Homemade candy is such a treat to make with your kids. Try this recipe for fudge that evokes the taste of s’mores without all the smoke.
The first time I tried to make fudge, I was in first grade. I had a crush on a boy whose name I do not remember. I wanted to make him fudge. I read about it in a book somewhere, you know, girls making homemade candy for boys they liked.
My mom and my aunt indulged me. They hadn’t made fudge since they were girls. We used the recipe in my mom’s battered yellow Pillsbury cookbook. And it failed.
I just about cried.
My mom didn’t want to waste all that sugar and chocolate, so she quickly made our weird concoction into brownies. I felt like she was Wonder Woman in that moment. How could you turn a disaster into brownies?!
Of course we could never recreate those brownies again. And the boy whose name time has forgot? I don’t think he even thanked me for the brownies.
Anyway, that’s my tale of fudge. Since then my mom and I have both turned to no-fail methods of fudge making. She uses the kind with butter, sugar, evaporated milk, chocolate chips, and marshmallow cream. It’s pretty yummy.
I, on the other hand, have leaned toward the kind with just three ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Its simplicity is part of its charm. And the fact that you need no candy thermometer. It also allows you to embellish all you want. Yay!
Homemade candy, chocolate fudge in particular, is a very fun thing to make with your kids. Since fudge requires just a stovetop burner, you don’t heat up the kitchen. We embellished our recent batch with mini marshmallows and bits of graham crackers. It was like a smore, only without the smoke.
This recipe is really quite simple. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper or foil. I use binder clips to help me keep the paper in place.
Next cover the bottom of the pan with a handful of marshmallows and some broken up graham crackers. We didn’t leave very much space. I recommend that you use less than is pictured, so that the chocolate has spaces to sink into.
Pour a bag of chocolate chips and a can of sweetened, condensed milk into a small saucepan. Heat until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Stir well. Stir in a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Pour the fudge into the prepared pan. (If you were making plain fudge, just pour it onto the parchment lined pan. If you want to add nuts, do that now.)
But for smores fudge, just pour the chocolate mixture over the marshmallows and crackers in the pan. Allow it to set until completely cool. Cut into squares and serve. The crackers will not be crunchy, but my kids did not complain.
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 2 graham crackers broken
- 12 ounce package chocolate chips
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle the marshmallows and crackers over the bottom of the pan.
- In a small saucepan, heat the chocolate chips and milk until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the marshmallows and crackers.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting.
Nutritional values are approximate and are based on 1/12 of the recipe. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 4 days.
Got a story about fudge?
Do tell.
This post is part of the DIY on a Dime: Summer Fun series. For more ideas on how to enjoy the summer holidays on a budget, check out the list.
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I love the binder clip trick. That would work great for homemade Larabars, no more buttering the pan to keep the parchment paper in place (and one less pan to wash). Can’t wait to try it on my next batch!
For a roasted flavor to the marshmallows, lay them out on a baking sheet and put them under a broiler until lightly toasted then add to the fudge.
Got a story about fudge? Yes! This recipe and that question took me back to when I was around 8 and my brother was 4. We were making fudge for the first time by ourselves. I accidentally switched the salt and sugar amounts. Imagine our surprise when we bit into a very salty piece of fudge! I still remember laughing so hard at my little brother’s expression-priceless!
I’m so excited to see this! I have a can of sweet and condensed milk to use up, and my daughter loves marshmallows. What a perfect blend!
“the crackers will not be crunchy but my kids did not complain” — loved that line. Seriously, you just made fudge with them! 🙂
I liked that line too! I think you could probably pour fudge over a bunch of stuff that kids would normally turn away from…:)
Looks yummy!!
Oh. My. I am a s’more addict. But my daughter is allergic to milk. I’m already thinking of how I can do this with canned, full fat coconut milk.
This is awesome.. How convenient I have a bag of marshmallows and a can of condensed milk waiting to be used.. Bliss!! Thank YOU and thank you SO much also for the binder clips trick.. I use butter paper to line the tin when I’m making no-bake granola bars and this will be very helpful.
So, I just made this, and it’s cooling on my counter right now. 🙂 Have you ever chilled it in the fridge or think there’d be any problems doing so? How do you usually store it? (hah, it might not last long enough to need storage with your kids, right?) I usually put stuff like this in the fridge since our house always feels warm, but don’t want to mess it up. My grandmother would store it in her cool basement, but that’s a no-go for me.
Thanks for the yummy recipe, Jessica!
Yes, I stored it in the fridge. Could have contributed to the softness of the graham crackers. Not sure on that. But, yes, it disappeared in about a day or two.
I made this yesterday & eventually had to put it in the fridge to harden up. It’s been slightly humid here & we haven’t had the AC on, so, in those conditions, I usually have to refrigerate things like this. Turned out fine & was refreshing to eat it cold. This was a big hit with my family! I’m adding it to my list of no-bake summertime treats! 🙂
When I was young, my nana made fudge from scratch on Christmas Eve and we would pass the pot and a wooden spoon around the room and everyone would help stir and thicken it up. Thanks for reminding me of the days of fudge and family taffy pulls.