This peanut butter fudge is so QUICK and EASY to make. Melt marshmallows with sugar and peanut butter, and you’re done! This tastes like the inside of a peanut butter cup, and makes a great gift.
My partner’s mom makes peanut butter fudge on what seems like a weekly basis. I’m not sure how she can consume so much of it. She has a dedicated baking pan just for this peanut butter fudge and there’s always a tub of it in the fridge.
But when I emailed her asking for the recipe, she didn’t know how to give it to me. Like most recipes of hers, she free-forms it, adding peanut butter until the batter “looks and feels” right.
It looked like I’d need to head into the kitchen and do some experimenting!
The Trick to Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
The one thing she did casually mention was that she uses marshmallows in her peanut butter fudge, something I’d never thought about. When I make fudge, I often use the old-fashioned method, which requires cooking the sugar to a soft-ball stage of 238°F. It’s fussy and always put me off of making fudge.
But since the sugar in marshmallows has already been cooked and turned into a candy, using them to make the peanut butter fudge seemed like an easy and totally acceptable cheat.
And easy it was! This easy peanut butter fudge recipe is a snap to make and super smooth. So easy that I’m fearful I’ll end up like her, making this easy peanut butter fudge on a weekly basis. I can feel my waistline expanding already.
The Best Peanut Butter for Fudge
I use smooth peanut butter in this fudge, but if you prefer a little texture, feel free to use the same amount of chunky peanut butter in its place.
You’ll get the best results if you stick with commercial brands of peanut butter (Jif, Skippy, Peter Pan). Natural peanut butter has a tendency to separate, and it can sometimes interfere with how the fudge sets up. (If you do want to try using natural peanut butter, just make sure it’s very well-stirred and the oil is well incorporated.)
Easy Substitutions and Additions to PB Fudge
- Substitute coconut milk for a non-dairy version of this fudge
- Make chocolate peanut butter fudge by drizzling melted chocolate over the top, or sprinkling chocolate chips on top right after smoothing out the fudge in the pan and gently pressing them in.
How to Store Peanut Butter Fudge
Store this fudge in an airtight container. The fudge keeps for about a week at room temperature or 2 to 3 weeks refrigerated.
To freeze, wrap the chilled fudge in plastic wrap and then transfer to a freezer storage bag. Freeze for up to a month and thaw in the fridge.
More Peanut Butter Treats!
- Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
- Peanut Butter Balls (Buckeyes)
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 10 minutes
- Cooling Time time: Cooling Time
- Yield: 64 squares
This easy peanut butter fudge recipe uses marshmallows as a cheat in place of more elaborate candy-making.
Have your lined baking pan ready to go before you start and work fast once you remove the saucepan from the heat. As the fudge starts to cool, it can become difficult to work with.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 6 regular-sized marshmallows (NOT mini or jumbo marshmallows, certified gluten-free if needed)
- 3/4 cup (150 g) white granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups (420 g) smooth peanut butter
Special equipment:
- 8-inch square baking pan
Method
1 Prepare the baking pan: Lightly spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking oil. Line with parchment paper.
2 Warm the milk and marshmallows: Place the milk and the marshmallows in medium pan. Turn the heat to medium low and gently heat the milk. Stir constantly until the marshmallows have melted. If the milk starts to foam up too much, reduce the heat.
3 Stir in the sugars, followed by the remaining ingredients: Once the marshmallows have melted, add both sugars and continue to cook on medium low heat while stirring until the sugars have dissolved and the liquid is smooth. Add the vanilla, salt, and peanut butter. Stir until smooth and incorporated into the batter.
4 Pour the hot fudge into the prepared pan: Once the fudge batter is smooth and uniform, immediately pour it into the prepared pan and smooth out with spatula or butter knife.
5 Cool overnight: Let the fudge cool to room temperature in the pan, then chill in the fridge overnight.
6 Cut the fudge: The next day, lift the fudge from the pan using the parchment paper and cut into 1-inch squares.
Store in an airtight container. The fudge keeps for about a week at room temperature or 2 to 3 weeks refrigerated.
