• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Nina Kneads to Bake
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Cookies and Squares

    Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge

    Published: Dec 17, 2021 Modified: December 17, 2021 by Nina

    • Share
    • Flipboard
    • X
    • Reddit
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This is a super easy, rich, and creamy peanut butter fudge recipe, that does not require a candy thermometer. It is made on the stovetop with just a handful of ingredients!

    A white plate with fudge piled on top.

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Save Recipe

    By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Nina Kneads to Bake.

    Jump To Recipe
    • 🥜An easy fudge recipe
    • 🥘Ingredients
    • 🔪Instructions
    • ✔️Expert Tips
    • 💭Recipe FAQ's
    • 🔖Related recipes
    • 📋 Recipe

    🥜An easy fudge recipe

    I wanted to make a fudge that didn't require a candy thermometer (even though I own one), and didn't have ingredients in it like marshmallow fluff or sweetened condensed milk.

    This recipe is as close to a traditional fudge as you get. And it is so easy! All made in one saucepan, a wooden spoon, and a handful of ingredients. Now I'm trying to think how I can make chocolate fudge and butterscotch fudge the same way.....

    If you are looking for more holiday recipes, try my cranberry pecan upside down cake, traditional Christmas cake, whipped shortbread cookies, or my spiced gingerbread cookies!

    🥘Ingredients

    All the ingredients needed to make fudge.

    📝Ingredient notes

    • Light brown sugar - you can substitute with dark brown sugar. Your fudge will just be a lot darker in colour.
    • Peanut butter - substitute creamy peanut butter for chunky, if you prefer.

    🔪Instructions

    Instruction number 1 for making creamy peanut butter fudge.

    Grease a 9x9 or 8x8 inch baking pan, and line with parchment paper. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk when melted. Bring everything to a boil and stir constantly for 2 minutes.

    Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract. Stir in icing sugar until smooth.

    Instruction number 2 for making creamy peanut butter fudge.

    Spread the fudge into the prepared baking dish. Let it cool at room temperature and then store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

    Click here to see my web story for Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge

    ✔️Expert Tips

    • Substitute creamy peanut butter for chunky if you want.
    • Have all your ingredients ready before you start. Things move quickly once you begin making fudge.
    • Make sure you cook the fudge on the stovetop for as long as the recipe says. It will not set otherwise.

    💭Recipe FAQ's

    How do I store fudge?

    Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

    Can I freeze fudge?

    Wrap the fudge in plastic wrap and then put it inside a freezer bag or container. It can freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw by leaving it in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

    How do I cut fudge neatly?

    Cut the fudge when it has slightly firmed up, about an hour into it's cooling time.

    What causes peanut butter fudge to not harden?

    The fudge mixture did not get hot enough, or was not cooked long enough.

    Squares of fudge scattered across a piece of parchment paper.

    🔖Related recipes

    • One mini cheesecake on a piece of parchment paper. More mini cheesecakes are in the background.
      Mini Baileys Cheesecakes
    • A slice of cake on a white plate. The rest of the cake is seen partially in the background.
      Irish Whisky Cake
    • A single Nanaimo bar with more in the background.
      Irish Cream Nanaimo Bars
    • Two slices of loaf cake on a white plate. The rest of the loaf cake is in the background on a white cake plate.
      Cherry Chocolate Loaf Cake

    Let's Bake Together!

    Step-by-step instructions are all written in my recipe below. If you liked it, please rate me 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!

    If you tried this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram. You can also find me on Facebook and Pinterest.

    📋 Recipe

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Save Recipe

    By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Nina Kneads to Bake.

    Squares of fudge stacked on top of a white plate.

    Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge

    Nina
    This is a super easy, rich, and creamy peanut butter fudge recipe, that does not require a candy thermometer. It is made on the stovetop with just a handful of ingredients!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Cooling time 2 hours hrs
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine North American
    Servings 48 squares
    Calories 83 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ½ cup unsalted butter
    • 2 ¼ cups light brown sugar packed
    • ½ cup whole milk
    • ¾ cup smooth peanut butter
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3 ½ cups icing sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking pan, and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
    • Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and stir for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
    • Stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract until combined. Add icing sugar and beat until smooth.
    • Spread fudge into prepared baking dish, and smooth the top. Let it sit at room temperature until it cools and sets, about 2 hours. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

    Notes

    • Substitute creamy peanut butter for chunky if you want.
    • Have all your ingredients ready before you start. Things move quickly once you begin making fudge.
    • Make sure you cook the fudge on the stovetop for as long as the recipe says. It will not set otherwise.

    YOUR OWN NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes

    Nutrition

    Serving: 48gCalories: 83kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 23mgPotassium: 45mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 64IUCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Follow me on Instagram!Mention @ninakneadstobake or tag #ninakneadstobake!

    More Cookies & Squares Recipes

    • Four cookies on a white plate.
      Stained Glass Cross Cookies
    • A closeup of a cookie on a white tray.
      Spring Blossom Cookies
    • A vanilla custard square on a white plate. The rest of them are in a baking pan in the background.
      Vanilla Custard Cream Squares
    • Three Nanaimo bars stacked on top of each other.
      Raspberry Nanaimo Bars

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

      Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️ Cancel reply

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

      Recipe Rating




    1. Karen

      November 30, 2023 at 9:50 am

      I was going to try this till I saw the content of sugar. Wow! The old fashioned doesn’t use powdered sugar. Maybe it’s is no boil? Will look at recipe further. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Nina

        December 01, 2023 at 2:35 pm

        Hi Karen! There's brown sugar in it, and the brown sugar and butter gets boiled. You add the powdered sugar when it comes off the heat. I hope you try it! It's easier than most old fashioned fudge 🙂

        Reply
    2. Cheryl Lynn Kooistra

      January 09, 2022 at 11:53 am

      What is icing sugar???

      Reply
      • Nina

        January 10, 2022 at 10:10 am

        Hi Cheryl! It's powdered sugar. We call it icing sugar in Canada 🙂

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Nina! I am a self-taught baker and have a love for baking and trying new techniques. Here you will find easy step-by-step sweet and savoury recipes, with lots of tips.

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • A muffin with a bite out of so you can see the meringue filling in it.
      Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
    • A cupcake with a few more around it. Some peaches are laying around the cupcakes.
      Peach Bellini Cupcakes
    • A slice of cake on a white plate. The rest of the cake is in the background on a cake table.
      Raspberry Champagne Cake
    • A slice of cake on a white plate. The rest of the cake is in a baking dish in the background.
      Triple Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
    • A slice of cheesecake on a white plate. A gold fork sits in front of the plate.
      Toffifee Cheesecake
    • A slice of cake being lifted from the rest of the cake. The cake sits on a white cake stand.
      Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling

    Summer Recipes

    • Three scoops of ice cream in a white bowl. A lemon is in the background.
      Lemon Ice Cream
    • A full tart on a white cake plate. Some lemons and a bowl of berries sit in the corners of this picture.
      Lemon Berry Mascarpone Tart
    • A slice of cake on a white plate.
      Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cake
    • A scone on a white plate.
      Blackberry Earl Grey Scones
    • Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
    • A cupcake with some shredded coconut scattered around.
      Coconut Cream Pie Cupcakes

    Game Day Recipes

    • The bread bowl dip on a white platter with various vegetables and chips around it. A hand is holding a chip with some dip on it.
      Football Bread Bowl Dip
    • A dip with pretzels around it in a 9-inch round baking pan.
      Homemade Pretzel Ring Beer Cheese Dip
    • A dip with a person's hand dipping a pita chip into it.
      Nashville Hot Chicken Dip
    • Four slices of stromboli on a rectangular white plate.
      Easy Pepperoni Stromboli
    • Five pretzels scattered on a table. The front pretzel has a piece torn from it, to show it's fluffy interior.
      Buttery Soft Pretzels
    • An above view of a homemade pizza.
      Homemade Pizza Dough

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy & Terms of Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.