Peppermint Fudge

24 Pieces
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Refrigerate 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes

Easy Peppermint Fudge is a creamy rich white chocolate fudge recipe with crunchy candy cane pieces. The perfect treat for the holiday season!

From Gingerbread Fudge to Eggnog Fudge to Peppermint Fudge, creamy festive fudge made with classic holiday flavors is the perfect Candy for your Dessert table, gift baskets, and to have on hand all winter long. 

White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge on marble

This creamy, rich Peppermint Fudge full of crushed candy canes is the perfect dessert for the holidays. The sweet minty flavor and rich white chocolate fudge combination are like Christmas in a creamy, cool bite. Put out this peppermint candy on a tray with other sweets at your next holiday get-together or wrap them up as an extra festive treat in your holiday gift baskets.

If you’ve never tried making fudge, you’ll be surprised just how easy it is to make Peppermint Fudge. You only need 5 ingredients to make this easy Christmasy white chocolate fudge.There’s no special equipment needed, no baking, and the hardest part is waiting for the fudge to set in the fridge without sneaking bites!

If holiday baking stresses you out, this is an easy recipe to make ahead of time and freeze. You can make this fudge months in advance and then just leave it in the freezer until you need it. Come Christmas time all you have to do is let the fudge thaw out in the fridge. Making holiday desserts ahead of time and keeping them in the freezer is a great way to reduce the work you have to do in December, and keep the holidays as stress free as possible.

White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge in foil-lined baking dish

How to Make Peppermint Fudge

  • Prep: Start by preparing your pan. Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spray that with non-stick cooking spray. This will make sure you have no problems with the fudge sticking to the pan.
  • Melt: Add the chocolate chips, condensed milk, and salt to the saucepan, and make sure to keep the burner on low heat so it doesn’t scald the milk. Continue stirring until the chocolate is melted.
  • Flavor: Turn off the heat then stir in the peppermint extract. To crush your peppermints or candy canes without making a mess, put them in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to break them apart. Once the candy canes are broken apart add all but a handful to the Peppermint Fudge mixture.
  • Set: Pour the fudge mixture into the prepared pan and spread with a spatula to even out. Add the remaining candy canes to the top. Put the pan in the fridge and let it set for 4 hours. Once it’s set, cut into squares and serve or store.

More Delicious Fudge Recipes for the Holidays

FAQs for Peppermint Fudge

What makes fudge hard or soft?

The hardness or softness of fudge depends on how much sugar and moisture there is in the recipe and how it’s cooked. If there’s more sugar compared to moisture, the fudge will be harder. Also, cooking it for a longer time and at higher temperatures will make it harder, while shorter cooking times will keep it softer.

What is the secret to good fudge?

The secret to awesome fudge is making sure you have the perfect balance of sugar and milk, and that they aren’t overcooked so you get creamy fudge that is smooth, creamy, firm but also soft. Using sweetened condensed milk helps take the guesswork out of fudge making and gives you consistently smooth and creamy fudge.

Why is it called fudge?

The name “fudge” for this sweet treat has an interesting history. Some say it originated from an accidental “fudged” batch of caramel that didn’t set properly. Others claim it comes from the term “fadge,” which means to fit or shape something together. Either way, it’s a tasty name for a deliciously indulgent dessert!

Why is my fudge not hardening?

One possibility is that you didn’t cook it long enough and didn’t reach the right temperature. Another reason could be that the sugar to moisture ratio was off, making it too soft. There isn’t really a way to fix fudge that is too soft, besides maybe freezing it, however it will still taste delicious.

cropped photo of White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

Key Ingredients

  • White Chocolate: White chocolate adds a creamy and rich flavor to the fudge. It is made from cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids, without the cocoa solids found in dark or milk chocolate.
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk: Condensed milk is a great way to make fudge for beginners, because you always get smooth and creamy fudge as long as you don’t let it boil. You don’t have to worry about reducing it or other trouble areas with traditional fudge making.
  • Peppermint Extract: Peppermint extract gives the fudge its refreshing and minty flavor. You want to use peppermint, not spearmint, because it has a better flavor for candies and  sweets.
  • Peppermint Candy: Crushed candies or candy cane pieces give this fudge a delightful crunch and add bursts of peppermint flavor throughout it. They also create a festive appearance, making it a perfect treat for the holiday season.

Can Peppermint Fudge be made ahead of time?

Yes, Peppermint Fudge can be made ahead of time. In fact, you’ll need to make it at least 4 hours in advance, preferably overnight, to allow it to fully set and blend the flavors. After the fudge is set, you can store the fudge in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks or even freeze it for about 6 months. Enjoy it frozen or let it thaw at room temperature before serving.

Variations

  • Chocolate: Instead of making White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge, you can use semi-sweet chocolate chips to make regular chocolate fudge. Another way to add chocolate is to spread Chocolate Ganache on top of the set fudge, then chill it until it’s hardened and cut as usual.
  • Vegan: To make Vegan Candy Cane Fudge replace the sweetened condensed milk with coconut condensed milk. You’ll also need to replace the white chocolate with a dairy free chocolate chip.
  • Oreo: For some extra flavor crush some Oreo cookies to put in the fudge recipe at the same time you add the candy canes. You could also add Thin Mints for crispy, minty chocolate cookie flavor.
  • Nuts: For some extra crunch, why not add in some chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans to the fudge? If you’ve got some Candied Pecans, this candy is a perfect way to use them up!
  • Toppings: For decorations try sprinkling on some mini marshmallows or red sprinkles on top before you put the pan in the fridge to harden.
bite taken out of White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

Tips for Gifting Peppermint Fudge

  • Fudge makes a great edible gift for the holidays. The best way to package homemade fudge is in a decorative cookie tin.
  • Cut a piece of parchment paper to the size of your tin or use festive tissue paper. Put a layer of fudge squares over the paper. If you want to add more than one layer of fudge put another layer of paper then add the fudge on top of that. Continue until the container is full.
  • If you’re planning to ship the fudge, it’s best to use express shipping. Put your candy tin a shipping box of a similar size.
  • If you’re worried about the fudge melting in transit, put a gel freezer pack in the package. Wrap the freeze pack in plastic just to make certain it doesn’t leak.
  • It’s also a good idea to let the person you’re sending the gift to know to expect food, so they can get it stored properly when it arrives.

More Tasty Peppermint Treats!

How to Store

  • Serve: You can keep Candy Cane Fudge at room temperature for up to a week. Be sure to keep it in a ziplock bag or other airtight container. Store it in a cool place so that the fudge doesn’t melt.
  • Store: To keep the White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge longer, store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If you put the fudge squares in a ziplock bag, layer them with parchment paper so they don’t stick together.
  • Freeze: This is a great dessert recipe to make ahead of time and store in the freezer. Candy Cane Fudge will keep well in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Pin this recipe now to remember it later

Pin Recipe

Peppermint Fudge

Easy Peppermint Fudge is a creamy rich white chocolate fudge recipe with crunchy candy cane pieces. The perfect treat for the holiday season!
Yield 24 Pieces
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

Instructions

  • Line an 8×8 pan with foil and spray with vegetable oil spray.
  • Add white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and salt to a large saucepan on low heat.
  • Stir until chocolate is melted.
  • Turn off heat and add in peppermint extract.
  • Mix in all but a small handful of the crushed peppermint candies.
  • Spread into baking dish.
  • Sprinkle on the remaining peppermint candies into the baking pan.
  • Refrigerate for 4 hours before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 142mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1mg
Peppermint Fudge cut into squares and stacked

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

Categories

Leave a comment & rating

Have you checked the FAQ section above to see if your question has already been answered? View previous questions.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments