I’d like to introduce you to a little recipe that we make at our house all the time—coconut oil vegan chocolate fudge. It’s our absolute favorite healthier dessert, and we almost always have all the ingredients we need to make it stocked in our pantry.
This fudge is different from regular fudge in that it is naturally sweetened, totally dairy-free, vegan and gluten-free, and packed with healthy fats, thanks to a good chunk of coconut oil. It is packed with nutrients and good-for-you stuff.
Table of Contents
Do I need chocolate or cocoa powder?
For this recipe, we’re going to use cocoa powder. Not only does it give the recipe tons of rich, chocolatey-flavor, but cocoa powder is also easy to keep on hand in the pantry!
What is vegan fudge made of?
Coconut oil. The idea behind this fudge is that property that all coconut oil users know well—coconut oil is solid at room temperature, but anything above that, and it’s a velvety smooth liquid oil.
Honey or maple syrup. If you want to make this fudge vegan, make sure you stick with maple syrup. Honey works if you are eating animal products.
Unsweetened cocoa powder. We recommend using Dutch-process cocoa powder for the best, rich dark chocolate flavor, but standard cocoa powder also does the trick!
Vanilla extract and salt. To get a fully-rounded flavor, you need some vanilla and salt. The salt will help amplify the chocolate flavor.
To make this fudge, you simply warm and melt the coconut oil, stir it with cocoa and sweetener, and then pour it into a pan. Then you chill that sucker in the fridge, and out pops the most velvety, dense, and smooth fudge you’ve ever had—without a single second of cooking time.
No boiling hot sugar on the stove and fussing with a candy thermometer. No sticking something in the microwave for 10 minutes. Just five minute, deeply chocolatey fudge—with a gloriously awesome hint of coconut flavor.
Why is my fudge crumbly?
If you used honey, sometimes crystallized honey can cause issues with separation and make the fudge crumbly. Maple syrup gives a consistently creamy result!
If you are struggling with crumbling, bring the fudge back up to room temperature, and see if that helps soften the fudge.
Is dark chocolate vegan?
This recipe is vegan because we’re using pure unsweetened cocoa powder. However, some dark chocolate bars do occasionally contain animal products like milk or honey.
Can I make other flavors of this vegan fudge recipe?
Absolutely! You can make peanut butter fudge, though adding peanut butter will make it a little less solid—but not less delicious.
You could also stir in some orange zest for a wonderful orange chocolate flavor!
Vegan Chocolate Fudge Recipe
Yield: 9 servings
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour3 minutes
This Easy Vegan Chocolate Fudge Recipe is a breeze to make. It's a delicious homemade healthy vegan snack that’s naturally sweetened, and uses just 5 simple ingredients!
In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, honey or maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt until very smooth. If the mixture doesn’t come together, heat over very low heat in a small saucepan until very smooth.
Pour mixture into the prepared dish. Refrigerate until solid, about an hour, then sprinkle the shredded coconut on top, and cut into 9 small pieces. If you're in a hurry, pop it in the freezer and you'll be ready to go in about half the time—although you might need to use a knife run under hot water to cut through it.
Notes
I don't recommend making this in any of the "regular" size baking pans, because the resulting fudge will be very thin (this is a small batch recipe). I like using asmall square food storage container. If you happen to have a mini muffin tin, you can also use that for pre-portioned fudge bites.
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
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Monitor the Temperature with a Candy Thermometer. If you end up with soft fudge that turns into a puddle in your hands or hard fudge that is a bit reminiscent of a crunchy candy, improper temperature is likely to blame. ...
Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer. ...
The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer.
Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals. Stirring would help sucrose molecules "find" one another and start forming crystals.
I used almond butter to keep it paleo, but you can use peanut butter if you'd like. You can also use sunflower seed butter to make it nut free if there's a nut allergy you're working around. This coconut oil fudge is creamy, sweet, and so delicious! If you are looking for a healthier fudge- this is it!
Use Evaporated Milk- Make sure to use evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk. If you accidentally use sweetened condensed milk your fudge will be incredibly over the top sweet. Cut up the Butter– Before adding the butter in make sure to cut it into smaller pieces for faster melting.
So, the key to smooth yet firm fudge, pralines, and fondant is to first bring the mixture to a high enough concentration and then let it cool off somewhat before starting to stir. And once you do start to stir, stir fanatically and without stopping for the finest, creamiest texture.
OPTION 3) Sieve together some powdered sugar and cocoa powder, and gradually work this into your unset fudge until it reaches the consistency of dough, then roll out and cut into squares, or shape into balls and then roll in powdered sugar (roll the balls in icing sugar, not yourself).
How can you fix soft fudge? Put it in a microwave safe bowl that is large enough that it won't boil over. Reheat it to the boiling point and cook for about 3 more minutes. Then you can beat some powdered sugar into it if this doesn't make it set.
If your fudge is soft or runny, it probably didn't come up to a high enough temperature while it was cooking. Put it back into the saucepan and add 1–2 US tbsp (15–30 ml) of 35% fat whipping cream.Stir the fudge as it heats, but only until the sugar in the chocolate is completely melted again.
Stir the ingredients to dissolve the sugar until the mixture comes to a boil. If your recipe uses milk, stirring will keep the mixture from curdling. But once it reaches about 236–238 degrees F/113–114 degrees C (the "soft-ball" stage), do not stir it or even shake the pan.
The amount of time you cook fudge directly affects its firmness. Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.
Conversely, if the cooking time is too brief and there is not enough evaporation, too much water will remain and the fudge will be too soft. A temperature of 112°C to 114°C (234°F to 237°F) must be maintained. This will ensure the fudge has the ideal concentration of water and sugar. Fudge is difficult to make.
Coconut oil can replace butter in baking at a 1:1 ratio, though it may slightly change the flavor, with some types of coconut oil affecting taste more than others. Unrefined coconut oil tends to taste more like coconut than refined varieties. It works great for recipes that require tropical or rich chocolate flavors.
Unsalted Butter: We use just a little bit of butter which adds extra richness and creates a smooth and creamy fudge. Salt: While some homemade fudge recipes do not call for salt, I find it essential for balancing out the sweetness of the condensed milk.
Coconut oil contains less water than butter, so to replace butter with coconut oil in a recipe, do one of the following:
Add ½-1 teaspoon of water per ½ cup coconut oil.
Reduce the amount of coconut oil by 25%. So, if a recipe calls for ¼ cup of butter, use 3 tablespoons of coconut oil. Quick Tip: ¼ cup = 4 Tablespoons.
You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).
It is important to stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken and its surface starts to look dull or matte. Now is the time to stop beating and pour the fudge into a mould. Another tip: Do not scrape the sides of the pan or the spoon used for stirring.
The key to creamy, luscious fudge is controlling crystal formation. If the sucrose (table sugar) crystals are small, the fudge will feel creamy and smooth on your tongue. But if the crystals are large, the fudge develops a crumbly, dry, or even coarse texture.
Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!
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