Peanut Butter Pumpkin Fudge

This 5 ingredient fudge is laced with creamy peanut butter, white chocolate, pumpkin puree, and festive pumpkin pie spice. Only takes 10 minutes to make!

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About Peanut Butter Pumpkin Fudge

Fudge is always a hit due to its intense sweetness, and this peanut butter pumpkin fudge is no exception.

There are three flavors at play here – white chocolate, peanut butter, and pumpkin pie spice – and once you’ve had this fudge, you’ll be convinced that they were made to go together.

Plus, you’ll love the fact that you can whip this recipe together in less than 10 minutes.

What’s in peanut butter pumpkin fudge?

In order to make this deliciously creamy fall-themed fudge, you’ll need to gather the following ingredients:

• White chocolate – The delicious flavor that creates the base of this fudge.
• Creamy peanut butter – One half of the namesake of this recipe! Creamy peanut butter is recommended but this should also work with crunchy peanut butter for some added texture. Also, this recipe has not been tested with natural peanut butter, so the “big brands” like Skippy or Jiff are the only ones I can recommend using.
• Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice – The other half of this flavor profile for the delicious taste of fall.
• Vanilla – For adding and enhancing the flavors.

What type of chocolate should you use?

“Cooking chocolate” is a staple in baking – you can find it in the baking supply area, and it typically looks like a large candy bar – and while there are multiple brands to choose from, I do think there are significant differences in the quality of the chocolate for each brand.

Baker’s is by far the most common brand, but I’ve found their chocolate to have a dry texture and the flavor to be a little “off.” It’s not a bad choice by any means, especially if Baker’s is all you can find, but I’ve been happier with my baked goods and candy if I can get my hands on another brand.

And because of this, I highly recommend using Ghirardelli Premium Baking Bars (and for this recipe, the white chocolate baking bar.) Ghirardelli is a little more expensive, but trust me, you’ll appreciate the flavor and consistency you’ll get from a premium brand.

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.

Pumpkin Puree vs. Pumpkin Pie Filling

When it comes to holiday treats, you’re going to be faced with two types of canned pumpkin in the baking aisle:

Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling.

And while these types might seem interchangeable, there is a slight (yet significant) difference.

With pumpkin puree, the only contents are cooked and mashed pumpkin (or a variety of winter gourds), with no added flavors or spices. Pumpkin pie filling is made with cooked and mashed pumpkin, too, but it also has flavor added, typically with pumpkin pie spice.

The key difference here is convenience. If you don’t have (or don’t want to buy) pumpkin pie spice, using pumpkin pie filling can save you some time and effort; you simply add it to the recipe and skip measuring the spices. However, it does limit your ability to control the taste, and if you’re using the pumpkin pie filling with other flavors, there’s no way to guarantee how they’ll interact.

This is why you’ll see many homemade recipes use pumpkin puree (which, again, is just the gourds, no added flavor) and season and spice the recipe by hand as needed. It is a tad more work but it also gives you more control over the flavor of your fall treats.

Can You Still Use Pumpkin Pie Filling?

If pumpkin pie filling is what you have to work with, then yes, you can use it in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the pumpkin pie spice when mixing the ingredients.

How should pumpkin 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 peanut butter pumpkin 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 pumpkin fudge

• When you’re cutting the finished fudge, you could cut it in squares (as pictured) or you can use fun fall-themed cookie cutters (also pictured). If you’re going to use cookie cutters, I recommend using a larger pan than the one listed in the recipe instructions, possibly a 9×9 baking dish or 10×10 baking dish or a similar size. This will make the fudge a little thinner and easier to press the cookie cutter through. Also, I found that freezing the fudge first and warming the cookie cutters in a cup of hot water before pressing them in the fudge helped get clear, even cuts in the fudge. When I made these I used the pumpkin shape from a set of fox run pie cutters.
• 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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