Easy Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge

Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge is an easy homemade candy recipe that you will want to make part of your holiday traditions. Fudge is a popular sweet treat at Christmas time and making it with family or to give as gifts is a long-standing joy I look forward to every year. This peanut butter fudge recipe is sweet, creamy, nutty, soft, and a bit salty.  

This recipe is all done in the microwave for a quick homemade peanut butter fudge.  You do not need a stovetop or Crock-Pot to make this classic fudge that is to die for.  All you need is 4 ingredients and a microwave to make the best homemade peanut butter fudge.  This fudge recipe is made without marshmallow cream or chocolate for a tasty unique Christmas sweet. This old-fashioned holiday candy recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, vegetarian, & can be made vegan easily.

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Ingredients to Make Peanut Butter Fudge

This tasty fudge recipe could not be easier. It only takes 4 ingredients to make this sweet, rich, & amazing peanut butter fudge.  You will need your favorite creamy butter to make fudge, chunky simply does not work. You want a smooth lovely texture you can only get with creamy peanut butter to make this classic candy.  For peanut butter fudge you also need vanilla, salted butter, and a lot of powdered sugar, also known as confectioner's sugar.    To make vegan peanut butter fudge, swap out the salted butter for your favorite vegan butter. 

 

 

Prepare a Loaf Pan for Fudge Making

This recipe fits into a loaf pan but you can double it and get it into an 8x8 dish instead.  Either way, before you pour in the fudge to set you will want to prepare it with parchment paper.  This not only keeps the fudge from sticking but is also the easiest way to lift the fudge out to slice.

Make sure you cut a piece of parchment paper that is large enough to fit the pan and hang over the edge generously.  To hold it in place, here is my favorite parchment paper hack for no-bake recipes such as this fudge, binder clips.   If your pan does not have a very thick edge, medium binder clips are the best way to hold the parchment in place.  These little clamps hold the parchment paper in place with ease. 

 

How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter Fudge

Begin by bringing your butter to room temperature. You want it a bit soft so that it will cook in the same amount of time as the peanut butter.  This easy fudge recipe is done by cooking the peanut butter and butter in the microwave.  No stovetop is needed to make holiday candy; this is a microwave fudge recipe. Place the softened butter and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl.   

 

Making Peanut Butter Fudge in the Microwave

Next, microwave for 30 seconds & then stir.  Microwave it again for another 30 seconds & stir. It will need a final 30 seconds for a total of 1 minute & 30 seconds.

 

By now it will be darker and little bubbles will have formed, as seen below.   The smell of warm peanut butter will fill your kitchen, which is one of the best parts of making homemade fudge. 

 

 

Add Remaining Ingredients 

To the warm peanut butter mixture, add vanilla. Stir to combine. 

 

 

Next, you will be adding powdered sugar.  Make sure it is done a little bit at a time. You will want a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula since this will be hard to mix.  Start by adding half of the powdered sugar and stir to mix well.  Next add half of what is left, stir, and add the final amount. The peanut butter fudge batter will be stiff but will come together with a little muscle. 

 

 

How Long to Let Fudge Set in the Pan

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.  Using an offset spatula smooth the top and make sure the peanut butter fudge is evenly distributed so that the cubes are similar in size and thickness.  Once it is smooth and even, place the fudge into the refrigerator. Place plastic wrap over it but be sure it does not touch the fudge - another way the binder clips come in handy. 

Let the fudge refrigerate for 2 hours.  To know when fudge is ready, it should be firm and solid to the touch. If you touch it gently on the top, no dents or fingerprints should show. 

 

How to Cut Homemade Fudge

Now that the old-fashioned peanut butter fudge is ready.  Remove the plastic wrap and unclamp the binder clips if you are using them.  Now you can easily, grab the edges of the parchment paper.  Gently lift the peanut butter fudge out of the pan, grasping the parchment edges. 

Place the parchment-lined fudge on a cutting board.  Peel back the edges to expose the fudge to begin cutting. The best way to cut homemade peanut butter fudge is to use a sharp chef knife.  Cut along the shorter side to make 10 rows.  Next, cut each row of peanut butter fudge into 4 pieces. This will give you 40 pieces of homemade peanut butter fudge that are even squares.  Each piece of fudge will be a perfect bite-sized candy treat.

 

 

How to Serve & Give Peanut Butter Fudge as a Gift

This easy recipe makes 40 pieces of homemade peanut butter fudge.  It is great to give as gifts or serve at a party, potluck, or holiday dinner.  It is best to serve this peanut butter fudge at room temperature. Ideally, have it sit out about 20 minutes but no longer than 2 hours. The temperature of your room is too warm can make this too soft. This can make fudge hard to grab or for it to hold its square shape.  Pay attention to your environment and plan accordingly.  

To prepare peanut butter fudge to give as a gift, keeping it chilled in the refrigerator is the best bet.  Wrap homemade fudge squares in candy boxes, on a plate with cellophane, or in candy bags tied in a ribbon.  It stacks nicely as long as you keep it chilled. Homemade fudge can be at room temperature or travel in the car for about 30 minutes, but more than that the peanut butter fudge will soften. It will still be delicious but just may not look as fancy. 

 

How to Store Peanut Butter Fudge

Always store homemade peanut butter fudge in the refrigerator.  Whether it is still in a big slab or if the fudge is cut into pieces, make sure it is in an air-tight container.  Fudge will last in the refrigerator stored properly for up to a month.  This is a great make-ahead fudge recipe because you can make it up to a month before Christmas as gifts.  Keep it stored in the back of the refrigerator if your family is anything like mine. Once they see this is made they cannot help themselves and before I know it they will eat all the peanut butter fudge before the holidays even arrive. 

Freezing fudge is also easy.  It may not be as creamy and smooth.  Freezing fudge may make it crumble easily due to a texture change but it will still be yummy. You will want it wrapped tightly so the surface is not exposed to air.  Freezing fudge works best when you freeze the slab before cutting it.  But you can freeze chunks of fudge if you stack it in an air-tight container, cover with plastic wrap, & then snap that lid on tight.  Frozen fudge can last in the freezer for 2-3 months.  To defrost, place the container of peanut butter fudge in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours to thaw. Once thawed, enjoy previously frozen fudge within 2 weeks.  

 

 

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