I cut corners cleverly (if I do say so myself) with this chocolate fudge recipe, making it a deliciously easy three-ingredient treat. I think I’ve been making some variant since I was five.
Sweetened condensed milk does the heavy lifting, imparting the fudge with the impossible-to-resist texture that’s at once creamy and chewy.
Simply combine the condensed milk with some chopped chocolate and stir over low heat (or even microwave!) to melt.
Boom. You’re 95% done.
All you’ve got left to do is stir in the vanilla, add some chopped add-ins (more on that below) scrape the fudge mixture into a pan and sprinkle with toppings.
Ingredients matter.
Keep in mind that with so few ingredients, the quality will make a difference. The better the chocolate, the better the flavour of the fudge.
(But you know what? Chocolate chips are what I grew up with and they work just fiiiiiine.)
Add your favourite add-ins.
For Christmas, I like to make chocolate fudge topped with chopped Ganong Chicken Bones. The chocolate-filled, hot-pink, cinnamon hard candy is a long-standing Canadian tradition. Ganong partnered with me on this recipe.
Ganong is Canada’s oldest chocolate and candy company, located in St. Stephen, New Brunswick (my home province). It was founded in 1873, and the CEO and president is Bryana Ganong. It’s still a true family business! That blows my mind a little bit.
Growing up in New Brunswick, every grandmother and auntie worth their salt had a crystal dish of Chicken Bones on their coffee table over the holidays. I have such sweet memories of savouring the spicy cinnamon shell as slowly as I could until I reached the chocolate core.
If you can’t find Chicken Bones (I feel sad for you but) candy canes are a fine holiday substitution. Marshmallows and chopped toasted pecans create a delicious Rocky Road version, or chopped chocolate sandwich cookies are another fav. Just gently press the toppings into the fudge while it’s still warm to make sure it sticks.
Prepare the pan and slice.
Instead of a square baking pan, reach for a narrow loaf pan. A 9″ square pan will do but yields a super-thin layer. I personally like a thick square of chocolate fudge, don’t you? The long and skinny loaf pan does the trick beautifully. Line it with parchment or wax paper and pour in the fudge mixture. Transfer to the fridge until the fudge has set.
When it’s firm, easily lift the fudge out of the pan by the sides of the parchment paper. Transfer it to a cutting board to slice it crosswise into strips and then lengthwise into pieces.
Be sure to check out my 3-ingredient chocolate truffles, too — I rolled some of those in Chicken Bones as well and they were a hit!
2cupschopped dark chocolateor 1-300 g/10 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾cupsweetened condensed milkthat's two-thirds of a 300 mL/10 oz cans
½tsppure vanilla extract
½cupchopped Christmas candylike Chicken Bones or Candy Canes
Instructions
Combine condensed milk and chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate is just melted.
Stir in most of the chopped candy, reserving about 2 tablespoons for topping.
Transfer the chocolate mixture into a parchment-lined loaf pan using a flexible spatula to press it in evenly. Top fudge with reserved candy and press it gently to adhere. Chill until firm before slicing, about 30 minutes.
