With just three unprocessed, plant-based ingredients, you can have your fudge and feel good too. This vegan 3-ingredient peanut butter fudge is creamy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Coconut butter, creamy peanut butter, and pure maple syrup are whisked together until smooth and glossy. The mixture is poured into a pan, chilled for a few hours to set, and then sliced into squares of peanut butter heaven. It almost sounds too simple to be good but trust me, this fudge will make you weak in the knees. Peanut butter lovers only, please.
Nutty.
Dense.
Sweet.
Wholesome.
Creamy.
Rich.
Sink-your-teeth-in delicious.
And did I mention this is the easiest recipe ever??
It's so easy that I feel a twinge of guilt creating an entire blog post around it.
But denying this recipe a post wouldn't be fair because this is the best. fudge. ever.
...and the best fudge ever does as it pleases and gets its very own post.
With just three unprocessed, plant-based ingredients, you can have your fudge and feel good too.
Coconut butter, creamy peanut butter, and pure maple syrup are whisked together in a pan over the stove for all of five minutes. Five minutes. That's it. End of summer-stove-using story. The mixture is then poured into a 4x6 pan or container (confession: I use a small, rectangular airtight container... no fancy business in my kitchen), refrigerated for a few hours, and then sliced into squares of peanut butter heaven. It almost sounds too simple to be good but trust me, this fudge will make you weak in the knees. Peanut butter lovers only, please.
📖 Recipe
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut butter
- â…“ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Add all three ingredients to a double boiler. Heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly, or until completely melted together.
- Grease a small 4x6 pan or container with coconut oil and pour the mixture into it. Drop the container on the counter a few times to smooth out the top of the fudge.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Turn container over and tap to release the fudge. Slice and enjoy.
- Store in refrigerator.
Notes
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
Ummm I need this as an after lunch snack...right now!
Ashley says
Haha! I wish I could share some with you! I have a few pieces leftover from a batch I made the other day :)
Meredith @ Unexpectedly Magnificent says
These look divine! Any possibility of a vanilla fudge recipe? ;)
Ashley says
Thanks, Meredith! A vanilla fudge recipe is a great idea, and I think I know just the way to make it. I'll test out the idea and report back with a post if it works out!
Cheyenne bowie says
Can I use regular butter
Ashley says
Hi, Cheyenne! I'm so sorry, but butter will not work as a substitute for the coconut butter. Coconut butter is considerably firmer than butter. It sets the fudge and gives it the correct texture.
The Vegan 8 says
Haha! Crazy...I have a 3 ingredient fudge recipe on my blog that is made with coconut butter too! It was my goal setting out to make an oil-free coconut butter fudge recipe because I could never find another one like it around! Everything always has oil, which I don't like! Coconut butter is one of my go-to ingredients! Here is my chocolate fudge one :) http://thevegan8.com/2013/08/05/3-ingredient-fudge/
Ashley says
I just hopped over to check out your 3-ingredient fudge recipe, and it looks amazingly delicious! Coconut butter really is the best; it's such a great substitute for so many things. I'll have to try your chocolate fudge asap!
jason says
you put this peanut butter one on top of your chocolate one and you have the answer for world peace.
Ashley says
Haha, I love that idea, especially if it brings about world peace! :)
Yomi says
These look amazing! What is coconut butter and can you specify some brands I can look for? Thanks.
Ashley says
Thanks, Yomi! Coconut butter, sometimes referred to as "coconut manna", is the ground up meat of the whole coconut. My favorite brand is Artisana raw coconut butter, and I usually get it at Whole Foods or through Amazon. Hope this helps!
Katie M says
Peanut butter + maple syrup is currently my favourite combination (possible even more than peanut butter + cacao)! This recipe looks amazing. However, do you think I would still have good results if I used coconut oil instead of coconut butter?
Ashley says
Hi Katie! Peanut butter anything and I'm in heaven, but peanut butter and maple syrup are a particularly delicious pairing! I don't think this recipe would work with coconut oil because it really needs the "meat" of the coconut (i.e., coconut butter) to hold it together. Coconut oil wouldn't allow it to firm up in the same way; however, if you try it and it works I'd love to know! Either way, I hope you enjoy the recipe, and thanks for commenting :)
pascmeow says
i read this recipe late at night (without my glasses) and totally goofed and made it with coconut oil!!
it hardened just fine in the fridge, though it was a tiny bit of a pain to get out of the pan. The edges were sorta melty, but the whole pan didn't last long enough for it to be a problem!
going out to grab some coconut butter and try it again, this time the right way!
Ashley says
Haha, oh no! It's an easy error to make as I think we're all more used to seeing coconut oil in recipes, but I'm glad to hear it still turned out despite the mix-up. I hope you enjoy the coconut butter retry even more :)
Amber says
I'm confused how 1/2 cup and 1/3 cup of any ingredients will make more than 3 or 4 small bars. I will use the recipe but make a lot more and add raw dark chocolate (with stevia to sweeten) on top. Thanks!
Ashley says
Hi Amber! Thanks so much for trying out the recipe! Since this is fudge -- and a rich and dense one at that -- a small amount of ingredients goes a long way. Using the amount indicated, you'll get around 12 1- to 2-inch pieces, depending on what size pan you use. Rather than bars, this recipe makes bite-sized squares. I hope this helps!
Clare says
Do I have to use cocoanut milk? I want to try this recipe because there are no eggs in it -egg allergies- but there is also a tree my allergy so cocoanut anything is out.
Thank god peanuts are legumes!
Ashley says
Hi Clare! Unfortunately, the coconut butter (make sure you don't use milk!) is necessary in this recipe to set the fudge and make it the right consistency. I'm not sure of any substitutes for it that would be unprocessed, but you could try melting down vegan white chocolate and subbing that for the coconut butter. I haven't tried it so I can't vouch for the results, but they have a similar consistency. I hope this helps!
Nicolas le cuisinier says
Do you where can I find coconut butter?
Ashley says
Hi Nicolas! If you live in the states, you can find coconut butter at specialty or health food stores like Whole Foods, and you can also order it online (e.g., Amazon). A popular brand refers to it as "coconut manna" so be sure to keep an eye out for that name, as well. You can also make your own by processing coconut flakes until they become a creamy "butter". I hope this helps!
Natalia says
Such a little salt to enhance flavor? I'll try, but tien the re will be three ingredients, but four,
Ashley says
Hi Natalia! You can definitely add a pinch of salt in to enhance the flavor and salt hardly counts as another ingredient since it's a staple in most kitchens. The peanut butter I use has a bit of sea salt in it, so I don't find the need but you can certainly add it!
Natalia says
Such a little salt to enhance flavor? I'll try, but tien the re will be three ingredients, but four,
Ruth says
I see the 3 ingredients but not how much of each. Help, please. It sounds like I might have to at least double the recipe for our Christmas gathering. We are expecting 16 and like to send some thing home with every one.
Ashley says
Hmm, that's strange. Must be something with your browser as the amounts are visible, but it's 1/2 cup coconut butter, 1/3 cup peanut butter, and 2 tbsp pure maple syrup. It makes 12 pieces so I would at least double it! Enjoy and happy holidays!
emunah says
can I substitute coconut oil?
Ashley says
Readers have had success substituting coconut oil, but the consistency won't be as fudge-like. I'd love to know how it goes if you try using coconut oil!
Mary Ramirez says
Well, I am seriously unimpressed by this. The flavor is nice-that's why I gave it 2 stars. But it did not set up enough to cut into squares and the 4X6 pan was WAY too large, resulting in a thin film of finished product. I wonder what I did wrong as I followed the recipe to the letter. Now, I am trying to figure out what I can do with this soft peanut buttery tasting stuff....
Ashley says
I'm so sorry to hear that this didn't setup for you, Mary. I know how frustrating it can be when recipes don't turn out, and I promise there are no tricks involved here! I've made this fudge time and time again and have never had issues with it setting. Also, the recipe, as written, yields enough to create a 3/4- to 1-inch thick fudge in a 4x6 pan, so I'm not sure why it would just be enough to create a thin film of fudge. I just re-measured the pan I use to double-check, and it measures exactly 4x6 inches.
Just a few questions to problem-solve:
What was the consistency of the peanut butter you used? I use a natural peanut butter for this, but the brand I use is on the firmer side so I could see issues arising if the pb had a lot of excess oil.
Did you double-check that it was coconut butter (not coconut oil or coconut cream)? I, as well as plenty of others, have accidentally mixed these up in the past. Also, some brands of coconut butter have a thick layer of oil that settles on the top of the jar that you have to mix in or scrape off.
Did you ensure that it was a full 1/2 cup of coconut butter? Sometimes coconut butter can be so dense and crumbly that you have to pack it in to get a proper measurement, and the coconut butter is what sets the fudge.
Again, I'm so sorry that it didn't turn out for you! To salvage it, you can try re-melting the mixture with additional coconut butter. Then, re-set it in the refrigerator. I hope this helps!
Ashley says
I also meant to note that the amount of fudge you see in the pictures is from one batch minus two pieces that were eaten before photographing. Again, I hope this helps!
Kyra says
Ohhh how easy is this! Ok, coconut butter is definitely on my shopping list so I can make this fudge AND your white chocolate maple bliss balls. Ohhh yum!! (Sorry for the comment spam, just loving your recipes!)
Ashley says
Oh my gosh, no worries at all. Two comments is hardly spam, and I appreciate your enthusiasm! This is one of my absolute favorite quick treats -- I hope you enjoy it!!
River says
Thank you for sharing this recipe, Ashley! I have made this fudge SO many times! It really is amazing and so easy to make. I blogged about it today! :)
Ashley says
You're welcome!! Happy to hear that you're enjoying it so much. This is the recipe I remake the most from the blog, so we're in the same boat! :)
Melanie says
These are wonderful. I didn't have a double broiler so I put all the ingredients in the microwave (in a glass dish), cooked them for 45 seconds, and stirred. They all melted together like a dream. This was my first recipe with coconut butter, which I bought just to make these and I'm so glad I did! At first taste I thought, "Oh, this is just like coconut oil" not realizing I needed to stir it and all the "goodie" was underneath the oily stuff on top. Once I mixed it I was hooked. Thanks for sharing this recipe. (For some reason my browser won't let me rate this recipe more than 2 stars no matter how many times I hit all of the stars so I'm not rating it at all because it deserves them all!)
Ashley says
Hi, Melanie! I'm so glad you enjoyed the fudge! Coconut butter is tricky that way as sometimes the oil does sit right on top and all the coconutty goodness is buried below the surface. That's so strange that it's only letting you rate it 2 stars from your browser. Thanks for pointing that out as I might need to update the plugin. Also, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback; I really appreciate it.
Julie says
The first time came out great. The second time is all clumpy and won't pour. What did I measure wrong?
Ashley says
Hi, Julie! I'm so sorry that it's giving you trouble this time around. I've made this recipe close to 20 times, and I've never had it clump, so I'm not sure what went wrong. However, it might be less about your measurements and more about how long it was heated. Coconut butter burns quite easily and can become clumpy if burned or overheated, so that could have been the problem. Is it possible that it overheated?
Julie says
Definitely a possibility. After pouring out the first batch, I realized I needed more. So the double boiler was much hotter to start. Thanks!
Trina and Tina says
Delicious. Divine. Done!
Melanie says
I call this "breakfast fudge." Delish.
Melanie says
ps--different Melanie from the above Melanie, thought you'd want to know. :-)
Natalia says
Can I use agave instead of maple syrup????
Ashley says
That should work just fine!