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ThisBrown Sugar Fudge Recipe requires only 4 ingredients, 10 minutes, and a little patience until the first sweet, heavenly bite. It’s a gourmet fudge recipe, but also one of my favorite simple fudge recipes!
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Hi friends, I’m Katrina from Kitchen Trials and I’m so happy to be sharing one of my favorite fudge recipes with you. I love to BBQ, just like Wendy does…so come on over and say hi, but first…let’s talk about this fudge!
I had no idea that brown sugar fudge was such a thing until the husband and I started frequenting a little breakfast place years ago (read: years before kids came into the picture). We would gorge on crepes and French toast, piles of bacon, sausages, and hash browns, and giant bowls of fresh fruit. At the end of the meal, when you couldn’t possibly think of eating another bite, they would bring out a little plate of brown sugar fudge. Just two tiny bites for each of us. I mean, you wouldn’t think that fudge was what one needed at 11am in the morning, but it was ABSOLUTELY what I needed.
I never forgot how great that fudge was. Two little bites of sweetness turned out to be the perfect, decadent way to end a morning brunch. Their brown sugar fudge was a bit of a different texture than your typical fudge. This kind just sort of melted in your mouth.
It also brought back some really great memories I had of my grade seven French and history teacher, Mrs Pollitt. We were learning about Canadian history and she brought in a homemade brown sugar pie. If you were from Quebec, I’m sure this was normal to you, but to me it was such a crazy good combination, it’s stuck with me for the last 23 years. This fudge brought that flavour rushing back into my mind. I had to make it myself. Ever since then, it’s been a staple in my Christmas baking, or just whenever I want to make a really special brunch for the family.
Simple Fudge Making Tips for Brown Sugar Fudge
The brown sugar fudge recipe is incredibly easy to make, too. Seriously. Just four ingredients and ten minutes is all you need to whip it up – and then the patience to let it chill and firm up before digging into it. I mean, you could just leave a couple bites worth in the pan or on the spatula, because that will firm up real quick. Not that I do that. Every single time I make this.
All you do is butter a glass baking dish (6”x10” is your best bet if you have it for nice thick squares). Then, add some butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream to a medium pot. Whisk is all together while the butter melts. When it just starts to boil around the edges set a timer for 5 minutes and keep whisking off and on. Once the five minutes is up you move it off the heat, beat in the icing sugar, then pour it into the buttered dish. That’s it!
Make sure to check out all of Wendy’s simplegourmet fudge recipestoo! She might just be a bigger fan of fudge than I am.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup butter (+ 1 tablespoon for greasing the dish)
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup powdered sugar (icing sugar)
Instructions
- Butter a 8” x 8” glass baking dish and set aside.*
- Put 2/3 cup butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar into a medium pot set over medium heat. Whisk continuously until the butter has melted. As soon as the edges start to bubble and boil, set a timer for 5 minutes. Whisk occasionally, and turn to medium-low when it comes to a rolling boil.
- Immediately remove the pot from the heat when the five minutes are up, and add the icing sugar. Whip with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into the prepared dish and chill for 1 hour before cutting and serving.
Notes
*Instead of buttering the pan, you can line the pan with foil with some hanging over the edges so the fudge can be lifted out easily and cut.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 64Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 65Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 18mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 0g
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See all of my simple gourmet fudge recipes here
FAQs
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).
How do you know when fudge is beaten enough? ›
After letting the fudge cool, it's time to beat it. 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.
What is the secret to non grainy fudge? ›
A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.
Why is my brown sugar fudge grainy? ›
Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has come to a boil, do not stir it. If you do, the sugar can crystallize, giving your fudge a gritty texture. As you beat the fudge, pay attention to color and texture. Once the fudge loses its sheen and thickens, put down your spoon.
Do you stir fudge when it's boiling? ›
Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer
Another key part of a successful fudge texture is when you stir the mixture. Stirring the sugar and milk during the initial stages of cooking allows the sugar to dissolve. However, once the mixture comes to a boil, it's time to put the spoon down.
What makes fudge moist? ›
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.
What to do with failed fudge? ›
My advice to you is to just pour it in a jar, call it something else delicious, and pretend you meant for it to be that way. The nice thing about my “failed” fudge is that it tastes absolutely delicious! A spoonful of the delectable treat will make you want for more.
How long do you let fudge cool before beating? ›
Fudge 102 – newb's guide to getting started
- about 18 min to reach boiling.
- about 40 minutes to reach soft ball stage.
- 60 minutes to cool.
- 28 minutes to beat in a KitchenAid (your time for this may vary)
- 4 hours to set.
It's easy to overbeat fudge, especially when you first begin making this candy. Salvage it by scraping the mixture out of the saucepan and kneading it with your fingers until it's pliable enough to shape into logs that can be sliced into rounds or rolled into bite-size balls.
Can I fix fudge that didn't set? ›
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).
The soft ball stage is the point when melted sugar is 236 degrees. Without a candy thermometer, you can achieve this with what is called a “cold water method”. Fill a small glass with ice and cover it with water until it is ice cold.. Drop your hot sugar syrup into the ice water.
What gives fudge its firm texture? ›
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.
How do you make brown sugar not gritty? ›
To quickly soften brown sugar: place the sugar in a microwave safe bowl and cover it with a damp paper towel for about 20 second, or use a food processor to loosen the brown sugar. If you aren't pressed for time, use a slice of bread or an apple in an airtight container with the brown sugar for 24 hours.
What went wrong with my fudge? ›
It might be that you haven't dissolved all the sugar before boiling the fudge mixture. It could be that there just wasn't enough fluid or fat to enable the sugar to dissolve or it might even be that the fudge wasn't beaten long enough or hard enough. All of these factors could be the cause of grainy fudge.
What to do if brown sugar clumps? ›
For the quickest results, place a lump of hardened sugar in a small microwave-safe bowl and cover it with a moist paper towel. Zap the sugar in the microwave on high in 20-second increments, breaking up any large clumps with a fork as you go.
What does cream of tartar do in fudge? ›
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!
How do I get my fudge to harden? ›
If your fudge fails to harden in the fridge, it means that you probably didn't cook it to the right temperature. Fudge is a candy, and that means it is extremely picky about temperature - fudge must be cooked to precisely 237–239 degrees Fahrenheit so that sugar forms the desired consistency when cooled.
Can you overbeat fudge? ›
It's easy to overbeat fudge, especially when you first begin making this candy. Salvage it by scraping the mixture out of the saucepan and kneading it with your fingers until it's pliable enough to shape into logs that can be sliced into rounds or rolled into bite-size balls.
