Christmas Fudge

This creamy two-ingredient Christmas fudge is a simple mix of candy melts and vanilla frosting and has the festive touch that’s perfect for holiday snacking.

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About Christmas Fudge

With festive swirls of red, white, and green, this deliciously soft and chewy two-ingredient Christmas fudge is a must-make recipe during the holiday season.

What’s in this Christmas fudge?

The best part of this recipe is how easy it is! All you’ll need are two key ingredients plus a few optional extras:

• Candy Melts – The first core ingredient of this fudge. You can either buy candy melts that are already in the color you’d like or use white candy melts and oil-based food coloring to get the hue you’d like.
• Store-Bought Vanilla Frosting – The second core ingredient, this brings flavor and creaminess to the fudge. This recipe is designed to use classic vanilla but you could also use buttercream frosting (or any other flavor with a light color). NOTE: I have only tested this with storebought frosting.
• Almond Extract (or any other flavor extract) – This is totally optional but can give the fudge a hint of flavor.
• Sprinkles – Also optional, but can give this fudge a fun, festive touch.

What type of candy melts should you use?

Candy melts (also called melting wafters) are pretty common – you can find them in the baking supply area, and they’re small, flat disks, typically sold by the bag – but I do think there are significant differences in quality depending on the brand of candy melts you buy.

Wilton is by far the most common brand of candy melt, and they are sold in a variety of colors. This makes them a popular pick, since you can buy the exact color you need and can get right to crafting your festive treats. Wilton is simple and easy.

This recipe recommends using Wilton candy melts (or other brands that come in different colors) because it makes things simpler.

However, I’ve not been impressed with the quality of Wilton candy melts and typically look for alternatives. If given the choice, I would highly recommend picking up Ghirardelli brand candy melts and using oil-based food coloring to get the look that you want. You could also use their bar chocolate or chocolate chips. These are my favorite candy melts to work with due to the superior quality and taste.

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 Christmas 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 Christmas fudge

• If you want thicker (taller) fudge, use an 8×8 baking dish (or smaller, so long as it can hold about four cups total) instead of a 9×9 baking dish.
• 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.

More delicious candy recipes

Other great Chrismas recipes

How to make Christmas 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 – Put your chosen candy melts into a microwave-safe bowl for each color, then heat in the microwave until smooth.

Step 2 – Remove the lid and foil from the vanilla frosting, then microwave it until melted.

Step 3 – If you’re adding a flavor extract, stir it into the vanilla frosting.

Step 4 – Divide the frosting evenly between the bowls of melted candy, then mix until smooth.

Step 5 – Pour the candy mixture into a 9×9 baking dish lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. If desired, drag a toothpick through the fudge a few times to create a pattern. Tap the baking dish lightly against the counter to even out the top. Add sprinkles or candy along the top of the fudge for a festive look.

Step 6 – Refrigerate and let set!

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

Step 8 – Serve and enjoy!