Old fashioned peanut butter fudge is the cooked, stovetop kind: sugar, milk and butter boiled to the soft-ball stage, then beaten with creamy peanut butter and vanilla until thick and glossy, poured into a lined pan and cut into 36 small squares once set. Five ingredients, no marshmallow creme and no sweetened condensed milk.
How to make old fashioned peanut butter fudge: line an 8×8 pan, stir 2 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of butter over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, boil to the soft-ball stage (about 234°F), take it off the heat, stir in 1 cup of creamy peanut butter and the vanilla until glossy, pour into the pan and let it set.
Why You’ll Love It
- Five ingredients: sugar, milk, butter, peanut butter and vanilla.
- 10 minutes of prep and 15 on the stove, then it sets on its own.
- Makes 36 small squares for sharing.
- Easy add-ins: chopped peanuts, flaky salt or chocolate chips.
How to Avoid Gritty or Crumbly Fudge
Watch the sugar and the temperature:
- Dissolve the sugar first. Stir over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar is fully dissolved before the mixture comes to a boil. Grainy fudge means the sugar didn’t fully dissolve.
- Stir less once it boils. Too much stirring can make the sugar crystallize again after it dissolves. If it turns grainy, cook a little longer at a slow temperature and stir less.
- Stop at soft-ball. Take the pan off the heat at about 234°F to 235°F. Fudge cooked past 235°F can turn dry and crumbly.
- No thermometer? Drop a little of the mixture into cold water. At the soft-ball stage it forms a soft, pliable ball. An instant-read thermometer works too.
- Use creamy peanut butter, not natural. The oil in natural peanut butter tends to separate.
- Use whole milk. Evaporated milk gives a richer flavor.
- Get everything ready first. Line the pan and measure the peanut butter and vanilla before you start; once the fudge is cooking, you need to keep moving.
Which Sugar Is Best for Peanut Butter Fudge?
This recipe uses plain granulated sugar, cooked with the milk and butter. A brown sugar style uses light brown sugar with powdered sugar beaten in after a short boil, a different style. For the old fashioned cooked fudge here, stick with granulated sugar.
Ingredient Notes
Sugar. Two cups of granulated sugar.
Milk. Half a cup of whole milk, or evaporated milk for a richer flavor. Skim or 2% milk is not recommended.
Butter. Half a cup of unsalted butter, cut into pieces.
Peanut butter. One cup of creamy peanut butter. Crunchy adds texture if you want it.
Vanilla. One teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk (evaporated milk gives a richer flavor)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Chopped peanuts, optional, for crunch
- Flaky sea salt, optional, for a sweet-salty finish
- Chocolate chips, optional
How to Make Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge
1. Line the pan. Line an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch baking dish with parchment or wax paper, leaving some overhang, and lightly grease the paper.
2. Melt and dissolve. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, milk and butter. Stir continuously over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar is fully dissolved.
3. Boil to soft-ball. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring often so it doesn’t burn, and boil until it reaches the soft-ball stage, about 234°F on a candy thermometer. Without a thermometer, drop a little into cold water: it should form a soft, pliable ball.
4. Add the peanut butter. Take the pan off the heat right away. Quickly stir in the peanut butter and vanilla and stir hard until smooth, thick and glossy.
5. Pour. Quickly pour the fudge into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
6. Cool until set. Let it cool at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, or refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes, until fully set.
7. Cut and serve. Lift the fudge out using the paper and cut it into small squares with a sharp knife. Makes 36 small squares.
Variations
- Chopped peanuts: sprinkle them over the top for crunch.
- Sweet and salty: finish with flaky sea salt.
- Peanut butter and chocolate: scatter chocolate chips on top, or layer or swirl it with chocolate fudge.
- Cookies and cream: mix in 1 cup of coarsely chopped chocolate sandwich cookies.
- Crunchy: use crunchy peanut butter for more texture.
Storage & Freezing
Wrap cut fudge in plastic wrap, then put it in an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out. It keeps at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks with wax paper between the layers. To freeze, wrap it in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for up to about 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight.
What to Serve With It
For more fudge, try old fashioned chocolate fudge or Mackinac Island fudge. For more peanut butter treats, there’s air fryer peanut butter cookies, peanut butter and chocolate Rice Krispie treats, chocolate Rice Krispie balls and slow cooker Amish peanut butter pie.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are common peanut butter fudge mistakes?
Boiling before the sugar dissolves, stirring too much once it boils, cooking past 235°F, using natural peanut butter, and using skim milk.
What is the best sugar to use in peanut butter fudge?
Granulated sugar for this old fashioned cooked version. A brown sugar and powdered sugar version is a different, quicker style.
Why is my fudge grainy?
The sugar didn’t fully dissolve. Stir until it’s dissolved before boiling, then stir less once it’s bubbling.
Why is my fudge dry and crumbly?
It was likely cooked past 235°F. Take it off the heat at the soft-ball stage, about 234°F.
Do I need a candy thermometer?
It helps. An instant-read thermometer works too, or use the cold-water test for a soft, pliable ball.
Can I chill fudge to set it faster?
Yes. It sets in 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge instead of 1 to 2 hours on the counter. Cut it with a sharp knife once it’s firm, lifting it out of the pan by the paper first so the squares come out clean.
Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
Yes, for more texture, but it must be regular peanut butter, not the natural kind with oil on top.
Final Notes
Dissolve the sugar, stop at soft-ball and stir in the peanut butter fast. Tell me in the comments which topping you added.
Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge
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Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk evaporated milk gives a richer flavor
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter crunchy adds texture
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
- chopped peanuts optional, for crunch
- flaky sea salt optional, for a sweet-salty finish
- chocolate chips optional, for a peanut butter-chocolate combo
Instructions
- Line an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch baking dish with parchment or wax paper, leaving some overhang, and lightly grease the paper.
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, milk and butter. Stir continuously over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Bring to a gentle boil, stirring often so it doesn't burn, and boil until it reaches the soft-ball stage, about 234F on a candy thermometer. Without a thermometer, drop a little into cold water: it should form a soft, pliable ball.
- Take the pan off the heat right away. Quickly stir in the peanut butter and vanilla and stir hard until smooth, thick and glossy.
- Quickly pour the fudge into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Let it cool at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, or refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes, until fully set.
- Lift the fudge out using the paper and cut it into small squares with a sharp knife. Makes 36 small squares.
Notes
Nutrition
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