Well, maybe not infinite … I haven’t figured out how to make pumpkin fudge with this recipe yet. And Alton Brown will tell you that technically, this is not a fudge, but a different kind of candy. He’s right. But it’s got the same consistency and creaminess with a lot less work and fuss, so that’s good enough for me. Especially because it is delicious. I make batches and batches and give it as gifts for the holidays.

The original is not my recipe. I reproduce it here for your convenience, because it is all over the Internet anyway, and I have added some notes to make it a bit clearer. I believe it is originally an official recipe from Kahlua. My variations on the theme will be posted below.

Note: I strongly recommend using quality chocolate chips for this recipe. I use Ghirardelli. My mom uses Guittard. We have both found that Nestle chips do not melt all the way, and you end up with hard chunks in your fudge.

Kahlua Creamy Fudge

  • 1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
  • 2/3 c. evaporated milk (just under half of a 12 oz. can)
  • 1/4 c. butter (half a stick)
  • 1/4 c. Kahlua
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 c. semi-sweet chocolate pieces
  • 1 c. milk chocolate pieces
  • 2/3 c. nuts, chopped (optional)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Line an 8″ square baking pan with foil. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, marshmallow creme, evaporated milk, butter, Kahlua, and salt. Place over medium heat, and stir and break up the marshmallow creme as you bring it to a rapid boil. Boil for five minutes, stirring constantly. (The mixture will turn a light caramel brown as you cook it). Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add all the chocolate and the vanilla, and stir quickly and thoroughly until the chocolate is all melted and the mixture is well-combined. Add nuts if using, stir to distribute them, and pour the fudge into the lined pan. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares. Makes about 2 3/4 lb.

Cherry Almond Fudge

Replace Kahlua with Amaretto. Replace vanilla extract with almond extract.  After stirring in the chocolate, stir in 2/3 c. snipped dried cherries and 1/3-2/3 c. toasted slivered almonds.

Raisin Picante Fudge

Replace Kahlua with brandy. Add 1 Tbsp. Hatch chile powder to marshmallow creme mixture. Stir in 2/3 c. raisins after stirring in chocolate.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge

Make a batch of Kahlua fudge and split it between two 8×8″ foil-lined pans. Leave these pans on the counter while you immediately make another batch of fudge, replacing all of the chocolate chips with Reese’s peanut butter chips. Pour the second batch of fudge over the first batch, and leave on the countertop to cool, so that the layers will seal themselves together. Alternatively, if that’s too much fudge, you can make one batch of fudge with 1 c. semi-sweet chips, 1/2 c. milk chocolate chips, and 1 1/2 c. peanut butter chips. Stir in chopped peanuts if desired.

White Chocolate Blueberry Fudge

Replace Kahlua with Domain de Canton ginger liqueur. Replace all chocolate chips with white chocolate chips. Add 1/3 tsp. lemon extract when you add the vanilla extract. Stir in 2/3 c. dried blueberries and 1/3 c. candied lemon peel after stirring in the white chocolate chips. You could also add a very small amount of very finely chopped candied ginger. Be careful; it can overwhelm the rest of the fudge.

Like I said, infinite variations! There are all kinds of things you can do by varying the chips, the extract, the liqueur, and your mix-ins. Enjoy, and have fun experimenting!