Brown Sugar Fudge (Penuche)
This old-fashioned fudge recipe is made with brown sugar and has a rich caramel-like flavor and a little crunch of toasted walnuts. Brown sugar fudge (also called penuche) is delicious and irresistible!
Who doesn’t like fudge? I’m willing to bet that no one out there is raising their hand in answer to that question. Chocolate fudge is the clear frontrunner when it comes to fudge, but this brown sugar fudge is a very close second! It’s smooth, rich and sweet, with a smoky caramel flavor that you’re sure to love.
I love to included toasted walnuts, but you can leave them out if you prefer. This brown sugar fudge recipe is simple to follow and well worth the effort. It’s perfect for Christmas and holiday parties and gifting!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here’s all the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this brown sugar fudge (full recipe at the end of this article):
baking tip:Why use evaporated milk in fudge?
Yes, you need a candy thermometer!
But don’t let that scare you away. Candy thermometers are actually super awesome, because they tell you exactly when to move on to the next step. There’s no ambiguity, and no need to guess when it’s ready.
Candy thermometers are very affordable and can be found at most department stores and baking supply stores, or you buy online. You can use a traditional mercury thermometer or a digital candy thermometer. I’ve used both over the years but prefer the accuracy of digital thermometers.
How to make brown sugar fudge
- Cook brown sugar, evaporated milk, and butter. Add to a heavy-bottomed pot and use a thermometer and cook to 238°F, stirring frequently. Keep an eye on it so you don’t over-cook it!
- Beat and add powdered sugar. Pour the mixture into a heat-proof bowl and add vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer while adding powdered sugar gradually.
- Add walnuts (if you want!). When all of the powdered sugar has been added, stir in the walnuts.
- Spread into pan. Immediately dumb the mixture into a 8-inch square pan.
- Let cool. This will take about 30-60 minutes.
- Slice. This brown sugar fudge is rich so I recommend cutting into small squares (I did 36 squares).
Tips for making brown sugar fudge
- This fudge needs to be cooked to 238°F to set up properly. However, if you live above sea level, you will need to adjust the temperature down 2°F for every 1,000 feet as water evaporates quicker at higher altitude. (I only cooked mine to 230°F as I live at about 4,000 feet in Utah.)
- 238°F is known as “soft ball stage”, meaning it’s the temperature at which candy will form into a soft ball when a little bit of it is spooned into a cup of ice water. If you don’t have a thermometer, or want a second verification that the fudge has been properly cooked, this is how you do it!
- If your fudge is crumbly, it’s likely that you cooked the sugar mixture too long and too much moisture evaporated. Watch your temperature carefully, and keep your stovetop on medium heat so it heats gradually and you can catch it before it’s over-cooked.
- I recommend using a hand-held mixer if you can. I don’t currently own one, oops! I used a stand mixer and paddle attachment and it worked okay, but I like results better when I use a hand-held mixer.
- Adding nuts is optional, but if you plan to use them I recommend toasting the nuts in the oven first. You can do this under the broiler in just a few minutes, keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn, and stirring a few times. Walnuts are more typical, but pecans would be great too!
- Store fudge in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or more.
More candy recipes to try
- Salted Caramel Nut Brittle
- Peppermint Fudge (Frango Mint Chocolates)
- Salted Chocolate Truffles
- English Toffee
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This recipe was originally published October 2013.
Brown Sugar Fudge
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons evaporated milk (150 ml)
- 2 cups packed light or dark brown sugar (425 grams)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter , cut into cubes (170 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar , sifted (130 grams)
- ¾ cup toasted walnuts , chopped (optional) (85 grams)
Instructions
- Combine the evaporated milk, brown sugar, butter, and salt in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring until smooth. Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until a candy thermometer reaches 238°F (see Notes).
- Remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl. Add the vanilla and combine with a hand-held mixer. Add the powdered sugar in small additions while continuing to beat with the mixer. Mix until smooth. Add the walnuts and mix until just combined.
- Spread the fudge into an ungreased 8-inch square pan (line with parchment or wax paper if you like). Let cool completely, about 1 hour, or chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Slice with a sharp knife. Store fudge in an air-tight container for several days.
Notes
Notes
- Temperature will need to be adjusted if you live at high altitude. Decrease temperature by 2°F for every 1,000ft of elevation. I live in Utah at over 4,000ft and cooked my sugar to 230°F.
- If you do not have a hand-held mixer, you can also use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. I’m sure you can also mix by hand with a little bit of elbow grease.
- To toast walnuts, spread in a single layer on a sheet pan and set under the broiler for 1-3 minutes, stirring at least once. Keep a very close eye on the walnuts so they don’t burn, and pull them from the oven when they are fragrant and start to turn lightly brown.
This looks so easy, I have never made fudge before but now I think I have a bit more confidence to try it.
Oh my goodness! This looks absolutely perfect 🙂
Haha – have a plan in place – I definitely need a plan when it comes to fudge, because I’d eat the whole thing, too!
I’m always making plain old chocolate fudge… these are going on my Chrsitmas bake list
Saving and pinning, I need to try this fudge.
This looks delish!! One question thou… am I reading this right… you measure the powdered sugar BEFORE sifting it?
Nope, you sift it after. If a direction is mentioned after a comma, you should do it after measuring. “Sifted powdered sugar” vs. “Powdered sugar, sifted”. Hope that makes sense! 🙂
So, what she said. You measure then sift.
Finally… I make Carmel icing and we always fight over the bowl. Now we can share a pan of fudge. Just like the Carmel icing I make but in fudge form. Thank you
Used my candy thermometer to the correct temp., but i think i beat it too long. There was a point, before 5 minutes, that it changed consistency from smooth to clumpy/falling apart!
My Dad used to make this, and his recipe had only brown sugar, no powdered so… perhaps this had too much powdered sugar, or didn’t need it at all!
The flavor was tasty, but it was dry and fell apart easily when cut.
Notes to myself for improvement?
Use regular salted butter, but omit the extra salt.
I used pecans instead of walnuts.
Next time I will try heavy cream instead of evap milk.
Lessen the amount of powdered sugar, or omit and add more brown!
Beat for less time… maybe 3 minutes, 4 max.
Possibly increase vanilla to about 1 tsp.
🙂
I’m sorry you had trouble with this recipe, and it sounds like you beat the fudge for too long. Perhaps I need to amend the instructions. I think if you use heavy cream and no powdered sugar, you’d end up with something more like caramels than fudge. If you do try it with some modifications, let me know how it turns out!
I have always made penuche fudge with just brown sugar and heavy cream.
I am going to try this recipe and see which one my family likes best. I may have a new fudge recipe!
I make brown sugar fudge at least once a week. I use butter milk brown sugar and add peanut butter after it forms a soft ball. It is very creamy and taste absolutely amazing. I’ve made it so much that I don’t even measure.
You were right about the thermometer because I didn’t use it the first time I made this fudge, it came out too soft. But second time making this fudge with the thermometer make a perfect fudge! Thank you! It’s so tempting… I’m giving it out… 🙂
Love this receipe- have been making this fudge for about 10 yrs now- is there a chocolate version???
We made this last night. My husband was looking for the candy that his grandmother used to make. Naturally, he couldn’t remember if it was caramel or toffee, and never mentioned fudge, but he had some of the ingredients in mind. After a few misses with caramel and toffee recipes, this was it! It came out perfect. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the comment Erika!
Hoping you will see this question. Is the brown sugar “packed” or simply spooned into measuring cup to full? I’m guessing if you meant packed, you’d have said packed, but thought I’d ask before attempting this recipe. I’m definitely a pecan kind of girl. I rarely use walnuts, just have never liked the flavor. Thank you!
Brown sugar should always be packed when measured, even if the recipe doesn’t specify it. Sorry for the confusion!
Thanks!
Is there a way to make a chocolate version of this recipe? I was thinking of adding cocoa, but don’t know what quantity, any thoughts?
Hi, John! I’m sure there is a chocolate version out there somewhere, but I’m not sure what changes you would need to make to the recipe. Just adding cocoa without adjusting anything else is probably not a good idea. Sorry I’m not more help! Maybe try searching google?
Mine isnt wanting to get hard ive had it in the fridge for over a hr even tried to put it in the freezer and still nothing there’s a harder type covering over the top but the bottom still seems really soft 🙁 spelt amazin when I was cooking it tho
Sorry to hear you had trouble! Perhaps you didn’t cook the sugar to the correct temperature?
Mom used 2 tablespoons of cocoa without adjusting anything else and it was delish….as for the fudge she called it the 5 minute fudge recepie …same ingredients …but didnt use themometer …it was once the first boil bubble appears u time 4 minutes exactly stiring twice then take off heat add icing sugar and extract and with mixer… mix exactly one minute. never missed a batch! Christmas favorite which i continue the tradition every year…
This turned out perfect by following the easy directions. My mom used to make this and it tastes exactly the same. The good news is that there is no corn syrup in this recipe which means no GMOs!! Thank you for sharing it!!
what is the purpose of the confectioners sugar in this recipe?
In the brown sugar fudge, what sugar to use light or dark brown sugar.
You can use either, depending on your preference.
Wow! Cooked for a living for the better part of 30 years, never tried making any candy.Super easy recipe, changed things around a little, e.g. used salted butter, left out the salt, and cut the confectioners sugar to 1c (’cause 1 3/4 seemed like overkill). That said, it came out perfect, and it’s frighteningly good!
….yup :^)
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the fudge. Thanks Dave!
My dad’s nanny made a version of this with brown sugar, butter, vanilla, sweetened condensed milk and black walnuts. She called it 5 Pound Loaf. Her batches were large, and as it cooked, she had a hard time mixing it, so, my grandpa invented a heavy duty mixing paddle that fit his electric drill. She’s been gone many years and we have missed her 5 Pound Loaf. Glad to find this recipe for a much smaller serving.
Execellent Penuche fudge recipe. I have made it for years with cream. This recipe is just as good!
Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe! It sure beats the “hand beating” of many years ago. It’s absolutely DELICIOUS!
can I please query the amount of confectioners sugar? recipe states 1 3/4 cup or 198g. I measured and weighed and 3/4 of a cup is about 198g . 1 and 3/4 cups is over the 360g. Can I ask which is it meant to be. I am in Australia, and as far as I know confectioners sugar is what we call icing sugar. Please help.
Thanks Kathy
Confectioners sugar is the same as icing sugar or powdered sugar. For weight measurements on my site I use and trust the amounts provided by King Arthur Flour on this ingredient weight chart. I just ran the numbers again and 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar equals 198 grams. I even tested it with my own scale and got 204 grams, which is a very minor difference. Hope this helps!
How much powdered sugar?
I had a few minutes and all the ingredients so I made a batch…just for fun. OMG!! It’s so good that I’m going to hide it and not share it with my family!!
Thank you so much for sharing.
Wow!! I LOVE this recipe…so much easier than other recipes I have tried. I really enjoy this kind of fudge ever since a child when my mom made it. The creamiest to be sure… This is a winner.
My mom, God rest her soul, used to make this. Thank you.
Why transfer into heat proof bowl? Thanks
Because the candy will be very hot! I like to use glass pyrex bowls as they can handle the change in temperature, cold to hot, etc. without cracking.
Yes this fudge sure brought back childhood memories for me. I love it!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Mine came out wonderfully!!! ☺☺????
This recipe is a keeper. Powdered sugar makes it very creamy. Thanks for the idea.
Yay! So happy to hear you like the recipe, thanks for the feedback. 🙂
I made this recipe using maple sugar as a replacement for brown sugar. It is to die for! Super easy as it was my first attempt at fudge.
Great recipe! Very easy to follow, and the flavor is a delicious sort of maple. I did pecans instead of walnuts (as I didn’t have any on hand), and toasting them before hand did make a great difference!
Thank you so much for this recipe.
I make it for my boss 3 to 4 times a month. He’s addicted!! It’s not only delicious it’s so easy!!!
Can you freeze this fudge and if so how long will it keep frozen?
Yummy
Turned out great.
Thank you for sharing.
Close to my grammas’ recipe. So so good!! Thanks