Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge
There’s no marshmallow creme in this Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge. That’s right this is pure creamy peanut butter fudge and it’s downright addicting! I make this at Christmas and any time I get the urge for some pure peanut butter flavor!
Today, I’ve decided to share my favorite Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge recipe. My mother made this recipe when I was a little girl, and we used to crack open hickory nuts or black walnuts from our farm for the candy. I can’t recall a Christmas that there wasn’t a tin of this wonderful creamy fudge sitting amongst all the other goodies my mother made.
This recipe has always been my all-time favorite recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge because it’s made with pure Peanut Butter. My not so good picture above doesn’t do this creamy fudge justice. Sorry, I took this with my cell phone before learning how to use my Canon Rebel.
Below is my mother’s handwritten recipe for this fudge. She wrote this out for me when I left for college, and I won’t say how many years ago that was..
You can make this candy by using a candy thermometer or you can use the cold water test. See my post on How to test candy in cold water, if you have never done the cold water test. I’ll also show you in a couple of pictures below, what it looks like in the cold water.
If you’re a fan of peanut butter fudge that has marshmallow creme in it, feel free to check out this Peanut Butter Fantasy Fudge recipe that so many of you are familiar with. However, today is all about plain Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge.
I know there’s a lot of you who are afraid to attempt making fudge, so I want to show you, not only how easy it is but what each step of the cooking process looks like. It literally takes about 5 minutes of cooking time for this candy.
The Cooking Process:
Top Left – Combine all ingredients except the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a medium pan.
Top Right – Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan, (if you’re not doing the cold water test). Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat while constantly stirring.
Bottom Left – Cook until mixture reaches a soft ball stage, (234 degrees on a candy thermometer), if you’re not using the water test, and remove from heat.
Bottom Right – Immediately add the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla.
Now beat it with a wooden spoon until it’s well blended and creamy and immediately spread it into a prepared dish. Note: If the candy sets up before you are able to spread it in the pan, you have overcooked it, and unfortunately this can’t be fixed. It will taste good, but it will be dry and crumbly. If the candy seems too thin don’t give up on it. You might have undercooked it just a little. Just beat it a little longer with the wooden spoon before spreading it into the dish. Set it aside to completely cool. If it still seems too sticky or non-forming when you try to cut it into pieces, place it in the fridge for a while.
Cold Water Test
Below are a couple of pictures showing what it looks like to test the candy in cold water.
After the mixture had cooked for about 3 minutes, I started testing it in the cold water…
Once it formed a soft ball in the water and on my fingers for a few seconds before going flat, I removed the pan from the heat…
Candy Thermometers:
If you’re testing your candy with a candy thermometer, make sure it is calibrated correctly. From the cheapest to the most expensive, a lot of candy thermometers are not correctly calibrated when you open them from the package. Click here to see how to calibrate your candy thermometer.
I hope you make and enjoy this creamy wonderful fudge! For another great old fashioned fudge recipe, check out my recipe for Hershey’s Old Fashioned Cocoa Fudge.
If you make this recipe please rate it, and leave a comment below on how you liked it. I love hearing from you.
Wanna see different recipes each day? Feel free to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Print
Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 15
- Yield: 16 Servings 1x
- Category: Candy
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
There’s no marshmallow creme in this Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge. That’s right this is pure creamy peanut butter fudge and it’s downright addicting! I make this at Christmas and any time I get the urge for some pure peanut butter flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup milk or half & half
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons real butter
- 1/2 teaspoon pure Vanilla extract
- 2 very heaping tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup chopped nuts, I use pecans
Instructions
- Line a 8 x 8 square baking dish with foil, leaving the foil hanging over the sides for easy removal. Lightly butter the foil.
- Combine the sugar, milk or half & half, and corn syrup in a 2 quart pan over medium heat. Stir mixture slowly but constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking and stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 234 degrees on a candy thermometer or forms a soft ball when dropped in cold water, removing the pan from the heat each time you do a water test.
- Remove the pan from heat. Add the butter, Vanilla and peanut butter and mix until smooth. Add nuts, if using, and mix in. Immediately spread in prepared dish.
- Place candy in a freezer or cold place until the candy is totally cooled. Cut and serve or store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Candy will stay fresh for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 16
Turned out great thank you
You’re so welcome, Deanna! So glad it turned out for youu! 🙂
Hi Susan,
Sorry, the fudge didn’t turn out. If you overcook it, it will be crumbly. I test mine in cold water and sometimes a candy thermometer. If you used a candy thermometer, it could be that it wasn’t calibrated correctly. I’ve made this fudge for 40+ years and it’s always creamy unless I overcook it. I also calibrate my candy thermometers once a year before my holiday baking. I hope this helps.
Cindy
I have been making fudge since I was in the kitchen learning as a little girl, ( which was at least 45 years ago) yeah, lol, we will say that. I have searched this internet over and over for old- fashioned gourmet peanut butter fudge and still have not found my recipe. Old- fashioned gourmet fudge took a process of time back in the day of around 30 minutes of cooking time on the stove. This process was the boiling of the mixture, it boiling up, it boiling back down and then the final stage. Your recipe did this however but quickly because the corn syrup and half n half acts of condensed milk as a substitute, which turns this into a quick recipe, not stating it can’t be called old – fashioned, but recipes from way back that were made with fudge was made from milk, not half n half nor cream. This is the reason the milk took longer to boil back then. I’m sure your fudge taste really good. I also consider mine to be old- fashioned gourmet fudge. I would love to swap fudges someday with you. BeBe
I made this recipe for the first time today. My son and I love it so much!! I will use it again!! Thank you!!
Hi Barbara, I’m so glad you liked it. I love that it’s pure peanut butter with no marshmallow creme.