Homemade Lemon Fudge Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (2024)

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This lemon fudge is anything but your plain old traditional fudge recipe! This creamy fudge is exploding with fresh citrus flavor! It’s makes a perfect food gift or is fantastic at Christmas, Easter, and Mother’s Day!

This is a super quick and easy homemade candy recipe that takes about 5 minutes plus rest time to make! It’s so fun!

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I can’t get over how pretty this fudge is! It will add a pop of bright flavor and color to any holiday dessert or candy plates!

This isn’t your average old traditional fudge recipe! It’s made without chocolate sweetened condensed milk. That’s right! There is no white chocolate chips in this recipe!

This is not traditional chocolate fudge, but you’re going to love lemon fudge. It’s amazing and you’re going to love it! The fudge is creamy, and absolutely bursting with tangy flavour! It’s sweet, but not overly sweet.

It reminds me of my lemon dessert sauce, but in homemade fudge form!

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Why This Recipe Works

I’ve made this homemade fudge recipe so many times and it always turns out perfect! Everyone raves about it because it’s such a fun switch up.

It’s an easy recipe! All you really need to do is boil the fudge for a bit! You don’t need a candy thermometer or any special equipment to make this homemade candy recipe.

You’ll need simple ingredients! You don’t even need fresh lemons., unless you want to add lemon zest. All the ingredients are normal pantry/fridge items.

It tastes amazing! It’s tart, sweet, and a little bit like a soft and creamy lemon drop!

Ingredients

These really are simple ingredients, but it’s important to use the right ones. Let’s talk about information you need to know about a few of the ingredients you need.

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Lemon Pudding: You need 2 small boxes (2.9 ounces each) of lemon cook and serve pudding and pie filling. Do NOT use instant pudding. You’re going to heat this pudding mix up and cook it. Instant pudding doesn’t work the same way. You can find in the baking aisle at the grocery store.

Milk: Whole, 2%, or evaporated will work. Condensed milk isn’t the same thing and won’t work in this recipe.

Butter: Use real butter, not margarine. Butter tastes better and will give the fudge and incredible flavor. You can use salted or unsalted. I always buy salted butter because I’m a salt addict. Use whatever you have on hand.

Scroll to the bottom of the page for the full ingredient list, recipe, and instructions.

Two small boxes of cook and serve pudding aren’t the same size as one large box. Be sure you use two small boxes for this recipe! I always use Jell-O brand and haven’t tested with other brands.

How to make easy fudge without condensed milk

This recipe quickly became on of the most popular recipes on my site. Most readers make it and love it, but there were a few that had trouble getting it to set up. Don’t worry! I’m going to show you exactly how to make it.

I retested and rewrote the recipe to make sure it’s absolutely foolproof! Although it’s an easy recipe, you do need to follow the instructions! Don’t be scared! You can totally make it successfully. Most readers have!

This isn’t a fly by the seat of your pants recipe! You can watch the video below to see how I do it.

Step 1: Line a 9×9 baking dish with wax or parchement paper.

Step 2: Add butter to a sauce pan and melt over medium to medium high heat. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn. It only needs to be melted.

Step 3: While the saucepan is still on the burner add milk and dry pudding mix (just the powder). Stir and continue cooking for 1 minute. This is an important step! Be sure to cook the pudding for one minute or the fudge will be more like a sauce. The mixture should get stiff, sticky, and form a ball. It should peel away from the edges of the pan. After cooking for one minute remove from the heat.

Step 4: Stir in powdered sugar. It will get stiff and a bit hard to stir. You can muscle up and keep stirring, or use an electric mixer to incorporate the powdered sugar into the pudding mixture.

After adding the powdered sugar the fudge will be thick and stiff. If it’s so stiff that the powdered sugar is really hard to get to mix in, you can add a couple of tablespoons of milk. Start with one and additional tablespoons as needed.

Step 5: Press the fudge mixture into the prepared pan. Dust with powdered sugar if you’d like. Refrigerate for a few hours. Slice into 1 inch pieces.

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FAQs

How do I store fudge?

I like storing my lemon fudge at room temperature because it’s soft and creamy at that temperature. It will keep for upt to 2 weeks. You can also store it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Refrigerating fudge can make it dry out a little bit. Either way, be sure to store the fudge in an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out.

Can I freeze fudge?

Yes! Fudge can be frozen although it does alter the texture and flavor a little bit. It’s best to store the whole brick. Thaw in the refrigerator. Cut in pieces. Store at room temperature. I honestly don’t ever freeze this fudge because it’s so easy to make that I don’t need to make it ahead of time.

Other Lemon Desserts

We love all lemon desserts! Gimme a lemon cake, lemon meringue pie, lemon tart, or lemon brownies and I’m a happy girl!

Here are a few really easy lemon recipes that you’ll love!

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Lemon fudge is the perfect food gift! This homemade fudge is unique enough that nobody else will be giving it! Yet, everyone will ask for the recipe and beg you to bring it again!

This lemon fudge recipe is perfect if you’re looking for a no chocolate fudge recipe. It’s made without white chocolate chips, chocolate, or condensed milk!

I love it when you make my recipes and give me feedback! If you have a minute please comment below and leave a star ranking! Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook!

Easy Lemon Fudge Recipe

4.11 from 86 votes

Author Amy

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 64 Servings

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Lemon Fudge is an easy homemade candy recipe. It's a creamy fudge made without chocolate chips or sweetened condensed milk, but is made with lemon pudding! It's loaded with tangy flavor that will remind you of lemon drops or lemon meringue pie!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 2.9 ounce packages lemon cook and serve pudding & pie filling just the dry mix
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon milk as needed

Instructions

  • Line a 9"x9" pan with wax paper or parchment paper.

  • Add butter to a sauce pan and melt over medium to medium high heat. Watch it carefully and stir as needed so it doesn’t burn. It only needs to be melted.

  • While the saucepan is still on the burner add milk and dry pudding mix (just the powder). Stir and continue cooking for 1 minute. This is an important step! Be sure to cook the pudding mixture for one minute or the fudge won't set up and will be more like a sauce. The mixture should get stiff, sticky, and form a ball. It should peel away from the edges of the pan. After cooking for one minute remove from the heat.

  • Stir in powdered sugar. It will get stiff and a bit hard to stir. You can muscle up and keep stirring, or use an electric mixer to incorporate the powdered sugar into the pudding mixture.

    After adding the powdered sugar the fudge will be thick and stiff. If it’s so stiff that the powdered sugar is really hard to get to mix in, you can add a couple of tablespoons of milk. Start with one and additional tablespoons as needed.

  • Press the fudge mixture into the prepared pan. Dust with powdered sugar if you’d like. Refrigerate for a few hours. Slice into 1 inch pieces.

Notes

Be sure to use cook and serve pudding and pie filling NOT instant. I’ve only tested this recipe with Jell-O brand.

Store fudge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature, or 3 weeks in the fridge. Refrigerating fudge dries it out a little.

You can make this fudge ahead of time and freeze it, although the texture and taste will change a little bit.

You can cut the fudge as big or little as you’d like.

To amp up the lemon flavor you can replace part of the milk with lemon juice.

Nutrition

Calories: 40kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 4mg | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 48IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.004mg

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Homemade Lemon Fudge Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (2024)

FAQs

What is the key to good fudge? ›

You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).

What happens if you don't beat fudge long enough? ›

However, if you don't beat it at all, the crystals won't form properly, so your fudge won't set. If you forget to beat the fudge, try heating it back up over low heat, then beat it once it's slightly softened. If you beat the fudge too soon, the crystals will be too large, and the fudge will be grainy.

What is the key to successful non grainy fudge? ›

While you ultimately want crystals to form, it's important that they don't form too early. The key to successful, nongrainy fudge is in the cooling, not the cooking.

Should you beat fudge? ›

Beat the mixture

After letting the fudge cool, it's time to beat it. It is important to stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken and its surface starts to look dull or matte.

When should you not make fudge? ›

Humidity can cause fudge to boil over in the pan or stay soft when set, so try to avoid working on humid days if at all possible. If waiting for a less humid day isn't feasible, you'll need to boil your fudge at a slightly higher temperature than usual — or just order some delicious fudge from Wockenfuss!

How to rescue fudge that won't set? ›

OPTION 3) Sieve together some powdered sugar and cocoa powder, and gradually work this into your unset fudge until it reaches the consistency of dough, then roll out and cut into squares, or shape into balls and then roll in powdered sugar (roll the balls in icing sugar, not yourself).

What should fudge look like after beating? ›

The fudge is then beaten as this makes the fudge slightly crumbly rather than chewy. Beating the mixture encourages the formation of small sugar crystals, which leads to the crumbly texture. The crystals may not be noticeable in themselves but the fudge mixture will thicken and turn from shiny to matte in appearance.

Should you constantly stir fudge? ›

Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer

If you continue stirring once the mixture is simmering, you are encouraging the development of sugar crystals. While crystallization is the goal if you're making hard candy, crunchy sugar bits can quickly ruin a fudge's silky smooth texture.

What happens if you boil fudge too long? ›

Candy that isn't cooked long enough will end up too soft; overcooking makes fudge crumbly or hard. High-quality fudge has many small crystals. If the process of crystallization begins too early, fewer crystals form and they become much larger.

What went wrong with my fudge? ›

Fudge usually behaves this way when it's not cooked to a high enough temperature (due to oversight or a faulty candy thermometer). If your fudge is tough, hard, or grainy, then you may have made one of several mistakes: You may have overcooked it, beaten it too long, or neglected to cool it to the proper temperature.

What happens if you stir fudge too early? ›

Don't stir!

Once the fudge reaches soft-ball stage on the candy thermometer, remove from the heat and let the temperature drop to 110°F. Keep that spoon or spatula out of the pot until this happens. If you stir too early in the process, you'll make the sugar crystals too big and end up with grainy fudge.

Why did my fudge come out like taffy? ›

Apart from the incorrect temperature, chewy fudge could result from inadequate beating. When it has cooled to 110 to 113 degrees F (43-45 degrees C), beat until it is creamy and smooth. The process could take between 20 and 30 minutes. The mixture should begin to lose it's gloss and become more matte.

What does cream of tartar do in fudge? ›

Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!

How do you describe high quality fudge? ›

High-quality fudge tastes smooth and creamy because it contains small sugar crystals. It has a deep brown color and a satiny sheen. Poor-quality fudge tastes grainy because it contains large sugar crystals.

Should fudge be soft or crumbly? ›

Really good fudge should be consumed in a matter of days, not weeks. The best fudge is smooth and firm. If it's crumbly, it's been over cooked.

What should the consistency of fudge be? ›

You know it's ready when a small amount of the mixture dropped into a glass of cold water sets into a soft ball that you can lift out with a teaspoon and pinch between your fingers. Turn off the heat and keep stirring for 5 minutes or until the mix starts to thicken a little.

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