Easy Homemade Caramel Fudge

Name: Easy Homemade Caramel Fudge
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 13 oz condensed milk; 5 oz milk; 16 oz sugar (demerara, turbinado, light brown, etc); 4 oz butter (unsalted or salted, to preference)

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This old-fashioned yummy homemade caramel fudge is ultra-soft and creamy! It’s the perfect buttery sweet treat to enjoy any time of the day!

There is nothing quite like caramel fudge! This homemade caramel fudge has only 4 ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, milk, demerara sugar and butter. It’s really easy to make and it would also be a perfect edible gift!

Caramel fudge is not only incredibly simple to make, but it tastes amazing! It has a gorgeous smooth melt-in-the-mouth texture that will have you coming back for more.

Most importantly, though, this old-fashioned homemade caramel fudge can be enjoyed with so many things! It’s phenomenal served alongside ginger tea, green tea, iced latte, and iced matcha green tea latte!

You probably already know that I enjoy making a variety of homemade treats and candy. I’ve already shared healthy chocolate fudge, as well as these healthy coconut candy bars, healthier homemade snickers bars, and healthy vegan Twix bars! I’ve even made my own chocolate at home, including healthy dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and even white chocolate! This luscious homemade caramel fudge is another easy treat I’m sure you’ll love, too!

The Caramel Fudge Ingredients

Condensed milk: I used my own recipe for homemade condensed milk, but you could use store-bought.
Milk: I used regular milk.
Demerara sugar: I used demerara sugar, but if you want, you could substitute turbinado sugar or light brown sugar, instead. But I really think that demerara sugar gives a nice caramel color and flavor.
Butter: I used regular butter, but you could also use salted butter for a salted caramel fudge.

Optional Add-ins

This caramel fudge is absolutely great on its own, but feel free to include some of your favorite add-ins for added texture and flavor. Here are a few ideas:

If you’re a peanut butter lover, you can add a few tablespoons of homemade peanut butter!
Nuts: You could add your favorite nuts or even roasted nuts or salted peanuts. Pecans and walnuts would be nice!
Chocolate chips or pieces of homemade chocolate are also a great addition to this caramel fudge.
Homemade vanilla extract: a tiny bit of vanilla would give a nice flavor boost.
Flakes of sea salt: if you like sweet and salty together, flakes of sea salt on top of this fudge would be divine!

How To Make Homemade Caramel Fudge

First, place all the ingredients in a pot and heat up over low heat. Stir to help melt the ingredients and combine them. The mixture will start developing a smooth and creamy texture.

Then bring to a soft boil and simmer for 10 minutes. You need to stir continuously, though, otherwise, it may burn. You can also scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent the mixture from sticking to it.

If you are using a thermometer – the fudge should reach about 240-240ºF/115-120ºC. You can use a candy thermometer if you have one or, like me, you can use an infrared one.

If you don’t have a thermometer, you can still test to see when the fudge is ready by using the iced water hack to make a small, soft ball of fudge.

To test it in the way, just spoon a small portion of the mixture (just about a teaspoon) over a bowl with iced water. You should be able to form a small, soft ball that doesn’t stick to your hands. This soft non-sticky ball will indicate the fudge is ready.

If the mixture is too sticky or doesn’t roll into a bowl, keep simmering the fudge for a few more minutes.

Once the fudge is ready, remove it from the heat and let it cool down for a few minutes.

Chef’s Tip: If you’re using any other flavors or add-ins, it’s best to add them now, before whisking.

Now it’s time to whisk the fudge until it’s thick. Whisking it will allow it to cool down and thicken. Keep in mind that this might take up to 10 minutes – it should almost begin to set and will also lose its shine. The longer you whisk it, the more crumbly the fudge will be at the end.

Pour the mixture into a tray lined with parchment paper. I used an 8 inch/20 cm tray. Spread the fudge evenly into the tray. You can even press with a spoon to smooth the top.

Finally, cover the fudge with more parchment paper. Let it cool down to room temperate before placing it in the fridge to chill and firm up.

Once the fudge is set, you can cut it into squares. I like to cut mine into 1-1.5 inches, but they don’t have to be perfect.

How to Store

Keep the fudge stored in an airtight jar or container.

You can keep it at room temperature for up to about 2 weeks. Just make sure it’s in an airtight container. You could also store it in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks.

Can you freeze fudge?

Yes. You can wrap each piece individually and then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for about 2 months. To thaw, just put it in the refrigerator.

FAQs

Can I use evaporated milk instead of condensed milk?

No, they’re not the same! In order for this recipe to work, you need sweetened condensed milk. Using evaporated milk will not produce the same results.

I don’t have a candy thermometer. How do I know if the fudge is ready?

If you don’t have a thermometer (candy or infrared), you can test to see if the fudge is ready using the iced water hack. After the fudge has boiled properly for about 10 minutes, you test it by dropping a small amount of the mixture into the glass/bowl of cold water. You’ll know that the fudge is perfect when this mixture sets and forms a ball that you can squeeze between your fingers without it sticking to them.

My fudge didn’t set. Can I fix it?

Yes, most of the time you can. Place it back in the pot, add a bit of water (up to 1/2 cup) to allow the fudge to dissolve, and then bring to a soft boil. Let it simmer for a few minutes, then check the temperate (or use the soft ball method) to check if the fudge is ready. Remove from the heat, let cool, and then proceed with the next steps.
If the fudge still doesn’t set, you can repurpose it and use it instead as syrup to top ice cream or icing for cakes and cookies. You can also just enjoy it with a spoon!

Recipe Notes and Variations

I like using a non-stick saucepan because it makes cleaning up so much easier.
Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it easier to remove the fudge because it doesn’t stick to the pan.
I also prefer using a wooden spoon because it will stay cool while cooking since wood is a very poor conductor of heat.
Instead of whisking the fudge, you can stir and beat it with a wooden spoon. I find that to take a lot longer though, so I prefer using a whisk.

Other Homemade Basics Recipes

If you try this easy homemade caramel fudge recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d really appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!