I Make My Mom’s 5-Minute Fudge Every Christmas

Soon after my mom and dad had their first kid (my older sister), they purchased their very first microwave. It was a big deal. This was the late 1970s, and microwaves had just started being manufactured and sold for less—meaning consumers started to buy them en masse. 

My mom decided to take a microwave cooking class. She still has a bunch of hand-written recipes from that class, but the one she made the most, and the ones my siblings and I started making for ourselves and our families, is a one-bowl chocolate fudge.

This microwave fudge recipe contains just six ingredients, takes about 5 minutes of active cook time, and did I mention it requires just one bowl? Some recipes call for melting chocolate over a double boiler. This one does not. Some require breaking out the candy thermometer. This one does not. Some require a hand mixer. This one does not. 

Simply add the ingredients into a bowl, microwave, mix, repeat, and the fudge mixture is ready to pour into a pan and cool. Near-instant gratification.

How To Make My Mom’s One-Bowl Microwave Fudge

For one 8x8-inch pan, or about 36 small servings, you’ll need:

• 32 ounces powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter 
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows

Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla. Add the butter last so that it sits on top of the other ingredients. Do not cut up the butter and do not mix the ingredients.

Microwave on high for 2 1/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the microwave and mix until most of the sugar lumps dissolve. This takes about a minute of vigorous mixing. Stir in the marshmallows. 

Return the bowl to the microwave and cook on high until the marshmallows melt, 20 to 30 seconds. Stir well again. Add any additional mix-ins if you like, like nuts or shredded coconut. Pour the fudge mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Remove the parchment paper or foil from the pan. Cut the fudge into bite-size squares and enjoy. This fudge is best stored, tightly wrapped, on the counter for 1 week. If you want to keep it for longer, store it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. It may dry out slightly in the fridge, so keep it tightly wrapped.

Tips for Making This Easy Homemade Fudge

Don’t waste time cutting up the stick of butter here; after adding the first four ingredients to a microwave-safe bowl, add the butter last. Sitting on top of the other ingredients, it melts over everything as it cooks. Brilliant. 

Get creative. You can easily add in 1/4 cup of nuts or shredded coconut. If you’re adding the latter, note that this fudge is already very sweet! You might want to use unsweetened shredded coconut. You could also add a teaspoon of mint extract. For all of these additions, add in last before mixing and pouring into the pan. 

Finally, don’t be afraid to double up. In an 8x8 baking dish, the fudge isn’t super thick. This works well because it’s so rich, a small, thin square might be enough. But if you wanted to double the batch, you could still use the same size pan for extra thick slices.