Pumpkin Fudge is a rich, creamy white chocolate fudge. It’s the perfect treat for gifting for fall holidays or enjoying at home. Try it soon!
The holidays are the perfect time of year to make Homemade Candy, and it’s hard to think of anything more festive than seasonal fudge. Try my variety of fudge recipes like classic holiday flavors like Gingerbread Fudge and Hot Chocolate Fudge.
Why You’ll Love This Fudge?
- Festive holiday flavor for Halloween and other Fall Holidays.
- Perfect for gifting to friends and neighbors for the Holidays with toppings and a decorative gift box.
Sabrina’s Pumpkin Fudge Recipe
This is the perfect treat to make for a holiday get together, or package up as an edible gift. Try adding Halloween or Thanksgiving sprinkles to the top depending on the occasion too. Apart from making it for the holidays, this is also the perfect treat to use up your leftover holiday ingredients. If there’s still a can of pumpkin puree in your cabinet after Thanksgiving, use it to whip up this delicious fudge!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar , packed
- 5 ounces evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 12 ounces white chocolate disks , about 2 cups
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 baking dish with buttered foil or spray with vegetable oil spray.
- To a large pot add sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice and butter; bring to a boil.
- Whisk constantly, for 8-10 minutes or until the candy thermometer reaches 234 to 240 degrees.
- Whisk in white chocolate disks, marshmallow crème, and vanilla extract.
- Remove from heat, whisk constantly for 1 minute until well combined, then pour into a baking dish and spread evenly.
- Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm before slicing.
Nutrition
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Note from Sabrina
If you give it as a gift, make sure to separate the fudge in the packaging so it doesn’t stick together. If you’re shipping the fudge put a gel ice pack in the box so that the Pumpkin Fudge won’t melt in transit.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
This creamy fudge recipe is essentially just a simple white fudge, but with added pumpkin ingredients. To get the ultimate pumpkin flavor all you need is Pumpkin Spice and canned or Homemade Pumpkin Puree just like you’d use for pumpkin pie filling. The simple ingredients all come together easily in a medium saucepan to make the ultimate Pumpkin Fudge recipe!
Ingredients
- Sugar: This delicious fudge is made with 2 cups of sugar plus 1 cup of brown sugar so you get all the sweetness plus a hint of molasses for extra fall flavor. However, you don’t want to use all brown sugar or you will have a hard time getting to the right temperature to set your fudge.
- Evaporated Milk: The 5 ounces of evaporated milk help smooth the sugar mixture and add richness for a creamy, rich flavor without adding too much moisture.
- Pumpkin: I added a ½ cup of pumpkin puree so this pumpkin fudge is packed with actual, real pumpkin flavor! If you are using homemade pumpkin puree, make sure to drain it well and pat it dry.
- Spices: To give this fudge a delicious pumpkin pie flavor, it has 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. You can make your own spice blend or pick one up at most grocery stores.
- Butter: This decadent rich fudge has ¾ cup unsalted butter added for richness and flavor plus the fat in the butter helps bind everything so it sets better.
- White Chocolate: This is a vanilla fudge which means it’s made with white chocolate. Use 2 cups of white chocolate melting disks, or 12 ounces. You want to use disks because they are made for candy making and they melt smoother.
- Marshmallow Creme: The 7 ounces of marshmallow creme adds a delicious marshmallow flavor plus it helps make the mixture fluffy for super soft fudge.
- Vanilla: To enhance the vanilla flavor in the white chocolate, the mixture has 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. The warm vanilla also brings out and compliments the pumpkin and fall flavors.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Fudge Pan: This recipe makes a lot of fudge mixture so a 9×13 inch baking pan will give you a good thickness and make a big batch of fudge squares. If you use an 8 or 9 inch square pan, you are going to get jumbo squares that will take much longer to set.
- Candy Thermometer: The best kind of candy thermometer to use is a digital one for the most accurate reading. The thermometer is super important because if your sugar mixture doesn’t reach the right temperature it won’t set, and if it gets too hot you will get a grainy texture or burnt sugar taste.
Baking Tips & Tricks
- Keep your Fudge from Sticking to the Pan: You want to line your pan with foil or parchment paper so it doesn’t stick. Using butter or oil will make it greasy on the outside and doesn’t work as well. Make sure you leave a lip of foil over the edge so you can grab it and lift the whole block of fudge out of the pan. This lets you trim the edges easily for perfectly cut squares.
- Making Fudge Set is a Science: There are a lot of things that need to come together to make perfectly set fudge. The sugar, pumpkin, and milk need to reach a certain temperature to let enough moisture escape, but not so hot it burns and hardens the sugar crystals. The chocolate is also a factor, too much and it will be clumpy and not enough chocolate and it won’t set. So, this recipe is one you will want to follow closely and not make too many adjustments until you master the basics.
How to Store
- Serve: After serving, you may want to keep it stored in the fridge. You fudge may start to melt if kept at room temperature for too long.
- Store: Store the fudge in the fridge wrapped in plastic, or put it in an airtight container. Separate each layer of fudge with parchment paper so that they don’t get stuck together. Kept sealed, fudge will be good in the fridge for 2 weeks.
- Freeze: Lay out the fudge squares on a baking sheet and freeze for at least an hour, until solid. This keeps them from sticking. Store the frozen squares in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Enjoy frozen or let thaw in the fridge.
Ideas to Serve
- Gifting: This creamy Pumpkin Fudge would make a delicious edible gift! Stack squares and wrap in festive cellophane. Tie the cellophane closed with fall-colored ribbons and maybe add a cute little fall charm. To keep the squares from sticking, you can put a little square of parchment between them.
- Toppings: Add some tasty toppings like chopped Candied Pecans, toasted pumpkin seeds, walnuts, mini chocolate chips, crushed Toffee Bits, or festive sprinkles. Let your fudge set for about an hour, so they don’t sink to the bottom, and gently press the toppings into the fudge so they stick.
Frequent Questions
This Pumpkin Fudge recipe is made with real pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, marshmallow creme, and white chocolate for a creamy and soft vanilla fudge full of pumpkin flavor. The sugar base is both brown and white sugar plus evaporated milk and butter.
Chances are if your fudge didn’t set it is because your sugar mixture didn’t reach the right temperature. It could also be that you didn’t have enough chocolate to help the other ingredients set, so make sure you use the amounts listed.
Variations
- Chocolate Fudge: If you want to make a classic chocolate fudge, replace the white chocolate chips with semi-sweet chocolate chips. You could also use milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips.
- Mix-ins: For some extra texture, try delicious mix-ins like chopped walnuts, pecans, or pumpkin seeds. You can also add some festive sprinkles over the top or drizzle on some melted chocolate.
- Maple Syrup Fudge: Instead of using brown sugar to sweeten the fudge try using maple syrup for a slightly different fall flavor. Use a one to one ratio and don’t adjust the other sugar.
Related Recipes
More Holiday Fudge Recipes
Photos used in previous version of this post
LOVED this recipe. It’s so creamy and has the perfect amount of spice. It’s definitely going to be the star of the dessert table! Thanks for sharing, Sabrina!