See’s Vanilla Walnut Fudge is a great recipe for the holidays! Skip the mall and make this spot-on copycat instead, that will be a favorite!
Whether it’s for a friend, a teacher, or a date, let people know you care with homemade Candy Recipes! Try my rich creamy Chocolate Walnut Fudge and Peanut Butter Fudge next.
Sabrina’s See’s Vanilla Walnut Fudge (Copycat) Recipe
The only thing better than unwrapping a box of decadent See’s Fudge during the holidays, is making a big batch of the creamy, vanilla candy at home! This easy copycat recipe can be made year-round, no need for it to go on sale or fight the holiday crowds at the mall. The texture is what makes this style of fudge so special, soft, and melt in your mouth smooth with just enough firmness to hold its shape when sliced. Perfect for gifting or enjoying all to yourself!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups sugar
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 18 ounces white chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 7 ounces marshmallow creme
- 2 cups walnuts
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 pan with foil and spray with vegetable oil spray.
- To a large pot add the sugar and evaporated milk, stirring well.
- Bring to a boil, stir constantly, and cook for 7-8 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and quickly add in the butter and white chocolate chips.
- Stir well until combined then add in the vanilla and marshmallow cream (move fast before it starts cooling).
- Fold in the walnuts and spread into baking dish.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours before slicing.
Nutrition
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Note From Sabrina
The hardest part about making See’s Vanilla Walnut Fudge is waiting at least 4 hours for it to set in the refrigerator. You might be tempted to speed up the process by placing the fudge in the freezer, but don’t give in! Freezing fudge before its set will make the texture hard and solid. The perfect bite of fudge is pillowy and creamy with a firm crust, and you won’t get that with the freezer.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
The copycat version brings that same homemade candy shop quality into your own kitchen, making it perfect for gifts or whenever you want a sweet treat that feels timeless and decadent. This fudge is made with just a few ingredients that cost less combined than half of a box of fudge. Instead of heavy whipping cream, this easy copycat recipe for See’s Vanilla Walnut Fudge uses evaporated milk. Evaporated milk is much easier to make fudge with than heavy cream, plus it has a long shelf life… aka vanilla fudge whenever you are craving it! This fudge will be a favorite throughout the year and having it on hand will be something that feels both classic and comforting.
How to Store
- Serve: Refrigerate fudge for at least 4 hours before cutting to serve. You can keep the fudge covered with plastic wrap for up to 3 days at room temperature.
- Store: Cut fudge after it is set and either leave in the pan (covered in plastic wrap) or transfer to an airtight container to store. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze: Once set, place cut fudge in a sealed container and freeze for up to 4 months. Use parchment paper between layers so it doesn’t stick. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Easy dessert that no one will know you didn’t make that day!
Variations
- Nuts: Leave out the walnuts for a nut-free fudge, or try pecans, peanuts, or hazelnuts. Toast your nuts or use 2 cups of Candied Cinnamon Pecans to take this fudge to the next level.
- Chocolate: Instead of white chocolate chips, you can make this recipe with semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips. Substitute white almond bark for the white chocolate chips, chopping it up into small pieces so it melts faster.
- Swirls: Swirl Salted Caramel Sauce or chocolate ganache over the top of your fudge before it sets for a decadent, sweet upgrade to this vanilla fudge!
- Maple: Use maple extract instead of vanilla extract and substitute half the granulated sugar with brown sugar to make Maple Walnut Fudge that is absolutely divine!
- Marshmallow Creme: You can use 2 cups mini marshmallows instead of marshmallow creme, but melt them slightly first so they mix easier.
Related Recipes
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Photos Used In Previous Posts:
For those of you who think it’s missing something, either use Salted Butter or add a dash or two of salt. Huge difference.
Fabulous recipe!!
Thank you Deborah! Happy Holidays!
Does the 7-8 minutes cook time start once it’s boiling? Or are you starting that time as soon as you start heating the sugar and evaporated milk?
Bring to a boil
After it is boiling, stir constantly and cook for 7-8 minutes.
Then turn off the heat and quickly add in the butter and white chocolate chips.
Stir well until combined then add in the vanilla and marshmallow cream (move fast before it starts cooling).
Fold in the walnuts and spread into baking dish.
Hope that helps and let us know if you tried the recipe and what you thought!
I absolutely love See’s Candies vanilla walnut fudge/roll. I was thrilled to find this recipe thinking it’d save me money if I can just make it at home. I had this and the original See’s version side-by-side for a taste test. Unfortunately, although close, this recipe doesn’t satisfy that craving. This recipe is way too sweet. It’s also missing something. I can’t quite put my finger on it but it’s missing the depth that the original version has. It’s not bad, just not what I was looking for. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for your feedback. Let us know if something comes to mind that we should consider adding!
I am waiting for my fudge to set hoping it was worth it.. i started off with evaporated milk and sugar and it formed a thick paste.. started burning in the pan, then added the butter and followed the rest of the directions as followed but had to add water and flavor as written in a comment below. Not sure if I misinterpret be instructions or what.. but I hope it still tastes good. Any suggestions?
Cooking sugar can be very tricky – if you can get your hands on a candy thermometer it may make it easier to know when it’s done, and your pan may be too hot if it’s burning even while stirring constantly.
Update: this really is delicious. Almost worth the burned hand!
When she says “big pan” she doesn’t mean a 2 qt pot. She means a stock pot. My 2 qt pan boiled over and destroyed my glasstop stove. And I burnt my hand.
The fudge came out soft after 4 hrs. in frigerator. Tasted great. Covered and put in freezer for 40 mins; came out fine. What is the weigh of all this fudge?
This fudge came out great even though I edited the recipe. I only had 12 oz of chips and had mini marshmallows and no fluff. I used the 12 oz of chips and 4 cups mini marshmallows to make up for them missing chips. How many cups of marshmallows was a guess, but it came out perfect.
Hi! Quick question? Do you melt the butter first or just add it and stir until melted?
Thank you!
Hi! I would melt it first.
Incredibly delicious! Thank you!!
I can’t wait to make this. I do have a question though. What brand of white Chocolate do you recommend? They all taste a little different.
I love both Ghirardelli or Guittard White chocolate. Enjoy!
Love this fudge! So flavorful but not too sweet which a lot of fudge can be! Can’t wait to make this recipe again!
Glad to know it was such a hit, Jennifer. Thanks for the 5 stars.
Looks so delicious! I know my family will go crazy for this.
Enjoy!
Oh my goodness, we LOVE this fudge! The vanilla and walnuts compliment each other so much! Can’t wait to make again!
Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you enjoyed it, Katie.
I followed the recipe, but the fudge did not set. Waited over 4 hours.
I’m so sorry I just saw this comment.
Issues with fudge not setting are almost always due to the fudge not having cooked long enough. Did you stir at the right heat for the listed amount of time? If the heat was too low or it was less time you’d end up with not setting fudge as not enough liquid would’ve evaporated.
I am sure this is on me, but my batch did not set and is grainy. Can I save it and do you have any tips.
Oh no! If the fudge didn’t set and was grainy, it most likely didn’t get cooked to a high enough temperature or wasn’t boiled for long enough to allow the sugar to properly dissolve. You might be able to save it by putting the fudge back into a large saucepan and adding a little bit of water and cream. Stir it over low heat until it dissolves and is smooth. You may need to add more flavoring since it’s a bit diluted so do a taste test and add if necessary. Reboil it. I hope this helps!