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Fudge is always a holiday favorite and this foolproof peanut butter fudge with marshmallow cream is quick and easy one to make. It’s rich, creamy and all about the peanut butter! Four ingredient peanut butter fudge without any special equipment!
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Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge
During the fall and winter season I go a little fudge crazy! I can’t help it – homemade fudge is one of those treats that has endless possibilities. You can literally make any number of flavor combinations. There are also countless ways to make fudge with different ingredients that give it a rich and creamy texture. It’s one of my favorite treats to experiment with!
I’ve made peanut butter pumpkin fudge recipe, which is an amazing flavor combo for fall and I thought a pure peanut butter fudge would be great to share. I’ve been busy testing recipes, tweaking until I got it just right.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Tested several times and it works!
- Great creamy texture
- Not too sweet – the perfect amount!
- It’s a holiday classic great for gifts!
Ingredients in Peanut Butter Fudge
Have you heard of fantasy fudge? It’s a type of fudge made with marshmallow cream that’s been around forever. The original recipe was printed on the back of the marshmallow cream jar but now there are thousands of variations.
- Granulated Sugar
- Milk: use whole milk, no substitutions
- Marshmallow Cream: also called marshmallow fluff
- Peanut Butter: use a regular processed peanut butter like Skippy or Jif. Do not use a natural peanut butter.
Marshmallow cream is what gives this fudge it’s amazing creamy texture. If you’ve ever tried marshmallow cream you already know it’s light and fluffy and when you combine that with peanut butter you end up with a rich and creamy fudge!
How to make EASY Fudge
- Prepare: Line an 9-in. square pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Assemble all your ingredients because this recipe goes fast.
- Boil: Combine sugar and milk in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Make sure it is at a ROLLING boil. Once it starts to boil, boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- Stir: Immediately stir in peanut butter and marshmallow creme until blended. Immediately spread into prepared pan; cool slightly.
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate until firm. Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Remove foil; cut into squares.
- Store: Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container. It will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator.
Why this recipe works:
- I’m so excited about this easy fudge recipe because it’s foolproof! It’s so easy to make and it works every time.
- Unlike other recipes, you don’t need a candy thermometer to make this fudge. No special equipment needed! You only need a saucepan and a baking dish.
- You only need four ingredients and about 10 minutes to make it! It’s a great recipe for the holidays when you need a batch of something sweet on short notice.
- This fudge starts to set immediately and is ready to slice after an hour in the fridge.
FAQs
Grainy fudge usually happens because the sugar has not completely dissolved into the milk. Be sure to stir well and continuously while the milk and sugar boil to ensure it fully dissolves.
You need to boil this fudge for three minutes. Make sure it is at a rolling boil then set your timer.
It depends on the recipe but this easy peanut butter fudge sets very quickly and is ready to slice after it’s chilled for an hour. In fact, as soon as you pour the mixture into the dish you will notice it will start to firm up almost immediately.
For this recipe, after the fudge has set, you don’t need to keep it in the refrigerator. I recommend slicing it and storing the slices in an airtight container. Separate them with wax paper and the fudge will keep well for up to a week.
This fudge can be frozen in an airtight container for up to one month.
Chances are it didn’t set because it wasn’t cooked hot enough. It needs to stay at a continuous rolling boil for 3 minutes.
You can add some powdered sugar and mix and it should help it set up. How much powdered sugar depends on how thin it is. To offset the extra sweetness, add some extra salt.
This fudge is not vegan but it is gluten-free if the marshmallow cream is gluten free – be sure to check the ingredients list.
Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118ml) whole milk
- 1 ½ cups (400g) creamy peanut butter*
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme (1 jar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line an 9-in. square pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Assemble all your ingredients because this recipe goes fast.
- Combine sugar and milk in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once it starts to boil, boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- Immediately stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and marshmallow creme until blended. Immediately spread into prepared pan; cool slightly.
- Refrigerate until firm. Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Remove foil; cut into squares. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
Other fudge recipes for the holidays:
- 5 Minute White Chocolate Fudge
- Oreo Peppermint Bark Fudge
- Payday Fudge
- Pecan Pie Fudge
- Gingerbread Fudge
Fudge goes great on holiday platters with:
Make this FOOLPROOF Peanut Butter Fudge whenever the craving hits! With only 4 ingredients it takes no time at all and is a creamy soft fudge recipe.
Last Updated on March 14, 2023
The taste was amazing, so smooth, but it was so dry. Any ideas about what would have caused that?
Mine didn’t set but tasted wonderful☹️
How did you measure your powdered sugar?
Epic fail. Consistency is more like thick peanut butter cake frosting. Even after being in the refrigerator for 8 hours. Followed to a T except had to mix equal parts 2% and evaporated since there is no whole milk in our home. Can’t believe that slight change would cause this fail.
Fudge can be so finicky – but this is the only PB fudge that’s ever worked for me – did you use no-stir peanut butter (i.e. not natural)? If you used natural that could be a culprit. One thing with this fudge is that if it doesn’t solidify you can always add more powdered sugar to help it along.
Thanks for your reply. I used Jif as suggested. I’m going back to my tried and true no marshmallow creme peanut butter recipe..
How can or can you make this chocolate fudge?
I haven’t tried turning it chocolate, but you could try adding 1/4 cup cocoa powder with the powdered sugar- reduce the powdered sugar by 1/4 cup
Made this for a work thing. Turned out fabulous! Was wondering if I could change out the peanut butter for white chocolate?? I can’t find a good white chocolate fudge recipe…
I just made the fudge a few hours ago. I followed the directions to the T and it has been in the refrigerator for about 3 hours. I just took it out to cut it and it still isn’t set 😩.. not sure what happened! It’s somewhat set but still very lose and melts in my hand right away. It tastes so good though!
It may be that it didn’t cook enough. I think that’s the major culprit when it comes to fudge not setting. To fix it since it’s already done you can heat it up until it’s liquid and add some powdered sugar, that should help it.
Oh my goodness! I was extremely excited to find this recipe! My first boss, Jan, would make this for us every Saturday as a special treat! It is exactly as I remember her Saturday peanut butter Fudge! Thank you so much!
Fudge is so easy and so delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Having run out of snacks & not wanting to risk leaving our home I found this recipe & was excited that I had all 4 ingredients on hand! I haven’t tried the final product yet, but after licking the saucepan it was delicious and appears that it won’t take very long in the fridge before I can cut it. Unfortunately we will have to ration it and try to make it last, but feeling fortunate to have a sweet treat on hand!
Wow, not sure how I did it, but I screwed up fool proof peanut butter fudge!
I had everything ready ahead of time, cooked the sugar/milk stirring always for 3 minutes. I removed from heat, dumped in the peanut butter and fluff (measure out ahead of time) and stirred it in. It didn’t have a smooth texture at all, kept stirring hoping it would get better, but it didn’t. I now have a pan of dry, crumbly fudge. What did I do wrong?
Can you use almond milk instead of whole milk?– have a grandson who is on a dairy and gluten free diet currently.
yes, I would also like to know If you can use almond milk. Have a friend who cannot have any dairy.
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