Carrot Cake Fudge
This carrot cake fudge is easy to make and so, so good. Rich, sweet, and with an added Carrot Cake Oreo blast of flavor, this carrot cake fudge might just be the best Easter sweet ever created!
Ah, carrot cake. Is there anything better? Seriously, it’s so good. It’s full of carrots (which instantly makes it healthy, in our book), it’s perfect year-round because you can always get carrots, and the flavor is one of the most beloved classics in sweet treats.
Yes, carrot cake is delicious. We love to make it all the time, but when special occasions roll around, it’s a go-to for us. But wait. We almost forgot fudge.
Fudge is another great classic dessert, and it’s always a hit for the holidays. Now, we’ve come to the conundrum. Carrot cake or fudge? Then it hit us. Why not both?
Yes, both! This carrot cake fudge has the best of both worlds in one delicious treat that everyone will love. The combination of carrot cake flavor and decadent fudge makes it an excellent Easter treat, but honestly, it’s a welcome snack any time of year.
This quick and easy fudge recipe is a great dessert for Spring and the Easter season. If you are in the mood for all the flavors of carrot cake but don’t want the hassle to bake a cake, then this is the recipe for you!
Sweet and creamy white chocolate mixed with the spicy flavors of carrot cake Oreos make this your go to holiday fudge!
The Road to Carrot Cake Fudge
The road that leads to our creation of this delicious carrot cake fudge is one that began hundreds of years ago – first, with the invention of carrot cake, and then later, the invention of fudge. If it weren’t for either of those, we wouldn’t be able to share this recipe with you today.
History of Carrot Cake
The history of carrot cake is one that still hasn’t been completely verified. There are differing theories on where this classic dessert originated.
Pudding in a Carrot
In 1591, an English recipe for “pudding in a carrot root” was published, and it was exactly what the name said – a stuffed carrot. While it was stuffed with a savory meat filling, it included elements common to the modern carrot cake like shortening, cream, eggs, raising, sweetener, spices, and scraped carrot.
Carrot Puddings
That appears to be the earliest beginnings of carrot cake, however many food historians believe that what we know today as carrot cake has its origins from cake puddings eaten by Europeans in the middle ages. These puddings were often sweetened with carrots because other sweeteners were cost-prohibitive.
Here’s where we begin to see the carrot cake begin to evolve. Variations of the pudding that included baking it with a crust, steamed with a sauce, or molded in pans with icing began to appear.
Louis XVI’s Chef
In volume two of L’art du Cuisinier, Antoine Beauvilliers, the one-time chef of Louis XVI, had a recipe for Gateau de Carottes – literally translated as Carrot Cakes. It was so popular that it was copied in its entirety in an English version of his cookbook.
History of Fudge
The history of fudge, the second element in our carrot cake fudge recipe, doesn’t reach back as far into time as carrot cake, but it has been around for quite a while.
The exact origin of this sweet treat is still disputed, but most theories revolve around the story of an accident involving a mishap with a batch of caramels. This “fudged” batch of caramels created a sweet block akin to what we now call fudge.
Original fudge recipes required exacting precision. Measurements, cooking times, and constant stirring were absolutely critical to creating early fudge. It was time-intensive labor.
Today’s fudge is far easier to make, as more and more recipes were created for home cooks who didn’t have the time or patience for exact measurements, candy thermometers, and the like.
PIN IT!!
Carrot Cake Fudge Recipe
And here we are, centuries later, getting ready to create a delicious carrot cake fudge recipe that requires no candy thermometer, very little precision, and zero stress. Yay for modern cooking!
Before we get into the recipe there is one major point that we need to address about this fudge. Treating the flour. If you’ve never heard of that, we’ll talk about it right now
Treating Raw Flour or Cake Mix
Some no-bake recipes (like this fudge) call for flour or cake mix. Most people aren’t overly concerned about raw flour, but in our opinion, it’s never a good idea to eat it.
Although this recipe won’t be baked, we’ll be treating the raw flour to kill any bacteria. This method can also be used with cake mixes, too. It’s super easy to do. All you need is a microwave or an oven.
To treat flour or cake mix in the microwave, simply microwave it on high for 1 minute and 15 seconds, stirring at 15-second intervals.
To treat flour or cake mix in the oven, simply spread it out on a parchment-lined baking sheet with edges and bake it for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. That’s all there is to it.
Don’t worry, this process will not change the flavor or texture of your recipe in any way.
Ingredients
Now, back to the show! This carrot cake fudge is super easy to make, and the ingredients reflect that.
It only takes a few ingredients to create this deliciously sweet Easter treat, and aside from the sweetened condensed milk and Oreos, you probably already have them all in your kitchen.
Heck, if you love Oreos and you bake frequently, you might even have those, as well! Here’s what you’ll need.
- Butter
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Flour
- White Chocolate or White Almond Bark
- Eagle-Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Carrot Cake Oreos
- Orange Food Coloring
That’s all there is to it. You don’t even have to shred carrots for this recipe!
Making the Carrot Cake Fudge
Remember how we said this recipe was super easy? You’re about to find out how easy. These are just the highlights of the recipe, but when you look at the full recipe later on you’ll see that there’s absolutely nothing to it.
- Melt butter until soft.
- Add sugar and vanilla and stir until combined.
- Stir in treated flour.
- Add condensed milk and stir.
- Add melted chocolate and stir.
- Divide and color one half orange.
- Spread orange fudge evenly on a baking sheet.
- Add a layer of Carrot Cake Oreos.
- Spread white fudge over the Oreos.
- Let cool in the refrigerator
That’s it. The entire recipe is just a matter of stirring, microwaving, and spreading.
Variations
This particular recipe is Easter-themed, but you can change it up easily to suit any occasion. All you have to do is simply change out the Oreo flavors!
Mint Oreos would be excellent for Christmas. Red Velvet Oreos are perfect for Valentine’s Day. You see where we’re going. Just change out the Oreos and maybe use a different food coloring, and you’ll have a completely different recipe!
Storing Carrot Cake Oreos
This fudge will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks in an air-tight container. The Oreos will get a little soft but it still tastes great. As a matter of fact some family members like it just as much with the softer Oreos. Be sure to use an air-tight container, however, because exposure to air will dry out the fudge.
You can freeze fudge for a couple of months by wrapping it in cling wrap and then storing it in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bags. Again the Oreos will soften up but still be super yummy!
We don’t generally do this as the texture of the fudge is a bit different when thawed. Speaking of thawing, if you do freeze your fudge, always do so in the refrigerator, never at room temperature.
FAQ
Before you go, let’s hit the highlights of this recipe and the important takeaways.
Q: Do I have to heat my flour?
A: You don’t have to do it. In fact, the majority of people don’t. But our motto is better safe than intestinal distress. So we suggest yes but it’s your call.
Q: Do I have to use Eagle-Brand condensed milk?
A: Not at all. Feel free to use any brand you like. We always use Eagle-Brand because we prefer the flavor and the way it works in recipes.
Q: How long will this fudge last?
A: You can store this fudge for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. You can also freeze it, but we don’t recommend it.
Q: Can I switch up this recipe?
A: Absolutely! That’s one of the great things about it. All you need to do is change the Oreos and the food coloring, and you can turn this recipe into anything you want.
Try This Carrot Cake Fudge Today
This delicious carrot cake fudge is rich, creamy, and full of Oreos. What’s not to love? It’s also incredibly simple to make, so there’s no reason not to give it a try. With such a delicious flavor and a super easy recipe, it’s a winner.
OTHER RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE:
Lemon Lime Bundt Cake
Elvis Presley Cake
Banana Pudding Layer Cake
Strawberry Cream Puffs
Carrot Cake Fudge
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate
- 1 can of Eagle-Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 package of Carrot Cake Oreos
- 2 drops orange food coloring
Instructions
- Line the bottom of an 8 X 8 inch pan with Parchment paper, In a bowl melt butter until soft, add sugar, and vanilla, stir until combined.
- Place 1 cup of flour in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 1 minute 15 seconds, then add to butter mixture, stir until combined.
- Add condensed milk to flour mixture and stir, then add melted chocolate and stir until the chocolate is completely mixed
- Divide batter into two bowls, tinting half of the batter orange.
- Next, add the orange fudge to dish and spread evenly into the corners.
- Add a layer of carrot cake Oreos over the top of the orange layer of fudge. Then, add the white layer of fudge on top of that and top with broken Oreo cookies.
- Let stand in fridge for a couple hours, slice into squares and serve!
i do not see any sugar….
The sugar is under the butter 3/4 cup. ๐