Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge

Easy homemade fudge without the candy thermometer? Yes, please! This microwave Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge is for anyone who wants to make the easiest (and tastiest) fudge recipe possible! Makes 64 pieces, but can be made into larger portions, too.

Love holiday treats for sharing? You’ve got to check out Cranberry Crumb Bars, Potato Chip Cookies and Gourmet Vanilla Hot Chocolate!

‘Tis the season for cookies, sweets and holiday treats!

Today we’re celebrating Freaky Friday’s Virtual Holiday Cookie Exchange. Those of us participating are making things like cookies, bars, candies and other holiday-centric treats we all know and love.

Today, I was assigned Debi from the blog Life Currents. And goodness gracious, did I have a lot that I could choose from for this holiday treat exchange!

Debi’s dessert recipe index is positively awe inspiring!

From classics like Lemon Bars to the super seasonal Pumpkin Pie and Candy Cane Pie and tons and tons of cookies and fudge, I had the best time looking through and deciding what I was going to make.

In the end, I decided to make her Two-Ingredient Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge recipe because it seemed like a brilliant intro to making fudge that didn’t require me to fret over the stovetop. Because, you know, I burn things like caramel often and struggle to get it right, even when I know what I’m doing (in theory.)

However, if you’re a big fudge fan and feel comfortable making it, you should definitely check out Debi’s Brown Sugar Fudge, Mocha Fudge, Lemon Fudge, Old-Fashioned Fudge and Dirty Chai Spiced Fudge.

Looking for cookie inspiration? I’ve got all that you need over on the Sweetest Season’s recipe index!

Let me tell you about Debi and Life Currents

Debi has been a vegetarian for more than 20 years and has recently started eating fish. She’s passionate about eating at home—not just for our health—but because it helps us connect with our families over food.

Not only is she passionate about the connection piece, but she’s into the healthy piece, as well. She loves eating and utilizing whole foods in her recipes, preserving and getting back to real foods and methods while also not wasting food.

Real foods shine in Debi’s recipes, and she’s got a little something for everyone. Just check out her Recipe Index!

If you want to learn more about Debi and her food philosophy, check out her about page.

So… What Is Freaky Friday?

It’s an old-fashioned blog hop.

A blog hop, for those of y’all who haven’t been around the blogosphere for as long as I have, which is to say for-freaking-ever, is a collaboration between bloggers where everyone has a post to share and you link to one another in your posts as they go live.

Michaela from An Affair from the Heart, the lovely lady who founded this quarterly collab, secretly assigns everyone another blogger, who we will choose and make a recipe from.

We make their recipe, photograph it as if it were our own, write a post about it with our own personal anecdote and then all share our posts on the selected Friday.

We hope that this collaboration helps you discover some amazing new recipes, as well as find new bloggers to follow!

For previous Freaky Friday exchanges, I’ve made Shortbread Brown Butter Cookies, Boozy Bacon Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars, Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese, Cherry Bourbon Slush , Halloween Peanut Butter Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies, a Valentine’s Day Dessert Board, Chicken Pesto Pasta, Pepperoni Dip and Upside Down Cranberry Cake.

Take A Look At All Of Our 2020 Freaky Friday Holiday Cookie Exchange Recipes:

What you need to make this Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge recipe

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• Parchment paper
• 8” x 8” square baking dish
• A microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup

In addition to these tools, you’re also going to need some ingredients…

• Peanut butter—smooth and unsweetened, as always. I like a peanut butter that’s lighter on the salt, too, but in actuality, every brand is different. The Whole Foods Creamy Peanut Butter Spread is my favorite.
• Chocolate chips—I used 60% dark chocolate chips because that’s what I love and have on hand, but you could easily use a semisweet or even a milk chocolate chip. Just expect for your fudge to be sweeter if you use these!
• Flaky sea salt—this is a garnish and adds a pop of saltiness, too. If your peanut butter is salty, I would caution you only to use a little bit of this so as not to overwhelm your dessert!

How to make Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge

Line an 8”x8” metal baking dish with parchment paper. In order to get mine to fit the pan perfectly, I like to measure out the parchment, then cut slices into the sides so that the parchment can be flush up the sides of the baking dish.

Measure the peanut butter and chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave them on high for 60-80 seconds.

Every microwave is different and their power varies, so keep an eye on your fudge. I set mine for 30 seconds, and then did another 30 seconds. It melted beautifully and easily. Debi suggests going up to 80 seconds in her recipe.

After 60-80 seconds, gently stir the ingredients together using a rubber spatula or a spoon. Continue stirring as the chocolate chips melt into the peanut butter. If they don’t completely melt within a minute or two, microwave the fudge again for another 15-20 seconds, then stir again until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the flaky sea salt, if using, then refrigerate.

We want this to chill out for at least an hour, but you could let it chill for longer if necessary.

Using a sharp knife, cut the fudge into pieces, and then portion it out into containers to share (or place in a storage container and refrigerate for yourself.)

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

Homemade fudge is a brilliant part of the holidays, and it’s one that my family has never made… until now.

I really like this microwave peanut butter fudge recipe because it doesn’t require me to bust out my candy thermometer or stand over my stovetop awkwardly as I confirm I’m not burning ingredients. (Hi. Hello. Can I tell you how many times I burned the caramel sauce of my Bread Pudding recipe while developing that recipe?)

All that’s to say: Fudge is a lovely holiday tradition, and it’s a fun one to make with the kids, especially since this recipe doesn’t require candy making equipment or skills. 😉

Here are some tips for making and sharing fudge this holiday season:

• Get the kids involved! From the measuring of the ingredients to heating in the microwave to the gentle stirring of the fudge to the sprinkling of the flaky sea salt, there’s a job for kids of all ages in this fudge recipe. Just keep an eye on your kids and be by their sides as you make this recipe together, as every child has a different skill level and requires more or less assistance based on that.
• Slice this Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge recipe into 64(ish) 1” square pieces when it’s chilled. Divide it into containers for sharing!
• Decorate with festive sprinkles! I feel like my kids would be super into this, and I know other kids would have fun adding sprinkles before getting to enjoy this festive fudge all season long.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of chocolate chips do I need to use for this homemade fudge recipe?

I used 60% dark chocolate chips because that’s what I had on hand and because I like a darker chocolate. That said, you could easily use semisweet or even milk chocolate chips for this recipe. It will make the fudge sweeter, but fudge was made to be sweet, so I don’t think that should be a problem.

What is the best kind of peanut butter to use in this microwave fudge recipe?

Debi recommends creamy sweetened peanut butter, like Jif or Peter Pan. I used the Whole Foods Creamy Peanut Butter spread listed above in the ingredients section… so use whatever works for you!

What size dish should I use?

I made mine in a 9”x9” dish, and the fudge was rather thin. (This works for me because while I love sweets, I can overdo it quickly.)

If you’re looking for something that’s regular fudge-thickness, I suggest using an 8”x8” square dish.

Debi recommends using a loaf pan if you want even thicker fudge!

How do I store this microwave fudge?

The fudge will become pretty soft on the countertop, so store it in the fridge for up to a week.

Quick Tips and Tricks for the best Microwave Fudge

• Make this microwave peanut butter fudge as a sweet treat to surprise friends or neighbors with during the holiday season.Since it comes together easily and requires very little hands-on time, this is a great dessert to make with kids, too.Just be sure to get a cute container (affiliate link) so that the transportation of this fudge is easy peasy!
• Test the saltiness before adding the flaky sea salt! Different peanut butters have different amounts of salt added to them, and we don’t want to overwhelm the fudge with saltiness. Dip a clean spoon into the mixture, have a taste and sprinkle accordingly.
• Store the Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge in the fridge because it will soften up on the countertop.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge

Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

Easy homemade fudge without the candy thermometer? Yes, please! This microwave Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge is for anyone who wants to make the easiest (and tastiest) fudge recipe possible!

4.78 from 9 votes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Servings 64 1″ pieces

Calories 34 kcal

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 minute min

Refrigeration Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 6 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

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• 14 tablespoons peanut butter smooth and unsweetened
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• ½ teaspoon – 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt optional

Equipment

• Square baking pan (8″ x 8″)
• Parchment baking paper
• Large mixing bowl
• Sea Salt Flakes

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Instructions

 

• Line an 8”x8” metal baking dish with parchment paper.
• Measure the peanut butter and chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave them on high for 60-80 seconds. Every microwave is different, so keep an eye on your fudge. I heated mine in 30 second increments, and stirred at the 60 second mark.
• After 60-80 seconds of heating, stir the ingredients together using a rubber spatula or a spoon. Continue stirring as the chocolate chips melt into the peanut butter. If they don’t completely melt within a minute or two, microwave the fudge again for another 15-20 seconds, then stir again until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• Sprinkle with the flaky sea salt, if using, then refrigerate.
• Chill for at least 1 hour.
• Once chilled, use a sharp knife to cut the fudge into pieces.
• Divide into containers, and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

The original recipe for this is from Life Currents.

If you want to make the peanut butter measurement a little easier on yourself, measure out a cup of peanut butter and scoop 2 tablespoons out of it.

Debi’s advice on portioning out the fudge: “If you cut the fudge into about 1” pieces, you’ll get about 64 from an 8”x8” container. 2”x2” pieces will give you nice big slices and will yield 16 pieces. Of course, how many pieces you get will depend on how big you cut them. It’s up to you how big you cut them."

Quick tips and tricks:

• Make this fudge as a sweet treat to surprise friends or neighbors with during the holiday season. Since it comes together easily and requires very little hands-on time, this is a great dessert to make with kids, too. Just be sure to get a cute container so that the transportation of this fudge is easy peasy!
• Test the saltiness before adding the flaky sea salt! Different peanut butters have different amounts of salt added to them, and we don’t want to overwhelm the fudge with saltiness. Dip a clean spoon into the mixture, have a taste and sprinkle accordingly.
• Store the Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge in the fridge because it will soften up on the countertop.

Nutrition

Serving: 1square (1″x1″)Calories: 34kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 50mgSugar: 2g

Keyword dessert, fudge, homemade fudge, microwave desserts

Course Desserts & Sweet Treats

Cuisine American

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!