Brown Sugar Fudge Recipe

This brown sugar fudge reminds me of the maple candy you start seeing around the holidays. It is very sweet, to me, even sweeter than traditional fudge, with a buttery brown sugar flavor and a smooth, dense texture.

Unlike my easy fudge recipe, which uses chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk, this version is cooked on the stovetop to 238°F, then beaten with powdered sugar until smooth.

You do need a candy thermometer for this recipe, but otherwise there is nothing complicated about it. The biggest thing is paying attention to the temperature and continuing to stir while the mixture cooks.

Ingredients

You only need five ingredients for this brown sugar fudge.

• Butter: 1 cup (2 sticks)
• Light brown sugar: 3 cups
• Evaporated milk: 3/4 cup
• Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
• Powdered sugar: 2 cups

Make sure you are using evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk. They are sold in similar cans but aren’t interchangeable in this recipe.

How to Make Brown Sugar Fudge

Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Melt butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Once melted, add the brown sugar and evaporated milk.

Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to boil.

Once boiling, attach a candy thermometer to the saucepan. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture reaches 238°F.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the brown sugar mixture stand for 2 minutes.

Carefully pour the hot mixture into a heat-safe mixing bowl. I use the bowl of my KitchenAid stand mixer. Add vanilla extract.

Add half of the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar and continue beating for about 2 minutes, or until the fudge is smooth.

Spread the fudge into the prepared 8×8 pan and smooth the top.

Let the fudge cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for another 2 hours or until completely cooled and firm.

Lift the fudge from the pan using the parchment paper and cut into 36 squares.

Use a Larger Saucepan Than You Think You Need

I don’t have a special heavy-bottomed pan for candy making. I use a regular stainless steel saucepan and it works just fine.

What I do recommend is using a fairly large saucepan. Once the brown sugar mixture starts boiling, it increases quite a bit in volume. It is also extremely hot, and because you are stirring the entire time, the extra room makes the process much easier.

The Candy Thermometer Matters Here

For this recipe, rely on temperature rather than cooking time. Different pans and stovetops heat at different rates, so cook the mixture until it reaches 238°F, then remove it from the heat.

Here is an inexpensive one from amazon that clips onto the pot if you do not have one.

Cutting and Storing Brown Sugar Fudge

Because this fudge is so sweet, I like it cut into small pieces. An 8×8 pan gives me 36 squares, which is plenty for a dessert tray or holiday candy platter.

Keep leftover fudge covered in an airtight container. While it’s not required, I keep my fudge in the fridge so I do not have to worry about a hot kitchen making it softer. If you’re making several kinds of fudge for Christmas, this would also fit well with the other recipes in my Christmas fudge collection.

And if you’re making it to give away, I have a separate guide showing exactly how I package fudge for gifts.

For another non-chocolate fudge, my peanut butter fudge recipe also uses brown sugar and powdered sugar but has a completely different peanut butter flavor.