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I’m not exaggerating when I say this Peanut Butter Fudge is one of the best fudges I’ve ever tasted. Rich, creamy, over-the-top fudge that is so easy to make, you might laugh.
Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge
My brother tasted this creamy fudge at my house years ago and called us the very next night for the recipe. He couldn’t stop thinking about it and needed to make it right away.
I gave him the recipe and he couldn’t believe this was all there is to it. With just four ingredients, this is one of the best peanut butter fudge recipes I’ve ever tasted, and it is also beyond simple to make.
I’ve been making this fudge recipe now for over 10 years now and it’s a solid keeper. Without fail, everyone who tastes it requests the recipe immediately.
Recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge
I was so excited to find Alton Brown’s recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge almost ten years ago and it’s become a family and friend favorite over the years.
It is an awesome way to impress someone with a gift that takes just minutes to put together. I can’t think of anyone who likes peanut butter and wouldn’t be excited to receive a box full of this during the holidays.
Put this recipe on your Christmas treat list now and skip the baking! It’s perfect to snack on while you’re wrapping gifts or for enjoying next to a crackling fireplace with the ones you love.
Peanut Butter Fudge
With all the attention we give chocolate fudge, I think the goodness of peanut butter fudge gets overlooked.
Don’t get me wrong, I love all kinds of chocolate fudge from Chocolate Almond Fudge to this Chocolate Covered Oreo Fudge and everything in between.
Peanut butter fudge brings images of childhood to mind, noses pressed up against confectionary cases, selecting the perfect square fudge to bring home.
The simple combination of sweet, creamy, and salty remains a favorite for kids and adults alike.
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
The secret to making peanut butter fudge with the right consistency is in the powdered sugar. It dissolves into the fudge smoothly without any grittiness at all.
You can melt everything in the microwave or on the stove-top. However you make it, it’s dangerously easy. Your kids are likely to start requesting this fudge regularly.
Thankfully, this is a recipe that’s easy enough for them to learn how to make on their own! Plus, with no stovetop cooking required, you can teach them to make this fudge without fear of burn accidents.
This fudge is delicious just as is but is also a great canvas for adding mix-ins and toppings as well. I layer it with my 5 Minute Chocolate Fudge recipe to create Buckeye Fudge–a treat all of us found irresistible!
Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe
- Combine the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a glass bowl and melt in the microwave for 90 seconds.
- Stir to combine, it should come together very quickly and be smooth and creamy.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar a cup or so at a time. Stir to combine thoroughly.
- Grease an 8-9″ pan with butter or line with parchment. Transfer the fudge mixture to the pan and press into the pan.
- Chill for at least 4 hours before cutting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
PLEASE NOTE: The video for this recipe was made with a HALF recipe for this fudge. The recipe can easily be halved or doubled or multiplied however you like.
As pictured in the video, the fudge should be firm and almost crumbly when mixed together and pressed into the pan. It should not be liquid at all.
This simple four-ingredient recipe is made with real butter. The results can’t be guaranteed if you choose to substitute margarine or another butter alternative. The fudge might be greasy and might not even set up without the original ingredients.
How to Make Microwave Fudge
Kitchen Tip: I use these bowls and this spatula to make this recipe.
This recipe uses a microwave method for melting the ingredients together. While I’m not usually a fan of microwave cooking, nothing beats being able to melt baking ingredients to the perfect consistency in just moments.
It only takes 90 seconds of cook time to soften the peanut butter and butter to the right consistency, plus a few seconds of mixing. Add the powdered sugar to the other ingredients and mix well until the powdered sugar dissolves.
If you don’t happen to be a fan of the microwave, or don’t have one, you can easily melt the butter and peanut butter in a double boiler on the stove top.
It will just take a few minutes longer. Heat the mixture over low-medium heat and stir well to combine before adding the powdered sugar.
I love this fudge cut into 1-inch squares to make it easy to share. This fudge pairs beautifully with an ice-cold glass of milk, a hot cup of coffee or a mug of tea!
Easy Fudge Recipes
There are so many terrific fudge recipes that my family loves. The 5 Minute 5 Ingredient Chocolate Fudge I linked above has become everyone’s go-to recipe and it’s a favorite all year long.
I’ve used that basic recipe as the foundation for tons of different variations on chocolate fudge and it’s the one I find myself coming back to the most often.
White Chocolate Caramel Fudge has been a huge hit as well and I highly recommend you add it to your holiday baking list.
Give this Vanilla Walnut Fudge a try next time you’re in the mood for an easy fudge recipe that doesn’t use chocolate or peanut butter. Cranberry Macadamia Nut Fudge is another treat that’s perfect for the holiday season.
If you like this Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge, you might also enjoy this White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge from Real Housemoms.
I like to create gift bags or boxes with a few different kinds of fudge in them to give as gifts to friends and family throughout the holidays.
These fudge recipes are so easy to pull together that making two or three different kinds at once is a cinch. Fudge also makes a fantastic teacher or hostess gift!
Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Microwave Directions
- Combine the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a glass bowl and melt in the microwave for 90 seconds. Stir to combine, it should come together very quickly and be smooth and creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar a cup or so at a time. Stir to combine thoroughly.
- Grease an 8-9" pan with butter or line with parchment. Transfer the fudge mixture to the pan and press into the pan. Chill for at least 4 hours before cutting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Stovetop Directions
- Combine the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir to combine, it should come together very quickly and be smooth and creamy. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the powdered sugar a cup or so at a time. Stir to combine thoroughly.
- Grease an 8-9" pan with butter or line with parchment. Transfer the fudge mixture to the pan and press into the pan. Chill for at least 4 hours before cutting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 12/10/13 – notes and photos updated 10/4/22}
Wondering if this can be froze?
Fudge will freeze perfectly.
I’m sorry to say it, but this is not good at all! I’ve totally wasted my ingredients! I’m very disappointed!😢
How much weight is in a cup if you’re trying to make this recipe in the uk – is there an ounce or gram equivalent please as don’t know how to work it out? thank you
Just wondering if you’ve tried this with crunchy peanut butter? I love how easy this was to make and the taste is amazing. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve never tried that.
Thank you so much for this great recipe,so easy and good.
Fudge receipts. Easy to make
Not sure what I’ve done wrong, but it won’t seem to set up or even firm a bit in the fridge. Maybe I’ve stirred it for to long, I’m not sure. It tastes good, but after 4 hours it’s still goop. Maybe I’ll keep it in the freezer for a bit…
Did you ever figure out the secret? I just made some tonight and it won’t set either. Please help
A big mess! I have made candy all my life but just wanted a lots of ingredients
I honestly can’t even imagine what has gone wrong for your fudge attempts. With just four ingredients, I’m stumped. If you watch the video, you’ll see that it’s supposed to be very thick already when you press it into the pan. Can you think of anything you might have changed or substituted?
I don’t do mine in the microwave I make it on the stove it seems to be better
Depending on how greasy your peanut butter is (depends on the brand), you could use less butter. For instance, with peter pan, I use 1 and a half sticks of butter instead of 2. Also, 3 and a half cups of confectionary sugar is a 1 pound box. Just fyi. This peanut butter fudge is great. I make it every Christmas and everybody loves it and asks for the recipe. 🙂
This seems logical to me and as I was trying to use up some peanut butter it appeared to be pretty greasy.
I’m thinking to attempt to fix this batch, I May melt it back down. Then add some unopened pb and more sugar & see how it sets up? Or just make a cake with peanut butter frosting…??
My peanut butter fudge will not get firm,I’m using Jif creamy,HELP PLEASE
When finished did you put it in the fridge or freezer? This recipe needs to be stored in the fridge or freezer. It can not be left out. I realised that after taking a piece out of the freezer and it turned to goop after being left out for too long.
I used all the right amounts of The ingredients and mine is not firm at all putting it into the pan. The only thing I noticed was it said to use one cup of butter but in the video it only showed half a stick of butter. Help?
I’m stumped. I’ve remade this fudge again and can’t figure out why it isn’t working for you. Are you substituting anything?
Mary – the recipe calls for 1 cup butter, but in the video, it looks more like 1/2 stick (1/4 cup butter). Could this be the problem??
The video is a half recipe. I often shoot them that way to avoid having too many sweets around the house this time of year. I truly am stumped though! Thousands of people have made this fudge recipe without issue and yet there are always a few who it simply doesn’t work for. I wish I knew why that was happening!
I made this last night, I used 1 stick of butter which is 1/2 cup of butter, the dough is really thick and I kneaded it before pressing it into a pan. I think next time I will use 1 1/2 sticks of butter & that should be perfect……. maybe adjust the written recipe as 3/4 cups butter.
I made this recipe and it’s really gritty, not creamy at all after it set. What did I do wrong?
I made this but slightly different. I used 2lbs of powdered sugar, 2 sticks of butter(Room temp), one whole regular jar of Jiff, and a tsp of vanilla extract. I Combined the butter, Jiff and vanilla, stir with an electric mixer to smooth and creamy, then added the powdered sugar all at once. Pretty quickly after you will have to swap out the mixer because they mixture is thick. I put on plastic gloves and mixed with my hands. Once all was mixed, i shaped into balls and covered half of them in chocolate. The ones not covered in chocolate held fine, tasted amazing(tastes better cold) and was a great treat all around.
I just made this candy. Followed the recipe exactly as it says and mine is very greasy. It did not get crumbly like the video so I had to add more powered sugar to absorb the grease. I finally got it in a pan and it’s now in the fridge but there is an inch or more of grease sitting on top of the candy even after I used paper towels to soak the grease off the top of it.
Yes I tried this recipe and I never firmed up and it’s still not firm
Tried recipe last night came out to soft
I just found this recipe and fixed exactly as recipe states. Used jiffy creamy Pb. Turned out perfect. Love love it. Can’t get any easier than that!!!!! Thx for sharing a wonderful fail proof recipe!!
I was watching Good Eats tonight and Alton Brown made the exact same recipe. Seeing him do it helped me so I hopefully don’t mess it up. lol
I love this comment. You can see above where I’ve linked to Alton Brown’s recipe. This fudge is barely adapted at all from his recipe. It’s fantastic!
Followed recipe came out wonderfully.Thanks man watch you often .Taste
ummmm!!Love you
Easy to follow recipe and it reminds me of old fashion peanut butter fudge. It’s really good and tasty. Thank you for sharing this recipe.