Vegan Fudge is a quick one-bowl recipe using simple ingredients you may already have in your pantry. It has a rich texture and melts in your mouth!
Why You’ll Love It
It’s super easy to prepare. Just stir a few ingredients, pour them into a square pan, and freeze until firm.
It’s perfect for those with special diets. This homemade vegan fudge is dairy-free, gluten-free, naturally vegan, and Paleo-friendly. It’s not nut-free since it’s made with almond butter, but you can use sunflower seed butter instead for a nut-free version.
It’s naturally sweetened. Instead of using powdered sugar or vegan chocolate chips, this fudge is sweetened with pure maple syrup. It adds the perfect amount of sweetness without a coconut milk flavor.
It’s easy to customize. You can taste the mixture as you go, so if you want more of a chocolate flavor or a little more sweetness, you can easily add extra cocoa powder or maple syrup as you go. For added crunch, you can also stir in any extras you love, such as walnuts or pecans.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This isn’t your average fudge recipe since it’s made without butter or granulated sugar, but it tastes amazing. It does have a hint of nut butter flavor, so be sure you like the taste of your ingredients before getting started.
Using peanut butter will result in a chocolate peanut butter flavor, and using cashew butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter will change the flavor slightly, too. Raw almond butter is neutral and lightly sweet for the mildest flavor. (FYI, roasted almond butter will add a more roasted taste to the fudge.)
Want to change up the flavor? Swap the vanilla extract for peppermint extract or almond extract for a different flavor combination.
How to Make Vegan Fudge
1. Mix.
Combine the almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, cocoa or cacao powder, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl. Stir well until the mixture looks smooth.
Tip: Use room temperature ingredients for the smoothest results. The coconut oil will start to solidify if your almond butter or maple syrup is chilled from the fridge, so let them sit on the counter or slightly warm them up before getting started.
2. Freeze.
Prepare an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish by spraying it with oil, then press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom of the pan. The oil will hold the parchment paper in place, so it won’t wiggle around as you add the fudge.
Transfer the fudge mixture to the prepared pan, and spread it with a spatula. Place it on a flat shelf in your freezer to freeze until it’s firm, about 1 hour.
3. Slice & Enjoy!
Use the parchment paper to lift the solid fudge out of the pan, then use a sharp knife to slice the fudge into squares. It will melt at room temperature, so as soon as you’ve finished slicing the fudge, place the squares in an airtight container and store them in the fridge or freezer to keep them chilled.
The fridge will give your fudge a soft texture, and the freezer will provide a firmer texture, so choose whichever option you prefer. It should keep well in the fridge for at least 2 weeks and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe works because coconut oil is solid when chilled, similar to butter. If you don’t care for the flavor of coconut oil, try using refined coconut oil (also called expeller pressed) which has zero coconut flavor. Or you can use your favorite vegan butter instead.
I place the coconut oil in an oven-safe bowl and warm it in a preheating oven for 5 minutes to melt. However, you can also use the microwave in 30-second intervals for a faster option.
Yes, of course! This recipe is quite flexible, so you can adjust the flavor to your liking. I love lightly sweet and salty desserts, but you can cut the sea salt in half if needed.
If you don’t want chocolate fudge, try my Almond Butter Freezer Fudge for a blonde version or carob powder if you want a non-chocolate option. (Carob flavor is not for everyone, so experiment at your own risk and start small!)
Looking for more vegan fudge recipes? Try Almond Butter Freezer Fudge or Peanut Butter Fudge for more no-bake ideas.
Vegan Freezer Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
- ⅓ cup coconut oil , melted
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (or raw cacao powder)
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix the almond butter, coconut oil, cocoa powder, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. (This works best if the ingredients are at room temperature or slightly warm. If using almond butter from the fridge, make sure it sits on the counter first so the coconut oil won't solidify instantly when mixed.)
- Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch square dish, lined with parchment paper for easy removal, and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Place the dish in the freezer, and allow the fudge to set for at least an hour before slicing and serving. Thanks to the coconut oil, this raw fudge will melt quickly if left to sit in a warm room, so it’s best served directly from the freezer.
- Store the leftovers in a sealed container in the freezer. For a softer fudge, store it in the fridge. This fudge lasts up to a month when stored in the fridge, and up to 3 months when stored in the freezer, but we usually eat it all before then!
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Nutrition
If you try this easy vegan fudge recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like it!
Made this fudge with almond n sunflower seed butter ,,,both recipes are absolutely beyond delicious, ,my family fights over it. Figuratively of course.. but it is that good and so easy to make. I’m going to try it with all natural peanut butter for family that’s not paleo.
Ran out of maple syrup so only 1/2 of it and 1/2 agave. It turned out awesome.
This was amazing! My new after dinner treat. Made a few adjustments: reduced it to 3/4c cashew butter, slightly less maple syrup (3T instead of 4T) and a 1/4t salt.
Next time I think I’ll add 1/2c rice crisp cereal (for texture). Also – given that cacao powder sometimes keep me up at night I may try carob powder.
Thanks Detoxinista!!!
I just made this recipe and I love it. It is so, so good! Thank you!
Renting in Fla can it go in a blender
I’ve made this several times now. The texture is great. My kids love it. Not too sweet and very rich and satisfying. I have tried it with both cashew butter and almond butter. I prefer cashew butter (the almond butter is fairly pronounced)but they are
both good. Thanks!
Love this fudge!! I have a question, I have always made a peanut butter fudge (the kind with the marshmallow fluff – but peanut butter instead of chocolate chips).
If i were to try adapting this recipe to a plain nut butter fudge would tapioca flour or something like that work in place of the cocoa powder to help solidify the nut oils and if so about how much do you think?
Thanks for sharing your awesome recipes.
I’m interested in trying this but I have natural peanut butter and agave (both from Costco) on hand. Can I substitute them for the almond butter and maple syrup? Thanks
It’s worth a shot! Agave might be sweeter than maple syrup, so I’d use less and just add it to taste as needed. I love that you can taste as you go with this one before you freeze it!
what brand almond butter do you prefer?
Can Baking Cocoa powder be used in place of cocoa powder?
I would think so, as long as it’s 100% cocoa powder without added sugar.
How many grams of sugar
This recipe is delicious! I only had regular peanut butter (Skippy) to use and it turned out so wonderfully.
I’m glad to hear that! Thank you for letting me know, Kristen.
I think this turned out wrong for us but it is not sweet enough, can I warm it up and add more sugar and try to set it in the freezer again?
Yes, the batter will be liquidy again when it’s warm, so you can definitely add to it!
Can you use peanut butter instead of almond butter?
Sure, that should work!
Just made the fudge.
Had high hopes but this did not hit the mark for me. All I could taste was coconut oil and almond butter. No where near what fudge should be.
I made this, it was easy, the fudge is creamy and luxurious. And I’m not even a vegan! I love it. Will definitely make it again and share the recipe with friends.
Have made this a few times now and love it. I am not vegan and have no allergies so technically need to make but it is so nice can’t believe it’s better for you than chocolate. I have made with both peanut and almond butter and often with mixture of both. I don’t add the salt and it is enough but guess this is down to brand of nut butters we use. So easy to make as well.
WOW this is def my fav fudge – I used peanut butter instead of almond butter since that is what I had on hand — YUM melts in your mouth !!! Quick & easy !
Thank you for another delicious recipe !
These were simply amazing! I pretty much gave up sweets when I went vegan because cookies, cakes, brownies, fudge, etc. are so rarely vegan – even though it’s SO easy to make them plant-based. Such a treat to have an easy delicious dessert!
Absolutely love this!! Made it for the first time and not only is it incredibly easy to make, its delicious too!
Delicious, easy & a great substitute for baked goods!
SOOOOO good! A healthy sweet indulgence that actually seems to curbs cravings.
Do you think this recipe would work with honey instead of maple syrup?
I think it will be thicker to stir with honey, and the flavor will be more prominent, so you might want to use a little less when compared to maple syrup.
Excellent! Tasty and so easy to make!
Expensive to make given the almond butter, but very smooth and delicious…and reasonable cost when compared to purchasing chocolate bars/chips. Great quarantine sweet 😉
This was AMAZING!!! I used cashews to make the butter. I made that first and then just threw the rest of the ingredients into the food processor and was careful not to overblend…
Hello!
Please, can I use cocoa butter insted nut r sunflower butter?
Thank you!
I haven’t tested that myself, so I can’t say for sure, but cacao butter might work! I’d love to hear if you try it.
Absolutely loved!! Made with peanut butter and dates, then topped with a layer of peanut butter and I am still obsessed !! My new favourite treat <3
I use chocolate hazelnut butter that I can get at Kroger’s. This fudge recipe is absolutely delicious.
Can i use sunflower oil as a substitute for the coconut oil?
I don’t think that would work, since sunflower oil doesn’t turn solid when chilled. A vegan butter or shortening would most likely work best, or real butter would work, if you don’t need a vegan recipe.
I made this today and it was really fudge and creamy. Worked well. My complaint is that it isn’t chocolaty enough. It tastes like almond butter-not chocolate. I’m wondering if either less almond butter, more cocoa powder or add chocolate chips?
Loved it!! Such a simple recipe and it turned out absolutely devine! 100% will be making this again and again. Thank you so much for sharing.
So tastes even with carob
What can I use instead of almond butter, I’m not a fan of nut butters. I love your recipe because it doesn’t require so much sugar .
Simple, tasty, perfect. Love how low sugar it is, while still tasting like fudge.
We love this fudge. I make it once a week and fill it into small silicone forms and eat it straight out of the freezer. For Keto we leave out the maple sirup. And my before-freezer batter looks much runnier than yours. Is this the maple sirip missing? Or amount of almondbutter, I use 250g.
“Heroin” is how my vegan, gluten-free friend refers to this dessert. It is loved by vegans and non-vegans alike. I use Miyokos plant butter instead of coconut oil, or if I’m running out of the Miyokos I’ll use plain coconut oil. My secret ingredient: Justin’s Chocolate Hazlnut & Almond Butter. I’ve never used any other butter so I can’t compare, but this nut butter makes absolutely delicious, creamy fudge. A true delight. Easy, too.
So Good! I keep this on hand at all times. I make with tahini and a little flake salt on top…YUM!
What can be used instead of coconut oil? Thank you!
Absolutely delicious!!!! I make this quite a bit using tahini. I pour it into a silicone candy mold dish so I have small size pieces. Easy way to control not eating them all too fast!
Ooh, I’m glad to know it works so well with tahini, too! Thanks for the feedback, Eva.
Oh my gosh, I just made this with ghee (instead of coconut oil) and tahini (instead of almond butter) and it’s SOOO GOOD. It definitely tastes non-traditional, but I love it so much. Highly recommend 🙂
Made this twice already!!! Soooo yummy
Can I sub avocado oil for the coconut oil?
I don’t believe avocado oil is solid when chilled, so I’m not sure the fudge will set-up the same way. Let me know if you experiment with it!
This fudge is so incredible that I have not stopped making it. It is a huge hit in my house.
Amazing “healthy” fudge! I made this for me to enjoy this holiday season (I was looking for gluten free/dairy free desserts), and I was very surprised-in a good way! My parents tried it and loved it too!
This recipe is AMAAAZING and amazingly simple! Whenever my family would break out ice cream, I’d throw a little pitty party for myself (no dairy or sugar in my life). BUT…when I made this recipe, that changed everything! I make a batch and cut it and store it in the freezer, and I pop it out whenever I need a little sweetness. It takes perfectly delicious and I don’t feel like I’m losing out on anything! I do, however, add a little bit extra maple syrup to meet the sweetness level I prefer, though!! 🙂