Best Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge

This is the classic “never-fail” fudge recipe that became a holiday staple in the 1950s. The marshmallow cream is the secret ingredient that takes the temperature anxiety out of fudge-making. Traditional fudge requires precise candy-thermometer cooking to hit the soft-ball stage; this version uses marshmallow cream to provide the right texture without all the science.

The pour-and-stir technique is the entire game. Boiling the sugar and evaporated milk for the full 7 to 8 minutes (no shortcuts) is what creates the sweetened condensed base that bonds with everything else. Pouring it hot over the chocolate-marshmallow-margarine mixture in the bowl is what triggers the melt and unified texture.

Cutting before it firms fully is critical. Once cold, this fudge becomes hard to slice cleanly. Score it into squares while still slightly soft, then chill the rest of the way for clean, gift-able pieces.

This is a huge batch (60 squares from 36 ounces of chocolate chips). Use a 9×13 pan or two 8-inch squares; the recipe just says “buttered pans” which means dealer’s choice on size and shape.

Pro Tips

• Use semisweet chocolate chips for the classic flavor, not milk chocolate. Milk chocolate makes the fudge too sweet and softens the texture.
• Boil the sugar mixture in a heavy-bottomed pot. Thin pans scorch the bottom and ruin the entire batch with a burnt taste.
• Use a wooden spoon for the stirring; metal spoons conduct heat away too quickly and the chocolate can seize.
• Wrap squares individually in wax paper or cellophane for gifting. They keep at room temp for 2 weeks; freeze for longer storage.

Variations

• Use pecans, walnuts, or peanuts depending on your preference; the recipe just says “nuts".
• Add 1 teaspoon almond extract along with the vanilla for a deeper flavor.
• Swap half the semisweet chips for white chocolate chips for a marbled cookies-and-cream effect.