Microwave Fudge

Fun fact, when I was in first grade, my class made fudge. I only vaguely remember it, but we were all sent home with a cute little print out of the recipe. My mom kept that print out for years and eventually transferred it to a real recipe card.

It called for cocoa powder, powdered sugar, melted butter and evaporated milk. We made it plenty of times, and it was a favorite of mine. I tried to make it dairy free, but something just didn’t work.

I think it was my choice of coconut oil rather than dairy free butter, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I really wanted it to work though, so I decided that I would try one more time to make fudge.

I followed the ratio from this recipe for peppermint fudge, but I melted my chocolate in the microwave. Because, what’s better than a super easy fudge recipe? Microwave fudge. It took three minutes and was nothing short of perfect.

Next, I’m going to have to take the dairy out of my Christmas caramels and peanut brittle. I might even make the caramels in the microwave. Who’s with me?

How do you make fudge without sweetened condensed milk?

To make this recipe dairy free, I simply used sweetened condensed coconut milk and dairy free chocolate chips. I also added two tablespoons of coconut oil to help everything melt smoothly.

I don’t think it’s completely necessary, but since the sweetened condensed coconut milk is not quite the same as it’s dairy counterpart, I just added it out of uncertainty. And, it worked. When things turn out, I don’t question them.

More dairy free Christmas treats: dairy free hot chocolate / Grinch cookies / maple bourbon apple tarts

If you want to make your own sweetened condensed coconut milk, here is a great tutorial. I purchased this brand, but I have seen several other brands in the organic section at various groceries stores. I like this brand because the can is a little larger, but you can easily do either of these things.

Here’s what you’ll need to make vegan fudge in the microwave

Equipment

• Microwave safe container (I use this micro-cooker)
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Rubber spatula
• Square baking dish

Ingredients

• Sweetened condensed coconut milk
• Dairy free chocolate chips
• Coconut oil
• Vanilla extract
• Sprinkles (option)

How to make microwave fudge

Prepare your baking dish. Grease your baking dish with whatever you have on hand. I used cooking spray, but you could rub it with oil or vegetable shortening. Even vegan butter would work.

You can also line the dish with parchment paper to make it easier to pop your microwave fudge out, but I found that it was difficult to keep in place while spreading the fudge into the pan.

Melt your ingredients. Place all your ingredients in a microwave safe container. Microwave for 1 minute. Take it out and give it a good stir. As you stir, you’ll notice that the chocolate continues to melt. It should have melted a considerable amount more than when you first took it out.

When the chips “stop” melting more, pop it back into the microwave for about 30 seconds. Take it out and stir again. You shouldn’t need to put it back in, but if your chips aren’t completely melted, continue to microwave at 10 – 15 second intervals until the stirring completely melts the chocolate and the mixture is evenly combined and smooth.

Chill the microwave fudge. Transfer your melted mixture to the prepared baking dish. Work quickly, and spread with a rubber spatula until it’s as smooth as you can get it. Top with sprinkles and pop it into the fridge. Let it sit overnight (or for at least a few hours so the ingredients can solidify.

Tips for melting chocolate in the microwave

• This recipe is incredibly easy, but if you’re going to mess it up, this will be the step. I recommend really taking your time and stirring between microwaving. If you over cook the chocolate, it will “seize up” and turn weirdly solid – even though you thought it was almost melted.
• There’s really not much you can do if you get to this point, so it’s important to take your time and only microwave the chocolate in short intervals after the first minute.
• Even though the chocolate chips might not look like they’ll completely melt after stirring, keep stirring. Stir for a good 30 seconds or more between microwave intervals. Give the chocolate a chance to breakdown on its own. I promise it might not seem like it’s going to work, but it will.

Even more chocolate recipes:

• Chocolate pudding
• Olive oil brownies
• Chocolate chocolate chip cookies
• Dairy free hot chocolate
• Hot fudge sauce
• Chocolate cupcakes
• Brigadeiro (we used sweetened condensed coconut milk to make these dairy free)

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Published: December 5, 2018. Updated: November 5, 2021.

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