Homemade soft caramel fudge is one of those treats that feels instantly special. Little cubes that melt in your mouth, perfect with coffee or tea-like a cookie, but more "wow" (and slightly more dangerous to keep in the house).
I'm a total sweet-tooth, so I've learned something important: don't buy a big box of fudge unless you're ready to "accidentally" eat it all. But this homemade version? Worth it. Cream, butter and sugar caramelised into a rich, creamy fudge… it's my favourite kind of guilty pleasure.
And it's not only a snack. Put these cubes on a high-tea board instead of mini cakes. Add a couple of other sweet bites (toffee, Turkish delight, truffles), and your table suddenly looks like a party.
Jump to:
Homemade Caramel Fudge
I'll be honest: store-bought fudge can be… sticky. Sometimes it's too soft, too chewy, and it kind of clings to your teeth. Homemade fudge is different. It's creamy, smooth, and that caramel flavour fills your whole mouth. One bite and you'll get why making it yourself is a total win-especially since it only uses five ingredients.
Fun fact: fudge is a classic from American cooking-surprised? I always thought it was English too. But it was (apparently) discovered by accident during a cooking class at Vassar College in New York, when a toffee mixture didn't reach the right temperature. The result wasn't toffee… it was fudge.
It tastes like soft, creamy caramel with a buttery finish and just enough salt to make the sweetness taste even better. It melts rather than chews, and that's precisely what you want.
What You'll Need
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Fine sugar: The fine version caramelises more evenly. Part of the sugar is caramelised first for that deep caramel flavor.
- Heavy cream: Gives the fudge its creamy texture and helps keep the sugar from turning rock-hard.
- Unsalted butter: Richness and smooth texture. It also helps keep the fudge soft.
- Vanilla extract: Small ingredient, big upgrade. Homemade vanilla extract is easy and really delicious. No vanilla extract? Use vanilla sugar instead.
- Salt: Salt is the best friend of caramel. Want a salted-caramel vibe? Use double.
How to Make It
You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe card below.
- Step 1: Use a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Spread part of the sugar in a thin layer and let it slowly caramelise to an amber color.
- Step 2: Add remaining sugar, cream, butter, vanilla, and salt.
- Step 3: Heat until the mixture reaches 237°F / 114°C .
- Step 4: Take the pan off the heat and let it sit.
- Step 5: Stir/beat with a spatula until it thickens. You'll see it start to hold lines when you drag the spatula through.
- Step 6: Butter a baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Pour into the pan, smooth the top, and let it set at room temperature until firm enough to cut into cubes.
Top Tip: Thermometer or "Soft Ball" Test
- Temperature is everything with fudge. Too low and you'll end up with caramel sauce. Too high, and you'll get toffee. The most accurate way is a thermometer: 114°C / 237°F is the sweet spot for fudge.
- No thermometer? Do the soft-ball test: drop a little hot mixture into a bowl of cold water. If it forms a soft ball that flattens again when you take it out, you're there. Start testing after about 10 minutes and keep checking until you see that softball appear.
Serving suggestions
- With coffee or tea (classic).
- On a high-tea board with other small sweets (it looks festive).
- Cut into tiny cubes for a dessert platter-because "one small piece" sounds very reasonable. 😉
Did you make this delicious recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram! I love to see what your creation looks like and regularly share the most beautiful photos of you! Did you like this recipe? Then leave a rating on the recipe card! Your feedback helps other home cooks and me enormously.
Need more inspiration?
- You can find video recipes on my YouTube channel.
- And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest, so you can easily find them again next time!
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
- 1 cup fine granulated sugar, (bakers sugar)
- 2 cups fine granulated sugar, (bakers sugar)
- ⅞ cup heavy cream
- 1 stick butter, unsalted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Use a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Spread sugar in a thin layer. Heat on medium and let it slowly caramelise to amber, about 10 minutes.1 cup fine granulated sugar
- Add the remaining sugar, cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Add a candy thermometer and cook on medium until the mixture reaches 237 ℉ (about 10 minutes). (No thermometer? Use the softball test.)2 cups fine granulated sugar, ⅞ cup heavy cream, 1 stick butter, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Butter a 6 × 8 inch (15 × 20 cm) pan and line with parchment paper.
- After 5 minutes, start stirring with a spatula. It will thicken. Stop when a line drawn through the fudge doesn't close immediately (about 5 minutes).
- Pour into the pan and smooth the top.
- Let set at room temperature. After 4-5 hours, cut into cubes.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store airtight, in the dark (sunlight can melt or discolor it).
- Do not refrigerate: the fridge can change the texture and make it melt because of moisture. Keeps about 1 week.
- Freezer: Wrap each piece in parchment paper, store in a freezer container, and thaw at room temperature (about 1 hour). Keeps for about 2 months.
Nutrition
Leave a Reply