One of my favorite pre-vegan holiday treats was fudge, so I’m super excited to share this wildly delicious vegan fudge recipe! This fudge legitimately tastes like a Ferrero Rocher (those delightful chocolate hazelnut candies that are sadly not vegan)! It’s pure decadence, just like fudge should be around the holidays (it makes an excellent edible gift!).
That said, this vegan fudge is a little more grownup than the classic. First, it uses dark chocolate to avoid being too sweet. Fudge is already so rich that too much sweetness makes it cloying and inedible IMO. Second, it adds toasted hazelnuts. The crunch adds a nice contrast to the rich creamy fudge texture, and of course chocolate + toasted hazelnuts = heavenly Ferrero Rocher flavor.
This fudge recipe is also ridiculously easy and quick to make. If you’re a fan of quick, no-bake chocolate treats, be sure to also check out my Salted Chocolate Cream Tart. For something on the healthier side, my No-Bake Cookie Dough Bars are a great choice.
How to make vegan fudge (step-by-step photos)
Toast the hazelnuts on a sheet pan in the oven (350ºF for 10 to 13 minutes). Transfer the hot hazelnuts to a thin dish towel and wrap it up in a tight ball. Allow to steam for 2 minutes. Use your hands to vigorously rub the hazelnuts to help remove the skins. Roughly chop the hazelnuts (no need to finely chop).
Add the chocolate chips and condensed coconut milk to a medium-sized heat-proof bowl. Microwave on high for 90 seconds. Allow to sit undisturbed for 1 minutes, then whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is thick and well-combined.
Working quickly so that the chocolate stays warm, add the almond butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
Whisk until well-combined and thick. Fold in the chopped toasted hazelnuts with a silicone spatula.
Line a loaf pan or a square 8×8″ baking pan with parchment paper. Transfer the fudge into the pan, spreading it out with a silicone spatula.
Refrigerate the fudge for 1 to 2 hours until set. Use the parchment paper to remove the fudge from the pan. Allow to come to room temperature, then slice and serve.
Tips for making this recipe
Work quickly. You want to mix the ingredients while the chocolate and milk are still warm. Luckily, it takes less than 5 minutes to whisk everything together, so it’s not hard. Just don’t pause to take a hundred photos and videos like I did ;)
Pick the right pan for your desired thickness. For thick/tall fudge pieces (as you see in the photos), you have two options. One, you can use a 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan (as you can see in the step-by-step photos above).
Or, you can use an 8×8-inch baking dish, but don’t spread out the fudge evenly across the pan surface. Instead push the fudge into one-half or two-thirds of the baking pan, leaving the other part of the pan empty. Essentially, you are layering the fudge on top of itself to make it thicker. The fudge is pretty malleable, so you should be able to do this easily with your hands.
For thinner fudge pieces (it is very rich, after all): use an 8×8 square baking pan and spread it out across the whole surface of the pan. You could also use a glass storage container/tupperware.
Use condensed coconut milk for the most classic fudge texture. In my tests, sweetened condensed coconut milk (affiliate link) made for the most traditional fudge texture: smooth, moist and soft. This makes sense since traditional fudge is typically made with condensed cow’s milk.
Sweetened condensed oat milk also worked, but produced a stiffer texture. It’s still a great option if you have a coconut allergy.
Note: If you can’t find sweetened condensed coconut milk, full-fat coconut milk does work, but you need to do a few things differently. I’ve included instructions in the FAQ section below.
Use the appropriate cacao content for your fudge. If you like your fudge very sweet, feel free to use a cacao percentage as low as 55%. If you like it less sweet, feel free to use a cacao percentage as high as 75%. I typically use dark chocolate in the 63-67% range.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can find sweetened condensed coconut milk (or oat milk) at specialty grocery stores like Whole Foods, or online. If all you can find is a 7.4-ounce can instead of an 8-ounce can, that’s also fine.
Nature’s Charm is the brand I use for condensed coconut milk (they also carry condensed oat milk). Let’s Do Organic and Nature’s Greatest Foods also sell condensed coconut milk. (affiliate links).
Yes, you can use full-fat coconut milk, though the texture will be softer. Pour the milk into a bowl and stir well before measuring out the 8 ounces. Since there’s no added sugar in the coconut milk, you’ll want to add some sifted organic powdered sugar along with the almond butter. I’d start with 1/4 cup, taste and add more as needed to your taste. If you use chocolate with a lower cacao percentage or sweeter chocolate, like Enjoy Life vegan chocolate chips, you may not need to add sugar.
The texture will be on the softer side, so I like transfer it to the freezer for 90 minutes to set up. And store leftovers in the fridge (or freezer). It will get melty on the countertop!
You could probably also use a good-quality, thick vegan coffee creamer in lieu of the condensed milk, but I haven’t tried it myself.
Wrap the fudge tightly in plastic wrap (or in an airtight container) and store on your counter or in the pantry – it will stay good for at least one week.
You can also store it longer by refrigerating it or even freezing it (though freezing it does change the texture a bit). Just let it come to room temperature before eating.
You can use dark chocolate bars or a bittersweet baking chocolate bar. Just chop them up pretty finely before adding to the microwave with the milk.
I hope you enjoy this vegan fudge as much as we do! If you love the recipe, please be sure to rate and review it below :)
PS: this fudge makes a great edible present for the holidays!
Vegan Fudge
Ingredients
- â…” cup (90-100g) hazelnuts
- 8 ounces (227g) sweetened condensed coconut milk*
- 12 ounces (340g) dark chocolate chips or chunks (60%-70%)**
- 1/2 cup (125g) unsweetened, creamy almond butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (not artificial)***
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC. Spread the hazelnuts out on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in the middle rack of the oven for 10-13 minutes, until very fragrant and toasty (smaller-sized hazelnuts need just 10 minutes).
- Immediately transfer the hazelnuts to a clean, thin dish towel and wrap tightly. Steam in the towel for 2 minutes, then vigorously rub the enclosed towel using your hands – the friction will help loosen the skins. It’s okay if not all the skins come up. Roughly chop the hazelnuts once cool enough to handle (no need to chop finely).
- Lightly oil an 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan or a square 8×8-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper (the oil helps the paper stick to the pan, but doesn't go into the actual fudge).****
- Add the condensed coconut milk and chocolate to a heat-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 90 seconds.*Remove from the microwave and allow to rest without touching for 1 minute, then stir with a silicone whisk until smooth and completely melted. While the chocolate mixture is still warm, add the almond butter, vanilla, and a pinch or two of sea salt. Whisk until well combined – it will be quite thick. Fold in the chopped hazelnuts with a silicone spatula.*Note: If your microwave is low wattage, you might need to microwave an extra 15 seconds until melted.
- Transfer the fudge into the lined pan, and pat down with a silicone spatula or your fingers to spread it out evenly. Very lightly sprinkle with sea salt, about a scant ¼ teaspoon.
- Transfer the fudge to the fridge for 1 to 2 hours until set. Allow to come to room temperature before slicing. For a more pronounced sweet-salty taste, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on the fudge before serving. Store leftovers tightly wrapped in plastic (or in an airtight container) at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or in the fridge for longer. You can also freeze the fudge for up to 3 months.
Notes
This recipe is amazing! I’ve never made fudge and I’m not even a huge chocolate fan but it tastes incredible. Ferrero Rocher was one of my absolute faves before I went vegan and I’ve been searching for something to replace it for years.. this is it!! I also love how easy it is to make. I made this for a holiday party and it killed. Thank you!!!
Aimée, So glad to hear this recipe was a success!
Just made this as a gift for friends for Christmas. Super easy and delicious!
Tasha, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
I have never made fudge that set to hard. I was so exited to finally have an edible fudge. Thanks so much, I used full fat coconut milk and it was not as sweet as traditional fudge. I did not mind it. I it chocolate for health benefits mostly anyway.
Glad you loved it, Dottie!
Forgot the star rating…
This is delicious! I made a triple batch so we would be able to share some of the fudge. I made almond butter with almonds, almond butter with pecans and cashew butter with pecans. I recommend trying out pecans – they are buttery and delicious when toasted. Thanks for a great recipe! My 5 year old said he is having fudge for his dessert from now on :)
Breanna, So glad to hear you all loved this recipe!
I needed a quick treat for tomorrow, Christmas. This whipped up so easily and even works with regular condensed milk. (Yes, cows milk.) Gah! If I could have found the coconut milk listed above I would have used it! I have no doubt this recipe would be perfect as written. We get such quality coming from you, Nisha, I never worry if one of your recipes will work out. I just run in, spatulas blazing, and voila!, good eats and a happy home.
I made a triple batch which fit a 9×13 pan perfectly. Easily an inch thick. I am looking forward to sharing it with friends and family tomorrow.
/love and blessings to you all :)
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This was my first time making fudge. Honestly, I was never a fan of fudge. But this recipe has changed that for me! This is absolutely DELICIOUS and was worth me going to 4 grocery stores looking for condensed coconut milk (they were all out of stock)! Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
We’re so glad you were able to find the condensed coconut milk despite a bit of difficulty. We are also happy to have helped you change your mind about fudge, Patty!
Fabulous recipe! I made it today with my 6 year old. We had a blast and the finished product was super yum! Will double next time. Thank you for sharing this recipe! SO good!
Hi MJ, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Hello, would coconut cream work in lieu of condensed coconut milk? I would really like to make this, but need to make it as sugar-free as possible and use unsweetened or erythritol-sweetened ingredients. I don’t want it to be too soft by using the full-fat coconut milk. I’d prefer it to have the consistency of fudge. Do you think unsweetened coconut cream would work?
Yes, it should work! You’ll likely just need to keep it refrigerated though.
This turned out perfectly and was SO delicious! It makes a lovely gift if you can stand to give it away. I couldn’t find sweetened condensed coconut milk, so I made my own following Food 52’s recipe for it (you just mix a can of coconut milk with 1/2 cup sugar and simmer for 45 minutes until reduced), and the fudge was totally stable at room temp.
Awesome, Anne. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Oh. My. Goodness. I made this last night (super easy, super fast), and I had the first piece this morning… it is ADDICTIVELY DELICIOUS. I’m already on my third piece.
Hi Catherine, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Hi, Can we use dates instead of condensed milk as a sweetener in this recipe? If yes, in what quantity?
Hi Mehek, no dates won’t work. You can use sweetened condensed oat milk or you can try using full fat coconut milk- the steps for that have been written down in the FAQ. Hope that helped!
Can almond butter be swapped with cashew butter or is it a must?
Cashew butter will work fine!
Recent studies have reported that hazelnut skin is a rich source of dietary fibre as well as of natural antioxidants owing to the presence of phenolic compounds.
I don’t have a micro wave. What do I do? Thanks.
Hi Pamela, you can use a double boiler! Just add your chocolate and milk to a glass heatproof bowl that you can nestle in a saucepan (the bowl shouldn’t touch the bottom of the pan). Add a few inches of water to the saucepan and bring to a rapid simmer. Then nestle your bowl of chocolate and milk on top and let the steam melt the chocolate, whisking as you go.
My husband is anti-nut in food, lol. Would it be okay to totally skip the nuts or would there need to be other modifications if those aren’t included?
Just made this as a Christmas gift for a friend and I’M SO IMPRESSED. First time making fudge and it was so easy, quick and tasty. No having to worry about stirring anything over the stove or any fiddley bits. It did eat through 4 blocks of chocolate but was absolutely worth it. Thank you!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Laura!
This was so good! Even my skeptical-of-anything-vegan husband raved about it and couldn’t believe it was vegan.
Awesome, Sara. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Wow, this blew me away! The texture and flavor are absolutely perfect and the hazelnuts are a must – total ferrero rocher vibe! I’m already planning on making batches of this to give away as presents this holiday season. Thank you for another amazing recipe, Nisha!!
Awesome, Jess. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
if you *had* to replace the hazelnuts with a different type of nut, what would you suggest? would you then prepare these other nuts differently? thank you!
I think almonds would be great! No need to prepare them differently except maybe reduce oven temp to 325F instead of 350F. Or pecans would be nice (roast at 350F for 7-10 min).
Looks delicious! You refer to FAQ for full fat coconut milk, but I don’t the see the FAQ. Where can I find it? Thank you.
Hi Debbie, the FAQ is directly above the recipe card.