Chocolate Peanut Butter Holiday Fudge

I have extremely fond memories as a child baking cookies, buying specialty treats and chocolates, and arranging a few of each on tin round plates. We’d wrap the cookie trays up with clear wrapping plastic and tie them off with a bow and deliver them to teachers and neighbors.

It always felt so festive, and was just overall a ton of fun. It became a traditional that everyone looked forward to, even the gift receivers!

I wanted to create a fun mini version of this tradition, to make it more manageable for this crazy year that has turned everything on its head. I landed on homemade fudge, because it only requires 3 base ingredients, and can be customized using whatever treats you have on hand.

I’ve decided to make chocolate peanut butter fudge, my childhood favorite, but you could make anything you love! Rocky road, pecan, maple, you name it! Just add mix-ins or flavor a simple fudge using extracts.

Recipe Notes

Melting.

Use a heavy bottom pot to avoid burning the chocolate chips as they melt. Stir and whisk vigorously to help prevent burning, and to keep fudge silky smooth. Add a tiny bit of milk or more butter if needed to help thing and smooth the fudge as it melts.

Butter.

I call for salted butter in the recipe, but if you use unsalted, please add a pinch (1/4 tsp.) to each fudge mixture to help cut the sweetness.

Festive pan.

I used the Nordic ware embossed tree sheet pan to get a fun pattern. This is the easiest way to get some fun shapes on your fudge, but feel free to use a cookie press or pattern rolling pin.

Cooling.

Make sure the fudge has cooled completely in the center before cutting into it, to maintain the fudge’s form.

Dairy-Free alternative.

Feel free to use sweetened condensed coconut milk and dairy-free chips.