Name: Microwave Peppermint Fudge Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk; 2 10-ounce packages dark chocolate chips; 1 teaspoon peppermint extract; 1/3 cup crushed peppermint candy

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This Microwave Peppermint Fudge Recipe is such a delicious treat! With just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes this will be one of the easiest and tastiest sweet additions to your Holiday dessert table!

Microwave pepperming fudge on white dish with green and white towel

One of the easiest and most traditional things you can make for the holidays is fudge. Fudge is a classic example of the sort of sweet treats we all love to indulge in during the winter. Well, really any time of year. I mean it’s just so good! If you have a lot of company or are surrounded by other house guests this holiday season, it’s easy to swipe a few extras in secret. Nobody will know who it was who made the tray go empty.

Whether you just love an abundance of chocolate, or you like to give it as a gift to others, fudge is a fun and simple goody that anybody can make. As easy as fudge is to make, though, It’s now even easier because all you really need to make delicious chocolaty fudge this year is a microwave and a baking pan. That’s practically all this microwave peppermint fudge requires.

Microwave Peppermint Fudge Recipe on a white pate

You’ll need the ingredients, too of course; But that is a very short list as well as you will soon find out. There are essentially three ingredients that make up this recipe. Sweetened condensed milk, dark chocolate chips, and peppermint. That’s it! Now, you do need peppermint extract and peppermint candy, which are technically two separate ingredients, but let’s not split hairs here. With these few simple ingredients, you can step up this holiday season whether it’s making fudge for the first time, or adding one more delectable dessert to an already robust roster of seasonal favorites. Here are some tips for how to easily and quickly make microwave peppermint fudge at home.

Easy Microwave Peppermint Fudge Recipe

First off, don’t be squeamish about making your peppermint fudge recipe in the microwave. It’s totally acceptable and it gets the job done quickly. Although using a double boiler is easy enough, it is enough of a deterrent to keep some people from making their own fudge. Either they don’t feel comfortable using a double boiler, they don’t have much time for it, or they don’t have a double boiler and they don’t want to make one of their own.

Microwaves are a great option in all of these cases. They’ll melt down your chocolate and heat the condensed milk in no time, allowing you to blend the mixture yourself somewhat easily.

When you microwave the condensed milk, you’ll want to keep an eye on it, just to make sure it doesn’t boil over. When stirring the dark chocolate chips into the heated condensed milk, be careful to blend them in thoroughly so that it is smooth and not chunky. The microwave works fast, so you will have to also. It’s not like the gradual and more gentle double boiler method.

Checking the Temperature of Your Fudge

One thing that is very important is making sure that the fudge has cooled to the right temperature. With regular fudge, you need to make sure it gets to around 212 degrees Fahrenheit before you take it off the heat. With regular and microwave fudge, it’s just as important to let the mixture reach the desired temperature of 114-115 degrees F. before blending it all together. Since temperature is crucial to the consistency of your fudge, use a candy thermometer to check the chocolate and sweetened condensed milk mixture when you remove it from the microwave.

The good news is that microwaving the milk for three minutes on high yields some fairly consistent results. After you blend in the dark chocolate chips and pop the mixture in for another 90 seconds, you’re pretty much there. Just check the temperature if you can as a precaution. Setting the fudge takes a long time, so getting it up to the right temp will eliminate guesswork and ensure that you know what to expect when you are leaving your fudge out to set.

Ingredients

This fudge is so easy and delicious. It’s one of those recipes you can make for any occasion (just eliminate the candy canes or change them out for something else). With just 4 ingredients you will whip this up in a cinch!

sweetened condensed milk
dark chocolate chips
peppermint extract
peppermint candy

**See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities and cooking times.

Instructions

With such ease and the fact that if your like us you have all these ingredients in your pantry already, you can get started on this fudge ASAP!

Step 1:

Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a large microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave on high for 3 minutes, watching carefully to make sure the milk doesn’t boil over.

Step 2:

Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine. Return to the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir vigorously until the milk and chocolate are thoroughly combined. Add the peppermint extract and stir to mix well.

Step 3:

Pour into a parchment paper lined 8×8 pan and spread in an even layer. Top with crushed peppermint candy. Press the candy lightly into the fudge.

Step 4:

Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours or in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set, then cut into one-inch pieces.

Where to Set Your Fudge Once it’s Poured

Leaving your fudge to set is the bulk of the amount of time this recipe takes. It’s actually very fast to make, but then you have to wait literally hours for it to firm up. You can speed up the process by keeping the pan of fudge in the refrigerator, but it’s best to let it cool on a rack in your kitchen at room temperature. Whether you decide to chill it for a couple of hours or leave it out for four, always make sure you have parchment or wax paper lining the whole pan. Even coat it with cooking spray if you can so that removing the fudge will not be a problem. I highly recommend taking the fudge out of the pan before slicing it to pieces.

If you checked the temperature of your fudge and stirred it enough, it will set properly. However, if something goes wrong, you can change up your plans after giving the fudge a chance to firm up. If it isn’t too soft, consider scooping it into balls. You can then roll the balls in chopped nuts or powdered sugar. Some people even report that stirring powdered sugar into fudge that is too soft can help give it the firmness it needs for cutting.

What Peppermint is Best for Microwave Peppermint Fudge?

Peppermint is peppermint as far as I’m concerned. Especially when it’s crushed. However, you may prefer to use thinner candy canes that are easier to pulverize. I like using the round candy mints because you can find them year-round and candy canes are seasonal. However, when you have the options, Go wild and get as creative as you can!

How Long Does Microwave Peppermint Fudge Stay Good For?

Fudge does not need to be refrigerated if you plan to consume it within the week. Otherwise, you can lengthen the lifespan of microwave peppermint fudge by an additional week if you choose to refrigerate it. The most important thing is that you keep it dry and in an airtight container. Keeping it out of the refrigerator is best if you can avoid it so that the fudge can stay soft and easier to enjoy.