Crock Pot Peanut Fudge: The Simplest Fudge You’ll Ever Make

I have to be honest, when I heard that you could make fudge in a crock pot, I was more than a little skeptical. Would it burn or scorch? Would it become hard or would it be way too sticky? How would the fudge get the right texture and consistency just by sitting in the crock pot?

I’ve seen fudge made many times over in candy shops, on Food Network, and on the Travel Channel and it always looked like an extremely arduous process where you have to keep the fudge at certain temperatures all through the cooking process just to get the right softness and rich flavor.

I’ve always wanted to make my own fudge but candy and chocolates have never been my forte. I’m more of a bread maker and meat spicer/cooker. You don’t have to worry as much about temperatures and removing it from the pan at the exact right second. I tried to make caramel covered apples one time and ended up burning the caramel to the pan so badly that it had to be thrown out. That’s right. The entire pan was finito, done, dead, could not be salvaged. I worried that I would end up having burnt fudge even if the crock pot did all the work; however, I was pleasantly surprised when, even though the recipe was extremely simple, the fudge turned out good…not even good, great!

Sometimes when I decide to make something for the first time, I work myself up to think that the recipe has to be complicated to make something complex. I always imagine that fudge is a complex sort-of deal. You have to hit the chocolate at the perfect time to get it to the right consistency and flavor combination. Using a crock pot though, makes the experience fun and also easy.

Even if you’re a beginning fudge maker like me, all you have to do is add most of the ingredients, give them a quick stir, and walk away. Because the slow cooker will be on low, you’ll never have to worry about the crock pot peanut fudge burning or sticking to the sides or ruining the crock pot forever. It will cook very slowly on a meagre temperature and give you the texture and richness you want in your fudge.

For my first fudge expedition, I decided to go easy with crock pot peanut fudge. After reading several recipes, I devised my own attack and came up with something aromatic and sweet. I love the mixture of chocolate and cinnamon as in hot chocolate and chocolate and peanut butter (I melt for Reese’s!). Adding in the cinnamon, extra vanilla, and dry roasted unsalted peanuts to the crock pot peanut fudge highlighted many of my sweet tooth loves. I didn’t want the saltiness of your typical peanut to interfere with the creamy richness of the chocolate fudge. Plus, dry roasted unsalted peanuts are healthier than the regular peanuts. They really toss a ton of salt on those bad boys and it can catch up to you quickly.

The cinnamon adds a great smell as it cooks and it punches up the volume on flavor. Plain chocolate is nice most of the time but just a little hint of cinnamon and/or vanilla helps to take the recipe to the next step. It’s not overpoweringly cinnamon flavored either. It’s just enough that you get a little taste in each bite but not enough that you feel like you’re doing the Cinnamon Challenge. Cinnamon is also a great healthy item to eat. You can even buy powdered cinnamon in capsules to help with diabetes, fungal infections, Alzheimer’s, HIV, Multiple Sclerosis, and lowering the negative effects of high fat meals. Cinnamon to the rescue!

As first time, or veteran, fudge makers, this recipe for crock pot peanut fudge is simple and the crock pot does the work for you. Some things to note about crock pot peanut fudge: Leave the mixture alone during the first two hours. I know it’ll be difficult but it’s in your fudge’s best interest. Stir lightly and not with vigor. You want to keep the fudge light and not turn it into a hard teeth-cracker. Stirring after the fudge has reached room temperature may be difficult. Depending on your slow cooker, some fudges may already be on their way to becoming thick after they reach room temp. If your fudge is has more liquid, the stirring will help to get rid of some of the gloss and create a thicker texture. If your fudge is already thickening (like mine was) stir for 2-3 minutes and don’t overdo it. Refrigeration is key! You want your fudge to be fudge-y! Let it chill in the refrigerator and try not to sneak a piece before it’s ready. This helps the fudge achieve the texture and consistency we all know and love.

This will be some of the easiest fudge you will ever make and if you’re still craving more chocolate after you’ve scarfed down your fudge batch, try the Chocolate Lasagna recipe. Remember, crock pot peanut fudge is your friend, not your enemy; don’t overdo anything and it’ll come out perfectly. 

Crock Pot Peanut Fudge

2014-05-19 05:37:25

Serves 10

Creamy and decadent crock pot peanut fudge

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

12 hr 10 min

Total Time

12 hr 15 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

12 hr 10 min

Total Time

12 hr 15 min

Ingredients

1. • 2 ½ cups of dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips
2. • ¼ cup of whole milk, 2% milk, or canned coconut milk (I like to use 2% but if you want even richer and creamier fudge, use canned coconut milk or whole milk.)
3. • ¼ cup honey
4. • Pinch of Kosher Salt
5. • 1 TS (Teaspoon) cinnamon
6. • 2 TS vanilla
7. • ½ cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts

For the Crock Pot Peanut Fudge

1. • Add chocolate chips, milk, honey, salt, and cinnamon to the crock pot and stir to combine
2. • Cook this mixture on low for 2 hours but do not stir
3. • After the 2 hours are up, add the peanuts and vanilla to the mixture and mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated
4. • Leave the fudge on the counter until it’s reached room temperature (4-6 hours)
5. • After the fudge has reached room temperature, stir for about 5minutes
6. • Spray a 9x9 or similar sized pan with cooking spray
7. • Scoop the fudge into the pan and refrigerate for 4-6 hours until it’s firm
8. • Cut into 1-inch by 1-inches pieces and enjoy this decadent and rich treat!

By Mandy Ellis

So Good Blog http://www.sogoodblog.com/

Recipe Cuisine: American

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 1 piece of fudge
• Calories: 244
• Total Fat: 14 g
• Saturated Fat: 9 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 21 mg
• Total Carbs: 35 g
• Sugars: 31 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 2 g

Slow Cook it:

• Add chocolate chips, milk, honey, salt, and cinnamon to the crock pot and stir to combine

• Cook this mixture on low for 2 hours but do not stir

• After the 2 hours are up, add the peanuts and vanilla to the mixture and mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated

• Leave the fudge on the counter until it’s reached room temperature (4-6 hours)

• After the fudge has reached room temperature, stir for about 5 minutes
• Spray a 9×9 or similar sized pan with cooking spray
• Scoop the fudge into the pan and refrigerate for 4-6 hours until it’s firm

• Cut into 1-inch by 1-inches pieces and enjoy this decadent and rich treat!

Summary

Recipe Name

Crock Pot Peanut Fudge

Published On

2014-08-09

Preparation Time

5 min

Cook Time

12H10M

Total Time

12H15M