Two tone Cranberry Pecan Fudge with sweetened condensed milk is an easy 5-minute Christmas fudge recipe -- and the perfect sweet treat for the holiday season.
A layer of white chocolate fudge with dried cranberries over classic chocolate fudge with cinnamon chips and pecans creates the best fudge that tastes just like Christmas.
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Cranberry Pecan Christmas Fudge is a beautiful festive treat with all the flavors of the Christmas season.
This easy homemade fudge recipe is the perfect holiday treat and great last-minute gift idea -- you can make it in about 5 minutes!
The creamy fudge base is made with semi-sweet chocolate, crazy delicious cinnamon chips (have you had them?!), and pecans.
The white chocolate layer is a simple combo of creamy white chocolate and tart dried cranberries.
And when you take a bite of everything together, it tastes like Christmas time.
Now, don't be fooled by those pretty layers. They may look fussy, but I can assure you, this is an extremely easy recipe for Christmas fudge.
And you can whip it up in the microwave.
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- Delicious treat that makes a great gift for friends, neighbors, and co-workers
- Easiest fudge recipe ever -- no candy thermometer, no double boiler.
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Christmas Fudge Ingredients
This easy fudge recipe comes together with really simple ingredients.
White chocolate chips. Sweet, creamy white chocolate is delicious with dried cranberries and a striking contrast to semi-sweet chocolate.
Dried cranberries. Dried cranberries add festive holiday flavor. You can also use chopped dried cherries, blueberries, or any kind of dried fruit you love.
Sweetened condensed milk. One 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk is divided between the two layers of white chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate fudge.
Butter. A little bit of butter makes the fudge extra smooth and creamy.
Salt. Don't worry, your fudge won't taste salty. Salt is necessary to enhance the flavors of the other ingredients.
Vanilla. A splash of vanilla is added to the chocolate layer only, so as not to darken the beautiful white fudge layer.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips. The chocolate fudge layer is made with semi-sweet chocolate, but you can use milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips.
Pecans. Roughly chopped pecans add texture and nutty flavor. Feel free to use your favorite nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, or pistachios. You can also toast the pecans for even more flavor.
Cinnamon chips. Hershey's cinnamon chips are DELICIOUS! They add warm cinnamon flavor to the chocolate fudge mixture. You can find them in the baking aisle of most grocery stores, Walmart, or Target.
Step-by-step Instructions
Line an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray.
Pro Tip: To keep parchment paper from slipping around the pan, brush some butter on the pan before laying down the parchment.
For the Chocolate Fudge with Pecans
Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, 2 tablespoons of butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, vanilla extract, and ½ can of sweetened condensed milk in a microwave-safe bowl.
Heat in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Add the chopped pecans and stir to combine.
Evenly spread the chocolate pecan fudge layer into the bottom of the prepared pan with a knife or offset spatula.
For the Cranberry White Chocolate Fudge Layer
Place the white chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons of butter, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and ½ can of sweetened condensed milk in a microwave-safe bowl.
Heat in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
Stir in the dried cranberries.
Carefully pour the cranberry white fudge mixture across the top of the chocolate pecan fudge layer and spread it evenly with a knife or offset spatula.
Cover with foil and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours or until firm.
Use a sharp knife to cut the fudge into 1 to 1 ½ inch squares, wiping the blade between cuts, if necessary.
How to Store Fudge
Store fudge in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week or in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
How to Freeze Fudge
To freeze Christmas fudge, tightly wrap it in wax paper, then in foil, and place it in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to a few months.
Expert Tips
Heat the fudge mixture in the microwave just until the chocolate and butter have melted. Do not bring it to a boil.
No need to cool the chocolate pecan fudge layer before adding the white chocolate cranberry fudge layer. All you need is a gentle touch while spreading the top layer.
Let the Christmas fudge cool completely before cutting.
Take the fudge out of the refrigerator 5-10 minutes before cutting. If the fudge is too cold, it could splinter when cut.
Recipe FAQs
There are a couple of things you can do to make nice sharp clean cuts of fudge.
First, be sure to use a sharp knife. You can also run it under hot water to warm it up so it will easily slice through the fudge.
Next, if the fudge is at room temperature, chill it to let it firm up a bit. If the fudge is in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Fudge that is too cold can splinter when cut.
If you'll be enjoying your fudge within 1-2 weeks, it is best to store it at room temperature. For longer storage, place it in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Yes! Christmas fudge is such a great recipe because it freezes really well. To freeze fudge, wrap it tightly in wax paper, wrap it again in foil, and place it in a freezer bag. You can store it in the freezer for a few months.
Recipe Essentials
An offset spatula works perfectly for smoothing out the top of the fudge.
I always keep a box of these parchment paper sheets handy. They're much easier to work with than rolls.
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Cranberry Pecan Christmas Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup cinnamon chips
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 ½ cups white chocolate chips
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Line an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray.
For the Cinnamon Chocolate Pecan Fudge Layer
- Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, 2 tablespoons of butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, vanilla extract, and ½ can of sweetened condensed milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Add the chopped pecans and stir to combine.
- Evenly spread the chocolate pecan fudge layer into the bottom of the prepared pan with a knife or offset spatula.
For the White Chocolate Cranberry Fudge Layer
- Place the white chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons of butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ can of sweetened condensed milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Stir in the dried cranberries.
- Carefully pour the cranberry white fudge mixture across the top of the chocolate pecan fudge layer and spread it evenly with a knife or offset spatula.
- Cover with foil and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours, up to overnight. Use a sharp knife to cut the fudge into 1 to 1 ½ inch squares, wiping the blade between cuts, if necessary.
Storage & Freezing
- Store fudge in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week or in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.To freeze Christmas fudge, tightly wrap it in wax paper, then in foil, and place it in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to a few months.
Notes
-
- Heat the fudge mixture in the microwave just until the chocolate and butter have melted. Do not bring it to a boil
- No need to cool the chocolate pecan fudge layer before adding the white chocolate cranberry fudge layer. All you need is a gentle touch while spreading the top layer.
- Let the Christmas fudge cool completely before cutting.
- Take the fudge out of the refrigerator 5-10 minutes before cutting. If the fudge is too cold, it could splinter when cut.
Love the Christmas fudge and it's delicious!!
Hi, Joni, thank you so much for trying my fudge recipe, I'm so glad you loved it! Happy holidays, Cara 🙂
Where do you find cinnamon chips. Most of my local grocery stores in Nashville don't carry them
Oh, darn. Depending on how good my sleuthing skills are, there may be some Walmarts in your area that can have it available for pick up in a day? Otherwise, you can order them from Amazon, Nuts.com, or kingarthurbaking.com. There are some recipes to make your own cinnamon chips, but I don't recommend them for this recipe because they're made with granulated sugar and have a grainy texture. If all else fails, increase the chocolate chips to 1 1/2 cups and add ground cinnamon -- up to 2 teaspoons. You can start with a teaspoon and add more. The mixture is very forgiving, so even if it cools a little, you can add more cinnamon and reheat it so it's soft and creamy again. Hope this helps!