Chocolate Orange Fudge

A delicious pairing of savory chocolate and sweet orange, this simple fudge is sweetened with sugar and marshmallows and flavored with orange extract and zest.

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About Chocolate Orange Fudge

Ideal for holidays or simply to cure a fruity chocolate craving, this festive chocolate orange fudge is great for both snacking and gifting.

What’s in chocolate orange fudge?

In order to whip up a batch of fudge infused with a delicious orange chocolate flavor, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips – The delicious flavor that creates the base of this fudge.
• Evaporated milk and salted butter – Adds smooth creaminess and delicious flavor to the fudge.
• Mini marshmallows – These are melted down into the hot chocolate, giving this fudge great flavor and soft texture.
• Granulated sugar – For some added sweetness.
• Orange extract and orange zest – The star of the show! Infuses the fudge with citrus flavor. Feel free to use more orange zest, if you’d like.

What type of chocolate should you use?

There are many different brands of chocolate chips – even some made by popular candy companies – but from my experience, the best chocolate for baking, fudges, or truffles is Ghirardelli. It consistently performs well while baking, has a great texture (never chalky), and has a delicious flavor. This brand is a little more expensive, but trust me, you’ll appreciate the flavor and consistency you’ll get from the premium quality.

You can find their semi-sweet chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate bars either in the bakery aisle of most grocery stores or you can buy it online.

How much orange zest do you need?

This recipe calls for about two tablespoons of orange zest, which you should be able to get from one medium-sized orange.

The chocolate seized! What happened?

If you found that the chocolate seized (or in other words, became so firm that it could no longer be stirred), this is usually caused by one of two things:

Cause #1 – Adding the extract directly to the melted chocolate/candy that’s not fully melted. There’s a lot of baking chemistry going on here, but in short, you want to avoid adding alcohol (which extracts essentially are) directly to melted chocolate candy because the water and fats will react, causing them to separate, leaving you with a grainy, hard mixture.

How to fix it: While this is an easy mistake to make, it can be salvaged – you just need a lot of elbow grease. Gentle heat and persistent stirring should get the chocolate back to a workable texture. You can also try mixing in a tablespoon or two of boiling water to loosen it up.

Cause #2 – Adding water-based food coloring to the melted chocolate/candy. Chocolate is made of a mixture of fat and dry particles, and any contact with water will cause the dry particles to become moist and stick together, resulting in a hard, gritty paste.

How to fix it: Unlike with the extract, there is no saving melted candy that’s seized due to contact with water (even the smallest amount). You would have to start over. To avoid this, use oil-based food coloring instead.

How should fudge be stored?

When it comes to fudge, it should remain good for up to two to three weeks in a sealed container. The texture of the fudge may change over time, but you have some control over this depending on how you store it:

In the refrigerator – Keeping fudge chilled ensures that it stays firm and won’t become messy to eat. However, the chilled environment will slowly draw out the moister in the fudge, which could result in a crumbly texture over time. Despite this, storing fudge in the refrigerator is still the way I personally recommend.

On the counter – Storing fudge on the counter ensures that it’s always accessible and has a soft texture, but some fudge may soften too much (or appear to “melt”) over time. However, this doesn’t always happen; it all depends on the exact temperature of the room. So when storing fudge this way, be sure to keep it in a cool, dark place. It’s also best to wrap or separate each piece of fudge with plastic wrap or wax paper so that the fudge does not stick together.

How long is fudge good for?

When stored in a sealed container, this chocolate orange fudge should remain good for up to two to three weeks.

Can you freeze fudge?

Yes, you totally can! Fudge can be frozen for up to three months.

To freeze fudge, be sure to store it properly. You can either:

• For best results, do not cut the fudge and instead freeze the whole block, storing it in an airtight container or freezer bag. Cut the fudge once thawed and ready to eat.
• If the fudge has already been cut, wrap each individual piece in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then store in an airtight container or freezer bag.

How to tell if fudge has gone bad

If you’ve had your fudge for a while, you can tell it’s past its prime if it either:

• Feels hard, dried out, or crumbles easily.
• If the fudge appears to be “melting” (without heat) or has a slimy texture. If freshly made fudge is doing this, try storing it in the refrigerator.

Notes & tips for this chocolate orange fudge

• Because fudge should be mixed quickly to ensure that all the ingredients incorporate, I recommend measuring all ingredients out before you begin.
• For “cleaner” cuts of fudge, trim off the uneven edges before cutting the squares of fudge. You’ll lose fudge this way (it can still be eaten!) but you’ll gain a prettier presentation.

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How to make chocolate orange fudge

This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

Step 1 – Using a large, deep saucepan (I like to use a dutch oven), melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, add sugar and evaporated milk. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil.

Step 2 – Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the sauce to cook, undisturbed, for five minutes. When the five minutes are up, remove the saucepan from heat.

Step 3 – Add the marshmallows to the saucepan, then stir until they’re (mostly) dissolved, then add the chocolate chips. Mix until everything is melted and creamy.

Step 4 – Finally, add the orange extract and orange zest, then stir until incorporated into the chocolate.

Step 5 – Pour the chocolate fudge mixture into a long, wide baking dish lined with aluminum foil. Use a spatula to smooth out the top of the chocolate. If desired, decorate the top of the chocolate with more orange zest.

Step 6 – Refrigerate and let set!

Step 7 – Remove fudge from baking dish, peel away the foil, then cut into 1-inch squares (or whatever size you prefer).

Step 8 – Enjoy!