Easy Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Fudge
This Easy Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Fudge is the perfect, super simple holiday dessert. It’s made in just five minutes with only five ingredients, and it’s gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, and vegan. This rich, super chocolatey fudge will melt in your mouth!
Alright guys, ready for the EASIEST peppermint fudge that you’ve ever heard of/seen/made?! I’m not exaggerating when I say that it can be prepped, in the fridge, and firming up in just 5 fast minutes.
Fudge is one of my favorite treats to make during the holidays to give to family and friends. I loved making it back when I used lots of refined sugar and dairy in my treats. I had a favorite recipe, full of sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips, that was sooo creamy and so delicious, but also loaded with SO much sugar!
I’m not sure I believed it was possible to create a healthier, paleo and vegan fudge recipe that was just as good as my old-school fudge recipe. I certainly didn’t think it was going to be that easy to do, either.
Which is why I was beyond stoked when I managed to create this recipe for paleo and vegan chocolate fudge last year. It was everything I had dreamed of: smooth and creamy, with a rich chocolate flavor and a texture that melted in your mouth. It stoked my love of chocolate fudge, and a few other versions (like this peanut butter fudge) have been created since.
Recently I was craving a peppermint chocolate treat, and of course, my mind went to creamy, melty, amazingly delicious fudge. Especially because is there anything more perfect for the holidays than chocolate peppermint fudge?! I think not.
Luckily, this recipe came together in no longer than five minutes, with just FIVE simple ingredients, and made a treat that totally hit the spot.
How to make vegan peppermint fudge
First, whisk together coconut oil and maple syrup. Please don’t sub anything else for the coconut oil. The coconut oil is what helps this peppermint fudge firm up into a firm, yet melt-in-your-mouth texture. If you’re strictly anti-coconut flavor, opt for refined coconut oil.
For the maple syrup, you can substitute honey or another liquid sweetener if you’d like.
Next, you’ll add the cocoa powder and nut butter. The nut butter is my creamy fudge secret weapon!! I used a mix of cashew butter and almond butter. The nut butter helps keep everything SUPER creamy and luscious.
Of course, you can’t have vegan peppermint fudge without some peppermint extract. I used 1 teaspoon of extract, but I know some people like using much stronger peppermint oil. Make sure if you’re using oil that you just use a few drops!
To brighten up the top a bit, I crushed up some naturally colored candy canes, but to keep things totally clean, you can use cacao nibs on top for a bit of crunch.
It only takes a few minutes to whisk the ingredients together and pour into a tin to set, and then the waiting game begins. It took mine about an hour to set, I’d say. You can put in the freezer too, to speed up the process. But let’s be honest: I’ve had people tell me they’ve eaten my classic chocolate fudge while it was still liquid with a spoon. #nojudgement
This Chocolate Peppermint Fudge is the holiday treat we all dream of. It’s rich and supremely chocolate, super fudgy and melt in your mouth, with a bright and frosty peppermint flavor that just tastes like the holidays. This vegan, dairy-free peppermint fudge is perfect for gifting, or for keeping at home with the family to enjoy with your hot chocolate while you sit around the fire. However you devour it, enjoy!
Want more fudge recipes?
Four-Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Fudge
This Paleo & Vegan Chocolate Fudge is incredibly smooth, rich and chocolatey. It’s made with only four wholesome ingredients, there’s no cooking required, and it’s Paleo + vegan! It’s the perfect holiday treat.
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Vegan Fudge
This Vegan Fudge combines natural peanut butter, melted coconut oil, sifted cocoa powder and maple syrup to make soft, creamy, irresistible no-bake fudge. It takes just 5 minutes for this fudge to come together before it chills in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours. That is, if you can patiently wait that long!
Perfect Pumpkin Spice Fudge (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
This Raw Vegan Pumpkin Spice Fudge is an easy-to-make, no-cooking-necessary treat that melts in your mouth and tastes like fall! With just five ingredients, this paleo and vegan homemade fudge couldn’t be easier to make.
Easy Chocolate Peppermint Fudge
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 18 pieces 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Easy Chocolate Peppermint Fudge is the perfect, super simple holiday dessert. It’s made in just five minutes with only five ingredients, and it’s gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, and vegan. This rich, super chocolatey fudge will melt in your mouth!
Ingredients
- ½ cup (112g) refined coconut oil
- 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 peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- ⅛ teaspoon salt, optional
- 2 tablespoons crushed peppermint candies OR crushed candy canes OR cacao nibs, 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 in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave for about 30 seconds to a minute. Whisk in the maple syrup to combine, and then whisk in the cocoa powder, nut butter, peppermint extract, and if using, vanilla extract and salt, until completely smooth.
- Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies or cacao nibs if desired. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2 hours.
- Using a sharp knife, cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Total time does not include time for fudge to set.
Could I sub cacao powder for the cocoa? Thanks for a delicious-looking recipe!
Yes you certainly can! Enjoy :)
Looks amazing! I have found coconut oil that is already in liquid state..would that work or does it have to be in the solid state sold in a jar?
Nope, liquid coconut oil will do just fine, since it’s getting melted down anyways! Enjoy :)
Hi Brandy, following up on this because I might have misunderstood your question. If the coconut oil has been processed to stay liquid always, as I’ve seen being sold recently, that will NOT work. If it’s just melted coconut oil though that will harden back up at cool temps, that WILL work. Hope this clarifies!
I love this fudge, so dreamy!
Thanks so much Laura!
These look fabulous!! Do you use roasted or raw nut butter? Thank you!!
Hi Rose, I use raw!
I would love to send some of this to family for the holidays but I see it says to store in the fridge… Would this go bad in transit? Thanks!
Hi Emily, unfortunately yes I think this would just be pretty melted by the time it got there, unless maybe if it was traveling between two cold places!
How long will this keep in the fridge and/or freezer?
Hi Grac, it will likely freeze for a few months, or stay good in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!
Delicious, creamy and decadent.. loved it!
So glad it was a hit, Jenine!!
My whole family loves it and its super easy!
I used young Livings peppermint oil 2 or 3 drops does the trick.
So glad you and your family enjoyed it, Kim! Thanks for the feedback.
In order to enjoy this fudge, a person has to really like dark chocolate because it is not super sweet. That was not a problem for me, but it could be for people accustomed to very sweet chocolate. I used a brand of refined coconut oil that was solid at room temperature, and I agree with the reviewer that said that the fudge wouldn’t work if the coconut oil was liquid at room temp. As it was, I had a very difficult time keeping this fudge from melting. By the time I finished cutting it, it was so soft that my hands were oily and covered in chocolate. I then put the fudge pieces into the freezer and decided that I will keep them there until I am ready to serve to help slow down the melting when serving. I am also very curious at the difference in how my fudge looks compared to the pictures above. My fudge is much darker in color, and the texture is very different from your picture, which looks like a traditional dairy fudge that is almost chewy. Don’t get me wrong, mine is beautiful, but different in texture. I used Droste Dutch-processed cocoa and Trader Joe’s almond butter, which was much soupier than a standard peanut butter. Maybe this is what made it so soft. Is the nut butter supposed to be very firm? I still love this recipe, I just need to play with it a little to optimize. I am interested in hearing what others experienced related to these issues.
Hi Miri! This fudge definitely softens closer to room temp, but having a very drippy nut butter would certainly make it soften much more quickly because of all the extra oils. This also isn’t a super chewy fudge, since it doesn’t have cooked sugar as traditional fudge does – it’s more of a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The Dutch-process cocoa would also make it a bit deeper and richer. You can always add a little less cocoa or a little extra sweetener if you want it less dark!
I made this for some nostalgic Christmas Eve baking and am so glad! Growing up I despised fudge and still hate more traditional recipes but this is a very rich low sugar version packed with more health and flavor. For me, the shift in texture is a bonus toward liking it too. I reduced the maple syrup a tiny bit to keep it less sweet and keep added sugar down, did the options for vanilla and salt, but topped with very high quality, low sugar (2g) 80% chocolate chips and my family LOVED this! My 2 year old gobbled up the small sample served after dinner, excited about the rich intensity of the cocoa and peppermint, asking immediately for more once it was gone. My spouse eats sugar without monitoring and has no dietary restriction but couldn’t stop eating it later! A HIT and so easy!
So glad you enjoyed it, Lissa!! Thank you so much for sharing :)