Wonderfully sweet, delightfully gooey, this is without question the best chocolate fudge recipe made without condensed milk (and sugar!) you’re ever going to have! Feel free to indulge yourself with this vegan fudge without any guilt or second guessing.
Despite the face that traditional fudge is delightfully sweet, it comes with a few problems.
First, it can be slightly complicated and messy to make – especially if you don’t have a candy thermometer. Cooking it for too long, or too hot can result in a horrible mess.
Second, since the primary ingredients in fudge are typically sugar, butter, milk, or in some cases condensed milk, it is not a vegan friendly treat, nor is the enormous sugar content going to do your body much good.
This vegan fudge recipe is a fantastic and satisfying alternative to a traditional chocolate fudge.
- It is 100% plant-based (if you are careful to use vegan chocolate).
- Instead of using cups and cups of processed white sugar, you’ll be using healthy, nutritious and oh so tasty Medjool dates, thus reaping the healthy rewards of a whole food.
- Instead of feeling a sugar low after a sugar high, this fudge will boost your energy!
Ingredients for the Best Healthy Chocolate Fudge
To make the best chocolate fudge you’ve ever tried, gather the following ingredients:
- dairy-free chocolate chips, or your choice of chocolate chopped up into small pieces,
- chopped Medjool dates,
- tahini paste,
- coconut oil,
- coconut milk (the solid part),
- vanilla extract,
- sea salt
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a healthy fudge treat! What makes this simple fudge recipe wonderfully delicious and nutritious are the medjool dates, coconut oil and a surprising ingredient: tahini paste.
Though perhaps not the first ingredient you’d think about including when making fudge, tahini gives this vegan fudge recipe a very creamy, and slightly nutty flavor.
Like coconut oil, tahini is highly nutritious, full of healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and is rich in antioxidants.
Medjool dates differ from regular dates in that they are sweeter, softer, and squishier. They’re also chock-full of dietary fiber, vitamins, and key minerals such as calcium and potassium.
Because of their sweetness and texture they work perfectly for healthy fudge with the added bonus of an instant energy boost.
For another quick, energy boosting treat, try these vegan peanut butter energy balls.
Since they are also made with Medjool dates, they are packed with the perfect amount of sweetness to satisfy a craving, are gluten-free, and are a perfectly chewy on-the-go snack.
How to Make the Best Chocolate Fudge Recipe
This is such a simple fudge recipe you’ll be able to whip it up in a matter of minutes (check the chocolate fudge web story for quick step-by-step instructions).
Make sure everything is at room temperature and then combine all the ingredients into a pot and cook on low heat until the chocolate is melted.
Keep in mind that the heat is not too high, nor cook the mixture for too long otherwise it will curdle.
Line a 12 x 7 baking dish, evenly distribute the chocolate mixture and sprinkle with sea salt. Depending on how quickly you’d like to enjoy chocolate fudge you have two options:
- Place the pan in the freezer for about 30 minutes,
or
- Place the pan in the fridge for two hours.
If you’re feeling generous, slice up the chocolate fudge, wrap it in a bit of wax paper and gift it to somebody precious to you. I assure you they’re going to feel loved!
Another yummy Christmas gift idea are these three decadent and creamy chocolate truffle variations or healthy no-bake granola bars or flavorful salted caramel candied walnuts.
Why This Recipe Works
Here are some great reasons why this is the best chocolate fudge recipe:
- It’s an easy fudge recipe without condensed milk.
- Thanks to Medjool dates, it’s low in sugar and full of energy.
- You have no need for a candy thermometer.
- 100% plant-based.
- Healthy and nutritious.
- Quick and easy to prepare.
- There are minimal ingredients.
- Enjoy a guilt-free, energy boosting snack.
- It contains healthy fats that can even help you burn fat!
- Chocolate fudge is a wonderful chocolate lover gift idea.
Cook’s Tips
- This vegan fudge makes for a great holiday dessert, along with vegan truffles, candied walnuts and German Christmas cookies.
- Before you start making the fudge, make sure all the ingredients are are at room temperature.
- Cook the mixture on low to medium heat stirring constantly and remove it from the stove when the chocolate is fully melted. Don’t overcook it!
- For quicker cooling, place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- You can freeze this vegan fudge for up to 1 month or refrigerate for up to 7 days.
- Use a smaller dish if you want your chocolate fudge to be thicker.
- For another quick and nutritious treat try these vegan chocolate peanut butter energy balls.
Recipe Variations
- Replace sea salt topping with dried lavender, chopped nuts or more chocolate chips.
- Add chopped walnuts or pecans after the mixture is cooked for a little crunch.
- Peanut butter can be substituted for tahini paste.
Here is the recipe video and full instructions for this chocolate fudge recipe. If you don’t see the video, disable your AdBlock for this page by clicking on the AdBlock button and selecting Don’t run on this page.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe, and if so, make sure to give it a 5-star rating! I really appreciate your feedback!
Best Chocolate Fudge Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 oz or 400 g 70% dairy-free chocolate chips or chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- 8 medjool dates pitted and chopped
- 3 tablespoons tahini paste
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ cup coconut milk the solid part
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Sea salt to garnish
Instructions
- In a medium pot, add chopped chocolate or chocolate chips, pitted dates, tahini paste, coconut oil, coconut milk and vanilla extract. All the ingredients should be at a room temperature. Cook over low heat until all the chocolate is melted. Don’t overcook the mixture, otherwise it will curdle.
- Line a 12x7 baking dish or equivalent with parchment paper and evenly distribute the chocolate mixture. Sprinkle with sea salt. Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours. Take out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chocolate fudge is a wonderful chocolate lover gift idea.
Cook’s Tips
- Before you start making the fudge, make sure all the ingredients are are at room temperature.
- Cook the mixture on low to medium heat stirring constantly and remove it from the stove when the chocolate is fully melted. Don't overcook it!
- For quicker cooling, place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- You can freeze this vegan fudge for up to 1 month or refrigerate for up to 7 days.
- Use a smaller dish if you want your chocolate fudge to be thicker.
- For another quick and nutritious treat try these vegan chocolate peanut butter energy balls.
Recipe Variations
- Replace sea salt topping with dried lavender, chopped nuts or more chocolate chips.
- Add chopped walnuts or pecans after the mixture is cooked for a little crunch.
- Peanut butter can be substituted for tahini paste.
Michelle
Sunday 31st of March 2024
Was asked to bring a dessert, preferably vegan, to a dinner, so searched the internet and found this recipe. My semi-sweet chocolate chips weren't vegan but followed the recipe on everything else. My chopped Medjools didn't disappear in the cooking so I decided to add walnuts since there would already be some 'texture', and sprinkled with flaked sea salt after it had cooled somewhat. EVERYone loved this fudge, and NO one guessed it was outside the ordinary. This will definitely be my go-to fudge recipe from now on! Delicious, and thank you!
Elena Szeliga
Sunday 7th of April 2024
Great, Michelle! Thank you for your lovely feedback! :)
Elizabeth
Tuesday 6th of June 2023
Hello, just letting you know I believe there’s an error in the ingredients list... 7oz of chocolate should only be 200grams, not 400. Changes the flavor and consistency quite a bit doing 400 vs 200.
Elena Szeliga
Monday 26th of June 2023
You are right, it was an error. Thanks for letting me know! I'll correct it asap
Joy
Sunday 20th of September 2020
Hi, what is the solid part of coconut milk?
Elena Szeliga
Sunday 20th of September 2020
Hi Joy, you can put a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight and the cream will separate from the water. When you are ready to use it, carefully open it and the solid part will be on top. Use the water for other recipes (e.g. smoothies). Hoe that helps! Let me know how the fudge turned out for you :)
Laura
Tuesday 19th of November 2019
I just made this and it's sooo good! Using unsweetened baking chocolate, at first I didn't think it would turn out sweet enough, but with the dates and coconut cream and everything, it actually was the perfect sweetness! Lately I've been trying to find some sugar-free dessert recipes to make at thanksgiving, and I hate using artificial sweeteners like a lot of sugar-free recipes do, so I'm so happy to have stumbled upon this gem! I'm not sure how it would taste with medjool dates, since I only had deglet, but after softening them up in hot water for a little bit, the deglets seemed to work just fine!
Elena Szeliga
Tuesday 19th of November 2019
Hi Laura, thank you for your kind feedback! I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe! I don't use artificial sweeteners either, so dates are surely a lifesaver!
Alison
Wednesday 23rd of October 2019
Ack! Ignore my question. I just saw that it needs to be frozen or fridged. Sorry!
Elena Szeliga
Thursday 24th of October 2019
No worries :) I hope you enjoy the recipe! Please let me know how it turned out :P