Creamy, decadent, & velvety easy Chocolate Fudge with a hint of brandy. Done in under 20 mins, so the hardest part is waiting for it to set!
No-fuss Christmas treats!
This is what usually happens every year after my family enjoys an enormous Christmas feast. We let the people beside us know how stuffed we are and that we can’t fit another bite. BUT, when the desserts appear, everyone seems to forget they’re full 😂
We are all related through our mutual love for food, whether savoury or sweet. Skipping sweets is not an option in our house, especially at Christmas!
I have so many recipes planned for Christmas this year, but sadly, I can’t create and post them all. Juggling my 4-year-old boy, Kai, this website, YouTube, and my social channels has left me with little time. With Christmas just around the corner, I had to share these no-fuss Easy Chocolate Fudge!
Forget about using a candy thermometer or dealing with sugar crystallising or chocolate seizing. None of that complex stuff here, nor do we need any special equipment. This recipe is pretty much fail-proof, or is it fool-proof? Either way, it’s hard to go wrong with this simple recipe that only calls for a few simple ingredients.
Can you figure out the secret ingredient that makes this fudge work like a dream? Yes, you guessed it, it’s sweetened condensed milk! We often turn to sweetened condensed milk as a shortcut when making our favourite sweets. Like ice cream, caramel, puddings, and now let’s use it in fudge!
Easy Chocolate Fudge with Brandy
How does fudge made with sweetened condensed milk taste like?
Have you had fudge that’s sugary, overly sweet, dry, firm and crumbly? I know I have and I’m not a fan! Thankfully, fudge made with sweetened condensed milk is the total opposite! It’s creamy, velvety and has a melt-in-your mouth texture. The taste of this fudge is comparable to ganache or a truffle. It’s incredibly decadent, and just one small square is enough, but it’s not overly sweet, which I love.
What kind of chocolate is best for this fudge?
I prefer using good quality baking chocolate because it’s easier to work with. The higher cocoa butter content in backing chocolate helps it to melt more quickly and evenly, resulting in a smoother texture. Also, choose to bake chocolate blocks rather than chocolate chips as chips are designed to hold their shape, so they may not melt smoothly. I used equal amounts of dark (40% cocoa) and milk baking chocolate. However, you could use all milk or dark instead, but remember the higher the cocoa content, the more bitter it will be.
What is the purpose of putting coffee in chocolate fudge?
You might encounter chocolate cake recipes that call for a small amount of instant coffee powder. The reason is that coffee boosts the flavour and adds depth to chocolate desserts. The slightly bitter coffee complements the sweetness of chocolate, creating a more complex flavour. If desired, omit coffee from the fudge.
No alcohol please!
No worries because you can omit the brandy or substitute it with other flavourings like vanilla extract, peppermint extract, rum extract, or orange essence. The concentrated extract flavour is quite strong, so you’ll only need 1 or 2 teaspoons. If you prefer to substitute with other types of alcohol like whisky, rum, bourbon, or any kind of liqueur, use 2 tablespoons.
What else can I add to this fudge?
Why not have some fun? Instead of adding alcohol or a flavouring extract, you could add roasted nuts, marshmallows or crushed candy cane. Fold between 3/4 cups to 1 cup into your fudge mix after you remove the mixture from the heat.
More homemade sweets to try:
Ingredients for Easy Chocolate Fudge with Brandy
Chocolate – I prefer using good quality baking chocolate because it’s easier to work with. The higher cocoa butter content in backing chocolate helps it to melt more quickly and evenly, resulting in a smoother texture. Also, choose to bake chocolate blocks rather than chocolate chips as chips are designed to hold their shape, so they may not melt smoothly. I used equal amounts of dark (40% cocoa) and milk baking chocolate. However, you could use all milk or dark instead, but remember the higher the cocoa content, the more bitter it will be.
Sweetened condensed milk is made by removing most of the water content from regular milk and then adding sugar. It’s sweet, thick and very sticky and sold in tins. It is commonly used in desserts and baked goods to add richness and sweetness.
Brandy – You could swap brandy for equal amounts of other types of alcohol, like whisky, rum, bourbon, or any liqueur. As an alternative, you can either skip the alcohol entirely or incorporate 2 teaspoons of your favourite extract or essence, such as vanilla, mint, or orange.
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How to make Chocolate Fudge with Brandy
Step-by-step guide with photos
Prepare a 23cm / 9in square tin by greasing and lining it with nonstick baking / parchment paper. Leave one side of the paper hanging over the tin as this will help lift the fudge out of the tin when it sets.
Cut the bars of chocolate into little pieces to help it melt more easily.
In a medium-sized heavy saucepan, place in sweetened condensed milk, butter, coffee, salt and the chopped chocolate. Place the pan on low heat and continuously stir and fold the mixture to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Keep stirring until the chocolate has melted, and the mixture becomes glossy and smooth; this should take approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Resist the urge to turn up the heat to reduce the cooking time, as this could cause the mixture to split. Remove pan from the heat, then fold in the brandy until combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and then chill it in the fridge for 6 hours or until set. Overnight chilling will make the fudge much firmer in texture. For clean fudge squares, wait until the fudge has set completely before cutting. Another tip is to run your knife under hot water, then dry it with a cloth, before slicing the fudge. In summer, this fudge tastes great served cold right out of the fridge, however, it’s also delicious at room temperature.
How to store chocolate fudge
Leftovers – Transfer the Chocolate fudge into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week. When frozen, they’ll keep for 3 months. Allow fudge to come to room temperature before serving.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Easy Chocolate Fudge with Brandy
Video
Ingredients
- 400gm / 14oz baking dark chocolate (NOTE 1)
- 400gm / 14oz baking milk chocolate (NOTE 1)
- 790gm / 28 oz sweetened condensed milk (2 x 395gm / 14oz tins) (NOTE 2)
- 20gm / 0.7oz unsalted butter
- 1 tsp instant coffee powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (40ml / 1.4floz) brandy (NOTE 3)
Instructions
- Prepare a 23cm / 9in square tin by greasing and lining it with nonstick baking / parchment paper. Leave one side of the paper hanging over the tin as this will help lift the fudge out of the tin when it sets.
- Cut the bars of chocolate into little pieces to help it melt more easily.
- In a medium-sized heavy saucepan, place in sweetened condensed milk, butter, coffee, salt and the chopped chocolate. Place the pan on low heat and continuously stir and fold the mixture to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Keep stirring until the chocolate has melted, and the mixture becomes glossy and smooth; this should take approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Resist the urge to turn up the heat to reduce the cooking time, as this could cause the mixture to split. Remove pan from the heat, then fold in the brandy until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and then chill it in the fridge for 6 hours or until set. Overnight chilling will make the fudge much firmer in texture. For clean fudge squares, wait until the fudge has set completely before cutting. Another tip is to run your knife under hot water, then dry it with a cloth, before slicing the fudge. In summer, this fudge tastes great served cold right out of the fridge, however, it's also delicious at room temperature.
