Oh fudge, is this stuff good.
When I think of fudge, I’m instantly transported to Kilwin’s Chocolate Shop in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. That was our spot to load up on ice cream, specialty candy and all the fudge you could ever want. It’s the cutest little place where you can watch them make fudge and chocolates through the window. If you’ve ever been, I’m sure you too can remember the intoxicating sweet smell of pure sugar and chocolate as soon as you walk through the door. It’s hard to forget!
The only problem is, I haven’t been able to eat Kilwin’s fudge since going vegan, so instead, I make my own (better-for-you) chocolate fudge. This time, laced with crushed candy cane pieces.
This recipe for Vegan Candy Cane Fudge most resembles the heaviness and smooth as silk texture as the fudge I once remember, at Kilwin’s.
I’m pretty proud of my decadent recipe, mostly because of the ingredients!
You’ll need:
- Melted Coconut Oil
- Melted Vegan Chocolate Chips (I like this brand)
- Cacao Powder (I like this brand)
- Maple Syrup
- Almond Milk
- Crushed Candy Canes (or these organic candy canes)
No confectioner’s sugar needed. Just natural ingredients, except the candy canes of course (feel free to omit the candy canes and add peppermint extract instead if you want!) but the candy canes are what add the festive flair and peppermint crunch. We have to live a little!! Plus, what would the holidays be without candy canes?!
Or, try these natural and organic candy canes that look super cute! Side note: I’m not happy with how the pictures turned out but so many of you were asking about this recipe and since moving, I haven’t had time to re-shoot the pictures, so I’m posting them anyway, even though they are terrible and the lighting was super weird.
My MAJOR tip for you if you end up making this Vegan Candy Cane Fudge: place plastic wrap or parchment paper on the bottom of your dish before pouring the fudge in, to make for easier removal of fudge later (if you want your fudge squares to look prettier than mine). Normally I do this every time but my mind must have been somewhere else while making this!
That way, you can remove the entire brick of fudge and then slice it appropriately, after it has been in the freezer for a few hours. I used this 5.5 x 7.5 inch rectangle glass baking dish – it’s the perfect size!
I promise you are going to LOVE the creamy chocolate-y candy cane crunch. Alright, going to keep this post short and sweet and get straight to the recipe, because I know that’s what you really want right about now!!
- 2 cups vegan chocolate chips, melted (I like Enjoy Life brand)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (warmed)
- 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
- 8 crushed candy canes, divided
- Unwrap candy canes and place in a plastic bag. Pound them with any kitchen tool (I used a metal spoon) to crush into pieces. Not too much so you have candy cane dust, just bite-size candy cane pieces.
- Line a small dish (any shape; I used a rectangle 5.5 x 7.5 glass dish) with plastic wrap or parchment paper for easier removal later.
- Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil (together if you want) in the microwave in 30 second intervals, mixing in between and being careful not to burn.
- Pour melted chocolate chips and melted coconut oil into the blender. Then add the maple syrup, warmed almond milk and cacao powder to the blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add in 1/3 of the crushed candy canes to the blender and pulse once or twice, just to mix in the candy canes, not to blend them up.
- Pour fudge mixture into baking dish and smooth out with a spatula. Top with a layer of remaining crushed candy cane pieces.
- Freeze for 3-4 hours, or until fudge has set. Remove from freezer, then remove the entire brick of fudge by lifting up the plastic wrap. Cut into slices or squares (tip: run your knife under hot water before slicing, for cleaner slices).
- Fudge will soften and melt slightly if left out at room temperature. Store remaining fudge in refrigerator (for softer texture) or freezer.
- Enjoy!
Enjoy my loves and Happy Holidays!!
♥
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