3-Ingredient Dairy-Free Fudge Recipe

Fudge is incredibly simple to make, yet it has such a rich and decadent air about it. This three-ingredient dairy-free fudge is no exception, and though you won't find any dairy in the recipe, you can still count on plenty of richness and decadence. "My favorite thing about this is how easy it is," recipe developer Jessica Morone says. "It's just three ingredients, comes together quickly, and is fairly foolproof." 

Even if you don't avoid dairy in your day-to-day life, this sweet, chocolatey fudge is ideal for both dairy and non-dairy consumers — and, ingredients aside, it's hard to resist a recipe that is so sheerly approachable. You don't need to bake the fudge, and you don't need to worry about any special steps or setting methods. In fact, the hardest part of this recipe will be a test of your patience as you wait for the fudge to cool down. Once that waiting time is over, you'll have the perfect sweet treat to turn to throughout the week, which is another thing Morone loves about this recipe. "I'm a huge chocolate lover, so this is the kind of thing I make often and keep in my fridge in an airtight container for any time I want something sweet," she says, adding, "You can pretty much serve or enjoy this whenever you want; it's a great snack."

The clever use of sweetened condensed coconut milk and semi-sweet chocolate is what ensures the dairy-free nature of this fudge, and you'll also need a bit of vanilla extract to round out the flavors. Of course, if you aren't a fan of semi-sweet, Morone assures us that really any type of chocolate will work here. "Semi-sweet and dark chocolate seem more traditional for fudge, but you can use a more 'milk' chocolate or even white chocolate; it's all about what kind of flavor you want," she explains. 

Start by lining an 8x8-inch pan with either parchment paper or foil and make sure that you leave overhang on two sides — this will make it easy to lift and remove the hardened fudge from the pan. Then, place a saucepan on the stovetop over low heat and add in the sweetened condensed coconut milk and chocolate. Allow the two ingredients to melt into each other, whisking often until you have a smooth consistency, then remove the mixture from heat. Once it's off the heat, go ahead and stir in the vanilla.

If you've made fudge before, then you may be surprised at the ease of making this fudge base. That's thanks to the sweetened condensed coconut milk, which Morone explains is the secret weapon that makes this recipe work so well. "Using sweetened condensed coconut milk really simplifies this fudge: You don't have to worry about a lot of ingredients or getting sugar to the right temperature. Once the chocolate melts and combines with the coconut milk, it's done," she says.

Pour the melty chocolate mixture right into your prepared pan and make sure that it's all spread out evenly. Then, transfer the pan to the fridge so the fudge can chill and set, which will take about 2 hours. 

Once the fudge has set, pull it out of the pan with those nifty parchment paper overhangs and slice it into cubes. Now, you're ready to enjoy this rich, decadent, and dairy-free fudge.

If you're not able to enjoy this fudge all in one sitting, no worries — "If you keep this in an airtight container in your fridge, this will last for 2-3 weeks," Morone says. And, if you're inspired to repeat this recipe in the near future, you may be interested in adding a little oomph, something for which Morone has suggestions: "You can also switch up the recipe and mix things in like roasted almonds at the end to add additional flavors and textures."