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This Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge recipe has been passed down for three generations. This stuff is sweet and intensely peanut buttery. It's a family tradition delicious enough to keep going for another 50 years at least.
My last Christmas with my mom was in 2008, and I can't believe that was 13 years ago. She absolutely loved Christmas and went all out every single year to make it special for everyone. I started writing about her legendary Christmas baking when I first posted this peanut butter fudge recipe back in 2013. This recipe was my favorite and pretty much everyone else's. It was also far and away the number 1 recipe on this site for at least five years.
It pleases me to no end that this recipe has been viewed over 58,000 times, even with the absolutely horrible photos. My mom's legacy definitely deserved a re-shoot. We can't bring back our lost loved ones, but a little bit of kitchen magick can keep them in our lives. I hope my legacy can be half as delicious.
What makes Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge so awesome?
I cannot be in the same room with this peanut butter fudge or I'll eat it until I'm sick. It's unbelievably addictive. I don't really know how to describe it other than sweet and peanut buttery with the perfect amount of resistance. It just tastes like childhood Christmas, and I can't get enough.
But it's not just me that loves it. Every time I make a batch and share it with people, they lose their minds a little. There was one year when my mom didn't make peanut butter fudge for a family holiday gathering, and my uncles basically revolted. They never let her forget it. You can (and probably should) cut these into smaller squares than I did for the photos, so there's always plenty to share. They make a great gift or party favor.
Make it magical
We've spoken before about the grounding energy of peanut butter. It brings prosperity, opportunities, and stability. We've also talked before about honoring your ancestors by continuing to share their recipes with your family and friends. I'm definitely working some ancestor magic every time I make this recipe. When you create a handed down recipe, you can pour all your love for that passed family member into your food. When you share it with others, you're passing that love on to them as well.
Family traditions are really a sort of ritual when you think about it. We do things the same way every year to keep us connected to our past in a loving way. It may not be the case that all our family memories are positive, but we can still offer up gratitude for the moments that brought us joy.
To see the magickal correspondences of the ingredients in this recipe, check out the Kitchen Magick page.
How to make Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge
Okay, this is an old-fashioned recipe, so it's not super simple. We're not making fudge in the microwave here, kids. We're doing it the way grandma did it. You will need a candy thermometer, and you will need to tend to it the whole time. My mom's one rule was never stop stirring. She would actually get my dad to assist so the mixture kept moving the whole time.
I definitely recommend you prep all your ingredients in advance. The sugar and evaporated milk can go straight into a pot. Make sure you're using a big enough pot for the mixture to boil and expand. Then in a separate bowl, measure out your marshmallow, peanut butter, and vanilla. Just have it ready to go.
Then it's just stirring. Stir your sugar and milk mixture until it reaches the soft ball stage on your thermometer. This could take 10 minutes or so. Then turn the heat off, but keep stirring as you add in the marshmallow and peanut butter. Just keep stirring as quickly and carefully as you can until the mixture is smooth and incorporated, then transfer it to a waiting 8x8 inch baking pan as quickly as possible. It will begin to set as soon as it starts cooling, so you need to work quickly. It is boiling sugar, though, so it will burn you.
Don't panic. Just be prepared and keep stirring. Once it's in the pan, you have to walk away for a few hours to let it cool completely before cutting it into squares and feeding it to your adoring friends and family.
This Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter fudge will always be my favorite. It's our family tradition, and I hope it can become one of yours as well.
Looking for more awesome holiday treats? Try some Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies or this Satsuma & Dark Chocolate Brioche.
PrintPeanut Butter Fudge
This Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge recipe has been passed down for three generations. This stuff is sweet and intensely peanut buttery. It's a family tradition delicious enough to keep going for another 50 years at least.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 36 1x
- Category: Candy
- Method: Boiled
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- ⅔ cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup marshmallow creme
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Spray or butter an 8x8 inch baking pan and set aside.
- Clip a candy thermometer onto a medium sauce pan and put it over medium heat. Add sugar and evaporated milk and stir to combine. Heat mixture to the soft ball stage (234 degrees F, 112 C), stirring frequently. Once it starts to bubble, I stir it constantly.
- Either before you start to boil the sugar or just after you add it to the pan, measure out your marshmallow creme, peanut butter, and vanilla. Just put it in a small bowl so it will be ready to add all at once later.
- As soon as your sugar mixture reaches the proper temperature, remove it from the heat and add remaining ingredients. Stir until smooth. This could take a while, but just keep working at it until it all comes together.
- Pour the fudge into your waiting pan and allow it to cool.
- Once it's set, cut the fudge six times in each direction and gently remove from the pan. Store in an air tight container.
Notes
- Make sure you prepare everything before your sugar mixture starts to boil. Once you reach that point, everything needs to happen very quickly, so get ready.
Keywords: Peanut Butter, Fudge
Renee B. says
This was so amazing. I made it to give away as part of Christmas Goody Baskets and took a lot of willpower not to be selfish and keep it all for myself.
Renee says
I totally know what you mean. It's so addicting. I just can't stop myself.
Amanda Watson says
Hi! This fudge looks delicious! I am anxious to make it. This will be our second Christmas without my mum so your post hit close to home and teared me up. Just remember she is always with you and was definitely with you while you made her famous fudge! Merry Christmas to you and your family! xo
Renee says
I hope you love it! It's great to be able to have a connection with those we've lost.
Rhonda says
I haven't made fudge in years, but after seeing this, I may just have to make it soon!
Renee says
You won't be disappointed!
[email protected] says
My mom's peanut butter fudge is easier and better and the recipe is over 100 years old. It's the best
Renee says
That’s awesome. You should keep making it to honour your ancestors.
Christina @ Sweet Pea's Kitchen says
Peanut butter is my favorite flavor of fudge! Yours looks amazing..I wish I had a piece right now! 🙂 I'm pinning this one for next christmas for sure, although I might have to make it sooner! 😉
Amanda says
I don't have a can't thermometer...
Renee says
They're really easy to find, and pretty essential for fudge making. You can pick one up in the gadget section of Target or even the grocery store. Or you can order one online for less than $10. Try this one. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FB6IFY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FB6IFY&linkCode=as2&tag=awesomeon20.com-20
Beth says
I have been fighting my peanut butter fudge for too long. I was looking for a good recipe. Yours is similar to my chocolate. I have butter in my chocolate recipe and I never thought to take it out! Thanks to you and your mom for fixing my issue.
Renee says
I hope it works as well as it has for me. It's absolutely one of my favorite things to eat.