Easy Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

With only a few ingredients, you can have the most sensational Easy Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge. It takes less than 10 minutes to make the perfect dessert or holiday treat that you can give as a gift.

Nothing screams “decadence” like a delicious dark chocolate peppermint fudge. The best part about this recipe is how easily it comes together. Fudge has always been one of my favorite indulgences. Cake (literally any cake) has my whole heart. But fudge is a very close second. I love the way it just melts on your tongue.

Fudge has so many variations and I used to think of it as a special occasion thing because fudge is very expensive when you buy it out. I typically see it sell for about $15 for a pound and I really only run into fudge when at beach shops or while visiting the shoppes of some quaint little town in the middle of nowhere. It’s not something that I have noticed widely available so when I learned how easy it was to make my own fudge right at home, I couldn’t believe all of the time and money that I wasted purchasing it elsewhere.

I remember making a ton of fudge with my Mom one year when I was a teen because she was packaging them adorably and giving them out as Christmas gifts. It is such an elegant and beautiful gesture to give someone a delicious holiday tin of dark chocolate peppermint fudge. I wasn’t involved a ton in the creation process so much as I was involved in the packaging and sneaking pieces process. I wish I learned then just how easily you can make fudge yourself.

Since learning how to make fudge, I have packaged it myself as gifts. My Dollar Tree always has amazing looking gift tins for whatever holiday or special occasion you need them for. For packaging, simply add each piece of sliced fudge into mini truffle liners and add them to the containers. Rainbow Sprinkle Chocolate Fudge is photographed in packaging from Dollar Tree that you can check out for an example.

This recipe has only 6-ingredients and with only 5-minutes of your time, you will have the perfect fudge. Everything needed in this recipe I typically have on hand. Sweetened condensed milk is the only thing that I will usually pick up when the family is wanting a batch of fudge.

Peppermint and chocolate is a magical flavor combination. Second only to peanut butter and chocolate. Both combinations blow my hair back. And I love desserts like Chocolate Peanut Butter Croissants, Reese’s Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting or No Bake Reese’s Ice Cream Sandwich Cake. However, there’s something so indulgent, yet refreshing about biting into something that’s peppermint and chocolate. The peppermint minty deliciousness in this recipe comes from a combination of peppermint extract and chopped up starlight peppermint candies.

Variations/Substitutions

There are so many different ways to switch up this Easy Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge. Just altering one ingredient can take this fudge into so many different directions.

Peppermint Extract: There is such a wide variety of flavor extracts that you can buy. And you can literally find anything that you’re pretty much ever looking for online. You could try almond, banana, coffee, coconut, raspberry or pumpkin extracts. Any of these would be exceptional and the variations that you could make are endless.

Starlight Peppermint Candies: If these candies are unavailable, you could definitely crush up peppermint candy canes to top the fudge or Andes Mint Baking Chips would be scrumptious and a gorgeous way to mix up the look of the finished product. I like to add something to the top of whatever fudge that I make that brings out the flavors of the extract or flavors used.

Dark Chocolate Chips: You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips in place of dark chocolate if that’s the flavor you prefer. I have also used Andes Mint Baking Chips for a peppermint flavored fudge. I’ve made a delicious peanut butter fudge using Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips. You could also use those Reese’s Chips and combine them with semi-sweet chocolate chips for an amazing chocolate and peanut butter fudge.

Different Add-In Ideas:

-Walnuts
-Almonds
-Peanuts
-Toffee
-M&M minis
-Mini chocolate chips
-Shredded coconut

Do I need a double boiler to make this fudge?

Absolutely not! You can fashion your own double boiler with things you already have at home. You can use a medium saucepan and a large heat-safe glass bowl. You’ll put about two inches of water in the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Place the glass bowl over the top of the saucepan while it is heating up. You will make the fudge inside of the glass bowl.

You could also make this fudge in a microwave. You can add the butter, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, dark chocolate chips, salt and sweetened condensed milk to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2-3 minutes total. Microwave for about 1 minute at a time and stir after each minute until fully melted. Stir to combine well and then add to a lined baking pan and prepare to refrigerate so that the fudge can set.

Instructions

Bring a saucepan of 2 inches of water to a simmer. Pan spray a heatproof glass bowl and fit snugly on top of the saucepan on the stove. Once the bottom of the bowl has warmed, add butter, vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Allow the butter to melt for about a minute and then add the dark chocolate chips and salt. Stir constantly and vigorously until the chocolate chips are melted. The chocolate will resemble a big glob and will be hard to stir. At this point, add the sweetened condensed milk and continue to stir constantly until completely mixed and smooth. This will take about 1 minute.

Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Scoop all of the chocolate fudge into the prepared pan immediately after the desired texture is reached and spread into one even layer. Add the chopped starlight peppermint candies evenly over the top of the fudge and gently press into the fudge to help them stick better. Refrigerate for at least two hours prior to slicing, overnight is best. Store in an airtight container.

What’s your favorite type of fudge? Let me know in the comments below. Did you make this Easy Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge to give as a gift? As always, thank you so very much for supporting the Spice and Sugar Mama food blog! You are appreciated 🙂

Easy Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

Dominique Collins-Bloomfield

With only a few ingredients, you can have the most sensational Easy Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge. It takes less than 10 minutes to make the perfect dessert or holiday treat that you can give as a gift.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 25 Pieces

Ingredients

  

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 Teaspoon peppermint extract
• 3 Cups dark chocolate chips
• Pinch of salt
• 14 Ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 15 starlight peppermint candies chopped

Instructions

 

• Bring a saucepan of 2 inches of water to a simmer. Pan spray a heatproof glass bowl and fit snugly on top of the saucepan on the stove. Once the bottom of the bowl has warmed, add butter, vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Allow the butter to melt for about a minute and then add the dark chocolate chips and salt. Stir constantly and vigorously until the chocolate chips are melted. The chocolate will resemble a big glob and will be hard to stir. At this point, add the sweetened condensed milk and continue to stir constantly until completely mixed and smooth. This will take about 1 minute.
• Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Scoop all of the chocolate fudge into the prepared pan immediately after the desired texture is reached and spread into one even layer. Add the chopped starlight peppermint candies evenly over the top of the fudge and gently press into the fudge to help them stick better. Refrigerate for at least two hours prior to slicing, overnight is best. Store in an airtight container.