White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Recipe

Whether you’re looking for a fun holiday gift or just a way to treat your family, this white chocolate peppermint fudge recipe is a classic.

I was so surprised to read that it’s believed fudge originated from Baltimore, Maryland!

I may be a Florida girl now, but I’m originally from the Old Line State. I still make Maryland crab dip and Old Bay crab cakes, both recipes from my home state, and both delicious!

This fudge is rich and creamy, but with the refreshing taste of mint. It is one of those dishes that feels like it should be complicated, but it really is an easy recipe for the holiday season.

The red and white colors are ideal for the winter months, making this a great homemade Christmas gift for family or friends.

The only problem is that this festive fudge tastes so good it may be hard to give it away! You’ll want to make extra to get through the holiday months.

If you also love all things peppermint this time of year, be sure to check out these Christmas Peppermint Brownies, Double Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies, and these to die for Peppermint Mocha Cookies.

Why We Love this Recipe

This white chocolate fudge recipe takes only a few ingredients and minimal prep time. That can be your little secret, though, because it is so rich and luxurious that everyone will think you spent a lot of time on this homemade fudge.

All of the ingredients are easy to obtain at your local grocery store. For some added gift-giving pizazz, pick up some holiday-themed boxes to give slices of fudge away. 

Most of the time needed for this recipe is just chilling it in the fridge. Just mix this up and then write out those holiday cards or wrap some gifts while you wait. Yay for multi-tasking during this busy time of year!

What Goes Into This Fudge

Creamy, sweet, and minty, there are not a lot of ingredients needed to whip up this white chocolate peppermint fudge recipe.

Key Ingredients

White chocolate chips. It wouldn’t be fudge without a chocolaty base. In this case, it’s white chocolate chips that provide that creamy fudge starter.

Sweetened condensed milk. To make your white chocolate fudge even more creamy, sweetened condensed milk is a must. Without it, basically you’re just making a chocolate bar. 

Mint extract and candies. It would be impossible to have minty fudge without the mint. The peppermint flavor comes from both mint extract and peppermint candies. 

See recipe card for quantities and full directions. 

How to Make White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

With only a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time, it doesn’t get much easier than this fudge recipe!

Step 1: Prepare an 8×8 inch square baking dish by lining it with parchment paper, and set aside.

Step 2: Add the condensed milk to the chocolate chips in a glass bowl.

Step 3: Heat the sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate chips in the glass bowl over water in a double boiler over medium heat until they start to melt.

You can also do this in a regular pan with just a few inches of water covering the bottom of the bowl.

Step 4: Fold in half of the crushed mints or crushed candy canes, peppermint extract, and salt. Stir until combined.

Step 5: Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan. Use a rubber spatula to make sure the fudge is even and smooth.

Step 6: Sprinkle the rest of the crushed mint candy pieces on top of the fudge.

Step 7: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set (about 1 hour). Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

📖 Variations

Any of these variations would make a great holiday gift!

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge. Love the richness of dark chocolate when it mixes with the chill of peppermint? Simply swap out the white chocolate chips for dark chocolate ones and keep everything else the same.

Rocky Road Marshmallow Fudge. Prepare the fudge as above, but omit the mint extract and peppermint candies and swap the white chocolate chips for milk chocolate chips.

Once the fudge is put into the pan, but before it sets, swirl in a half a cup of marshmallow creme. Top with mini marshmallows and a few more chocolate chips, and then chill until set. 

Mint Oreo Fudge. Instead of topping with crushed peppermint candies, use crumbled mint Oreo cookies on top. They add a great texture and a wonderful chocolate-mint flavor. 

Cranberry Bliss Fudge. Replace the mint extract with orange extract, and stir in ½ cup of dried, sweetened cranberries instead of the crushed mint candies. Top with chopped walnuts or pecans before chilling. This is another one that’s perfect for holiday parties!

FAQs

Top Tips

Keep a close eye on the chocolate while you are melting it. If you’re using a double boiler method, make sure that you have enough water in the bottom of your double boiler so that it doesn’t boil off.

Also, keep an eye on the chocolate to make sure that it melts but doesn’t burn. If you feel it starting to stick to the pan, remove it from the heat. 

Don’t have an actual double boiler? Use a fondue pot! If you have a fondue pot lying around, it is a great way to slowly melt the chocolate without the setup of a double boiler.

Add colorful swirls for a festive look. Want to make your fudge even more festive? Once it’s in the baking pan, but before you chill it, drip a couple drops of food coloring on the top of the fudge. Use a knife to gently swirl the food coloring into the fudge, leaving ribbons of color throughout.

This fudge makes such a nice way to say thank you to those who serve us all year long, like our mail delivery person, trash pick up, and people we hire throughout the year. We love food gifts for Christmas!

I’d love to know what you think of this easy white chocolate peppermint fudge. If you make it, please give it a rating. Thank you!

More Sweet Holiday Treats

Christmas Desserts Around the World

Christmas Dessert Dip

Christmas Peppermint Brownies