Peppermint Marshmallow Fudge is rich and creamy chocolate fudge, flavored with peppermint, and loaded with bites of marshmallow. A sprinkling of crushed candy canes on top makes this an altogether perfect holiday treat.
Candy Cane Fudge
My plan was to make a few batches of this candy cane fudge early and then hide them in the freezer for gifting later, but I wound up sending this off to work with my husband because I couldn’t stay out of it.
I’ve fallen in love with Five Minute Fudge recipes. The fudge turns out smooth and creamy without all of the traditional time spent stirring the pot on the stove.
With the holiday gift-giving season just up ahead, I thought it was time to make a version of my favorite chocolate fudge with a few extra festive touches.
The candy canes sprinkled on top, coupled with the bites of fluffy marshmallows, were an easy way to turn simple chocolate fudge into something full of Christmas cheer.
Marshmallow Fudge
This Peppermint Marshmallow Fudge is just right for bringing to a holiday party or gifting to friends, teachers, co-workers. . . just about everybody will love these little squares of mint chocolate fudge-y goodness. In fact, I cut them into smaller pieces than usual just to make sure there would be plenty to share.
Just the tiniest piece of this Peppermint Marshmallow Fudge satisfied me… for about an hour. Then I’d find myself back in the kitchen slicing off another teeny sliver. This is dangerously rich, sweet and tempting!
It’s a good thing it isn’t candy-making season year-round, right?
The red and white striped candy canes add such pretty color to the squares of dark chocolate marshmallow fudge. I’ve always been partial to a good fudge recipe with marshmallows and this one was no exception.
Rocky Road Fudge is a marshmallow fudge with peanuts that tastes just like the popular ice cream flavor. I also want to try this Marshmallow Fudge with Cherries this candy making season.
If you’re a fan of Oreo cookies, you should probably make a batch of Chocolate Covered Oreo Fudge to enjoy as the holidays approach. Buckeye Fudge and Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge are guaranteed to bring big grins to the faces of anyone who loves peanut butter cups.
Marshmallow Fudge Recipe
Peppermint Fudge gets its minty flavor not only from the candy canes on top but from the tiniest bit of peppermint extract added to the melted chocolate.
Word to the wise: be extra careful when measuring your peppermint extract! A little goes a long way and too much will take your fudge from “pleasantly minty” to “unpleasantly toothpaste-y” in an instant.
We all liked how the dark chocolate tasted in this recipe. Milk chocolate, semi-sweet and white chocolate chips would taste delicious as well if you’re not wild about dark chocolate.
Like all of my 5-minute fudge recipes, I make this fudge in the microwave. In case you don’t have a microwave or don’t happen to be a fan of using it, you can easily make this recipe on the stovetop as well as with a double boiler. It’ll just take a few more minutes for everything to melt.
After pouring the fudge into a pan (I used an 8 x 10 pan but any size will work), just go about the rest of your day while the fudge sets in the fridge. It takes a couple of hours to reach the right firmness for slicing.
This is a fun recipe to make with your kids, too. They’ll love getting to crush the candy canes! I crush mine inside a ziploc bag to keep mess to a minimum and MAY have sneaked a few bites of candy cane after sprinkling most of the pieces on top of the fudge.
Peppermint Fudge Recipes
Five-minute fudge recipes are my saving grace this time of year. I always want to be that hostess or friend with tons of holiday treats at her fingertips, but then time gets away from me.
Lightning fast candy recipes can help you put together the prettiest and tastiest of holiday treats with the least amount of effort. This creamy smooth Peppermint Fudge is another chocolate-mint combination that we absolutely love.
This time of year always has me craving peppermint treats, so I know this fudge is going to become a seasonal regular around our kitchen.
As an added bonus, a piece of this fudge will melt beautifully into a steaming mug of milk and make a wonderful cup of peppermint hot chocolate! I’ve already stashed a batch of this fudge in the freezer to make cocoa on Christmas morning. (Five-minute fudge keeps well in the freezer for a couple of months.)
For more peppermint treats, check out this Peppermint Ice Cream, it’s crazy good and absolutely amazing with a slice of this Chocolate Cake.
Peppermint Bark is another favorite five-minute recipe for making around this time of year to give as a gift–if you can keep yourself from eating it all!
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix is a staple in our house throughout the holidays. I like to keep small jars of this cocoa mix on hand for gifts too.
For more peppermint ideas, this Candy Cane Body Scrub, these Candy Cane and Lime Bath Soaks, and this Lime Mint Foot Soak sound fantastic. These DIY Peppermint Candy Gifts would all be fun to make with the kids.
Peppermint Marshmallow Fudge
Ingredients
- 2 cups semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup butter
- ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 cups mini marshmallows or homemade marshmallows chopped small
- 6 miniature candy canes or 1 large candy cane crushed (I place the candy in a ziploc before crushing, to cut down on the mess!)
Instructions
- Combine the milk, the chocolate and the butter in a medium size glass bowl and heat in the microwave for 90 seconds. Stir to combine and heat another 15 seconds if needed.
- Stir until smooth. Stir in the extract and the marshmallows. Pour into a well-greased pan. (I typically use a loaf pan or just spread the fudge out about an inch thick on a baking sheet.) Top with crushed candy canes. Chill until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 12/13/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 12/20/22}
Jenn S says
I love any kind of fudge.. but add a little mint to my chocolate and it's pretty close to heaven!!! I was going to make my grandma's fudge this weekend, but maybe I'll try this one instead!!
krista storoy says
Yum! I think I'll throw a batch together and take it into work to share. 😉
Kelli @ The Corner Kitchen says
This is total chocolate-peppermint perfection, Mary! Such a great edible gift!
Anonymous says
Am I missing something? much peppermint candy cane?
Mary says
Thanks for the catch. I've added the amount!
Anonymous says
instead of worrying about using too much peppermint extract… I'm going to use pieces of peppermint candy whalah
Anonymous says
instead of pouring into a "well greased pan" , will using parchment paper or wax paper in the pan do?
Mary says
Yes, parchment paper is always my preference, but well-greased works as well.
Chris says
I'm not a big fan of sweets but I like this combination. Then I took it a step further and imagined chopping this up and mixing it into vanilla ice cream. Got any leftovers? 🙂
Anonymous says
My marshmallows are floating. Is that normal?
Kate says
I don’t care that it’s not even holiday season…I want to make this right now in the heat of summer! It looks delicious!
Chris says
going to make this for holidays this year … you mention about freezing, how do you pack it, how long do you take it out before able to use?
thank you
Mary says
I set it out at room temp 30 minutes to an hour before serving. Most fudge recipes will thaw to room temp in that time.
Wu Yanni says
Can I make it without the marshmallows?
Mary Younkin says
I suppose you could, Wu.
Rehoboth says
Excellent post
Mary Younkin says
Thank you, I hope you try it!
Debbie says
Made it tonight…winner 🤗
Mary Younkin says
Glad to hear it, Debbie.