Description
This delicious Coal Fudge recipe delivers rich, creamy, and sweet fudge infused with a deep black color, perfect for festive occasions or Halloween treats. Made with simple ingredients like marshmallow fluff, evaporated milk, and semi-sweet chocolate chips, this fudge combines smooth chocolatey texture with a striking appearance thanks to black gel food coloring. It’s easy to prepare on the stovetop and sets beautifully for slicing and sharing.
Ingredients
Scale
Fudge Base
- 5 cups granulated sugar
- 1 16-ounce container marshmallow fluff
- 1 ¼ cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
Add-ins
- 24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Black gel food coloring (amount as needed for deep color)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Line a 9×13 or 11×15 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper lightly with butter or non-stick spray to ensure the fudge doesn’t stick. Set the pan aside.
- Combine Ingredients: In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, add sugar, marshmallow fluff, evaporated milk, butter, and salt. Place over medium-low heat and stir continuously until the sugar dissolves and all ingredients melt together forming a smooth mixture.
- Boil the Mixture: Increase the heat to medium and continue stirring as the mixture comes to a full boil. Keep stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Cook to Soft Ball Stage: Maintain the boil and keep stirring until the temperature of the mixture reaches 234-240°F (soft ball stage), which should take about 5 minutes. This step is crucial for fudge consistency.
- Add Chocolate and Flavoring: Remove the pot from heat. Immediately stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and black gel food coloring. Mix thoroughly until the fudge becomes smooth and the color is evenly distributed. Add more food coloring if necessary to achieve the desired deep black color.
- Set the Fudge: Pour the fudge mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Allow it to set at room temperature until firm. Once set, use the parchment paper to lift the fudge from the pan and slice into squares for serving.
Notes
- The yield will vary based on the pan size used and the size of the fudge pieces you cut.
- An 11×15 inch baking pan produces thinner fudge pieces, while a 9×13 inch pan results in thicker pieces. Two 9-inch square pans can also be used for varying thickness.
- Have all ingredients measured and prepped before starting, as constant stirring during cooking is required.
- Using ample black gel food coloring is essential to achieve a true black fudge color; insufficient coloring will result in gray fudge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece (approx. 20g)
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 3.5g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
