Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe

Fudge is one of the best treats to make, share, and of course, sink your teeth into. Typically, it comes together with a classic fudge recipe that involves combining sweetened condensed milk with chocolate chips to create a chocolatey sensation that sets firm in the fridge. The result is a perfectly textured sweet that is wonderful for gifting around the holidays or for nibbling on as an after-dinner treat. Traditional fudge is also very sugary, which renders a classic fudge recipe off-limits to those who are monitoring their carb intake in order to follow a ketogenic diet. 

The good news, however, is that your fudge-eating days aren't behind you just because you've embraced a low-carb lifestyle. You just have to be a little creative when it comes to fudge-making. This easy keto fudge, perfect for tackling your sweet cravings, comes together in no time and won't hinder your body from achieving the fat-burning state of ketosis that keto dieters strive for. As recipe developer Joe Dillard of For Frying Out Loud shares, "The best thing about this recipe, besides it tasting exactly like a traditional fudge, is that because of its thoughtful composition, it doesn't melt in your hands like many other varieties of keto fudge do."

With the increasing popularity of low-carb diets, more and more products (such as chocolate chips) are becoming readily available in low-carb versions on the shelves of regular grocery stores. This means the only hurdle standing between you and your keto fudge is that traditional fudge recipes call for sweetened condensed milk. To replicate the thick, golden, sweet-tasting properties of sweetened condensed milk, this fudge recipe starts with a combination of butter, allulose, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract. Once these ingredients are combined, all that's left is the addition of low-carb chocolate chips, peanut butter, and chopped peanuts to sprinkle on top.

Allulose is a natural sugar that's seen a rise in keto-friendly recipes and commercially available products because it is low-calorie, has a low glycemic index, and its taste and texture are very similar to table sugar. Allulose can be purchased online, but it's also available at many grocery stores under brand names such as RxSugar. Allulose will give you the best results with this recipe, but if you'd prefer to use a different sweetener, allulose can easily be substituted with erythritol, monk fruit, or many of the other keto-friendly sweeteners you might add to your coffee, with no major effect on the outcome.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, combine the butter, allulose, heavy cream and vanilla extract.

Heat for 15 minutes, or until thick and light golden brown in color, stirring frequently.

Allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes, then scrape into a large bowl.

Add the chocolate chips and peanut butter to the bowl.

Stir until the chocolate chips are fully melted.

Use a rubber spatula to smooth the fudge into an even layer in an 8x8-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Sprinkle the chopped peanuts evenly across the top of the fudge and place in the refrigerator to chill and set for at least 1 hour.

When ready to enjoy, let the fudge sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing.

Slice into 12 squares and serve.

If you're following a keto diet and tracking your food intake, you're likely to be aiming for the macronutrient ratio of eating about 5% of each day's calories from carbs, 25% from protein, and 70% from fat. The biggest focus of the keto diet is to reduce your carb intake in order to train your body to seek its fuel from fat instead. 

Typically, people tracking their nutrition on a keto diet prefer to focus on net carbs instead of total carbs consumed. That's because some carbs, like fiber and sweeteners, don't affect the body in the same way as others. Because of this, it's generally accepted to "cancel" these types of carbs and understand that they won't hinder your body's ability to enter, or stay in, the state of ketosis. To calculate net carbs, you take the total carbs of an ingredient and subtract dietary fiber and any sugar alcohols. If you're following a keto diet, this fudge recipe ticks all the right boxes.

This recipe is very quick to put together, but if you want to have it ready to serve at a moment's notice you can make it ahead of time. To do so, simply follow the directions up until it's time to remove your fudge from the refrigerator. You can store the fudge (and any leftovers) in the fridge for up to one week, though to preserve the freshest taste you should avoid slicing it until the day you'll be serving it. 

Instead, you can either place the entire 8x8-inch brick of fudge into an airtight container or you can wrap it tightly with multiple layers of plastic wrap before storing it in the refrigerator. When you're ready to eat the fudge, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing. Freezing this recipe is not recommended, so the earliest it should be made is about 4-5 days before you plan to serve it.