Peppermint Fudge (With White Chocolate)

Peppermint fudge is a creamy fudge topped with crushed peppermint candy. This white chocolate peppermint fudge is so festive, easy to make and is perfect to have chilling in the fridge ready for all of your cookie trays and gifts for family and friends.

 

Why We Love Peppermint White Chocolate Fudge

• Fun Treat For Christmas – This easy chocolate peppermint fudge recipe is easy to make, creamy and full of fun peppermint flavor. Candy canes are one of my favorite holiday flavors, and I love the crunch the candy adds to the creamy fudge when I make this recipe.
• Make Ahead For Gifts – I like to make peppermint fudge for gifts and for cookie trays to share with family and friends. It always is received with joy, and is easy to prep in batches ahead.
• Easy To Make – Fudge is pretty easy to make, it doesn’t require a lot of time decorating and no candy thermometer is needed. Most of the time is spent waiting for the fudge to set, which can totally free you up for doing other things or making other fun holiday desserts. I like having recipes like fudge to make in between my cutout sugar cookies and raspberry thumbprint cookies which require a little more of my time but are equally loved at the holidays.

Ingredients For Peppermint White Chocolate Fudge

• 3 cups white chocolate chips
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ¾ cup candy canes or peppermint candies crushed and divided
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

How To Make This Peppermint Fudge Recipe

1. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper or lightly oiled aluminum foil and set to the side.
2. Add candy canes or peppermint candies to a freezer zip-top bag. With a rolling pin or a heavy can break the candy canes into pieces. You can also use a food processor to break the candy canes into pieces.

3. Place a heavy bottom saucepan over low heat. Add white chocolate chips, butter and sweetened condensed milk. Stir constantly until white chocolate and butter are melted. Remove from heat.

4. Working quickly, add ½ cup crushed candy canes, peppermint extract and salt to the white chocolate mixture. Mix well until combined.

5. Pour the fudge into the prepared pan and evenly, smoothing with a silicone spatula. Top with remaining ¼ cup crushed candy canes.

6. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until set firm. You can also refrigerate the fudge overnight.

7. Lift the fudge from the baking pan by lifting the parchment paper and place on a cutting board. With a large knife cut into even 16 even pieces, then enjoy!

Easy Fudge Recipe Variation Ideas

• Add Sprinkles – Colorful holiday sprinkles can be added with the peppermint topping both on top of the fudge and swirled into the fudge itself.
• Try Adding A Color Swirl – Instead of stirring in the candy cane pieces try removing about 1/4 cup of the fudge mixture before adding it to the pan. Quickly add a little food coloring, then swirl the color through the fudge in the pan to create a pretty look. Red and green both work great for a peppermint fudge to make a pretty swirl.
• Sprinkle With Andes Mints – Chopped-up Andes Mints or other mint candies can be added both inside of this fudge when you combine the chocolate, and you can sprinkle Andes Mints on top of the fudge in place of the candy canes.
• Swap Out The Chocolate – You can swap the white chocolate chips for milk chocolate, dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips but still fill it full of peppermint flavor when you top with crushed candy canes.

Can I Use Evaporated Milk Instead of Sweetened Condensed Milk?

No, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk are not the same thing, and can not be swapped in this recipe.

Evaporated milk has been heated so that about 60% of the water has been removed and is unsweetened. Sweetened condensed milk has also had a portion of the water removed but has been sweetened significantly. You can make homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk with a little prep work to use in this recipe.

Trying to swap evaporated milk for sweetened condensed milk will leave your fudge not sweet enough. In many cases the fudge may not fully firm and set.

Can I Use Regular Milk or Cream Instead Of Sweetened Condensed Milk?

Regular milk or cream also can not be substituted in this fudge recipe without a lot more work and a candy thermometer. When you use sweetened condensed milk it is one of the easiest fudge recipes, but it becomes more complicated when you try to make it from scratch with regular milk.

Can You Freeze This Homemade Fudge Recipe?

Yes you can freeze fudge, it’s a great recipe to make ahead. Most fudge defrosts beautifully and will taste best for about 2-3 months in the freezer. I recommend freezing in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag in a single layer.

Wrapping the fudge slices in plastic wrap and then in freezer paper or wax paper before putting it in your container can also help protect the fudge from freezer burn or drying out. Here are some great tips for freezing fudge.

How Long Will White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Last?

Fudge will last about a week if you store it in an airtight container on the counter. Store fudge in an airtight container in the refrigerator and this festive fudge will last for 3-4 weeks.

Peppermint fudge will taste its freshest if enjoyed within the first week of making it no matter if you store it in the refrigerator or at room temperature, but can be enjoyed much longer if refrigerated. If you make fudge and then freeze it, the fudge can last even longer.