Rich, decadent, copycat Fannie May Fudge. It’s the perfect chocolate fudge recipe for any time of year. No candy thermometer needed!
If you love homemade candy recipes, you’ll have to try our homemade divinity. It’s a classic treat! Our pralines are also wonderful, just like grandma always made!
Why this Recipe is Best
My mom has been making this copy cat Fannie May Fudge for as long as I can remember. It’s inspired by the classic chocolate fudge we used to get at Fannie May candy stores!
- Easy to make.
- Makes a HUGE batch of rich, creamy fudge!
- No special equipment needed for this recipe.
This fudge is different from most of my other fudge recipes! My Cookies and Cream Fudge and my Orange Creamsicle Fudge use marshmallow cream.
Today’s fudge base is made from real marshmallows, butter, and cream. You’ll see this version as a base for this Salted Caramel Mocha Fudge, Macadamia Nut fudge, and this Chocolate Cookie Dough Fudge.
This recipe makes approximately 5 pounds of Fannie May Fudge! Plenty to share with friends and family during the holidays.
Keep reading to find out how to store your Fannie May Fudge to last all season long.
Ingredient Notes
- Milk – You can use whole, 2%, skim or whatever you have on hand.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter if possible for consistency in flavor.
- Marshmallows – You need regular full size marshmallows for this recipe, not the miniature ones.
- Chocolate morsels – A combination of milk and semi-sweet gives this fudge a perfect creamy and sweet chocolate taste.
- Unsweetened baking chocolate – Adds a more pronounced cocoa flavor and balances the sweetness of the fudge.
Tips and Tricks
Put the chocolate, marshmallows and vanilla in a mixing bowl first. Then, when the butter mixture is done boiling you can pour it directly into the mixing bowl.
The heat from the butter mixture will melt the chocolate and marshmallows so they’re easy to combine with a whisk. Make sure to keep whisking until the chocolate and marshmallows are fully melted and combined with the other ingredients.
You can save even more time by using electric beaters or a stand mixer for this step.
How to Store Fudge
I pour the Fannie May Fudge into a large 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper. Once it’s chilled and firm, I will remove it from the pan and cut it into approximately 4 large rectangles.
I store these rectangles wrapped in parchment paper and in an airtight ziploc bag in my freezer. I usually make this fudge mid-December and store it in my refrigerator in these “packs.”
Then, when I’m making up a cookie or candy plate for a party, hostess gift, friend, etc, I will cut just the amount of fudge needed.
By not cutting the fudge into bite sized pieces immediately, it will maintain its freshness longer (straight through the holidays)! When cutting it into pieces, they tend to dry out quicker…so use within a few days if you’re chopping them up for gifts!
Whip up a batch of Fannie May Fudge and store it to share with your friends and family this holiday season. Or keep some for yourself. It’ll be our secret!
Recipe FAQs
You can but you will need to add more than 25!
For this recipe, you would need about 4 1/2 cups of of mini marshmallows the replace the full size marshmallows in this recipe.
Yes, you can substitute an equal amount of sweetened chocolate bars chopped into pieces for the chocolate morsels with good results.
This fudge should be smooth and soft, but firm enough to cut with a knife.
Your fudge may be too soft because you did not boil it the full length of time. The butter, sugar and milk mixture needs to stay at a rolling boil for a full 2 minutes to give the fudge the perfect consistency.
Chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans and peanuts are a great addition to this fudge!
No, margarine should not be used in this fudge recipe (or any of my fudge recipes!). It contains a lot of water which will keep the fudge from setting up properly.
You sure can! I often store my fudge in the freezer in freezer bags if I know I won’t eat or gift it all within two weeks.
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Fannie May Fudge
Ingredients
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 25 regular sized marshmallows not minis
- 1 package milk chocolate morsels 12 ounce
- 1 package semi-sweet chocolate morsels 12 ounce
- 2 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add marshmallows, chocolate morsels, unsweetened chocolate, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, combine sugar, milk and butter. Over medium high heat, bring mixture to a boil while stirring constantly. Once boiling, boil for a full two minutes.
- Pour hot mixture over marshmallow and chocolate and beat with whisk attachment until melted and smooth (may take several minutes).
- Pour into prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for about 3 hours (or overnight). Remove from refrigerator and cut into 4 large rectangles. Wrap in parchment paper and store in airtight container until ready to use.
- When ready to use, cut into bite sized pieces and enjoy.
Notes
- Put the chocolate, marshmallows and vanilla in a mixing bowl first. Then, when the butter mixture is done boiling you can pour it directly into the mixing bowl.
- I pour the Fannie May Fudge into a large 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper. Once it’s chilled and firm, I will remove it from the pan and cut it into approximately 4 large rectangles.
- I store these rectangles wrapped in parchment paper and in an airtight ziploc bag in my freezer. I usually make this fudge mid-December and store it in my refrigerator in these “packs.”
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
This fudge is a staple in our house over the holidays! LOVE IT!
Gah daaamn, these sound amazingly decadent! I’ve been looking for a great fudge recipe and these fit the bill perfectly. Hello, holidays, 5 lbs of chocolate fudge coming right up!
I like to include fudge in our holiday goodie plates, so I love that this makes such a huge batch. Usually I have to make two batches, so this will be a great time saver! Great tip about only cutting off the pieces you need – I hate it when the edges of the fudge dry out. Genius!
Do you know if this recipe work with the natural ingredient marshmallows made with tapioca? Trying to avoid gelatin, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.
Do you have a temperature that the fudge should be heated to and not just a rolling boil. Thanks.
The fudge looks yummy. Going to make it tomorrow
I made this and it was a little to “soft” how to it harden up a bit?
First, always make sure you boil it for the full time (a good rolling boil). It’s pretty fool proof that way. You could refrigerate it at this point and see if it helps.
I made this and it was to “soft” how to harden up a bit?
Hi
When you put in the vanilla extract in the bowl with the marshmallows and chocolate would the marshmallows not absorb the vanilla extract?
Just wondering.
why not mini marshmallows
Because my mom always made it with 25 marshmallows 🙂
5 lbs is not much at all, especially if you have 3 chocolate loving teenagers. Thanks for sharing your moms great recipe. Cheers.
This fudge… *sigh* I dream about this fudge! I was lucky enough to enjoy this fudge recently and I’m telling you, it’s the BEST!!! <3
Thank you for the tips on storing it!
I wouldn’t mind having five pounds of fudge in my freezer 🙂
This is how I like fudge. The husband likes fudge that is (gasp, in a really shocked and disgusted, like when someone makes body noises at dinner gasp), made from pudding mix! No real chocolate of any kind to be had.AND.It HAS to be GRITTY, (insert the above comments,the gasp…)!! That means it has to be cooked WRONG. I can NOT with any self respect do THAT! MY REPUTATION! MOTHER OF PEARL!! So, I will make your recipe, he can make moms’recipe. God bless her. Thanks again. We will dose out on candy, as I am printing your recipes daily, Sister! Yummy!!
Um….I absolutely NEED all five pounds of this fudge like, right now. Delicious!!!
This reminds me of how my mother would make all of her adult children a big container of fudge for Christmas every year – but only if we returned the container for the refill! A question for you: You say to beat with the whisk attachment. Do you mean I can beat it with my stand mixer? I didn’t know it could be done that way, but I sure hope it’s true!
I just made it in my kitchen aid with the whisk attachment. Came out perfectly.
Wow, that makes a HUGE pan of fudge! I need to get on this train, because I always wind up making like 20 small batches at the holidays for people. And this looks crazy addictive, too. No wonder your mom is into it!