Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Fudge

By
Elizabeth LaBau
Sweet Book of Candy Making Elizabeth LaBau
Elizabeth LaBau
A professional pastry chef, cookbook author, and writer, Elizabeth LaBau has published more than 600 articles on baking and candy making.
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Updated on 04/17/23
Delicious buttermilk fudge bits
Tastyart Ltd Rob White / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 64 servings

Old-fashioned buttermilk fudge has a tangy, almost caramelized taste and a creamy, melting texture. The buttermilk keeps it from being too sweet, and the long cooking time caramelizes the sugar and milk solids so that the fudge has a deep, rich flavor. Some old-fashioned fudges are crumbly, but this particular recipe is the exact opposite—it almost melts in your mouth, like a soft praline.

Old-fashioned fudge can be difficult to get right, but when you do, it's so good! Learn some techniques and tips on how to make old-fashioned fudge and you'll reach success in no time.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter

  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup

  • 2 cups sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 cup toasted nuts, chopped, walnuts or pecans recommended

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Prepare an 8 x 8-inch pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

  3. Place the buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large pan over medium-high heat. This candy bubbles up a lot, so be sure to use a pan that will hold at least quadruple the volume of ingredients.

  4. Stir until the sugar and butter dissolve, then insert a candy thermometer.

  5. Continue to cook the candy, stirring occasionally, until the thermometer reads 240 F/115 C, also known as soft-ball stage.

  6. Once at 240 F, remove the pan from the heat and pour the vanilla extract on top, but do not stir.

  7. Allow the candy to cool for 10 to 15 minutes, until it reaches approximately 150 F on the candy thermometer.

  8. Remove the thermometer from the candy and add the chopped, toasted nuts.

  9. Use a wooden spoon to stir the fudge until it thickens. This is called "beating" and it gives the fudge the right texture and body. As you stir it, the fudge will go from a thin, shiny, translucent mixture to a candy that is opaque, thicker, and matte in color. It will become more difficult to stir, and your spoon will start leaving tracks.

  10. Once the fudge is thick and opaque, scrape it into the prepared pan and quickly smooth it into an even layer. If you wait too long during these steps, it may start to stiffen and become hard to work with. If this happens, quickly stir in a spoonful of very hot water, and mix until the fudge loosens up, then scrape it into the pan.

  11. Allow the fudge to set at room temperature for about 2 hours.

  12. Once set, remove it from the pan using the foil as handles, and cut it into small squares to serve.

  13. Enjoy.

Fixing Fudge

Candy making does take a bit of practice to get it just right every time, and old-fashioned fudge is no exception. Often the problems are that it didn't set, or turned out grainy, crumbly, or burnt. The good news is that the fudge can usually be fixed. If the fudge hasn't set, it probably means it wasn't cooked at a high enough temperature; if grainy or crumbly, it's the result of either being overcooked, beaten too long, or the fudge wasn't cooled to the proper temperature. To remedy this, add water to the fudge, cook over low heat, and then bring to a boil without stirring. Cook to the temperature called for in the recipe and then beat and cool the fudge.

How to Store

Store old-fashioned buttermilk fudge in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
65 Calories
4g Fat
7g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 64
Amount per serving
Calories 65
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 8mg 3%
Sodium 72mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 8mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 20mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)