Five Minute Fudge

No candy thermometer, no temperature worries, no crystallization disasters. This fudge is just chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk melted together in a saucepan with a dash of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla, then studded with two cups of chopped nuts. Five minutes of actual cooking and you’re done.

The sweetened condensed milk is the reason this works without any of the traditional fudge-making fuss. It’s already cooked down and stable, so when it melts with the chocolate chips, the mixture sets up smooth and creamy without needing to hit a precise temperature. It won’t seize, it won’t turn grainy, and it won’t fail.

Two cups of nuts is generous, nearly equal to the chocolate by volume. Every bite has crunch. Use whatever you like: walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or almonds all work here.

Spread it into the pan while it’s still warm and pliable. Once it starts cooling, it stiffens fast and becomes impossible to smooth out. Thirty minutes at room temperature followed by a couple hours in the fridge and it’s ready to cut.

Kitchen Tips

• Stir constantly over low heat. Chocolate chips scorch easily, and burned chocolate is bitter and irreversible.
• Spray the pan with cooking spray before spreading. Without it, the fudge bonds to the pan and you’ll be chipping it out in pieces.
• Cut with a sharp knife dipped in hot water for clean edges. Wipe the blade between cuts.
• Store in the refrigerator. This fudge softens quickly at room temperature.

Variations

• Peanut butter fudge: Add ½ cup creamy peanut butter to the saucepan with the chips for a chocolate-peanut butter combination.
• White chocolate version: Use white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet for a vanilla-forward, ivory-colored fudge.
• Rocky road: Add mini marshmallows along with the nuts for a chewy, classic candy-counter finish.