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This is the peanut butter fudge I make when a peanut butter craving hits and nothing else will do. Marshmallow creme, evaporated milk, and creamy peanut butter come together into a fudge that’s smooth and dense, not grainy, and easy to cut into clean squares. Give it about 15 minutes of active prep, then a few hours to cool before you dig in.
The 235-Degree Mark That Keeps This Fudge Smooth
Most peanut butter fudge recipes tell you to boil sugar and evaporated milk until it looks about right, which is exactly how you end up with a grainy batch that never sets properly. This version gives you an actual number to hit, 235 degrees on a candy thermometer, so every grain of sugar dissolves before the peanut butter and marshmallow creme go in.
Marshmallow creme also means you skip the part where old-fashioned fudge has you beating the mixture by hand until it loses its shine, you just stir and pour. With 18 ounces of peanut butter in every batch, the flavor stays bold instead of getting buried under all that sugar. Nobody stops at one square.
My Mother-in-Law’s Recipe, Not My Own
This exact recipe belonged to my mother-in-law, and it’s the only version of peanut butter fudge I’ve ever made. I took it over in 2014, once she couldn’t bake anymore, and I still follow it exactly as she did, no changes, no substitutions, no tweaks I decided were improvements. Before she passed away, she gave my girls a laminated copy in her own handwriting, the same one I still pull out every time I make a batch. There was nothing to fix about her recipe, so I never tried. My peppermint fudge with crushed candy canes has become its own December tradition since, if you’re looking for something new to add to yours.
Mailed From Kentucky in a Ziplock Bag
She lived in Kentucky, we’re in North Carolina, so a visit wasn’t something that happened often. Every summer, she’d mail a batch of this fudge to my girls at the YMCA camp they went to, packed into a ziplock bag inside a box along with stickers and other small things kids love getting in the mail. My girls still say it was the best day at camp, the whole cabin would gather around, excited to share it. When she did make it up to visit, she never came without a batch either.
Why My Girls Still Ask for This Fudge
My girls don’t think of this as peanut butter fudge, they think of it as Nana’s fudge. Every time I make a batch, it brings back a specific memory of her, and I know it does the same for them. There’s a particular kind of comfort in a recipe that means the same thing to three generations of the same family. It’s not the only peanut butter dessert that gets requested on repeat around here, my triple layer peanut butter brownies come a close second.
A Few Things That Keep This Fudge From Turning Out Wrong
- Clip the candy thermometer to the side of the pan so the tip doesn’t touch the bottom, or it’ll read the metal instead of the syrup.
- Measure out the peanut butter and marshmallow creme before the syrup starts boiling. Once it hits 235º, you need to move fast.
- Leave extra parchment hanging over the pan’s edges so you can lift the whole block out in one piece instead of digging it out with a spatula.
- Let it cool fully, about 3 hours, before cutting. Cut it too soon and the squares won’t hold a clean edge.
- If you’d rather serve this chilled and sliceable instead of cut into squares, my creamy no bake peanut butter pie uses the same peanut butter in a completely different format.
Just Five Ingredients From the Pantry
Check the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.
- Marshmallow creme: Sold in a tub in the baking aisle near the marshmallows. Some brands call it marshmallow fluff, it’s the same product either way.
- Evaporated milk: Not the same as sweetened condensed milk, and the two aren’t interchangeable here. Evaporated milk has no added sugar, condensed milk does.
- Smooth peanut butter: Stick with regular smooth peanut butter, not the natural kind where the oil separates on top. Natural peanut butter changes the texture and can keep this fudge from setting properly.
Making Homemade Peanut Butter Fudge From Scratch
Step One: Boil
Add evaporated milk and sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Use a candy thermometer to check the internal temperature.
Step Two: Add Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Cream
Step Three: Pour, Cool, and Cut
Once you’ve made this fudge one time, you’ll have the confidence to make it again for anyone who could use a little something homemade.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup evaporated milk
- 2 cups smooth peanut butter 18 ounces
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper,
- Add evaporated milk and sugar to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until it reaches 235º. Remove from the heat and add peanut butter and marshmallow creme stirring until combined then add the vanilla.
- Quickly pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Let cool for about 3 hours, then remove from the pan using the edges of the parchment paper and cut into small squares.
Video
Notes
- No parchment paper? Line the pan with foil or wax paper instead, or the fudge will stick when you try to lift it out.
- Chunky peanut butter works if you want some texture instead of the classic smooth version.
- Let the fudge cool at room temperature for the full 3 hours rather than rushing it in the fridge, or the texture can turn grainy instead of setting smooth.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Where’s the butter? How can you make good fudge without butter?
The peanut butter and evaporated milk replace the fat from butter.
Could step #2 boiling the evaporated milk and sugar be done in the microwave? I currently use the microwave to do this for a similar peanut butter fudge, but I like that this recipe uses more peanut butter and no butter and less sugar. I am looking forward to introducing my family to this recipe.
I don’t believe that would work, you need to stir it while it’s heating for the sugar to be incorporated adn that will be difficult in the microwave. It will also be hard to determine the temperature in the microwave.
You do not have to stir it the whole time, it turns out really good either way!!! I add 1 1/2 sticks of salted butter to mine it makes it even better!!!
Butter always makes things butter!