Make this easy fudge recipe without condensed milk and in 10 minutes, you'll have creamy chocolate fudge with marshmallows and pecans. It's SO good, and perfect for adding to your holiday dessert platter!
This milk chocolate fudge delivers old fashioned flavor while using a super easy method.
I think fudge recipes made with condensed milk tend to be overly sweet. So, my easy fudge recipe uses evaporated milk, for the perfect balance of sweetness.
Old fashioned fudge can be challenging to make, it's often hard to get your candy to the right temperature and sometimes the mixture doesn't thicken up enough.
The secret to my easy fudge recipe is marshmallows! Marshmallows help the fudge to thicken up, without the need for intensive labor.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick to make! There are only 10 minutes of active time needed to make perfectly creamy chocolate marshmallow fudge.
- Less work than most candy recipes. Creating fudge without condensed milk takes less work, because you don't need a candy thermometer.
- Perfect food gift for the holidays. Homemade fudge is affordable and delicious- making it the perfect DIY gift or treat for sharing this holiday season!
If you like to make candy recipes, you might enjoy my recipes for Saltine Cracker Toffee and Christmas Chocolate Bark.
Ingredients for Fudge without Condensed Milk
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
To make rocky road fudge, you'll need:
- semisweet chocolate bar - I recommend buying a good quality chocolate bar. The quality matters, because the larger amounts of cacao and milkfat provide a creamier consistency and better flavor.
- milk chocolate chips
- mini marshmallows
- chopped pecans - I find that nuts are less expensive if you buy them whole, then chop them yourself.
- white granulated sugar
- can of evaporated milk - To make fudge without condensed milk requires using a different type of condensed milk. The only difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk is that evaporated milk is unsweetened.
- salted butter
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- chocolate - This recipe will work with any flavor or variety of chocolate and chocolate chips. Using white chocolate will result in an incredibly sweet flavor, while dark chocolate will add the least amount of sweetness.
- nuts - Any variety of chopped nuts will work. Chocolate walnut fudge is just as delicious as rocky road fudge! Or, leave out the nuts to make chocolate marshmallow fudge.
- sugar - To cut down on the calories of your homemade fudge, feel free to swap the white sugar for any cup-for-cup granulated sugar substitute. Monkfruit sugar is a good option. Brown sugar will not work with this recipe.
- evaporated milk - If you don't want to buy it, you can make evaporated milk at home.
Feel free to get creative with your add-ins! Maybe add some coconut or white chocolate chips to your holiday treats.
Making Rocky Road Fudge Without Condensed Milk
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Prep the base ingredients in a heat-safe bowl. This way, you won't do damage to the bowl when you pour in the boiling sugar and evaporated milk mixture.
- Cook the sugar/milk mixture.
- Pour the boiling sugar/milk mixture into the bowl with other fudge ingredients.
- Spread the creamy fudge mixture into an 8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Sprinkle chopped pecans over the chocolate fudge, then chill it for 2 hours.
Liz's Tips for the Best Fudge
- Line the pan with a parchment paper sling, for easier removal.
- Prep the rocky road ingredients before boiling the sugar and milk! I highly recommend preparing the chocolate, marshmallows, and pecans before you begin cooking the sugar/milk mixture. This allows you to pour the boiling mixture directly over the chocolate, causing it to melt more quickly. This results in less work for you!
- Melting marshmallows is optional. You may choose to keep stirring sugar and chocolate mixture until all of the marshmallows are melted, but I prefer to leave my marshmallows less melted. It’s completely a matter of preference.
Cutting and Serving
- When the fudge is completely cool and set, lift up on the parchment paper to remove the fudge block. Set it onto a cutting board or other flat surface.
- Run a very sharp knife under warm water for 15 seconds. Be sure to completely dry it off.
- Use the tip of the knife to score the lines first, then go back and slice all the way through.
Storing
Refrigerator: Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or an airtight container, the rocky road fudge will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Freezer: You can freeze fudge for up to 3 months. To maintain the texture and consistency, it's best to double wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag.
Fudge Chocolate Recipe FAQ
The basic ingredients for fudge are butter, sugar and chocolate. Every fudge recipe is different!
Fudge gets hard when it is over cooked. Softer fudge is cooked at the right temperature.
Fudge is delicious with evaporated or condensed milk. Evaporated milk can be heated at high heat without curdling so it's an ideal choice for making an easy fudge recipe!
Most fudge recipes are gluten free. It's important to check the ingredients in the recipe - don't assume it is gluten free.
Some marshmallow brands do contain gluten, so just make sure you're using all gluten free ingredients.
Other Easy Fudge Recipes
Easy Fudge Recipe Without Condensed Milk
Ingredients
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate bar broken into chunks
- 11½ ounces milk chocolate chips
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 ¾ cups chopped pecans or walnuts
- 2 ¼ cups granulated white sugar
- 6 ounces evaporated milk
- ¼ cup salted butter
Topping
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Prepare an 8x8-inch pan by lining it with parchment paper. Use a large enough sheet so that the paper comes up the sides and hangs slightly over the edge. This makes it easier to lift the fudge out of the pan.
- In a large heat-safe mixing bowl, combine the semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate chips, marshmallows, and 1 ¾ cup chopped pecans together. Set this bowl aside for later.
- In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, bring sugar, butter, and evaporated milk to a boil. Cook the boiling mixture, stirring continuously (this is important!) for 5 minutes. The mixture will darken slightly in color and become thicker.
- Immediately pour the boiling mixture into the bowl with the chocolate, marshmallows, and pecans. Stir to combine, until the mixture is thick and elastic. *See NOTE 2 - You can either leave some marshmallows un-melted, or continue stirring until all of the chocolate and marshmallows are melted.
- Scoop the chocolate marshmallow fudge mixture into the parchment-lined pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the mixture into the corners and ensure that the thickness is even.
- Sprinkle on ¼ cup pecans over the top. Using the palm of your hand, gently press down on the pecans so that they are not sitting loosely on the top.
- Place fudge in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until completely set.
- Once set, cut into 16 one-inch cubes. Serve and enjoy!
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- I highly recommend preparing the chocolate, marshmallow and nut mixture before you begin melting your butter and sugar together. This will allow you to pour the boiling mixture directly into the chocolate and marshmallow mixture. The chocolate will melt much more quickly, resulting in less work for you.
- You may choose to keep stirring sugar and chocolate mixture until all of the marshmallows are melted, but I prefer to leave my marshmallows less melted. It’s completely a matter of preference.
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