This Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Fudge is made with just 4 simple ingredients and comes together in just 10 minutes. It's smooth, rich, creamy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Michelle's Recipe Rundown
With this easy and foolproof recipe, you can make incredible homemade peanut butter fudge in just a few minutes with 4 ingredients that you probably keep on hand.
There are no complicated steps or candy thermometers required. Simply melt together peanut butter and butter and bring it to a boil, turn off the heat, stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth, spread it out in a pan, let it set, and then cut it into squares.
Hands-on prep time to get the fudge in the pan is only about 10 minutes. And it'll take about 2 hours to set up (the waiting just might be the hardest part!).
The result is a smooth and creamy fudge that's packed with peanut butter flavor and perfect every time. It's great for gift-giving, holiday candy trays, special occasions, or whenever you want to satisfy your sweet tooth.
It'll keep for several weeks in the fridge, and you can even freeze it for longer!
Love fudge? Be sure to also try my Quick and Easy Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge and Easy White Chocolate Fudge With Almonds.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Here are the 4 ingredients you need to make this peanut butter fudge, along with a few notes on preparation and making the best selections:
Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Peanut Butter - For the best results, use your favorite classic smooth and creamy peanut butter; I use Jif. I don't recommend using natural peanut butter; the texture is much different and you won't get the same result (when I tested it, the fudge was drier and even just a bit gritty).
- Butter - I use salted butter. You can use unsalted butter if you prefer; if so, you might want to consider adding some salt to balance the sweetness (about ¼ teaspoon).
- Powdered Sugar (aka confectioner's sugar) - A must for this recipe because it dissolves quickly and easily into the peanut butter mixture, giving you that wonderfully smooth result.
- Vanilla Extract - Pure vanilla extract has the best flavor, but imitation vanilla extract can be used as well.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can use crunchy peanut butter if that's what you prefer; the fudge will just be less smooth.
- For a peanut butter and chocolate chip fudge, top the fudge with chocolate chips (about ½ to ¾ cup) before allowing it to set. Gently press them down into the fudge so they stick.
How to Make Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
This is just a brief overview of the steps. The full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions is in the recipe card below.
Melt together the peanut butter and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
Remove from the heat, add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and stir until the mixture is well-combined and smooth.
Transfer the mixture to an 8x8x2-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper and spread it out evenly. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until set, about 1½ hours.
Remove the fudge from the pan and cut into 36 squares.
Recipe Tips
- When lining the pan with parchment, make sure you cover the bottom and go all the way up each of the 4 sides. This ensures that you can easily lift the fudge out of the pan once it sets.
- I don't cover the fudge during the initial cooling/setting time because condensation could form and drip down on the fudge. Once it has set up, if you won't be cutting it immediately, cover it tightly so it doesn't start to dry out.
- This fudge has the best texture when served at room temperature, so if you store it in the fridge, take it out of the fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes before serving. But you can also enjoy it cold if that's how you like it!
Storage
No matter where you choose to store your fudge, to make sure it lasts as long as possible, the most important thing is to keep the air out so it doesn't dry out and become crumbly.
Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or foil. For extra insurance, I keep the wrapped fudge in an airtight container. Put parchment paper between any layers to keep it from sticking together.
When stored in the refrigerator, it should last for 2 to 3 weeks. At room temperature, it should last for about 1 week. You can also freeze it for 2 to 3 months.
I hope you try this Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Fudge recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Homemade Candy Recipes to Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 cup smooth and creamy peanut butter, not "natural" peanut butter (see Notes below)
- 1 cup salted butter
- 3½ cups powdered sugar, also called confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with parchment paper (the bottom and all the way up the 4 sides so you can easily lift the fudge out of the pan after it sets); set aside.
- Place the peanut butter and butter in a medium saucepan (I use a 3-quart saucepan). Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until both are completely melted and the mixture comes to a boil.
- As soon as it comes to a boil, remove the pot from the heat and add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Stir until well-combined and smooth with no lumps of powdered sugar (the mixture will be quite thick, almost like cookie dough).
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan. Spread it out in the pan evenly, then gently press it down and smooth out the top.I use the back of a spoon to do this; first I spread it out, and then I gently pat it down to make the top smooth. The top will look a bit shiny at this point, but that will go away as it cools and sets up.
- Allow the fudge to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then put it in the refrigerator and chill until set, uncovered, about 1½ hours. I don't cover the fudge during this initial cooling/setting time because condensation could form and drip down on the fudge.If you won't be cutting the fudge right away after the 1½ hours in the fridge, then cover it tightly until you are ready to cut it so it doesn't start to dry out.
- Lift the fudge out of the pan, remove the parchment paper, and cut into 36 squares.
Notes
- This fudge is best when served at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge about 20 to 30 minutes before serving. But you can certainly eat it cold if that's how you like it!
- Regular smooth and creamy peanut butter will give you the best results; I use Jif. I don't recommend using "natural" peanut butter; the texture is very different, and the result won't be the same (when I tested it, the fudge was drier and even just a bit gritty).
- You can use unsalted butter, if you prefer. If you do, you might want to consider adding about ¼ teaspoon of salt when you melt the butter and peanut butter to balance the sweetness.
- Store the fudge tightly wrapped and in an airtight container; air will dry out the fudge and make it crumbly. At room temperature, it should last for about 1 week. In the refrigerator, it should last 2 to 3 weeks (I keep mine in the refrigerator). For longer storage, you can freeze it for 2 to 3 months.
- Estimated calories shown are for 1 piece of fudge.
Leave A Comment