Festive Christmas Fudge (Easy!)
This easy Christmas fudge recipe is insanely delicious and deceptively easy to make in under 10 minutes. With two layers of white and chocolate fudge filled with festive holiday flavors of cranberries, cinnamon, and pecans, it's the perfect sweet treat for the holiday season.
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Homemade Christmas Fudge is a beautiful, delicious treat with all the flavors of the Christmas season. 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 Christmas fudge is the easiest fudge recipe ever. No need for a candy thermometer or double boiler -- all you need is a microwave and about 10 minutes!
This easy homemade fudge recipe is a great gift idea and the perfect holiday treat. It'll look so pretty on your goodie trays with Million Dollar Bars, Mocha Coffee Blossom Cookies, and Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies.
You're Going to Love This
- Beautiful, festive fudge recipe will be the star of your Christmas cookie trays
- Makes great homemade gifts for friends, neighbors, and co-workers
- Fast, easy fudge recipe you make in the microwave -- no candy thermometer, no double boiler.
- Foolproof fudge with condensed milk is always smooth and creamy -- no marshmallows, no marshmallow cream.
Ingredients
This delicious fudge recipe comes together with simple ingredients. See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.
Sweetened condensed milk. Sweetened condensed milk makes the fudge smooth and creamy without all the boiling and stirring of traditional fudge recipes.
Butter. A little bit of butter makes the fudge mixture extra smooth and creamy.
Salt. Salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. Don't worry, the fudge won't taste salty.
Vanilla. The vanilla is added only to the chocolate layer so it doesn't darken the white chocolate fudge.
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.
Variations
Christmas fudge is an easy recipe to make your own!
Extracts. Add a splash of your favorite flavor with orange, maple, rum, or almond extract.
Dried fruit. You can swap the dried cranberries for chopped dried cherries, blueberries, or any kind of dried fruit you love.
Chocolate chips. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips for the chocolate fudge layer, but you can use milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips.
Nuts. Substitute pecans for your favorite nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, or pistachios. You can also toast the pecans for even more flavor -- or skip the nuts altogether.
How to Make Christmas Fudge with Condensed Milk: Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the chocolate fudge layer. Heat the semi-sweet chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, butter, salt, vanilla extract, and sweetened condensed milk in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans.
Step 2: Use a butter knife or offset spatula to evenly spread the chocolate pecan fudge layer into the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch square pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray.
Step 3: Make the white chocolate fudge layer. Heat the white chocolate chips, butter, salt, and sweetened condensed milk in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Stir in the dried cranberries.
Step 4: 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.
Step 5: For the cleanest cutting, remove fudge from the refrigerator 5-10 minutes prior to cutting. Place the slab of fudge on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the fudge into 1 to 1 ½ inch wide strips, then cut each strip into small squares. Wipe the blade between cuts.
Serve, share, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- For the best flavor and smoothest texture, use good quality chocolate like Ghirardelli.
- To keep parchment paper from slipping around the pan, brush some butter on the pan before laying down the parchment.
- 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 can splinter when cut.
- For perfectly square pieces, trim off the uneven edges all around the slab of fudge before cutting it into strips.
Recipe FAQs
If you'll be enjoying your Christmas fudge within 1-2 weeks, it is best to store it in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, place it in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Yes! Christmas fudge with condensed milk 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.
Sweetened condensed milk is the secret ingredient that gives microwave fudge a perfectly smooth and creamy consistency and allows it to set up perfectly every time. Evaporated milk will not work in this fudge recipe.
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📖 Recipe
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.
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Notes
- For the best flavor and smoothest texture, use good quality chocolate like Ghirardelli.
- To keep parchment paper from slipping around the pan, brush some butter on the pan before laying down the parchment.
- 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.
As the title says, the fudge was very easy to make. The cinnamon chips didn't melt all the way, but that is okay since the pecans add crunch. The flavors are great together!
Hi, Joan, that's weird that the cinnamon chips didn't melt... but I wouldn't mind the texture of them in the fudge, either! I'm so glad you enjoyed the flavors -- this is truly my favorite fudge recipe and I think it tastes just like Christmas. Thank you so much for trying the recipe and sharing your nice note :). Cara
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!