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Extra sweet and silky smooth Old Fashioned Maple Fudge! It’s the classic holiday treat we all know and love, but made with maple syrup for a fun Fall twist. Evaporated milk, sugar, maple syrup, and corn syrup cooked over low heat until hot and bubbly, poured out onto a counter to cool with a few pads of butter, then added to a mixer with a splash of vanilla and beaten until matte and smooth. This candy is classic for a reason and can be so much fun to make! The best part? This fudge is not only very impressive, but it just melts in your mouth with every bite. There is no better treat to make this Fall!

stacked maple fudge on upside down sheet pan.

About The Recipe

Whew! This last week has been super busy for us. We’re a little over two weeks away from Thanksgiving, can you believe it? My mom and I have been having so many ideas, but we keep having to run to the grocery store to go get ingredients for said ideas.

I think this week alone we’ve been to the grocery store probably 6-8 times, three of those on the same day. Then, cooking on top of that! It’s been a week…but, we’re entering a new week today.

So, we thought it would be fun to (try to) slow things down.

maple fudge on upside down sheet pan with gold bowl behind, glass of maple syrup, and vase behind on marble surface.

angloed close up of three stacked maple fudge pieces with top piece missing a bite.

One of our most loved recipes last year during the holiday’s was our Chocolate Fudge! We had such a fun time making it that, when we were discussing what we wanted to make this week, we thought it might be fun to make some again! Though, we wanted to make it more Fall flavored.

Which is how we got the idea for maple! While maple isn’t always a Fall flavor, we definitely tend to eat a lot more maple flavored things come this time of year.

We thought it would be pretty simple to make this recipe, but it took us 2 or 3 tests to finally get the proportions and the cooking time right!

angled close up of maple fudge on parchment paper.

The first attempt, we just didn’t cook it long enough. It turned out okay, but it was still too soft. Of course, we tried tinkering with it and the second attempt we wound up with a caramel rather than fudge. Oops!

So, we went back to our original recipe and cooked it just a little longer. This time, it worked perfectly! We even used a stand mixer to beat the fudge, which makes this recipe even EASIER than our original fudge.

Every bite of this maple fudge is silky smooth, sweet, and full of maple flavor. It’s great to have for the holiday’s as a sweet treat or even to send as a gift to friends and family!

Reasons You Will Love This Maple Fudge

Easier to make than you might think!
Naturally gluten-free.
Oh so impressive.
Silky smooth, sweet, and so delicious.
Only 7 ingredients.
A crowd pleaser!
Makes for a perfect gift during the holiday’s.

front shot of stacked maple fudge on sheet pan with bite missing out of top piece, more fudge around, and white flowers.

Equipment Needed

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

Granulated Sugar
Evaporated Milk
Maple Syrup
Light Corn Syrup
Salted Butter
Vanilla Extract
Unsalted Butter

sugar, maple syrup, evaporated milk, butter, corn syrup, and vanilla extract on marble surface.

How To Make Maple Fudge

Step 1: Cook

In a 4 quart saucepan, combine sugar, milk, maple syrup, and corn syrup. Place over medium low heat. Cook and stir until sugar is completely dissolved, about 5-6 minutes. Stop stirring. Brush down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Allow to cook, without stirring, to 238 °F.

Evaporated milk, sugar, and maple syrup in large pot.

bubbling hot caramel in pot on marble surface.

Step 2: Pour onto counter

Pour out onto marble surface sprinkled with water. Do NOT scrape the pan. Dot with butter. Allow to cool to 110°F.

caramel being poured onto wet marble counter.

butter dolloped onto caramel on marble surface.

Step 3: Beat

Use a bench knife to scoop candy into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with flat beater attachment. Add vanilla. Beat on high speed until candy thickens and loses its gloss, about 10-12 minutes.

caramel and melted butter in mixer bowl.

Step 4: Spoon into pan

Immediately spoon the fudge into prepared pan and spread evenly. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

fudge piled in parchment lined cake pan.

fudge smooth out in square cake pan lined with parchment paper.

Once cool and set, lift from pan and remove parchment paper. Cut into desired shapes.

Maple Fudge FAQ’s

What maple syrup should I use?

For this recipe, you need to use a dark robust (formally known as Grade A) maple syrup. If anything else is used, the fudge will not have enough maple flavor.

Why is my fudge not set?

If your fudge didn’t set, there could be a few things that went wrong. It might be that the chocolate wasn’t cooked to the proper temperature or it wasn’t worked/beaten properly.

Why is my fudge hard?

If your fudge isn’t as soft and silky as it should be, it sounds like the mixture was overcooked. You can try softening it by storing it in a lidded container and keep at room temperature, but you will most likely need to remake it.

What makes fudge grainy?

The short answer? Sugar crystals are what’s making your fudge grainy. It’s generally caused by over-mixing or cooking to the wrong temperatures.

Can I freeze or refrigerate to set the fudge quicker?

Personally, we wouldn’t recommend it. It may cause the fudge to set unevenly and not properly. It’s always best to let it sit at room temperature until completely set!

maple fudge on parchment paper on old sheet pan with white flowers around, gold bowl, and glass of maple syrup behind.

Mix-in Ideas

Want to give your fudge a little extra something? Here are a few things we like to stir in or add on top!

Flaked Salt – This makes for a great addition after the fudge is set and cut! If you like sweet and salty, we highly recommend it!
Nuts and Dried Fruits – You can either add chopped nuts or dried fruit into the fudge while mixing or after it’s been placed in the pan and added to the top as a decorative (but tasty!) element.
Mini Chocolate Chips – This is the same idea as the fruits/nuts! Stir it in while it’s beating to give the maple a delicious chocolate-y bite! You can also sprinkle some on top, if you’d like.
Mini Marshmallows – It might sound a little silly, but I promise it tastes AMAZING!

How To Store

The best way to store this fudge is in an airtight container at room temperature for about 1-2 weeks. You will need small pieces of parchment to keep the fudge pieces separate.

You can also freeze this fudge the same way and it will keep for about 3 months!

Looking for more recipes like this? Here are a few you may like: Chocolate Fudge, Maple Creme Brûlée, Homemade Peppermint Bark, Coconut Cream Filled Chocolates

maple fudge stacked on parchment paper lined antique sheet pan with more pieces of fudge around.

Expert Tips

Remember to calibrate your thermometer before starting!
The temperatures in this recipe are very important. Anything over or under could ruin your fudge.
Make sure to use dark robust maple syrup for this recipe!
If you don’t have evaporated milk, you can use heavy cream.
If you don’t have a marble board or a marble work surface, you can use a sheet pan. Just remember that it will take longer for it to cool this way.
If you don’t have a bench knife, you can use a spatula to spoon the candy into the mixing bowl.

When you make this Old Fashioned Maple Fudge, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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