Make this easy Peanut Butter Fudge recipe for the peanut butter lovers in your life! It’s smooth, creamy, and perfect for sharing.
Peanut butter desserts are always on our holiday dessert table, as well as homemade candy, freshly baked cookies, and pies of all kinds!
My mom always made chocolate fudge for Christmas and my friend’s mom always made peanut butter fudge! Since my family loves both kinds, we make a batch of each during the holidays.
What You’ll Find In This Post About Making Peanut Butter Fudge
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge Ingredients
This easy peanut butter fudge recipe only requires a handful of ingredients that you might already have stocked in your kitchen! Keep these things on hand and you can whip up a pan of peanut butter fantasy fudge at a moment’s notice.
- Sugar: This fudge recipe is sweetened with equal amounts of granulated sugar and brown sugar. We added brown sugar for extra flavor, but you can use only granulated sugar as well.
- Milk: Make sure you use evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed milk) in this recipe.
- Butter: This recipe calls for salted butter. If you want to use unsalted butter, you’ll need to add a little salt to the fudge.
- Peanut Butter: We used Jif creamy peanut butter, but crunchy would work if you want nuts in the fudge. We do not recommend using natural peanut butter in this recipe.
- Baking Chips: We used peanut butter baking chips. You can also use other baking chips, such as white chocolate chips, but they will lessen the peanut butter flavor.
- Marshmallow Cream: This recipe is our version of the fantasy fudge recipe, so it includes a jar of marshmallow cream, which gives it a smooth, creamy texture.
- Flavoring: We added a whole tablespoon of vanilla extract for extra flavor. Maple extract would also be delicious in this fudge.
How To Make This Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe
Since this peanut butter fudge recipe is so easy to make, it’s the perfect dessert to prepare when you are short on time. Fudge also makes a great gift! Buy some colorful Christmas tins, line them with pieces of parchment paper or wax paper, and fill them with pieces of fudge.
- Boil: First, bring the butter, evaporated milk, granulated sugar, and brown sugar to a boil in a large, heavy-bottom pot. Boil for 5-6 minutes.
- Stir: Then, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the creamy peanut butter, marshmallow cream, peanut butter chips, and vanilla extract.
- Spread: Carefully pour the fudge into a foil-lined, greased pan and spread it out in an even layer. Cool at room temperature.
Variations
When it comes to making different variations, you can get creative! There are so many things you can stir into or sprinkle on top of this fudge. Be sure to keep in mind that the fudge will start to set and harden quickly, so you’ll need to have any additional ingredients ready to go.
Peanut Butter Fudge with Nuts
The most popular addition to peanut butter fudge is nuts such as toasted pecans, chopped walnuts, chopped peanuts, cashews, or slivered almonds.
Add-Ins
You can also stir in things like mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, or chopped Oreos.
Toppings
As far as toppings go, you can sprinkle on chocolate chips, crumbled cookies, chopped nuts, or colorful sprinkles.
Storage
Allow the peanut butter fudge to cool completely at room temperature. You can place it in the refrigerator to harden once it has cooled if your house is warm or if you want to speed up the process. Use the foil to lift it out of the pan and cut it into squares. Store the peanut butter fudge in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not bringing it to a full boil, cooking it long enough, or not adding the correct ratio of ingredients.
For 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer when properly stored in an airtight container.
It depends on the recipe and the other ingredients that are included. This recipe uses evaporated milk.
Want more candy recipes? Try these next:
Crunchy Peanut Brittle is a classic holiday treat that you can make at home!
Homemade Toffee makes the perfect holiday gift! Put it in pretty Christmas tins or cellophane bags.
Once you make Peppermint Patties, they will become part of your holiday tradition!
These soft, creamy homemade Caramels are popular because they are so easy to make!
Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 12 oz can evaporated milk
- ½ cup salted butter
- 1 ½ cups Jif creamy peanut butter
- 7 oz marshmallow cream
- 10 oz bag Reese’s peanut butter baking chips
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil that hangs off the sides. Grease the pan and set aside.
- Put the granulated sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, and butter in a large, heavy pot and bring it to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring almost constantly. Boil for 5-6 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
- Remove from heat and add the creamy peanut butter, marshmallow cream, peanut butter chips, and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
- Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Allow it to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until firm before cutting into squares.
Belinda Young says
Do you have to put in the marshmallows cream?
Tonia says
Yes, the marshmallow cream is an essential part of the recipe. If you want to use mini marshmallows instead of cream, you would need to add 3 cups.