Vanilla Fudge - Old Fashioned Fudge - Classic Vanilla Fudge (2024)

If you like old fashioned fudge, you need to try this Classic Vanilla Fudge recipe! Not only is it great for the holidays, but perfect all year round too!

You just can’t beat a good, classic fudge recipe. Especially around the holidays.

I love all flavors and add ins, but sometimes you just need a classic vanilla. And there is no better fudge than homemade fudge!

Let me first say that making a classic or traditional fudge is hard. It seems so simple, but there is actually a lot of chemistry, patience and knowledge involved.

But I don’t want you to be intimidated. With the right background, tools and instructions, anyone can make delicious fudge. And I am going to share all of my favorite tips with you!

PRO TIP: Use a set pastry brush to wipe down the sides of pan to prevent sugar crystals from forming.

There are a lot of fudge recipes out there. And many take shortcuts. Don’t get me wrong, I actually make several of the easy fudge recipes myself and they are very good.

Some use marshmallow cream, like my friend over at Shugary Sweets, and others use chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk, like my Christmas Coal Candy. Some even use whole milk, sugar and butter like my Peanut Butter Fudge.

PRO TIP: Use a wooden spoon, sticky and thick concoctions like this are easy to stir and stick less to wood than metal or plastic.

But I like to know how to make stuff from scratch and find that understanding the chemistry behind it can be quite enlightening.

For vanilla fudge, or any traditional fudge recipe, you need to start with the mechanics. It is basically just melted sugar, but the sugar needs something to dissolve into.

PRO TIP: Don’t scrape the bottom of the pan when pouring out the mixture, if anything scalded just let it stay there.

For this you use light corn syrup, also a variation of sugar, and cream. The sugar melts and forms a soft ball, which is a stage of candy making. (See the chart below.)

PRO TIP: Use a glass or metal mixing bowl and don’t touch it! I tell you to put it on a cooling rack before pouring in the mixture because after you do, the bowl is SUPER HOT. Don’t touch! Also avoid using plastic, which can melt.

Something to keep in mind, vanilla fudge doesn’t actually need to have white chocolate in it. Fudge requiring chocolate is a misnomer. While many fudges do have chocolate or dark chocolate, this isn’t required. However, this recipe does use white chocolate.

PRO TIP: Use a stick of cold butter and wipe it on the parchment paper while flat, then place it into the 8×8 pan.

The definition of fudge is “Fudge is a type of sugar candy that is made by mixing sugar, butter and milk, heating it to the soft-ball stage at 240 °F, and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency. In texture, this crystalline candy falls in between fondants and hard caramels. (Wikipedia).

PRO TIP: Placing the bowl to cool on a cooling rack allows air to circulate around the whole bowl, helping the process happen faster and more even.

Make sure to use a candy thermometer to heat your fudge to correct temperture. Failing to so will result be grainy instead of smooth, melt-in-your mouth.

From here, we let it cool, but not too fast or else it can harden and crystalize again. It will be too hot to transfer straight to the tray, so let it come down a little in a mixing bowl.

If you use glass, be mindful that it is hot and glass it hot, so you can easily burn yourself. BE CAREFUL!

Then the fudge is transferred to it’s finally tray to harden fully into cuttable squares. The instructions may look long and tenuous, but they are really quite easy.

More fudge recipes:

• Butterbeer Fudge Recipe
• Maple Walnut Fudge
• Nutella Fudge

Questions you might have about how to make vanilla fudge:

There are recipes that use marshmallow fluff or sweetened condensed milk that will give you fluffy white fudge.

When you make fudge hacks, it isn’t that big of a deal, but when you are making it the old fashioned way, you really do need one. Too little heat and it will be mealy, too much and it will be burnt and won’t set correctly.

Heavy cream has a 36% milk fat whileandwhipping cream is only 30%. Heavy cream is better for stabilized homemade whipped cream and thickening sauces because it has a higher milk fat and thicker texture, but only slightly.

Making fudge at home doesn’t have to be challenging or time consuming. With basic knowledge of how fudge is made you’ll be a fudge making expert in no time!