I have fond and vivid memories of my mom and grandma making decadent fudge every December. For our family to enjoy, to bring to holiday cookie swaps, and to wrap up and give as gifts. This special treat will always be a part of the fabric of the holiday season for me! So when I changed my diet, chocolate fudge was something I instantly missed. I knew I needed to recreate it to carry on those Christmas time memories with my own children and that’s how this Dairy-Free Fudge recipe was born.
When I asked my mom for Grandma’s fudge recipe it turned out she was using the one from the marshmallow fluff jar for decades! Instead of going to the trouble of making homemade, gluten-free marshmallows, I came up with this simple eight-ingredient, rich and chocolatey, Dairy-Free Fudge recipe. It’s from my book, Celebrations, in the Christmas recipe section and it still makes a beautiful gift for the holiday season. I hope you get to enjoy some this year, and for years to come, with your family!
Easy fudge recipe without condensed milk
So many traditional fudge recipes rely upon condensed milk, which is cow’s milk with the water removed and tons of sugar added. Since it is thick and sweet, it is an easy way to make traditional fudge, but is decidedly NOT dairy-free.
Instead of condensed milk, my recipe relies upon a concoction of cashew butter (I like to use Artisana in this recipe), coconut oil, arrowroot, maple syrup, and coconut sugar. These ingredients together stabilize the fudge, giving it that solid consistency that makes it so rich and cut-able into perfect squares of decadence!
Substitute for arrowroot powder
Since I know I will be asked, yes, you can substitute the arrowroot powder for tapioca flour! I haven’t tested it that way, but it should work just fine.
Old fashioned peanut butter fudge
If you’d like to sub the cashew butter for another nut or seed butter that you tolerate, you can, but the flavor will change. Using peanut butter will give you a classic chocolate peanut butter fudge square; and using sunflower seed butter will be similar. If attempting with almond butter, I’d try to use as fine a grind as possible to maintain the smooth texture as best you can.
Easy chocolate fudge recipe
Though we’ve talked about all the other ingredients, the star of this recipe is really chocolate! In this recipe it is important to use 100% unsweetened baking chocolate (I like Guittard). We are sweetening it ourselves with unrefined sugars — maple syrup and coconut sugar — so using chocolate chips or a bar already sweetened would be overkill.
Once the fudge has been cooked and cooled, it keeps very well. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and you can store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months! If you freeze it, thaw it in the fridge overnight before cutting it into squares.
Christmas fudge recipe
I hope you love this Christmas fudge recipe as much as my family and I do. Hoping you find the time to make it, and gift it or share it, this holiday season!
Gluten free Christmas treats
My book Celebrations is where you can find this original recipe as well as 124 other gluten, grain, and dairy-free recipes for holidays throughout the year, such as birthdays, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Easter and more!
Watch me make this decadent Dairy-Free Fudge on Instagram!
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PrintDairy-Free Fudge
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes + 6 hours to chill
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup expeller-pressed coconut oil or ghee
- 1 cup raw cashew butter
- 6 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 12 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (100 percent cacao), chopped
Instructions
- Line a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with parchment paper and leave flaps hanging over the side of the dish for easy removal.
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the maple syrup, coconut sugar, and coconut oil. Stir until the coconut sugar melts and the mixture is liquid, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the cashew butter, arrowroot powder, vanilla, salt, and chocolate and continue stirring over low heat until the chocolate melts and everything is well blended, about 5 minutes more.
- Pour the fudge into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Chill in the refrigerator until set, about 6 hours.
- Cut into squares and serve.
12/20/23
Dairy-Free Fudge
I’ve made this last year and this year, and no one can believe it’s a healthier option! This is my new go to fudge recipe for life!
Aw, this is so nice to hear! Love that it’s your go-to now 🙂
I have made it twice now and it’s decadent! My advice… stick to the exact recipe!
So glad you love it!
Nutiva doesn’t make coconut sugar any longer. And it was my favorite as well. Any other brand you would rec ?