How to make the BEST caramel fudge – EVER!
I do fetes, I love fetes, can’t resist fetes, for one sole reason…….Caramel Fudge…….my fudge addiction draws me to fetes like a magnet, in search of the perfect piece of fudge, that I thought only nana’s had the secret to this awesome treat. With all the fudge shops that have opened around the country, I thought I would be in heaven, but honestly, I don’t really like that super soft smooth variety that they all offer. I love the more old fashioned variety that is a little crumbly and then dissolves heavenly in your mouth.
This recipe is a wonderful combination of both, rich, creamy and crumbly all at the same time. Make some today and share with everyone as this makes plenty!
CARAMEL FUDGE HEAVEN
INGREDIENTS
800 grams Castor Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
125 grams Butter
1/2 cup Milk
2 tablespoons Golden Syrup
1 can Condensed Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
TOOLS
Large Heavy Based Saucepan
1 Whisk
1 18 x 28cm Baking Tray, lined with non-stick Baking Paper
1 Electric Beater
1 Scraper
** Before you start cooking, have everything ready to go including tray lined and beaters plugged in as time is off the essence for the final process.
***
METHOD
1. Place sugar, butter, milk and golden syrup into a heavy based saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
2. Remove from heat and add condensed milk and vanilla, whisk to combine.
3. Return to heat and simmer and stir constantly for 16 – 20 minutes. (I tend not to watch the clock anymore when I make it, as sometimes it seems to go quicker and others slower, when it has turned into a nice rich golden colour I take it off the heat)
** You need to stir constantly to avoid sticking, but more often than not small little brown flecks appear in my mixture – but don’t panic, these disappear when you progress to the next step.
4. Remove from heat and place on a thick wooden board or similar to protect your kitchen bench and beat on high speed with the electric beaters, until smooth and thick.
5. Using the scraper, pour quickly into the lined tray, score the warm fudge, allow to cool and then cut into squares. If you don’t score the fudge before it is cold, cutting it into nice neat shapes is near impossible.
6. Store in the refigerator in an airtight container when it is cold.
After you have scraped all the little left over yummy bits and popped them in your mouth, fill the saucepan with hot water and put the beaters and scraper in the bowl. Allow to soak for a little while and any remaining fudge will dissolve and washing up is easy.
Simple recipe – Superb Results – ENJOY!!!!!
This sounds fantastic!
Hi Tara, many thanks!
uhh – that is total temptation here, very dangerous! I love caramel fudge, but never thought about making it myself. Hmmm, you got me thinking …
Hi Renee, it is easier than you think and so worth the effort, yum!
What is it that make this fudge hard? My bf loves fudge and I love making it for him but he always says my is to soft
Hi Naomi, the trick with this recipe is the balance between wet/dry ingredients. I am in agreeance with your bf, I don’t like soft fudge that is so popular at the moment, I prefer the more old-fashioned type such as this one, that is very creamy in taste but has a crunchiness in texture. Follow the recipe and you can’t go wrong 🙂
what does gm mean? for the amount of butter and sugar.
Hi Bob,
gm, stands for grams as we are metric in Australia. I will update the post to make it easier for others. Many thanks Nikki.
Have just made this recipe and still waiting for it to cool down enough so that I can dig in! We followed the recipe almost exactly (substituted one of the table spoons of golden syrup for mixed honey and maple syrup) and this is perfect!!! You do need to keep your eye on it, but I think it’s a pretty simple recipe to follow. Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it, it is a big favourite in this house!
Hi there,
Made this 2 nights ago and it is super delish, but it still turned out soft and melts when outside the fridge. 🙁
Any tips on where I may have gone wrong?
I am DYING for crumbly fudge! LOL
Hi Susan,
I have made this dozen’s of times and it has never been soft. The only things I can think of is that you didn’t measure the correct amount of sugar or you didn’t cook it long enough. Cheers Nikki
How much does 1 batch make?
It depends on how big you cut the pieces, but I tend to get 8 rows of 5 pieces, but it is completely up to you as too the size you choose. Ideally smaller is better as it is very rich. Cheers Nikki
This is delicious! I love the texture, I too am sick of creamy fudges. This is a perfect blend of traditional English style crumbly fudge and also somehow is still smooth and creamy. I added a small sprinkling of salt crystals, (large ones) before I poured it in the tray, salt caramel fudge is yummy!
Awesome, salted caramel is all the rage at the moment. So glad you like it. I made it again for my daughters birthday movie night on Friday, and I thought I had lot’s of caster sugar in the cupboard, but, oh no, only had 600 grams, so I used 1 cup of raw sugar, and it gave it just a slightly different taste, but I really liked it. Cheers Nikki
Have used this recipe 3 times now and other recipes and though it turns out the only thing I can’t seem to perfect is the gritty texture. I have ground down the sugar to powder on the last attempt. I have cooked it for over 30 mins. Is there a secret to getting the texture smooth. Thanks
Hi Sandra, this recipe is the old fashioned style of fudge that is meant to be gritty, it is not the smooth type that you see in shops so much these days. I prefer this style more than the smooth. I honestly don’t think you can make this one super smooth. Cheers Nikki
I just made this recipe… Turned out awesome I ran our of caster sugar so I had 2 cups of caster sugar and 1 cup of brown turned out AWESOME! Thanks for sharing ! X
Hi Koreena, so glad you liked it. Same thing happened to me last time I made it and I used 1 cup of raw sugar, tasted slightly different, but very good. 🙂
When it says allow it to cool, is that in the fridge or just at room temperature?
Allow to cool at room temperature, then store in the fridge. Enjoy! 🙂
hi nikki, this recipe sounds great as i too don’t enjoy the soft fudge,but the sugar we have in our country is granulated and when melts over heat becomes watery and same happens when i grind it, so any suggestions regarding temperature and timing to get flawless result.
Hi Sofia, I have made this fudge with 1/2 caster (superfine) sugar and 1/2 raw sugar and it worked perfectly. Can you email me a picture of your sugar, so I can compare it too what ours looks like (nikki@wonderfullywomen.com) and I will see if I have a suggestion for you. Regards Nikki 🙂
Hi Nikki, This fudge sounds amazing! I just attempted to follow your recipe. And everything was going smoothly however I think I may have beaten it too long after cooking as it suddenly turned and was setting (was thick but definitely not smooth lol) How long do you usually beat the mixture for with the electric mixture? I tryed a bit off the bowl and it still tastes amazing but looks anything but because of the over beating!
Hi Sam, I beat it for about a minute, no longer, just long enough that any little dark crystally bits are blended in. It does get thick and cool very fast. 🙂
Great recipe…but please, there is no apostrophe in fetes when you use the word as plural.
Thanks and fixed. 🙂
This fudge is so amazing 🙂 just wondering how long it will keep for stored in the fridge?
It will keep really well for about one week, if it lasts that long! 🙂
Hi, adore crumbly fudge too. I’ve been experimenting. Instead of condensed milk I’ve been using caramel which works quite well. I’ve had one perfect result. I tend to used golden caster sugar though. Would you recommend white sugar instead?
I have only ever used white caster sugar, and that always works. I have never seen golden caster sugar so have never tried it.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. It was the first time I have made fudge and it turned out beautifully. My family were very impressed. Especially my husband who is a fan of fudge!
Thanks for taking the time to let me know. It is fabulous and I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
I made this yesterday and thought it was the most tastiest fudge. I had also been looking for a recipe for crumbly fudge. I just can’t tell you how blown away I was when I put a square in my mouth. I actually started to make it for my son as he loves fudge. He prefers the softer type. (Now he tells me) that’s okay though as me and my husband can’t stop opening that fridge!! Wow! Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s awesome.
Hi Wendy,
So glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment. 🙂
Dear Nikki,
Where I live I have never found castor sugar, We have white granulated sugar. So you say that castor sugar is super fine sugar. I wonder if powdered sugar would be a good substitute for caster sugar. I was going to go by another fudge recipe , but I saw this one and I love old fashion fudge , as my mother made the best , But I had to leave her recipes behind when i left my abusive ex husband. So I thought I would try your Caramel fudge recipe and check it out. I will let you know how it turns out. Thank you , Caroline.
Hi Caroline, our castor sugar is white granulated sugar made a little finer so that it dissolves better. Our powdered sugar is what we use to make icing for a cake and it would not be my choice to make fudge with. It would also be very hard with powdered sugar to work out how much to use. In your case I would use granulated sugar, even if it does not dissolve quite as well, it will contribute to the graininess which is what old fashioned fudge is all about. You could also measure out your granulated sugar and put it in a food processor with a sharp blade and you will be able to make it a bit finer. Good luck xx N
Hi Nikki, I have all the ingredients ready to make this tomorrow… Just want to know what size can of condensed milk I should be using?
Can’t wait to try your crumbly fudge recipe.
Cheers,
Niv
Hi Niv, I don’t have a can in the pantry right now, but if my memory is correct I think they are 380gm. Both Nestle and Homebrand only come in one size other than that little tube, so as long as you have the can of condensed milk you cant go wrong. Enjoy!
Thank you thank you thank you!!! I’ve searched for years for a the right fudge! This is it! Easy as perfect!
You are welcome Cassie. Just made it again last week for my daughters 16th birthday party and it was a big hit.
Hi, I own a bakery in qld and I have been searching for a caramel fudge I made yours it is absolutely amazing easy to make it turned out perfectly first time. The first batch is half eaten by myself and the kids but I’m predicting it to be massive on the shelf ,thanks.
So glad you like it.
Hi!! I’m new to making fudge. About to try my first ever today and love the sound of how easy yours is.
Is it easy to substitute different flavours in? Do you know how I go about it? Like is there a basic recipe that you can flavours too (like coffee, peanut butter etc)
Hi Holly, I have never tried to make it in different flavours, you could experiment with adding different options at the very end when you are beating it. Let me know how you go.
Please convert sugar into cups. (US)
Thanks
Been looking for old fashioned caramel fudge recipe
Hi Betty, I hope you enjoy making this awesome fudge. Here in Australia, caster sugar (superfine as I think you call it) is measured per 220gm in each cup. Using my iPhone converter, each 220gm is equivalent to 7.76oz (US). Hope this helps.
Hi Nikki have been searching on net for recipe for crumbly fudge and yours sounded exactly what I was looking for. Like you, I think fudge should crumble and not be smooth. Have just finished making it. Was so easy. I couldn’t resist scrapping out saucepan to eat now. Oh wow, so yummy. Will be making this again very soon. Thank you so much.
So glad you liked it, it is certainly a favourite in this house. 🙂
I am finally getting round to making this! Is this recipe able to be frozen?
I have never tried freezing it before, as it never lasts long enough. Try a couple of pieces and see how it goes when it’s defrosted.
Hi just wondering if this fudge will melt if a few pieces are stored outside fridge in small jars (wedding favors)?
Thanks
Hi Fi, I have left it out at a party before and it did not melt, it just goes a little softer. Make sure when you cook it, keep going until it is a really nice golden brown, don’t be tempted to stop to early, this will also help create a ‘dryer’ fudge. 🙂
What size of tin if condensed milk
Hi Hazel, we can only buy one size here and it is a 395gm can, hope that helps. 🙂
I have tried this, stuck very close to the recipe and all instructions and having made it I can see they are all important
for the method point 3 I did 18 mins
drum roll the result WOW , did anyone miss that WOW
nail this and you WILL impress friends , family and work colleges
I probably beat it for too long but it was a hot night so setting too quick wasn’t a problem
I had a non stick sauce pan and a rubber spatula , that might have stopped the brown flecks
the talk about including other sugars, I’ve started using dark muskadvardo ?
is available and Coles & Woolthworths supermarkets in Aust. for some cakes and ANZAC cookies , it has a very strong brown sugar flavour
I have not put mine in the fridge and it is still firm the next day , I notice drops on the stove that didn’t boil for the full 18 mins are still tacky
Thank you Nikki , my only problem is one batch does go very far 🙁
Well done Neil, another addict is created. 🙂
Hi Nikki, I can’t wait to make this! Just confirming that it’s condensed milk and not sweetened condensed milk?
Ta 🙂
Hi Nina, just found your comment hiding in my spam folder….it is definitely sweetened condensed milk, I have never seen condensed milk that is not sweetened. Good luck and enjoy! 🙂
I’ve made this 4 times now and it’s a fantastic recipe. The only change i make is to add a 1.5 tablespoons of Cornish sea salt and replace the vanilla with a vanilla pod.
That you for the recipe. Everyone i know loves it.
Sean
Thanks for letting me know. Salted caramel is so popular at the moment, I might just have to try that.
Could i swap the milk for Baileys Irish cream?
i made this 2 nights ago and it was all gone the next day, everyone loved it!!
amazing thanks for the recepie 🙂
Hi Lish, so glad you enjoyed it. I would be more inclined to leave the recipe as is, and at the very end at some Baileys just before you beat it at the end. Sounds like a very good idea though!
Can I do this without an electric beater? Would it still work? Thanks!
Hi Layla, I have never tried it with a manual whisk, but as long as it is a good quality one and you can give it a really good beat I think that would work.
Thanks so much for this recipe! I now sell it at school for $10 a batch and everyone loves it!! Can’t tell you how many people crave this fudge now… my mum wakes up in the middle of the night and wanders to the pantry just to get some 🙂 Thank you!!!!
Thanks for taking the time to let me know how much you love this fudge.
PERFECT recipe turned out amazing , thanks so much for sharing
Love hearing this!
I have just made this recipe, and it was super easy to follow, so thank you for that! However my fudge doesn’t taste like caramel all that much, just mostly condensed milk. Ive never made my own fudge before nor have i had that many different types of caramel fudge. Is this how its supposed to taste or did i do something wrong?
Sorry for the delay in answering Jess, but I found your comment in the spam list. I honestly cant answer why it would do that, but mine certainly never has. Did it go a dark caramel colour and did you use enough sugar? That would be the only thing that would not balance out the recipe so that it didn’t just take like condensed milk.
Hey, Nikki
Is 800 grams 3 or 4 cups of sugar?
Also how long does the fudge take to set?
Hi Grace,
The fudge sets almost instantly. If you are slow getting it from the pot to the tray it will not have an even top, but as you cut it into small squares that is not an issue and 1 cup = 220gm of caster sugar, so I use just shy of 4 cups. Enjoy!
Wonderful recipe! I like that it isn’t soft, proper fudge is not soft.
Thank you and I totally agree!
Thanks Nikki, this is now my go to fudge recipe. Everyone who tastes it, loves it. I’ve had some batches work better than others in terms of hardness and smoothness. I just had to stir for longer to dissolve sugar in first step and make sure I stirred for long enough after adding condensed milk to ensure fudge hardens. Have made this for my daughters school fete a couple years running now and it’s always first to go!!!! Thanks!
Thanks for letting me know, it really is awesome!
Nikki, I am so pleased to find this recipe after 20 years ago when I made it as presents to give to male patients — they adored it.
I now don’t have an electric beater so what do I do. ? Beat with a wooden spoon ? A whisk ? Hand egg beater ? And for how long . ?
Cant wait to make this !
Love
Sue
Hi Sue,
I have never made this without using an electric beater, but to do it manually would require a heavy duty whisk or wooden spoon and a lot of arm power. With the beaters it gets smooth and thick quite quickly and I am not sure how long you would need to beat it for. Good luck and Merry Christmas. xxx