Dark Chocolate Fudge Recipe

Dark chocolate fudge with sea salt is a creamy, rich, decadent recipe and easy to make. The sweet treat is perfect for any occasion, including Thanksgiving and Christmas. Chocolate lovers will line up for this easy fudge recipe.

Easy Chocolate Fudge Recipe

Pieces of dark chocolate fudge stacked on top of each other

Many people get intimidated by making fudge, but if you have all the right tools, it’s a simple recipe.

The traditional fudge recipe can be made with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even peanut butter chips.

Homemade fudge is always a great addition to the dessert table if you’re having a party or family gathering, especially around the holiday season.

Believe me, your taste buds will thank you for making it. But beware, it goes fast, so make sure you have plenty.

Sliced dark chocolate fudge on the counter.

Dark Chocolate Fudge Ingredient Checklist

Full printable recipe card with ingredients, measurements, and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Evaporated milk
  • Marshmallow creme
  • Vanilla extract
  • Dark chocolate chips
  • Sea salt

How To Make Dark Chocolate Fudge

  1. Add the butter to a saucepan and melt on medium heat.
  2. Pour the sugar into the pan.
  3. Add the evaporated milk to the pan and mix the ingredients together.
  4. Turn the heat up to medium-high and boil the ingredients until the candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees, stirring occasionally.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the marshmallow cream.
  6. Next, pour the vanilla extract into the pan and stir.
  7. Add the dark chocolate chips to the saucepan and stir until melted.
  8. Pour the chocolate mixture into a square baking pan and sprinkle with sea salt.
  9. Allow the fudge to cool and set up for at least four hours.
Fudge in a square pan

Step-By-Step Instructions

Butter melting in a saucepan.

Start by adding the butter to a medium saucepan on the stovetop and melt it on medium heat.

Pouring sugar into a saucepan.

Next, combine sugar with the butter.

Pouring evaporated milk into a saucepan.

Pour the evaporated milk into the pan and mix the ingredients together.

Cooking ingredients for fudge in a saucepan.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and stir occasionally.

If you plan to cook the fudge without a thermometer, you will need to time it for four minutes from the time it reaches a rolling boil.

A rolling boil is when it continues to boil while you stir.

Boiling ingredients in a saucepan.

Place the candy thermometer in the saucepan and cook until it reaches 234 degrees.

Make sure the thermometer is not touching the bottom of the pan, or it will give an incorrect reading.

Melting marshmallow cream in a saucepan.

Once the temperature reaches 234 degrees, remove the pan from the stovetop, add the marshmallow cream, and stir until it is melted.

I like to add the marshmallow first because the temperature in the pan is super hot, and it melts fairly fast.

Adding vanilla extract to fudge.

Next, pour the vanilla extract into the pan and stir until combined.

Melting chocolate chips in a saucepan with fudge ingredients.

Add the chocolate chips to the pan and stir until the chocolate is melted. The chocolate melts fast when you stir it because it’s still very hot.

Cooked fudge in a saucepan.

Finally, pour the dark chocolate fudge into a square pan and sprinkle sea salt right on top. You really only need a pinch of salt on top.

Dark chocolate fudge in a square dish.

I used an 8×8-inch pan, but anything close to that size will also work. If you want to spread the fudge out more, you can pour it into a 9″ x 13″ pan. The fudge will not be as thick.

You can either use regular sea salt or flaky sea salt on top.

Allow the fudge to cool and set up for about four hours.

For the prepared pan, you can either grease the pan before pouring the fudge into it or cut out some parchment paper and use that.

The nice thing about using parchment paper is that you can lift the fudge out to cut it when it cools.

It is torture for me to wait for the fudge to set up. There’s usually a big spot in the corner where we all grab a spoon and dig in. We just can’t help it. We are such fudge piggies.

This is the best creamy fudge recipe, and dark chocolate has a wonderful chocolate flavor.

Dark chocolate fudge on a plate.

Once the fudge sets up, you can cut it into squares with a sharp knife.

You can cut it into small pieces if you’d like it to go a long way because it’s rich, and you will fill up on it fast.

To store fudge, you can either cover it with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container.

How Do I Cut Fudge Without Breaking It?

I will take a sharp knife and run it under hot water, then dry it off carefully and cut the fudge. You might have to do that a few times to cut all of the fudge.

The hot knife seems to slide through the fudge more easily.

What Is The Difference Between Chocolate Fudge And Chocolate Ganache?

Chocolate ganache is a glaze. To make it, you add warm heavy cream to chocolate pieces to melt it. Ganache can be used inside of confections or as a topping.

Fudge sets up and becomes more firm, so you can pick it up with your fingers or slice it with a knife.

Slices of dark chocolate fudge on a plate topped with sea salt.

More Mouthwatering Fudge Recipes

Chocolate fudge sliced on a white plate.

Dark Chocolate Fudge Recipe

The easiest and most foolproof dark chocolate fudge, blending the rich chocolate flavor of dark chocolate chips, evaporated milk, butter, and marshmallow cream with a smooth texture, is a velvety treat and definitely one of our favorite things. This delicious recipe, often praised in reviews, makes it not just a great gift but one of the best, especially because of its creamy consistency and rich flavors.

Dark chocolate fudge in squares

Dark Chocolate Fudge Recipe

4.45 from 9 votes
Julie Pollitt
Dark chocolate fudge recipe, with sea salt, is creamy, rich, decadent, and easy to make.
The sweet treat is perfect for any occasion including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Course Fudge
Cuisine American
Servings 25 pieces
Calories 266 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1-1/2 sticks of butter
  • 3 cups of white sugar
  • 5 ounces evaporated milk
  • 7 ounces marshmallow creme
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12 ounces dark chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Add the butter to a saucepan and melt on medium heat.
  • Pour the sugar and evaporated milk into the pan and mix well.
  • Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
  • Bring the temperature up to 234 degrees and remove from heat.
  • Add the marshmallow creme and mix until melted.
  • Next, add the vanilla extract and mix.
  • Add the chocolate chips to the saucepan and stir until melted.
  • Pour the fudge into a greased square 8" x 8" or 9" x 9" square dish and sprinkle with the sea salt.
  • Allow the fudge to set up for about four hours.
  • Cut into 1-inch squares and serve.

Video

Notes

TIP: Either grease the pan with nonstick spray or line it with parchment paper. If you line the pan with parchment paper, you can easily lift the fudge out of the pan after it sets up and slice it.
For this recipe, the dark chocolate chips can be switched out for milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch, or your favorite flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 266kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 1gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 168mgFiber: 1gSugar: 36g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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4.45 from 9 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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13 Comments

  1. Miz Helen says:

    We sure have enjoyed featuring your awesome post on our Full Plate Thursday,551. Hope you are having a great week and come back to see us real soon!
    Miz Helen

  2. Can you use semi sweet chips? Any change needed for other ingredients?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Beth, you can use semi sweet chips. Every thing else will stay the same. Hope you love it!

  3. Is there any way to cut back on the sugar without losing the fudge deliciousness of this recipe? I don’t eat a lot of sweets, and I’m afraid that adding sugar to sweetened condensed milk AND marshmallow creme would be too much for me.

    Thanks

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Barbara, I haven’t tried it with less sugar, but you could leave a cup out and see if that works. Although, it’s pretty much all sugar, it does have evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk. So, that makes it a little less sugary. 🙂

  4. Crzyredhead says:

    First time I made fudge and bam….it turned out great!!

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Yay, awesome to hear!! Thanks for sharing!

  5. Karen Cochrane says:

    Can I use mini marshmallows instead of marshmallow cream?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Sure! Mini marshmallows should be fine. Enjoy!

    2. @Julie Pollitt, if using mini marshmallows, how much? Thank you!

      1. Julie Pollitt says:

        Hi Molly,

        If you are replacing 7 ounces of marshmallow creme, you will use two cups of mini marshmallows. I would add a few extra for good measure.

  6. I have made this twice and both times I have butter sitting on the top can you tell me why? Expensive fails.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Did you let the fudge set up for several hours? Once you pour it into the dish after you cook it, it can be a little buttery like that on top. Stir it up a little in the dish while it’s hot and you won’t have as much butter on top. Also, if you let it set up, you shouldn’t have any butter on top.