The Original Fantasy Fudge Recipe (not the imposter!) (2024)

Hey who changed the Fantasy Fudge recipe? What happened to my tried and true Fantasy Fudge recipe? The marshmallow fudge recipe that is a family tradition for the holidays! Any day, any time of the year, who can turn down a tempting square of melt in your mouth fudge.

This is the original Fantasy Fudge recipe that we all craved during the holiday season. This recipe brings back memories of our youth while making new memories from today!

The Original Fantasy Fudge Recipe (not the imposter!) (1)

Difference Between Original Fantasy Fudge Recipe and Current Version

The ingredients are the same, but Fantasy Fudge fans will notice the recipe on the current jar of Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Crème is slightly different from the recipe we loved. It’s a slight difference, but chocolate aficionados will note the recipe on the jar recommends a brand of semi chocolate chips whereas the original recipe did not provide a recommendation. It makes a difference, a big difference!

Can You Freeze Fantasy Fudge?

Yes, yes and absolutely.One of the great features of fudge is the ease of freezing fudge for the future.

How Do I freeze Fantasy Fudge?

yes, you can freeze fudge! I’ve included a few of my tips in Can You Freeze Fudge? as this was a question I often receive.

Make a batch of the Original Fantasy Fudge Recipe With Marshmallow Creme.

Cut the fudge into squares, 8 squares equals one row of fudge.

Wrap the row of squares with plastic wrap.

Then wrap the row of plastic wrapped squares with aluminum foil. Double freezer protection.

Insert the fudge rows into a plastic freezer bag. Remove the air from the bag. Close and mark the date on the outside of the freezer bag.

If you are pressed for time then a large section of fudge can wrapped to freeze and the squares can be cut when the fudge is defrosted.

It does take longer to defrost the frozen fudge in the refrigerator, but I recommend using the refrigerator to defrost the fudge as this will maintain its’ consistency no matter what the temperatures are in the kitchen.

How to Make The Original Fantasy Fudge Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 2 cups semi chocolate chips (I use Tollhouse for the original recipe)
  • 1 jar of marshmallow crème, Kraft jet puffed 7 oz. jar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • Chopped nuts are optional

Directions

  1. Grease a 9 X 13 ” pan. Alternative and much easier is to line a 9 X 13″ pan with parchment paper, this allows a much quicker release and clean up.
  2. In a medium pot, mix sugar, butter and milk.
  3. Bring the mixture to a full boil using medium heat, stirring constantly so the sugar dissolves and the mixture does not burn on the bottom of the pot. **
  4. Boil for five minutes. This is important! Five minutes exactly !!
  5. Remove the thickened mixture from the heat and add chocolate chips.
  6. Add the marshmallow crème and vanilla.
  7. Add nuts if desired.
  8. Pour into the prepared pan to cool.

**Note: I have found that gas or electric stoves do make a difference in the time it takes for the mixture to obtain a full boil in step 3. For the stoves I use the mixture reaches boiling 50% quicker when I use a gas stove verses electric. However, the five minute boil time is the same for step 4. This is not a gentle boil! It is a rockin and rollin boil and stirring constantly with a Capital C! A candy thermometer can also be used (but I never do as the five minute boil is the key)

Nuts Or No Nuts In Your Fantasy Fudge?

This is a recipe which can be easily adjusted for those who like nuts or do not like nuts. We have a fudge must be with nuts or I won’t eat it family member. The recipe can be easily split into halves or even split as I do where I make 3/4 of the recipe without nuts in an 8″ by 8″ pan and use a smaller loaf pan for the fantasy fudge with nuts fan.

Fantasy Fudge Holiday Desserts !

Fantasy Fudge is not just for Christmas! Learn how to turn your Fantasy Fudge into fun fudge shaped desserts, treats and party favors for the holidays. Fudge is not just to eaten in a square! Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and football fudge make very cute and very affordable party themed treats.

The Original Fantasy Fudge Recipe (not the imposter!) (2)

Cutting fudge into shapes does take a little practice and the bonus of practice is yummy and melt in your mouth scraps. My first attempt at cutting shapes out of fudge was a little rough; however, a few practice attempts will quickly turn into success.

I make these treats assembly line style and it goes quickly. I’ve made a post of my quick tips and tricks to cut fudge into any shape!

The Original Fantasy Fudge Recipe (not the imposter!) (3)

Print Pin

Original Fantasy Fudge Recipe (not the imposter!)

Enjoy the original fantasy fudge recipe we so fondly remember! Fantasy Fudge recipe with marshmallow creme is a family tradition for delicious melt in your mouth fudge.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword fantasy fudge recipe with marshmallow creme, original fantasy fudge recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Set 1 hour hour

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author The Savvy Age

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 2 cups semi sweet morsels (Toll House)
  • 1 jar marshmallow creme
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup chopped nuts optional

Instructions

  • Grease a 9 X 13 " pan. Alternative and much easier is to line a 9 X 13" pan with parchment paper, this allows a much quicker release and clean up.

    In a medium pot, mix sugar, butter and milk.

    Bring the mixture to a full boil using medium heat, stirring constantly so the sugar dissolves and the mixture does not burn on the bottom of the pot.

    Boil for five minutes. This is important! Five minutes exactly !!

    Remove the thickened mixture from the heat and add chocolate chips.

    Add the marshmallow crème and vanilla.

    Add nuts if desired.

    Pour into the prepared pan to cool.

    The Original Fantasy Fudge Recipe (not the imposter!) (4)

Notes

The key to perfect fudge - every time - is boiling for five minutes. Exactly five minutes!!!

Two Critical Fudge Cutting Tips!

The Original Fantasy Fudge Recipe (not the imposter!) (5)

How To Make Fudge Cut Outs

The most important tips to ensure a fudge cut out works:

  1. Use old school aluminum cookie cutters. Yes, you can use the plastic cookie cutters, but I have found the highest success rate with the metal cookie cutters. If the fudge does adhere to your cookie cutter then wash, clean and dry the cookie cutter before the next attempt.
  2. Grease the inside of cookie cutter before each cut. Each cut, not every other cut, but each fudge cut.
  3. I spray the cookie cutter with cooking spray. It is not just the bottom of the cookie cutter which needs to be greased – the entire inside of the cookie cutter needs to be greased so the fudge will release and keep its’ intended shape.

Fun Fantasy Fudge Recipes

Valentines’ Day Fudge Hearts

Easter Bunny Fudge

Shamrock Fudge

Game Day Football Fudge

The Original Fantasy Fudge Recipe (not the imposter!) (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients for fantasy fudge? ›

Ingredients
  • 3 cups white sugar.
  • ¾ cup margarine.
  • ⅔ cup evaporated milk.
  • 1 (12 ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips.
  • 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme.
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Dec 19, 2023

How long does it take fudge to reach 234 degrees? ›

Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, without stirring, until the thermometer registers 234 degrees, about 20 to 25 minutes. The mixture should boil at a moderate, steady rate over the entire surface. While the fudge is cooking, prepare the baking pan.

What happens if you don't beat fudge long enough? ›

However, if you don't beat it at all, the crystals won't form properly, so your fudge won't set. If you forget to beat the fudge, try heating it back up over low heat, then beat it once it's slightly softened. If you beat the fudge too soon, the crystals will be too large, and the fudge will be grainy.

Was fudge a mistake? ›

Food historian Joyce White says fudge is based on a recipe for chocolate caramels, which was very similar. "What probably happened is that there was someone in Baltimore, messed it up, or 'fadged' it," she said. "Fadge is a word that means you messed up.

Why is my fantasy fudge not creamy? ›

Sugar Crystals Formed

It's important to beat the fudge ingredients to develop the right texture, but you won't get smooth, creamy fudge if you beat it when it's too hot. Beating fudge when it's still over heat creates sugar crystals, aka the grittiness you feel in the fudge.

Why is my fantasy fudge grainy? ›

Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals. Stirring would help sucrose molecules "find" one another and start forming crystals.

How to fix grainy fantasy fudge? ›

If you discover that your mixture is grainy, some quick thinking will save the entire batch. Pour the fudge back into your pan, and add about a cup of water to it, along with a tablespoon or two of evaporated milk, whipping cream, or whatever cream you're using.

Can I use a meat thermometer for candy? ›

A candy thermometer's long, narrow shape allows you to safely check the temperature of hot sugar or hot oil without burning yourself. A meat thermometer is much shorter in length, and its temperature range isn't typically high enough for cooking sugar.

Why did my fudge turn out like taffy? ›

If the fudge is very soft and slightly chewy then it is possible that it did not quite cook to soft ball stage and next time the mixture should be cooked to a slightly higher temperature (soft ball is 112-116c/235-240F and a sugar or candy thermometer can help).

Can you freeze fudge? ›

If you're hoping to keep your fudge tucked away for quite some time, storing it in the freezer is a great option. Fudge properly stored in the freezer will last for 2 to 3 months. Some fudge can last up to a year in the freezer.

What makes fudge soft? ›

Undercooked. This fudge was cooked until the temperature reached only108 °C (226 °F). At this temperature, the sugar is not concentrated enough... there is too much leftover water in the syrup and the resulting fudge is soft.

Why is fudge called fudge? ›

The exact origin and inventor of this delicious confection are hotly debated. However, many believe the first batch of fudge was created by accident when American bakers “fudged” a batch of caramels. Hence the name “fudge.”

Why do they call fudge fudge? ›

Most stories claim that the first batch of fudge resulted from an accident with a bungled (“fudged”) batch of caramels, when the sugar was allowed to recrystallize; hence the name from the interjection, “Oh fudge!”

What makes Mackinac Island fudge different? ›

To obtain the world famous taste, the fudge is slowly cooked in traditional copper kettles over a gas flame. Once the desired temperature is reached, the mixture is poured onto marble slabs for a cooling period and then hand-paddled into loaves.

Is evaporated milk or condensed milk better for fudge? ›

Evaporated milk doesn't have sugar added. The sweetened condended milk is needed as no extra sugar is added to the fudge. If evaporated milk were used then the fudge would not be sweet enough and also would still be too soft unless the fudge is frozen.

What is the secret to good fudge? ›

How to Make Fudge. The trick to good homemade fudge is to cook the ingredients to the right temperature to form a sugar syrup, and cool the mixture properly so the texture of the fudge turns out smooth and firm, but soft enough to cut. Here's how to make fudge on your stovetop and in your microwave.

Why is my fantasy fudge not setting up? ›

The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.

Why is my fantasy fudge crumbly with marshmallows? ›

If it doesn't boil, your fudge will end up too mushy, and if it cooks for too long, you'll end up with a dry, crumbly mess. This is why many recipes recommend using a candy thermometer, so you know exactly when to remove your mixture from the heat.

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