch oven or large pot, add the sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt. Place over medium heat, constantly stirring, until it comes to a boil, about 10 minutes
- Reduce heat to low, continue to stir constantly, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Immediately pour the mixture into the bowl with the chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth.
- Add the nuts, and stir them in. The mixture will be thick. Pour the fudge into the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top.
- Let the fudge sit on the counter until it comes to room temperature. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set up. Cut into small pieces and serve.
Notes
- Make sure this sets up for at least 2 hours.
- Line your baking pan with foil for easy removal.
- Other additions can be added, see above on our suggestions.
- This makes a nice large batch.
- We like to use semi-sweet chocolate for this but any higher quality chocolate will work.
Nutrition
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