If you love fudge and all things pumpkin, this easy pumpkin pie fudge recipe needs to be on your radar. Great for fall and of course, Thanksgiving, it’s a delicious finger food dessert for your fall table.
We have a sweet tooth for pumpkin desserts around here. Some of our favorites, besides this pumpkin fudge of course, include Pumpkin Roll cake, Pumpkin Lasagna, and this amazing Pumpkin Magic Cake!
Easy Pumpkin Pie Fudge
This easy pumpkin fudge recipe takes very little effort to make, and pays off big in the taste department! It also makes a great recipe to serve at holiday potlucks or other gatherings.
Ingredients needed for Easy Pumpkin Pie Fudge
You likely have most of the ingredients needed for this fudge in your pantry right now. You can even make your own marshmallow fluff if you prefer!
- Whenever I make desserts, I stick with unsalted butter, but salted butter will work as well.
- Use regular white granulated sugar for this fudge.
- This recipe calls for evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk!
- You only need a cup of canned pumpkin, so be sure to check out our other pumpkin recipes to use up the rest, or double the batch.
- There’s a little bit of light corn syrup in this recipe, but you only live once.
- We use pre-made purchased pumpkin pie spice. But if you have a favorite homemade mixture, go for it!
- Regular bagged white chocolate chips are fine for this, but I usually use Ghirardelli.
- Get a container of marshmallow fluff. Again, you only live once.
- Don’t forget the pure vanilla extract.
The hardest part of making this pumpkin pie fudge is waiting for it to cool! It’s worth the wait though. If you don’t let it cool completely, it will taste very sweet and be too soft. Have patience, and use the fridge.
Quick Tip Before You Begin
- There is a main culprit when it comes to fudge that isn’t hardening. When you make fudge you have to reach a certain temperature on the candy thermometer, BUT you also have to have the flame adjusted correctly. If you cook it too fast (too high a flame) enough water won’t evaporate and the fudge won’t set. If you have the flame too low it will take too long to reach temperature, causing too much water to evaporate and leaving you with dried out fudge.
- The recipe states to begin over medium heat and after all the ingredients are combined, then you increase the heat to medium-high. This is important to reach the correct consistency and to reach the right temperature within 10-20 minutes. If it took less than that time to reach temperature then likely your flame was too high and it cooked too fast.
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Fudge
- Line a 9×9 baking dish with aluminum foil so that there’s extra hanging over all four edges to use as handles. Lightly coat foil with cooking spray.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Stir in the sugar, milk, pumpkin, corn syrup, and pumpkin pie spice and increase heat to medium-high.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until a candy thermometer reads 235 degrees F (soft-ball stage). This can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on your interpretation of “medium-high” heat.
- Remove pan from heat. Stir in white chocolate, marshmallow fluff, and vanilla until well blended.
- Pour hot fudge mixture into the prepared pan. Let stand 2 hours or until completely cool.
- Refrigerate for one hour before cutting fudge into squares.
More Thanksgiving Desserts
- If you are a pumpkin pie purist, check out my perfect pumpkin pie recipe.
- If you prefer cake over pie, check out my pumpkin magic cake recipe – it’s another easy one because it’s a doctored cake mix recipe!
- For those who just want a good cake recipe, try making pumpkin cake.
- Are spreads and dips more your thing? Have some whipped pumpkin butter!
- I haven’t forgotten the cheesecake lovers! Dig into some pumpkin cheesecake with rum whipped topping.
- Pumpkin-y sweets aren’t just for dessert; have some for breakfast with pumpkin oatmeal pancakes.
- Wash down all those other treats with a caffeine free pumpkin spice drink!
- Pumpkin hand pies are sweet little fall treats for individual sharing.
Easy Pumpkin Pie Fudge
Soft, creamy fudge with all the flavors of your favorite pumpkin pie. A sweet way to usher in fall.
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItServings: 64 squares
3 hours 30 minutes
Calories: 94
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 3 cups sugar
- ⅔ cup evaporated milk 5-oz can
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 9 oz white chocolate chips 1 1/3 cups
- 7 oz marshmallow fluff
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Before You Begin
- This fudge is sweet. If you prefer desserts that aren’t overly sweet, you can add 1/4 teaspoon salt OR use salted butter instead of unsalted.
- Be sure to let the fudge cool completely and then chill in for a few hours for best results.
- There is a main culprit when it comes to fudge that isn’t hardening. When you make fudge you have to reach a certain temperature on the candy thermometer, BUT you also have to have the flame adjusted correctly. If you cook it too fast (too high a flame) enough water won’t evaporate and the fudge won’t set. If you have the flame too low it will take too long to reach temperature, causing too much water to evaporate and leaving you with dried out fudge.
- The recipe states to begin over medium heat and after all the ingredients are combined, then you increase the heat to medium-high. This is important to reach the correct consistency and to reach the right temperature within 10-20 minutes. If it took less than that time to reach temperature then likely your flame was too high and it cooked too fast.
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 baking dish with aluminum foil so that there's extra hanging over all four edges to use as handles. Lightly coat foil with cooking spray.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Stir in the sugar, milk, pumpkin, corn syrup, and pumpkin pie spice and increase heat to medium-high.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until a candy thermometer reads 235 degrees F (soft-ball stage). This can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on your interpretation of "medium-high" heat.
- Remove pan from heat. Stir in white chocolate, marshmallow fluff, and vanilla until well blended.
- Pour hot fudge mixture into the prepared pan. Let stand 2 hours or until completely cool.
- Refrigerate for one hour before cutting fudge into squares.
Nutrition
Serving: 1square | Calories: 94cal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 670IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Follow on Pinterest @AmandasCookin or tag #AmandasCookin!
This post originally appeared here on Oct 15, 2015.
Amanda Davis
President at Amanda's Creative Studio, Inc.
Amanda Davis is the entrepreneurial mom of four grown children and four step children. She and her husband, Chef Antoine, love to cook together creating recipes for this blog. Amanda also make kid's crafts and creates decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years. She is also a craft book author five times over and product developer as well as the owner of FunFamilyCrafts.com. You can find her on social media by using the buttons to the left!
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Nichole says
Can I use regular marshmallows melted down?
Amanda Davis says
We don’t recommend just melted marshmallows. You can either buy Marshmallow Fluff or you van make a homemade version -> https://www.spendwithpennies.com/homemade-marshmallow-fluff/
Jennifer says
What can I use if I don’t have Corn syrup
Amanda Formaro says
Corn syrup keeps the sugar in the fudge from crystalizing. You could try honey, but I must preface this by saying i have not tested that.
Lauren S. says
I will say I used fat free evaporated milk, white chips, salted butter, no candy thermometer (used the method of dropping in cold water to test) and mine set fine. Idk how much it tastes like pumpkin.. but it was my first time ever making fudge and I’d say I did good!
Lauren S. says
Oh and I used maple syrup (not real maple syrup, Mrs Butterworth type) bc I had no corn syrup!
Marcy says
Way too sweet and didn’t like the texture with the marshmallow fluff (crème). But it was an experience and I think I know what I need to do to tweak it and make it a different texture and cut back at least half the sweetness. Thanks for sharing the recipe Amanda :)
Samantha says
Is there a substitution for corn syrup I can use?
Amber Miller says
I just made this recipe and it set no problem… The issue might be the type of white chips. I find when i use real white chocolate with cocoa butter it always sets but when i use something with palm oil or something similar (not cocoa butter) it never sets (any fudge). (I think it’s actually the ^ of oil)
At any rate hopefully my husband likes this fudge. I used to make one using toll house pumpkin flavored chips but they changed it to pumpkin truffles and i couldn’t ever get it to set.
Frankie says
I made a double batch and it set fine and came out perfect. I have made this numerous times and give to co-workers who rave about it. Tips: candy thermometers are notoriously off. I use a glass one clipped on side of pot but also use a digital when near 235. I found I had to go to 245 on the glass one when the digital read 235. It is a good 20 minutes at least and stirring is important. I find when bubbles become really large and it just begins pulling, its ready. Use real fluff…for a double batch, I use 1 large container. I think a lot of those who say its not setting use marshmallow creme, which may be much trickier. Use pure 100% pumpkin, only. Use regular evaporated whole milk…not lite or not condensed milk.People who love this fudge…really love this fudge. Thanks for the great recipe Amanda!
Dawn Dukes says
Love this fudge… I was told it tasted exactly like pumpkin pie. I also like this fudge because it’s not overly sweet. The first time I made it I used a whole can of pumpkin and it was still very tasty, the second time it didn’t set because I didn’t cook it long enough. You can’t always trust a candy thermometer. The third time I made it.. it came out perfect. I cooked it for 20 minutes exactly and Candy thermometer read 235 F I stirred mine constantly the whole time. You basically know that’s it’s almost done when it starts pulling away from the sides of your pot like a “soft ball” I read review that said they used marshmallow Creme and that’s exactly what I used and it came out perfect. I used Walmart brand marshmallow Creme.
I also used full fat evaporated milk. There’s a low fat and a 2% that you can get, but I noticed the full fat works best.
I’m going to be making this fudge regularly for the holidays. Just know that if someone doesn’t like pumpkin pie, but they still like the taste of pumpkin, they will not like this recipe. Make a pumpkin cake, pumpkin cookies or pumpkin bread for them. This fudge is what it says…
Pumpkin pie fudge.
Paige says
Flavor was good but never completely set up like fudge. Was more of a stringy taffy.
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds like the temperature of the candy did not get where it needed to be.
Ann says
Did not set for me ither. We all must be doing somthing in common. Thermometer was high enough 235. Wonder what happened doubled the batch and it didnt set, been in the fridge all night
Ughh:/
Marjie Keller says
When it comes to fudge, you can have issues when you double it. I make a lot of fudge for Christmas gifts and I have not had good results doing double batches.
Maria LeBlanc says
I bought pumpkin pie filling instead of puree, can I use this instead?
Amanda Formaro says
Pumpkin pie filling is different – it contains all the spices, water, sugar, and salt. So it wouldn’t work for this fudge. I’m sorry! :(
Jamie says
Mine sid not set up :( the flavor is amazing but it will have to go in the trash. Any tips?
Amanda Formaro says
Did you use a candy thermometer? it takes a while for the fudge to get to the right temperature.
Julie says
I boiled it for 30 minutes and mine didn’t set up either. I did use a candy thermometer. It does taste good but I can’t serve it as fudge. I will try to salvage it by using it as the center of truffles. It is a lot more work than I planned on. In fact, it was a lot more work than the chocolate fudge I usually make to start with.
Amanda Formaro says
I’m sorry you had trouble. Cooking fudge can be tricky. Without being in your kitchen with you I’m not sure what could have gone wrong.
Alex H. says
I made this, very easy to do. Very tasty. Everyone loved it. Cheers.
Donna Kane says
Hi Amanda…Was wondering if you used granulated sugar or powdered sugar….
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Donna! Granulated sugar :)
Chris Money says
I made it turned out awesome! I made enough to last all year round. Ty for the recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
That’s awesome Chris, so glad you liked it!! :)
Kathie Getz says
Hi Amanda. I made the
Pumpkin pie fudge. Mine did not set up. What did I do wrong? I followed the recipe but I used marsmallow creme instead of Fluff. Could that have made a difference?
Amanda Formaro says
I’m afraid that would make a difference. Marshmallow Fluff is thicker and will help the fudge set up better.
Miri says
I made this recipe for a Halloween treat. It turned out perfectly. Thanks!
Amanda Formaro says
Awesome, glad you enjoyed it!