By April Swiger, Contributing Writer
Velvety smooth fudge, rich in chocolate, mingled with refreshing peppermint is a must-try this season. This mint chocolate fudge is the perfect way to satisfy a craving, or finish off a hearty meal this holiday season. Even better it’s surprisingly quick to make, and can be boxed up easily to give as a lovely gift.
I am a huge fan of fudge. It’s always my go-to treat during summer vacations at the beach, and my top pick off the Christmas dessert table. The first time I made fudge at home I used Kimi’s recipe for the easiest, healthiest, most scrumptious fudge ever (also see this version using maple syrup). It definitely lived up to its name, and I have made it many times since then to satisfy those pesky little chocolate cravings. I love that her recipe, and the one I created as well, is free from refined sugar, dairy, gluten, and all other kinds of yucky ingredients the more typical fudge recipes have. This version starts with chocolate chips instead of cocoa powder for a more stable fudge for gift giving.
My 3 year old son is a major chocolate lover. He saw me pull out my bag of chips and immediately wanted to help with whatever I was doing. I purposefully made this recipe as simple as possible because, well, life can be a bit crazy with a toddler in tow…especially during the holiday season! He had so much fun helping me dump all the ingredients into a big bowl (not as much as he enjoyed trying to finished product though). I received a hearty “yum yum yummy in my tum tum tummy!” after his first bite 🙂
There are some fantastic chocolate chips on the market that are completely allergy free, and would be a great option for this recipe. I have used the Enjoy Life Brand of chocolate chips, which are very allergy friendly, a number of times and find the flavor and texture top notch!
You can use either the (Affiliate links) Semi-Sweet chocolate chips, or the dark chocolate chips in this recipe. Truly though, any chocolate of your choice should work, and the amount of honey you add to sweeten the recipe can be adjusted to your liking as well. I used Frontier’s Natural Mint Extract for flavoring my fudge, and it was delicious!
Homemade gifts are some of my favorite to give. Even the most frugal and simple recipe can be made extra special with its presentation. This fudge wrapped in parchment paper, tied up in colorful bakers twine, and a special box makes for a very thoughtful gift.
Other healthy, and homemade, gifts you may enjoy:
- Homemade and healthy food gift list
- Silky Maple Chocolate Fudge
- Almond Roca (maple syrup sweetened – this is a family favorite!)
- Chile Spiked Dark Chocolate Bark with Pepitas and mangos (another favorite of mine)
- Scrumptious Candied Citrus Peel
- 2½ cups chocolate (I used semi-sweet)
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 teapoons peppermint extract
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
- pinch of salt
- Put all the ingredients into a large bowl, and create a double boiler by placing it over a pot of lightly simmering water.
- Allow the chocolate to melt slowly. Stir continuously until all of the ingredients are smooth and incorporated.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into a parchment paper lined dish. If desired, top with crushed candy cane pieces. Refrigerate until hardened, and cut into small square pieces to serve.
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Does this have to be kept in the fridge?
Hi Micah – It does not have to be kept in the fridge, but I often do to keep it fresh for longer.
I made this to share with family tomorrow. It is delicious!!!
YUM! This looks delish. Can’t wait to try it!
hi, i made this delicious fudge, but couldn’t eat it all, how long will it last in the fridge? is it freezable?
Hi Alyson – So glad you enjoyed it! I’ve had a batch in the fridge for about a week and it still tastes really fresh. It probably won’t last more than another day or so before it’s all eaten. I imagine it should stay fresh in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. Enjoy!
Mine is hardening in the fridge…can’t wait!!!
What size dish did you pour this into? It sounds yummy and I can’t wait to make it!
Hi Amber – I used a small glass pyrex dish (3 cup size). You can really use any container – the smaller the dish, the thicker the pieces of fudge 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Would you say you had about 2 cups of melted chocolate? More? I make my own choc chips, so they’re not consistent in size/shape, but I would love to make your fudge!
Hi Bobbi – Hm, good question. I would guess it’s around 2 cups or a little more after it melts. I don’t know exactly as i’ve never measured it melted. It’s a pretty forgiving recipe, so give it a shot and let me know how it goes!
For what it’s worth, I use Enjoy Life chocolate chips and 2-1/2 cups chips works out to about 2 bags or 20 oz/566 g. May help others make the conversion if they use homemade chocolate, bars, etc.
Yum. This fudge looks really good! I can’t wait to try it.
What size dish are we talking about? Also, what do you think about leaving the mint out for kids? Would you add vanilla extract instead?
Hi Jennifer – I used a 3 cup rectangular pyrex dish. You can use a larger dish for less thick pieces. I haven’t experimented with eliminating the mint or adding vanilla, but it sounds yummy! Let me know if you try and how it turns out 🙂
2½ cups chocolate (I used semi-sweet) – How many GRAMS is that?
Thanks!
Hi Zosia – I believe it would be around 375 grams. I just googled a conversion online, so it may not be completely accurate.
I mentioned above, but just in case… I use Enjoy Life chocolate chips and 2-1/2 cups chips works out to about 2 bags or 20 oz/566 g.
This is eating chocolate without the guilt. Thanks for this easy to make recipe!
Just wanted to mention, it’s possible to do without the ‘double boiler’. I just dump all the ingredients into a heavy bottomed saucepan and stir constantly over low heat until it’s melted. Works just as well! Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi I hope this is not a silly question, but can you tell me if you use the unsweetened or sweetened full fat coconut milk ? I am assuming the unsweetened but I didn’t want to waste the chocolate if I was wrong. Thanks.
I can’t have honey. Can I use sugar or another sweetener?
hi is this gluten free and dairy free