This vegan Never Fail Fudge will take you right back to the Christmases of your childhood! Rich, chocolatey, and decadent, it will be hard to stop at just one piece!
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There are certain foods that instantly transport me to the Christmases of my childhood. We were big on tradition, and it just wasn’t Christmas until certain treats were made. My mom’s Sugar and Spice Cookies. My Grandma Henrietta’s Bourbon Balls. My mom’s Cream Cheese Peppermint Patties. And of course, my mom’s chocolate fudge. She actually used the recipe on the back of the Marshmallow Fluff jar for Never Fail Fudge. And now I’ve veganized it. My vegan Never Fail Fudge is exactly the same as I remember….and it makes me SO happy!
What is Never Fail Fudge?
Never Fail Fudge is the recipe for fudge on the back of the Marshmallow Fluff jar. The fudge is essentially evaporated milk, fluff, sugar (lots), and chocolate chips. Pretty delicious!
Is Marshmallow Fluff Vegan?
Marshmallows are typically made with gelatin, which comes from animal sources. Oddly enough, marshmallow fluff doesn’t contain gelatin, but it contains egg, still making it a no go for vegans (and for Jonny’s allergies!). Thankfully vegan marshmallows exist…and they are good! I love the Dandies brand, but Trader Joe’s also has vegan marshmallows! Hooray! There is a brand of vegan marshmallow fluff, but it is harder to find, so I used marshmallows in this recipe to make it more accessible!
Evaporated Milk
Evaporated milk is the other common ingredient in fudge. Evaporated milk is basically just milk that has been boiled until the water has evaporated, and the milk has thickened, with a higher fat content due to the lack of water. Vegan evaporated milk can be purchased online or from Whole Foods, but I wanted to test this with more accessible coconut milk. It works perfectly, without any overbearing coconut taste.
Keeping things simple.
Lots of candies require a thermometer to make sure the mixture reaches the right temperature. For this vegan Never Fail Fudge you can just use the “soft ball” method. Basically, after your mixture has reached a boil, you drop a spoonful of it into a cup of cold water. If you can scoop it out and form a mushy ball in your hand it’s boiled long enough. If it’s still too runny you need to boil a minute more. What you don’t want is to reach hard ball stage—think Jolly Rancher. That’s gone too far!
More Christmas Treats You will Love!
- Cream Cheese Peppermint Patties
- Grandma Henrietta’s Bourbon Balls
- Peppermint Bark
- Marshmallow Swizzle Sticks (+ FREE printable!)
- Sugar and Spice Cookies
- Vegan Thumbprint Cookies — Cookies for Santa
- Classic Vegan Sugar Cookies
This fudge is super rich and sweet—it’s really meant to be consumed in small portions. I like to cut my pan into 1 inch squares for serving! I serve them in mini cupcake wrappers for a prettier presentation on a holiday buffet. I’ve also been known to microwave a piece and put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on it so that the melted fudge hardens—so good!
Let’s Make Vegan Never Fail Fudge
Are you ready? You’re just a few minutes away from delicious no-bake chocolate fudge! Leave me a note in the comments and let me know how it goes!
Vegan Never Fail Fudge
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar (white, not brown)
- 4 Tablespoons dairy free butter (I like Earth Balance)
- 1 cup vegan mini marshmallows (3 ounces, if using large marshmallows cut them into smaller pieces first for easier melting)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 ounces coconut milk (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 10 ounces mini chocolate chips (mini melt easiest, I use Enjoy Life brand)
Instructions
- Before you start, fill a small glass with very cold water. Line an 8x8" baking pan with parchment in both directions, making a cross. Set both aside (keep water near to your stovetop!).
- Place sugar, butter, salt, marshmallows, and coconut milk in a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium/medium low, stirring constantly.
- Continue to stir while marshmallows begin to melt and mixture starts to bubble. This takes about 8 minutes from the start.
- Once it reaches a boil, let boil gently while stirring for about 3-5 minutes, to the soft ball stage.
- At the 3 minute mark, begin to test for doneness. Using a spoon, drop one spoonful of mixture into prepared cup of ice water. If you can spoon it out and form a soft ball in your fingers you are ready for the next step. If it is too runny allow to boil for up to 2 minutes more, continuing to do the soft ball test.
- Once it has reached the soft ball stage, remove the mixture from the heat.
- Add the vanilla and chocolate chips, and stir quickly to melt. Pour into prepared pan and shake a bit to fill the corners. Allow to cool at room temp until it is completely firm.
- Using the parchment sling, gently remove fudge from pan and place on cutting board.
- Cut into 1" squares and serve in small cupcake wrappers if desired. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I haven’t had fudge this tasty since I’ve been vegan.
Oh, I’m so glad! I was so happy when I figured out how to make fudge just like my mom’s….but vegan! Hooray!
This was some delicious fudge indeed! I used a candy thermometer to know when I had reached the soft ball stage and on my electric cooktop it took about 15 minutes to heat up to temperature after the marshmallows had melted. This recipe would work really well for me with a high percentage chocolate instead of chocolate chips. I love how it doesn’t need to be refrigerated like some other vegan fudge I have made. In fact, it was much better left out of the fridge, as it got a little dry and hard when refrigerated (but softened right back up when on the counter).
I’m so glad you loved it! I agree—I like it at room temperature better too! And yes, you could use any kind of chocolate that you like! So easy to make!
Sarah, this fudge is PERFECT! Easy to make and so delicious. It will be my go-to recipe from now on.
I’m go glad to hear that! It’s a favorite around here! I made so many batches this season! Really happy to hear that it was a hit for you all as well!!! Merry Christmas!