Easy Buttery Kahlua Fudge!

I love it when my friend Susan shares a recipe with us. She’s back today with a recipe you won’t be able to resist! Easy Buttery Kahlua Fudge!

I decided I wanted something sweet and made some fudge. I couldn’t resist. Years ago, I tasted a Kahlua Fudge and decided to try adding it to an easy and common recipe. It was quite a surprise because not too many people know that chocolate and coffee go well together. And since Kahlua is a coffee-flavored rum, it has turned into a welcomed surprise. It makes perfect sense to add it to dark chocolate fudge.

What Is Fudge?

Fudge is like a candy that is made by mixing butter, sugar, and milk. You continue heating this to a soft-boil stage to a 240-degree Fahrenheit temperature. In order to retain its smooth and silky consistency, you need to continually beat it until it cools down.

New recipes, like this one, do not require you to use a thermometer or wait until the fudge gets to a soft-boil stage. You won’t also need to beat the mixture around until your arms hurt.

What Is Kahlua?

As I mentioned, Kahlua is a coffee-flavored rum. The two are created separately with the use of slow and meticulous procedures. When they are ready, they are both infused together and aged for four months before they are bottled and sold commercially.

Why Add Kahlua In Fudge?

When you add alcohol into food and cook it, the heat will burn the alcohol and leave behind a hint of its fine taste. But since fudge isn’t normally cooked, you don’t burn off that alcohol. It simply is a creamy dark chocolate dessert with a hint of coffee liqueur and a slight kick. Of course, it will depend on how much Kahlua you add into it. If you add in the whole bottle of Kahlua, then you will definitely notice the liqueur. But in our recipe, we only use ⅓ cup of Kahlua, which will just give a slight kick to the chocolate.

Ingredients For Delicious Kahlua Fudge

Since there’s no baking involved in making fudge, it’s partly one of the reasons why many people love to make it. Not to mention, it requires very basic ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

Dark Chocolate – What is fudge without dark chocolate? If you’re not a fan of dark chocolate, you can use semi-sweet or even white chocolate. But I 100% recommend dark chocolate to balance out the Kahlua.
Kahlua – You can also go with another liqueur option if you prefer, but since this recipe calls for Kahlua, that’s what we’re making today.
Sweetened Condensed Milk – This is a huge timesaver for fudge. It adds creaminess to the fudge without having to wait for milk to boil anymore. It also adds sweetness to the dish without needing to add more sugar.
Butter – Apart from adding creaminess to the fudge, it helps it set firmly.
Nuts – If you want a little bit and crunchiness to your fudge, you can use chopped nuts like pistachios, walnuts, or pecans
Vanilla Extra – This adds creamy floral notes to the fudge

Methods For Making Kahlua Fudge

There are a number of methods to making chocolate fudge, depending on convenience and the available tools. But in a nutshell, you will need to melt the chocolate thoroughly before you add in the liquids. If you are using white chocolate, you need to be extra careful that it does not burn. Otherwise, you will have to start from scratch.

Another thing you have to be careful of is getting any water into melted chocolate. When water accidentally gets into the melted chocolate, it will seize up and cause you to throw it away and start over. This is a precaution you have to watch for when you’re using any kind of chocolate, even the good quality chocolate that normally costs a lot of money to purchase.

Why Do You Have Grainy Fudge?

Some fudge recipes make use of sugar instead of sweetened condensed milk. In these recipes, you will need to be sure that your sugar has completely dissolved in the liquid and beaten thoroughly, which is why you will need a candy thermometer.

But since this recipe doesn’t call for this ingredient, you won’t need to worry about a grainy fudge.

How To Slice Fudge

Once you have made the fudge, keep it refrigerated for at least 3 hours so that it properly sets. When it is ready, you can start chopping it with a flat knife. For the best results, dip the knife in boiling water but make sure to dry it completely before you slice the fudge. The reason for this is so the heat from the blade will help to slice the fudge easily.

How Long Can You Store Kahlua Fudge?

One thing you have to remember about homemade Kahlua fudge is that it normally does not include any sort of preservatives to lengthen its shelf life. But if you properly seal and store it in a refrigerator, it should last at least three weeks.

To keep its texture, you should store fudge in plastic wrap and in aluminum foil. Store inside a ziplock bag and make sure to squeeze out all of the air so that it won’t destroy it. Leave a note of the date and store in a freezer for up to three months.

Here you go!