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This Vegan Chocolate Fudge is incredibly smooth, rich, and chocolatey. It’s made with only four wholesome ingredients, there’s no cooking required, and dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and gluten-free! It’s the perfect holiday treat.
Back in high school, when I first start started experimenting in the kitchen and churning out tons of treats, I became infatuated with making fudge.
During the holiday season, I would make a ton of batches. I made all sorts of flavors, but most of them got sprinkled with a generous dusting of flaky Maldon sea salt. It was my newest obsession at the time, and one that continues to this day.
My mom would bring the fudge to share with her friends and “Rachel’s salty fudge” always got rave reviews. Everyone loved how creamy and rich it was, and the salt woke up the taste buds just enough to be exciting. Of course, that recipe was far from this Paleo + vegan chocolate fudge. It was loaded with chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Both are delicious things that are pretty far away from healthy.
So this year, in honor of Rachel’s salty fudge, I decided it was time to master a refined sugar-free, vegan chocolate fudge recipe. I immediately looked to my super easy paleo chocolate chunk recipe, thinking it could probably be pretty easily altered into a delicious, easy fudge.
And it turns out I was right! I played with the ratios on that recipe and added a big dose of nut butter. This managed to make an irresistibly good, incredibly easy chocolate fudge.
What do I need for this Vegan Chocolate Fudge?
There are only four main ingredients here!
- Coconut Oil or Coconut Butter: coconut oil leads to a softer, more “melt in your mouth” fudge, but it needs to stay refrigerated. Coconut butter will give you a fudge that stays firmer at room temperature.
- Cocoa Powder: I like to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder here. It gives a deeper color and richer flavor, but no worries if you can’t find any. Regular cocoa powder will also do the trick, it just might not be quite as dark.
- Maple Syrup: for sweetness, which can be switched out for honey if you prefer it.
- Nut Butter: it makes the fudge super-rich and gives it an ultra-creamy texture. I tried it with almond butter, and then peanut butter (not Paleo, but delish). The almond butter flavor blends more into the background, letting the chocolate shine, while the peanut butter is more noticeable. Cashew butter would also do a good job of highlighting the chocolate flavor.
There’s some optional vanilla extract and salt too, which I recommend but aren’t necessary for delicious vegan chocolate fudge. The mixture will be pretty thin and runny when you pour it into the pan, so I don’t recommend using this recipe if you want to mix anything in. It’s not thick enough to suspend anything in it.
Once you let it set though, you can go to town with toppings. I kept it simple and classic with a generous sprinkling of my favorite flaky sea salt: Rachel’s Salty Fudge, Take 2! You could also top it with cacao nibs, or chopped nuts, or really anything your heart desires :) enjoy!
Want more fudgy goodness?!
- Pumpkin Spice Fudge (Paleo & Vegan)
- Mocha Almond Fudge Bars (Paleo & Vegan)
- Chocolate Strawberry Fudge (Paleo & Vegan)
- Chocolate Peppermint Fudge (Paleo & Vegan)
Vegan Chocolate Fudge
Ingredients
- ½ cup 112g refined coconut oil or coconut butter (coconut oil leads to a softer, more “melt in your mouth” fudge, but it needs to stay refrigerated. Coconut butter will give you a fudge that stays firmer at room temperature but has more coconut flavor)
- ¾ cup 72g cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
- ¾ cup 192g creamy almond butter, or nut butter of choice
- ⅓ cup 104g maple syrup, can also use honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- ⅛ teaspoon salt, optional
- Flaky sea salt, optional
Instructions
- Line a small baking pan with foil or parchment paper – I used a 9×5” loaf pan for a thick fudge. You can use an 8” square pan if you want thinner pieces.
- Melt coconut oil or coconut butter in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave for about 30 seconds to a minute. Whisk in the cocoa powder, nut butter, maple syrup, and if using, vanilla extract and salt, into the melted coconut oil until completely smooth.
- Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2 hours.
- Using a sharp knife, cut into squares. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Store at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Could one make this recipe using raw Tehini instead of the almond butter? I like both. Just curious.
Yes absolutely! Any nut or seed butter will work. Enjoy :)
How long does this fudge last at room temperature? Thank you!
It will be ok for a few hours at a colder room temp but it will melt pretty quickly at a warm temp.
I have made this a handful of times now and I love it so much!! The proportions are perfect and it is wahl’s protocol approved which I continue to look for because my friend is on this diet for important health reasons. This last time I added hu brand chocolate chips, dried cherries, and coconut to the top. Thank you so much!
So glad it was a hit, Cythera. Your additions sound delicious!