See’s Fudge is one of the most popular items at See’s Candies stores. It’s rich, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate fudge filled with nuts. You can make a batch at home with this easy copycat recipe.
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Table of Contents
About See’s Candies
See’s Candies is a very popular candy company. They are very well known over on the west side of the United States. They also have a special recipe for the chocolate used in their candies from the Guittard family.
Why this is the recipe for See’s Fudge you must try
The rich flavor and perfect texture of chocolate fudge produced with this recipe make it stand above others. It truly is the best copycat fudge of See’s Candies.
Quality ingredients and the cooking process make it into an extraordinary candy instead of a simple fudge. So if you are looking for the best fudge recipe, this is it! Your search is over.
See’s Fudge ingredients
If you’ve ever made fudge before, then the ingredients will be similar to what you have used for other recipes. However, just in case, take a look at this list to make sure you have what you need for this copycat See’s fudge recipe:
- Butter
- Semi-sweet chocolate – you can use semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Vanilla extract
- Sugar
- Evaporated milk
- Marshmallows
- Nuts – I recommend walnuts or pecans
How to make See’s Fudge Candy
- Combine butter, chocolate, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
- Place sugar, evaporated milk, and marshmallows in a large saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature of the mixture.
- When the mixture reaches the soft ball stage (234-240°F), reduce the heat to low and cook for 6 minutes, and do not stir during the six minutes you cook the fudge.
- Pour the hot mixture into the bowl with butter, chocolate, and vanilla.
- Beat with an electric mixer until the fudge is thick and dull.
- Stir in nuts.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into a lightly buttered 8-inch square baking dish.
- Refrigerate for several hours until firm.
- Cut the fudge into pieces.
Tips for making fudge
- Use a heavy saucepan with tall sides. This will help to eliminate a mess. One with short sides could allow ingredients to boil over the sides as it is cooking.
- Use a candy thermometer. One of the most important things about making fudge is getting it to the right temperature. Under-cooked fudge will not set properly. Over-cooked fudge will make it grainy, hard, and crumbly.
- Use sturdy wood or silicone spoons and spatulas. Fudge can get thick and a flimsy spoon or spatula could break while stirring it.
- Line your pan. You can coat the pan with butter but it will release from the pan easier if line it with foil coated with non-stick spray, non-stick foil, or parchment paper.
- Use quality ingredients. Cheap chocolate will give not the same results as high-quality chocolate, both in flavor and texture.
- Use full-fat dairy. Whichever the recipe calls for, use full-fat milk, cream, and butter. The fat is what gives fudge its classic mouthfeel.
- Don’t stir the boiling mixture. This causes the sugar to crystalize and will result in grainy fudge.
- Make fudge on a dry day. Humidity can cause fudge to absorb moisture from the air and make it softer than expected.
- Use a sharp knife to cut fudge. This will help make perfectly straight edges. Remember to clean the knife between cuts.
How to store fudge
To keep fudge the freshest, you should store pieces of fudge in an airtight container and keep it on your counter at room temperature.
It will last on the counter for 1 to 2 weeks and have the best texture.
If you store fudge in the fridge, it will tend to dry out the fudge. But it will last for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze chocolate fudge?
You can freeze fudge, but make sure to wrap it in plastic wrap and then either wrap the fudge in aluminum foil or put it in a freezer-safe plastic bag. You want to lock in the moisture as much as possible.
Fudge will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Favorite homemade candy recipes
- Almond Brittle
- Buttermilk Fudge
- Giant Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- Microwave Peanut Brittle
- Peppermint Bark
- Rocky Road
Popular recipes for Christmas cookies and treats
- Chocolate Butterscotch Haystacks
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Fudge Jumbles
- Mint Brownies
- Pecan Pie Brownies
- Pineapple Cookies
- Rum Balls with Vanilla Wafers
Check out my easy candy recipes and the best Christmas dessert recipes here on CopyKat!
See’s Fudge
Ingredients
- 4 ounces butter
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 3/4 ounces evaporated milk
- 10 large marshmallows
- 1 cup chopped nuts
Instructions
- Combine the butter, chocolate, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Place the sugar, evaporated milk, and marshmallows in medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Monitor the temperature using a candy thermometer.
- When the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (234–240°F), reduce the heat to low and cook for 6 minutes, and do not stir the fudge during this cooking time.
- Pour the hot mixture into the bowl with the butter, chocolate, and vanilla.
- Beat with an electric mixer until the fudge is thick and dull (this doesn’t take long).
- Stir in the nuts.
- Pour the fudge into a lightly buttered 8×8-inch baking pan.
- Refrigerate for several hours until firm.
I commented previously about how good this fudge is and I’ve made it at least half a dozen times now and it always comes out great. Folks that I have given it to have also told me how much they like it. All this time I’ve tried to convince myself that I like semi-sweet chocolate when actually I much prefer milk chocolate. I always use Guittard, so I’m using a good brand. My question is, If I use milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chips would the recipe otherwise be the same, or should I reduce the amount of white sugar, or do you have any suggestions that would let me use milk chocolate chips. Thank you.
So I haven’t tested what I am suggesting. The substitution works well if you prefer a sweeter, creamier fudge, but keep in mind that the overall chocolate intensity will be reduced. Some people find milk chocolate fudge to be more approachable and “kid-friendly,” while semi-sweet chocolate fudge appeals more to those who enjoy a more pronounced chocolate flavor with less sweetness. You may want to consider reducing the sugar by 5 to 10% initially to give this a try. Sugar does provide part of the structure of the fudge, so I wouldn’t reduce it by a lot the first time you try this. Let me know how it goes.
Okay, I did use Guittard milk chocolate chips, a little over the 6 ounces and 1 3/4 cups of sugar and 1 1/2 cups of toasted walnuts. I brought it up to 237 fh. I first noticed how lightly colored the fudge was. More like Swiss milk chocolate. When I’ve made this with the semi-sweet it would harden on its own as it cools. This, with the milk chocolate, needed to be refrigerated but did firm up nicely. I’ve got to say, it was a success. It’s very creamy and smooth. I like toasting the walnuts, it adds a little crispness. I wanted to send a picture but couldn’t figure out how that is done in the comment section. I am 76 and I know many educated adults who like milk chocolate, it’s not just for kids with undeveloped sense of taste.
Thank you for the update! Much appreciated. I know semi sweet and dark chocolate isn’t for everyone.
Okay, So I’m going to need to back peddle a little bit. After carefully testing, by that I mean eating a half dozen pieces or so, I have come to the conclusion that my foray into using the milk chocolate chips for a milk chocolate fudge was useless. I mean this stuff is really god awful. What was I thinking. I threw it out. Besides your recipe does include some dairy so in a sense you end up with a milk chocolate fudge, right? Actually your recipe, with the semi-sweet chocolate chips, is delicious, everyone says so. Thank you.
Liked this very much. Tastes like See’s. Do you have a recipe for the Vanilla walnut Fudge? Thank you.
Thank you for your rating, I am sorry I don’t have a recipe for their vanilla fudge.
Other recipes call for marshmallow creme. I may try that version. I followed instructions but oil separated when I mixed hot mixture. It tastes great but I want it to look good too. I think the hot mixture was too hot. And I wonder if a mixer os necessary. Perhaps hand blending would work better.
I don’t know if you used a candy thermometer, but I find that they are critical in making candy. I am sorry that your mixture got too hot.
Do you use eight marshmallows (picture shows more) or did you mean eight oz
I believe the recipe stats to use 10 large marshmallows, and that it what I count in the pot. I think we may have taken liberties with the photos when we took them because a smaller amount of marshmallows did not photograph well initially.
I’ve been making this for a couple years now and it has never failed. I frequently get asked for the recipe when I take it to a gathering. Get a candy thermometer and FOLLOW the recipe and you will be pleased.
see’s makes the best sugafree peanut brittle. i would love to get the recipe for it. i have m,any family members who also love peanut brittle but cant have it because they are diabetic. so if you could print out a recipe for sugafree i would love to make it. ty
Thank you for your suggestion
This fudge was absolutely wonderful!!! I did have to cook it longer than 6 minutes. Rather than using cook time I used candy temperature. I’ll make this again, for sure!
Can the fudge be frozen? Thanks!
That’s a good idea about the candy thermometer! Yes, this fudge can be frozen.
We loved the Fudge!
When you say Large Marshmallow’s do you the the really large ones they have now or the large regular ones opposed to the mini ones?
I mean the regular sized ones, not the minis, and not the super large size. Does that help?
I grew up eating See’s candies, this will be a hit in my house.
I am so glad there isn’t a See’s closer to my house. I would be there too much. I love their dark chocolate covered caramels.
You’re lucky then, I live 5 minutes away from the See’s factory in South San Francisco It’s way too easy to go crazy on chocolates anytime of the year.
I love, love fudge! This looks so yummy!
Your fudge sounds amazing! I love that you use marshmallows.
Thank you very much!
I loved this recipe! Very easy to make, doesn’t involve a lot of ingredients, and turns out great. FIVE STARS! 🙂
The best fudge recipe I have found. It’s the only one that turned out and everyone loved eating the fudge. Very easy and fast to make.
This was the wrong recipe I used making fudge. This recipe is awful!!!!
After trying to make the fudge four times each time the fudge never set up. I followed the recipe to the T and I even thought I did something wrong the time before.
There is items missing from the recipe. It makes good ice cream topping (Very rich)
The best recipe is Mrs Field’s Fudge recipe. Very easy and truns out each time.
This recipe is great! Creamy rich and set up beautifully. I use this recipe in my kid’s cooking classes and it comes out great everytime. You must boil the ingredients for six minutes (do so over low hear–just hot enough to get a boil) for it to work perfectly.
I made this for christmas I did exactly what the recipe said. Its not right at all it came out carmel and soft didnt harden!
You didn’t cook the hot mixture long enough. If you have a candy thermometer, make sure it goes to at least the soft ball stage.