Crock Pot Fudge

Let’s make some great fudge that’s so easy even a child could do it. This crock pot fudge recipe is just what you need for the holidays.

I love a little fudge, and it is that time of the year. I just need little, not a lot; just a little fudge will do.

A slow cooker is perfect for making fudge because it doesn’t scorch or burn at least on low. So with this recipe, you can add your choice of nuts like I did. You could top with candies like sprinkles, M&M’s, or Reese’s Pieces.

My Rating:

A nice 5. There is better fudge, but this is very nice.

This recipe is part of Christmas Candy Recipes. Check out other easy candy recipes.

Pro Tips: Recipe Notes on Crock Pot Fudge

There are lots of slow cooker fudge recipes out there. There were very few surprises. There are recipes that are far from the mainstream, but most use chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk like my 5 Minute Fudge.

Why is the Crock Pot Lid OFF

The first and most obvious thing about this recipe is cooked in an open crock pot with the top off. Yep, no top.

Why you ask? Water is the enemy of fudge, and with the top off, all moisture is vented. Several recipes (usually British if I remember) were very emphatic about this, and I believe they were right.

Just leave the top off. Your slow cooker will be slower, but that is fine. I tried just leaving it ajar, and it was not the same. Moisture still accumulated on the lid and dripped back in.

Low Vs. High on the Crock Pot.

Why low for the fudge? Can I just turn it up since I have the top off? No, please don’t do that.

On low, most crock pots are about 200 degrees. On high, some crock pots may run up to 250 degrees. They shouldn’t, but some do. That is just too high for fudge and will ruin the texture.

If you want to hover over the crock pot, stir frequently and stop when it is melted, you can use high. But with low, you can dump and come back later. Even if you skip the stirring, it should be fine.

Butterscotch Chips Option

So the recipe gives an option to use two bags of semisweet chocolate chips or one bag of chocolate and one bag of butterscotch chips. While all the other recipes use just chocolate, I like my fudge with some butterscotch.

But the butterscotch doesn’t melt quite like the chocolate chips. It likes to maintain its shapes even when melted. When doing a stovetop fudge like my 5 Minute Fudge, you are standing there stirring the pot but not so much here.

So the answer is fairly simple, stir well several times and at the end stir aggressively and mush any remaining chips against the side to make it combine with the chocolate. Not hard but just be aware of it. Also, I would not even try the generic butterscotch chips.

Pan Size

I used an 8-inch square pan. A 9-inch would also be fine. Or make a wreath like my Easy Fudge.

Crock Pot Size

This recipe is just right in my 3.5-quart crock pot but could use a bigger pot. It might melt a little faster. You need to have the chocolate melted well, and if using butterscotch chips, they need to be soft enough to combine. So you need to know your pot and pay attention.

Other Candy Recipes You May Find Interesting

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Easy Oreo Fudge

4 Ingredient Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Clusters

Start with a smaller crock pot. I used a 3.5-quart cooker. But a larger crock pot will be fine. Give it a heavy spray of PAM.

Combine one 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, two 12 oz bags semisweet chocolate chips and one teaspoon vanilla. You can substitute one bag of butterscotch chips for one of the chocolate chips bags but see the recipe note about the butterscotch chips first, please. Cook in the crock pot for 2 hours with the cover OFF. Stir halfway through.

Remember TOP OFF and on low.

Prep an 8 by 8 or 9 by 9 pan with crossing sheets of parchment paper. Also butter corners well to prevent sticking. I like to just a touch of butter under the parchment paper to hold it in place.

You can just butter the dish if you wish. If you do this then after cooled, set in warm water for a few minutes to release the fudge.

When the fudge combines easily, mix in 3/4 to 1 cup of chopped walnuts if you wish.

Pour into the prepared pan and smooth. You may add other toppings at this time. Refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours).

Remove from pan and cut into servings.

Store in an airtight container. It should be good at room temperature for at least a week. Refrigerated for 2-3 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.

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3.95 from 57 votes

Crock Pot Fudge

Let's make some great fudge that's so easy even a child could do it. This crock pot fudge recipe is just what you need for the holidays.

Prep Time2 mins

Cook Time2 hrs

Total Time2 hrs 2 mins

Author: Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Servings/Adjust Amount: 36

36

Ingredients

• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 24 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips - see notes to use butterscotch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 to 1 cup chopped walnuts - optional

US Customary - Convert to Metric

Instructions

• Start with a smaller crock pot. I used a 3.5 quart cooker. But a larger crock pot will be fine. Give it a heavy spray of PAM.
• Combine one 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, two 12 oz bags semisweet chocolate chips and one teaspoon vanilla. You can substitute one bag of butterscotch chips for one of the chocolate chips bags but see the recipe note about the butterscotch chips first, please. Cook in the crock pot for 2 hours with the cover OFF. Stir halfway through.
• Remember TOP OFF and on low.
• Prep an 8 by 8 or 9 by 9 dish with crossing sheets of parchment paper. Also butter corners well to prevent sticking. I like to just a touch of butter under the parchment paper to hold it in place.
• You can just butter the dish if you wish. If you do this then after cooled, set in an inch of warm water for a few minutes to release the fudge.
• When the fudge combines easily, mix in 3/4 to 1 cup of chopped walnuts if you wish.
• Pour into the prepared pan and smooth. You can add other toppings at this time. Refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours).
• Remove from pan and cut into servings.
• Store in an airtight container. It should be good at room temperature for at least a week. Refrigerated for 2-3 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

Tips:

1. You can use a larger crock pot.
2. Top OFF
3. Use low not high on the crock pot
4. Quality matters. Do not use generic components.
5. I prefer to substitute a bag of butterscotch chips for a bag of chocolate chips.
6. If using butterscotch chips, they do not melt like chocolate chips. You will need to mash them at the end to get them to combine.
7. This is a great "making it with kids" recipe. There is no lid so they can watch. But please remember that the fudge is very hot and not safe for kids to handle.
8. If you butter the dish or the fudge won't release from the dish, set in an inch of warm water to help release the fudge.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Crock Pot Candy, Crock Pot Fudge, Fudge

 

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Calories: 163 kcal | Carbohydrates: 20 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 9 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4 g | Cholesterol: 3 mg | Sodium: 10 mg | Potassium: 22 mg | Fiber: 0.3 g | Sugar: 17 g | Vitamin A: 50 IU | Vitamin C: 0.1 mg | Calcium: 30 mg | Iron: 0.5 mg

 

Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.

 

All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

Originally Published November 12, 2017