Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
Made with just 4 simple ingredients, this peanut butter fudge comes together in just 10 minutes. It's smooth, creamy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Servings: 36 Pieces
Estimated Calories: 132
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.
Recipe 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.
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