I love every recipe I share with you all. But this one…
This one is special.
I went into this baking endeavor not even knowing if it would turn into the dessert everyone knows as “fudge,” or if I would be left with a messy kitchen and a pan full of goo. You see, I’ve only tried to make fudge once, several years ago. I had planned on giving it out to friends and family for the holidays. After buying all of the ingredients and attempting to make several batches, it never set properly and I never tried to make fudge again. I felt like a big, ‘ol fudge-making failure.
Until now.
Not only is this fudge easy, it tastes awesome! After sampling it for the first time, I called my husband over and asked him, “Does this taste as good as I think it does?” Like, maybe my mind was playing tricks on me since I wanted, oh so desperately, to master this dessert. He confirmed – it was amazing. Rich, creamy, and Nutella-y. What more could you ask for?
- ½ cup salted butter (you can use unsalted, but the salt brings out the sweetness)
- ½ cup whole milk or half and half
- 1½ cups light brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup Nutella
- 2½ cups – 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
- Grease an 8×8 pan. Place the confectioner’s sugar in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Melt butter over medium low heat. Add the milk and light brown sugar. Bring to a hard, rolling boil over medium heat and then boil for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly add the vanilla and Nutella. Stir until the Nutella is melted.
- Carefully pour the hot Nutella mixture over the confectioner’s sugar and mix quickly until completely combined. Once everything comes together, it will set pretty fast. If your fudge is liquid-y, add more powdered sugar. Pour/scoop the fudge into your greased 8×8 pan. Press the fudge into the pan, if needed. Chill for 2 hours.
{ 78 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m not that into chocolate and (warning- shocker coming) I have never had nutella… but this looks a-maz-ing!! I may have to try this!
It is pretty chocolate-y, but the hazelnuts add something really special! You should definitely try it sometime
Glad this fudge adventure worked out well
Me too!
Oh good grief. WHY DO I READ THE FOOD BLOGS AT WORK!?! I am definitely making these tonight for dinner.
They would be perfect for dinner!
You’ve got your dairy…and…uh…nuts, which are totally healthy. And, chocolate! Perfectly balanced dinner 
and if i have some red wine with them, then i got my fruit/healthy wine things!
Oh yeah!
It’s really encouraging to see you’ve succeeded with the fudge – I’m having real challenges with mine and I’m inspired to keep going!
Adam
@HopsandHoney
Thanks, Adam! I was excited to finally succeed at it! And, it was tasty to boot
Hi Jennifer,
I’m having my own trials making fudge set, so reading your story has given me the drive to keep going!
Thanks,
Adam
@HopsandHoney
Do you have to store it in the fridge?
Hi Christina! You should store fudge in an airtight container at room temperature – it should last about a week.
This was soooo delicious…I crushed up oreos and sprinkled them on top after about an hour of refrigeration. So yummy!
I’m so glad you liked it, Abby! Great call with the Oreos – that sounds amazing!
nutella and fudge…two of my favorite things! will definitely have to try this out
You won’t regret it, Jennie!
OK – These are my newest addiction – and I haven’t even made them yet! Thank you so much for sharing – I’m SO making these this week
Cheers!!
I’d love if you swing by and visit me at http://www.eatloveinspire.blogspot.com I have some awesome Hazelnut Peanut Butter Cups that are supse simple to make and taste amazing
Wow – those candies look yummy, Hannah! And, I’m all about simple
*SUPER SIMPLE
Will regular (2?%) milk work
Hi Star! I’ve never tried it with 2% milk, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. However, texture may be affected and it could affect the set-up time. Whole milk or half and half would work best!
Carries Creations, You’ve never tried Nutella..well..OMG..its the best invention since breathing air..I love love love it…I eat it right out of the jar with a spoon..just talking about it make me want to go get some..I am so hooked on it…buy a large jar when you get one…its to die for!!
Half a *what of milk (cup)?
Yes, half a cup! I’ve updated the recipe. Thanks!
Oh my goodness, I saw this and knew I HAD to make it. The fudge isn’t even set yet and I’m sitting here licking the spoon, delicious haha!
I’m so thrilled that you like it, Sierra!
I’ve added a new feature where you can rate my recipes too, so if you still love it once it is set (and I definitely think you will), please consider rating it! You should see a star rating system under the comment box. Thanks!
I just made the fudge and the consistency is not smooth and has lots of confectioners clumps in it. Should I have sifted the sugar or maybe used beaters to combine instead of a spatula? Just put it in the fridge so we will see after it sets. Batter was very runny though so I didn’t have to scoop or press into the pan. Poured out like cake batter.
Hi Jessica! I’m sorry you had trouble. It sounds like there was an issue with your batter – it should have been quite thick and very smooth once added to the confectioner’s sugar. You should not have had to sift the sugar or use beaters. Did you make any substitutions? Anything could have affected the consistency – using margarine instead of butter, or using a low fat/non-fat milk, etc. Also, the mixture should be actually boiling for 2 minutes, not just simmering!
I’ve made this several times without any issues, so if you’re still having trouble after following the recipe exactly, shoot me an email at jennifer@notyourmommascookie.com and I’ll try to help!
Thanks for your response. I followed everything exactly but I started the timer when it started to boil so it was only boiling in the center of the pan. Maybe that made a difference. I just scooped out some and it tastes really good it just has clumps of powdered sugar but that is not a huge deal since I am serving it to good friends tonight. Not quite fudge yet but still kind of needing a spoon to eat it but that could be because it hasn’t been two hours. Good flavor though and I will make it again for sure.
A friend on Facebook gave me a tip: she said she has made a similar recipe before and she sprinkles sea salt all over the top once it is in the pan. She says it is a hit at all her parties.
Gosh – I’m not sure what happened! I actually tried to make a new fudge recipe last week and had trouble – it can be such a tricky treat to make! Like you suggested, I would try to wait until the entire pan is boiling before setting the timer – it may not have gotten to the correct temperature. I’m so glad it still tastes good, even if the texture isn’t quite right! The sea salt sounds like a wonderful addition!
I made this last night, and OMG it worked!! Very happy with the result, and so are my housemates
Next time I would probably line the tin with baking paper, so it would be easier to remove and not stick to the bottom (tho I enjoyed scraping the bits left lol). I also used icing mixture instead of confectioner’s sugar, and it worked just fine (tho I did sift it once). Thanks for the great recipe – I’ll be making this again!
I’m so glad you liked it, Emily!! Thanks for letting me know
Here you are!
Hi Jennifer!
Thank you so much for sharing your Nutella Fudge reciepe
I want to try this next week for my daughter’s 4th birthday. I am going to double everything considering we have lots of family coming. What size pan do you recommend i use? Also, if i use unsalted butter will the fudge be too rich and sweet?
thank you in advance!
-Alex
Hi Alex! Thanks so much for your comment
I have never doubled this recipe before, but if you have two 8×8 pans, that would be best! A 9×13 will work in a pinch, but the pieces will be a little thicker. And, I definitely recommend using salted butter! It’s just like making cookies – the salt is almost a necessity for the best flavor!
If you have any questions or run into any trouble while making this, feel free to shoot me an email at jennifer@notyourmommascookie.com and I’ll try my best to help!
Yummy yummy yummy….
Thanks, Cynthia!
Is it supposed to seem oily after mixing with the confectioners sugar? Just put mine in the fridge to set but it’s vey oily looking. Hope it still turns out good. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi Michelle! Did the mixture set up pretty quickly after being added to the confectioner’s sugar? Was it smooth? I don’t remember my mixture being particularly oily, but if it is smooth and setting up quickly, I think it is probably ok. Shoot me an email if it doesn’t set up correctly and we can talk about it! jennifer@notyourmommascookie.com
I tried it too, also came out very oily. Ended up spooning out all the excess liquid and it seems to be setting.
Hi Bob! Sorry that it came out a little oily for you – I can’t be sure what happened, but I have a couple suggestions – did you make any substitutions? If you substituted skim, 1% or 2% milk, that may affect the consistency. Also, did you try adding more powdered sugar? You can add up to about 2 3/4 cup powdered sugar, or even more if needed! If you have any questions, feel free to email me at jennifer@notyourmommascookie.com!
No substitutions, and I used the whole 2 3/4 cup of powdered sugar. Very possible that more powered sugar is actually needed though.
Just checked the fudge, it looks like it successfully set. So I guess if you get some excess liquid, spooning the extra out works pretty well.
nutella fudge squares
By vanilla do you mean essence or pod?
Hi Alex! I mean vanilla extract, which I believe is similar to essence.
I made a half-batch of the fudge (in a loaf pan) using skim milk, and while it seemed a little slick going into the fridge, it came out great! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
So glad you liked it, Beth!
When you say “boiling” do you mean lightly or rapidly? Sorry I’m new at this…I used 2% milk and the mixture seemed okay. It was slightly thicker than cake batter. It’s in the fridge now
Hi Dana! It should be a hard, rolling boil. I’ve updated the directions to make that clearer – sorry about that! My mixture is usually a little thicker than that, but it may just take a little more time to set. As long as the mixture was smooth, I think it will come out alright!
Oops that was my mistake. I guess that’s why I had a lot of confectioner clumps. Will it still taste okay? And I’ll be sure to bring it to a hard boil next time. Thanks!
Hi Dana! The consistency may be a bit off, but I’ve got my fingers crossed for you that it still tastes yummy!
Despite the wrong texture it still tasted pretty good. Thanks!
I just made this but I ran into the same excess liquid issues. Also my batter wasn’t smooth
so the fudge looks really grainy. Butttttt…I took a little bite of the batter and it tastes awesome!! Its in the fridge cooling right now so let’s see how it turns out after it sets. Any suggestions on how to make the batter smooth?
Hi Nebeha! I have never encountered any of these issues, so I’m not entirely sure of the problem. But, I’m going to be making some of this fudge soon and see if any adjustments/tweaks to the recipe need to be made!
I just pulled the fudge out of the fridge and its nice n smooth and absolutely delicious!!
Oh, wonderful – I’m soooo glad!!
Whew – I feel much better now!
Hi! Just wondering if I could use dark brown sugar instead of light brown?
Hi there! I’ve never used dark brown sugar myself for this recipe, but I see no reason why it wouldn’t work just fine!
Holy cow was this easy (and yummy!) to make. I’ve had issues with other fudge recipes in the past but this one came out perfect! I actually added the powdered sugar to my stand mixture then whipped the mixture.
I couldn’t resist licking the spoon! I added some red and green sprinkles to the top as they fudge will go into gift boxes for my kids teachers.
Thank you for sharing!
This is awesome, Jen! I’m so glad to hear that it worked so well for you – I had the exact same experience with fudge in the past, and this one is definitely a keeper! The red and green sprinkles sound absolutely perfect!
Jennifer, I have tried to pin this and the picture comes up blank or with ***********pinit*******, am I doing something wrong? It is 10:50pm and I am ready to go pull that brand new great big jar of nutella out I bought at Sams and make this right now, my husband said please honey not another night of you being in the kitchen after midnight…
Hi, MJ! Wow, I’m not sure what’s going on! I did install a new “Pin It” button to show up when you hover the mouse over the picture. I’ll look into it and see if it is causing problems! In the meantime, if you would like to re-pin my pin so it will show up on your Pinterest boards, you can do that here: http://pinterest.com/pin/35958496995609629/. Sorry for the trouble and thanks for letting me know so I can look into it!
I made this today. Reduced it to 3/4 cup Nutella and 1/4 cup peanut butter…DELICIOUS! Thanks for the recipe! Merry Christmas!
So glad you liked it, April! The addition of peanut butter sounds awesome – I’ll have to try that myself!
Just tried this recipe it’s sooooo yummy. I added walnuts in it and topped it with a thin layer of peanut butter frosting, it was to die for. My nephews requested that I make them this instead of cookies
Oh, I’m so glad you liked it, Kimber! Thank you for the comment
Just put this in thefridge and am hoping the next two hours pass quickly. The battrr was very tasty.
Happy World Nutella Day
Thanks for the comment, Liz! I hope you love it as much as I do!
so i was wondering do you need to put vanilla in the fudge?
Hi Noor – the taste will be affected, but you could leave it out if you wanted.
My boyfriend ….who is the pickiest eater I have ever meet…..loved this Fudge. No one thought I made it bc I’m not the known for my skills in the kitchen and they say Fudge is really hard to make. I followed your instructions to the T…and it turned out great! I gave it to him for Valentine’s Day and I keep getting a request for more….so I’m doing it again tonight and Praying it turns out just as good. Thanks you for helping me get some kitchen credit
Awesome, Rebecca! I’m so thrilled that you liked it
This looks good! I love Nutella and can’t wait to try it. As far as fudge goes, try the Fantasy Fudge recipe on the back of Kraft Marshmallow Crème (stove top method). I have been making this for years and it has always been delicious!
I’ll be trying it for sure, Cindy!
Thanks for letting me know, Bob! I’m glad that it seems to be working, despite the extra trouble. I’ll be making this again for the holidays, so I’ll take another look and see if I need to make any changes to the recipe and/or instructions!
Oh good, I’m glad! Sorry for the confusion!
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