This old-fashioned Maple Fudge is made with just 3 ingredients: pure maple syrup, heavy cream, and butter, with no white sugar added. The entire batch costs about $11.69, or just $0.49 per serving, for rich, creamy fudge that tastes like real maple candy.
I’ve been making fudge for years, and this maple version is one of my favorite treats to give at Christmas. Homemade fudge makes a thoughtful addition to holiday gift boxes and dessert trays, especially for anyone who loves the flavor of pure maple syrup.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Just 3 ingredients. Pure maple syrup, heavy cream and butter.
- No white sugar. All the sweetness comes from maple syrup, so the flavor is deep and true.
- Classic holiday gift. It keeps up to 2 weeks at room temperature, so you can make it ahead of the holiday rush.
- Old-fashioned texture. Firm, creamy and melt-in-your-mouth, like the fudge from a New England sugar shack.
Making fudge takes a little patience, but I’ll walk you through each step to help you get the right texture. A candy thermometer is essential for reaching the soft-ball stage, and beating the mixture until it thickens helps create firm, creamy squares that melt in your mouth.
You may also want to try 3 Ingredient Oreo Fudge Recipe, Easy Vanilla Fudge Recipe and Marshmallow Fluff Fudge.
Ingredients
- Pure Maple Syrup. This is the whole flavor of the fudge, so it must be 100% pure maple syrup — pancake syrup won’t set. Darker, robust syrup (formerly Grade B) gives the strongest maple taste. Store brands of pure maple syrup work great and cost less.
- Heavy Cream. The fat in heavy cream is what turns boiled syrup into creamy fudge instead of hard maple candy. Lighter cream or milk has more water, so it takes longer to reach temperature and spatters more when you pour it in.
- Unsalted Butter. Butter adds richness and helps the fudge stay smooth. I use unsalted so the maple flavor stays front and center.
Equipment you’ll need: a candy thermometer, a heavy 4-quart saucepan, an electric hand mixer and an 8×8 pan. The pan will look way too big for 2¼ cups of syrup, but maple syrup foams up to about 3 times its height when it boils. A smaller pot can boil over.
Get the complete list of ingredients at the bottom of the page.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment or foil, leaving some hanging over the sides, and spray with cooking spray.
Step 2. Pour the maple syrup into your 4-quart saucepan and clip on the candy thermometer, making sure the tip sits in the syrup without touching the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 3. Slowly pour in the heavy cream. It will bubble up, so pour carefully. Don’t stir. Stirring now can cause sugar crystals and grainy fudge. Bring it back to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and let it simmer until the thermometer reads 236°F, about 15–20 minutes. As it gets close, the bubbles get smaller, thicker and slower. Take it off the heat the moment it hits 236°F.
Step 4. Once the mixture has reached the correct temperature, remove the pan from the heat. Then add in the butter.
Step 5. Do not stir the butter as it is melting. Allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.
Step 6. Once cool, beat the mixture with an electric mixer for 5 minutes. The mixture should be thick and thoroughly combined. Watch closely: it’s ready when it turns lighter in color, loses its shine and starts to look matte and thick.
Step 7. Quickly spread the fudge into the prepared pan with a spatula or spoon. Gently tap the pan on the counter to settle it and smooth the top.
Step 8. Cover the fudge in plastic wrap. The fudge needs to be refrigerated until fully set. It should take about 2-3 hours. Then carefully remove the fudge from the pan by lifting the parchment paper or foil. Cut the fudge into 24 pieces with a large, sharp knife.
Step 9. Then the fudge is ready to serve and enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Test your thermometer. Put it in boiling water — it should read 212°F. If it reads 210°F, stop the fudge at 234°F instead.
- No thermometer? Drop a little syrup into a glass of cold water. When it forms a soft ball you can squish between your fingers, it’s ready.
- Maple Extract. You can add a few drops of maple extract for added flavor, but you shouldn’t need it.
- Have everything ready before you start. Line the pan and set out the butter and mixer before the syrup goes on. Once the fudge turns matte, you only have a minute or two to spread it.
Mix In Suggestions
Try adding some of these into the fudge.
- Maple Walnut (Vermont-style). Stir in ¾ cup chopped toasted walnuts, then press a few more on top. Toast them in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes first to bring out their flavor and keep them crunchy.
- Pecans. Use toasted chopped pecans the same way.
- Sea Salt. Sprinkle flaky salt on top before it sets.
- Mini Chocolate Chips. Sprinkle on top and press in lightly. Stirred into warm fudge, they’ll melt.
- Mini Marshmallows. Fold in ½ cup at the very end for soft, chewy pockets.
Storage
Store maple fudge in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Layer pieces between parchment so they don’t stick together.
Can You Freeze Fudge? Yes. Wrap it well and store it in a freezer container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge, still wrapped, so condensation doesn’t make the tops sticky.
Making Maple Fudge for Gifts
One batch uses 2¼ cups of pure maple syrup, a little more than half of a 32-ounce jug, so one jug makes almost two batches. Cut the fudge 6 rows by 6 rows instead of into 24 squares and you’ll get 36 bite-size pieces, enough for 6 gift boxes of 6. At about $1.95 per box, it’s much less than buying maple fudge from a candy shop.
FAQs
It didn’t reach 236°F, or it wasn’t beaten long enough to lose its shine. You can scrape it back into the pot with 2 tablespoons of cream, bring it back to 236°F, and beat again.
It cooked past 236°F or was beaten too long. Next time, pull it off the heat the moment it hits temperature.
Stirring while it boils, or sugar crystals on the sides of the pan. Don’t stir after adding the cream, and brush the sides of the pot with a wet pastry brush if crystals form.
No, pancake syrup is mostly corn syrup and won’t set into fudge.
More Fudge Recipes
Maple Fudge is the perfect treat. Make it today with these simple ingredients and leave a comment!
Maple Fudge
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Line an 8X8 baking dish with foil or parchment paper and spray with a non-stick cooking spray for easy removal of the fudge.
- Add the maple syrup in a heavy 4-quart saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring the syrup just to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for approximately 5 minutes.
- Pour in the heavy cream and do not stir it in. Bring the mixture back to a boil and then reduce the heat again and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until the mixture reaches 236 degrees F based on a candy thermometer.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add in the butter but do not stir in. Let the mixture cool for approximately 10 minutes.
- Beat the mixture with a hand held mixer for 5 minutes until it lightens in color and loses its shine.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan into a single layer. Gently tap the pan on the countertop to remove any air bubbles from the mixture.
- Refrigerate until the fudge is fully set (2-3 hours).
- Carefully remove the fudge from the pan by lifting the parchment paper or foil.
- Dice the fudge into 24 pieces with a large, sharp knife.
- Then the fudge is ready to serve and enjoy!
Love this easy recipe! So yummy!