Delicious, creamy, and peanut buttery! Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge can be made quickly and easily!
This fudge can be made in any heavy-bottomed saucepan or Instant Pot.
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Making Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge only requires a few ingredients and takes a little time. In just 10-15 minutes, you can make a batch!
Tips for Making FUDge
Even the most experienced candy makers can have bad batches. The outcome of your candy can be affected by various factors, including humidity and the type of tool you use to stir.
If you follow these tips, you will have an easy time making fudge.
Use a candy thermometer or an accurate thermometer such as the Thermapen Mk4
Stir with a wooden spoon or a utensil made of silicone that is rated for high temperatures.
After the mixture begins to boil, don’t stir.
Prepare your pan and gather your ingredients in advance.
It’s easier to use a candy thermometer than other methods to determine the temperature of your candy. Pour water below the top layer of ice into a glass to test its accuracy. The thermometer should read 32/0 when you place the tip into the middle of the glass.
This can be used as a guide for adjusting the temperature at which you cook fudge if your thermometer doesn’t work or you don’t want to spend the money to replace it. If your thermometer shows 37 instead of 32 on the scale, you should cook the fudge at 245.
A wooden spoon works best for stirring candies. On occasion, I use a scraper for high temperatures from Pampered chef.
Stir the milk and sugars together until they have melted. Sugar crystals can stick to the sides of a pot and grow larger crystals if stirred. This can result in a grainy texture.
It is a good idea for most food preparations to have your ingredients measured out, but it’s necessary when making candy! Having all your ingredients measured and ready to go before you begin making candy is essential.
The temperature is the key to candy making. You might not get the desired texture if your fudge is allowed to cool too much before adding the vanilla because the cabinet you thought was holding it wasn’t there.
What is the best size pan to use
I used a 9×13 pan about the same size as a quarter-pan. It doesn’t matter if mine is a little smaller.
When choosing the pan, you should only consider the thickness of the fudge. If you use a pan measuring 9×13, your fudge will measure about 1″ in thickness.
Your fudge is going to be thinner if you use a larger pan. If your pan is smaller, your fudge will be thicker.
You can still use an oval or round pan if you need a rectangular or square pan. The outside pieces will have rounded edges.
Can I make this recipe without the NINJA FOODI Pressure Cooker or Air Chopper
Absolutely! You only need a pot with a heavy base and a stove. I use a heavy-bottomed pot because thinner pots will burn and scorch the sugar before reaching the temperature.
You will only need to adjust the setting on your stove. When using an electric stove, I’d start on high, then drop to medium or medium-high once the mixture boils.
Remove the pot once the mixture reaches a temperature of 239-240/115 -116. Electric burners heat the pan even when the burners are turned off.
Start with medium or medium-high heat and adjust as necessary.
The other directions are all the same.
How to make old-fashioned peanut butter fudge in the Ninja Foodi
As I said, you should measure all your ingredients before making peanut butter fudge. Once the cooking begins, things will move very quickly.
Spread a little butter on the corners of your pan and line it with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper lightly. Even though the fudge will not stick to parchment paper if you skip the step, I do it anyway.
Add the milk to the Ninja Foodi inner pot. Stir the ingredients together and turn the sear/saute to high.
Continue heating until all the sugars are melted. Stir occasionally to ensure that everything is incorporated correctly. Stop stirring the mixture when it just begins to boil. Let it simmer for a few minutes.
The bubbles will start small and grow. As soon as they begin to grow, I check the temperature. Turn off the heat when the mixture reaches 239-240/115-112.
Remove the inner pot from the oven and place it on a heat-resistant surface. Add the peanut butter and gently stir it until it has melted. Add the vanilla extract, and stir until fully incorporated.
The fudge will start to thicken after about 5 minutes. It takes around 5 minutes.
When I lift the paddle out of the bowl, the fudge will run off the paddle. The fudge should be thick but pourable.
Here’s a short video that shows you what it should look like.
What should your peanut butter fudge mixture look like
No worries if you don’t own a stand mixer. Pour the mixture into a glass dish and mix with a hand mixer or a wooden spoon. You can use a hand mixer to beat the mixture or stir it vigorously with a wooden spoon.
Pour the fudge into the middle of the pan. Spread it evenly. Take a spoon or silicone spatula and lightly go across the top of the fudge to create texture.
Ingredients
Butter for pan only: 1 tsp
1 cup whole milk
2 cups of white sugar
Brown sugar, 2 cups
Acceptable grind sea salt, 1 tsp
Half a cup of creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Spread a small amount of butter on the bottom and line it with parchment. The butter is to help the parchment paper stay in place.
Add the sugars and salt to the pot or inner pot of Ninja Foodi. Stir the mixture together while turning the stove to medium-high or the Ninja Foodi to high sear/saute. Stir occasionally as you heat the mix for a few moments to melt the sugar.
Once the sugar mixture starts to boil, don’t stir it and let it cook until the temperature reaches 239-240degF/115-116degC, and then turn the heat off. This will take about 5-10 min.
Remove the pot or inner pot of the Ninja Foodi from the stove and place it on a heat-resistant surface. Add the peanut butter, stir gently to melt it, and mix it with sugar/milk. Add the vanilla and combine.
Pour the mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer. You can also use a hand mixer or a wooden spoon. Use the paddle attachment and beat the fudge at medium speed for 5 minutes. The fudge will thicken and cool down as a result. When I lift the paddle after turning off the mixer, I watch the speed of the fudge falling off the paddle. You need to beat it longer if the fudge is dashing. The fudge should be thick enough to pour but not runny. For more information, see the video posted in this post.
Spread the fudge evenly in the center of the pan. Let it cool down for 1 to 2 hours. Cut into squares. Serve & Enjoy!
