3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe

This 3 ingredient peanut butter fudge is 2 cups creamy peanut butter, one 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk and 2 cups white chocolate chips, melted together over low heat and chilled in an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan. You stir for about 5 minutes, then the fridge does the rest in 2 to 3 hours. It cuts into 25 soft, dense squares.

No candy thermometer, no baking. The only real rule is low heat, because white chocolate and peanut butter both turn on you when they get too hot.

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Peanut Butter, Condensed Milk and White Chocolate: What Each Does

Each of the three has a job. Peanut butter is the flavor and most of the body. Sweetened condensed milk is the sugar and the glue; it is already cooked down and thick, which is why this fudge sets without boiling sugar the old-fashioned way.

White chocolate is what makes it sliceable. The cocoa butter in it is solid at fridge temperature, so it firms the soft peanut butter mixture into squares that hold an edge. Leave it out and you get something closer to a thick spread. That is the whole trick.

Use a regular, stabilized creamy peanut butter. Natural peanut butter, the kind with oil on top, separates when heated and leaves the fudge greasy and soft. Crunchy works if you like bits of peanut. If you only have a white chocolate bar, chop it fine so it melts at the same pace as the peanut butter.

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Melting the Fudge on the Stove or in the Microwave

Line the pan with parchment first, with some hanging over two sides as handles, because once the mixture is smooth you want to pour it straight in before it starts to firm up at the edges of the pan.

Put the peanut butter, condensed milk and white chocolate chips in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly, scraping the bottom, for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not walk away. The chips soften and disappear, and the mixture goes from streaky to one smooth, glossy tan color. Take it off the heat the moment the last chip is gone.

No stove free? A microwave works. Use a large microwave-safe bowl and heat at half power in 30 second bursts, stirring well after each one, until smooth. It usually takes a few rounds, and stirring is what melts the last chips, not more time.

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Pan Size, Setting Time and Cutting 25 Squares

An 8×8 inch pan gives thicker, fudgier squares; a 9×9 inch pan gives slightly thinner ones that set a little faster. Smooth the top with a spatula, cover, and chill for at least 2 to 3 hours, until the center feels firm when you press it. Be patient here.

In a hurry, I have set the pan in the freezer instead, and the fudge held its shape in under an hour. Lift the slab out by the parchment and cut a 5 by 5 grid for 25 squares. Dip a sharp knife in hot water and wipe it dry between cuts, and the edges come out clean instead of dragging.

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When Peanut Butter Fudge Will Not Set, Turns Oily or Seizes

• Still soft after 3 hours: usually natural peanut butter or a warm fridge. Give it 30 to 45 minutes in the freezer, then cut and keep it chilled.
• Oil on the surface: the peanut butter got too hot and separated. Blot the top with a paper towel once set; next time keep the heat on low.
• Thick, grainy or seized: the white chocolate overheated or caught a drop of water. Take it off the heat and stir in a tablespoon of warm peanut butter to loosen it.
• Crumbles when cut: it is too cold or the knife is dry. Let it sit out for 5 minutes and use a hot, wiped knife.

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Toppings and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Version

Press toppings on while the fudge is still warm in the pan: chopped peanuts, a pinch of flaky sea salt, crushed pretzels, or a drizzle of melted chocolate. Flaky salt is the one I would pick first, because the fudge is sweet and salt makes the peanut flavor taste stronger.

For a chocolate peanut butter fudge, swap the white chips for semisweet chocolate chips. It comes out darker and less sweet. If you want a straight chocolate fudge, my sweetened condensed milk fudge is the same no-bake method.

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Keeping and Gifting Peanut Butter Fudge

Store the squares in an airtight container in the fridge, with parchment between layers, for up to 2 weeks. For longer, freeze them for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight. On a party platter they are fine at room temperature for a few hours, but they soften, so put them out cold.

For Christmas tins, make the fudge up to a week ahead and pack the squares in small paper cups so they do not stick together. It sits well next to buckeyes, gingerbread fudge and peanut butter blossom cookies on a holiday cookie tray.

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Quick Questions About 3 Ingredient Fudge

Can I make peanut butter fudge with just 2 ingredients?

Peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk alone will set, but much softer, more like a firm spread. The white chocolate is what makes it hold clean squares.

Can I use evaporated milk instead of condensed milk?

No, it has to be sweetened condensed milk. Evaporated milk has no added sugar and is thin, so the fudge will not set.

Why is my peanut butter fudge oily?

Either natural peanut butter was used or the mixture got too hot. Use a stabilized creamy peanut butter and melt over low heat.

How long does peanut butter fudge take to set?

At least 2 to 3 hours in the fridge, or under an hour in the freezer.

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Looking for more peanut butter? Try chocolate peanut butter brownies, the peanut butter mousse with crunchy peanuts, or 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies when you want another short ingredient list. Pin this fudge for your holiday trays and tell me in the comments which topping you used.