Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (2024)

Fun Stuff Holidays

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

These chocolate meltaways are bite-sized, hand-held puddles of chocolate cream cheese fudge that are guaranteed to simply melt in your mouth.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (1)

Jump to Recipe

These mini milk chocolate meltaways are the perfect holiday treat for many reasons. They don’t take long to make, you don’t have to bake them, and they last in the fridge for up to two weeks. Not that they’ll last that long, as once you have a bite of one of these chocolate meltaways, you’ll be coming back for more. With a mouthwatering fudge center and a sugary exterior, these bite-sized treats literally melt in your mouth.

If you’re also looking for more candies made from cream cheese, check out cream cheese divinity and cream cheese mints.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Cream cheese (check out my easy homemade cream cheese recipe)
  • Butter
  • Cocoa powder
  • Vanilla
  • Lemon juice
  • Milk
  • Confectioner’s sugar

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (2)

Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, or about one to two minutes.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (3)

Add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, vanilla, lemon juice, and milk, and beat again until fully mixed.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (4)

Add confectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each and scraping down the sides of the bowl, until thick and very sticky like cookie dough. You may not need all of the confectioner’s sugar, so stop when it has the consistency of cookie dough.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (5)

Stir together remaining cocoa powder and 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar in a small bowl.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (6)

Pinch off small portions of the dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball into the cocoa/sugar mixture. Tap to remove excess. Repeat until all dough is used.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (7)

You can use some silicone candy molds like those here. Otherwise, you can use a simple technique by pressing down lightly on top of each ball with the tines of a fork to flatten and imprint the design. Yep, so simple and it’s so easy to make these adorable bite-sized fudge treats!

(If you use the link above for the candy molds, please note Southernplate will receive a very small commission should you choose to purchase).

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (8)

Store these chocolate candies covered, in the refrigerator, until ready to serve. These are decadent easy little treats!

Storage

  • You can store these chocolate meltaways in the fridge for up to two weeks, as long as all the ingredients were fresh when you made this recipe.
  • If you’d prefer to freeze them, seal them in an airtight container and place them in the freezer for up to one year.

Recipe Notes

Feeling minty? Drop 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract into your dough to instantly make mint chocolate meltaways!

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (9)

Chocolate Meltaways

Chocolate Fudge Meltaways are little bite-sized, hand-held puddles of chocolate cream cheese fudge that melt in your mouth!

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate

Servings: 50 -60

Calories: 24kcal

Author: Stacey Lynn

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons butter at room temperature
  • 5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder split up into 1/2 cup (4oz) and 2 tbsp (1 oz)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 6-7 cups confectioner's sugar plus an additional 1/4 cup for dipping

Instructions

  • Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, or about 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, vanilla, lemon juice, and milk and beat again until well combined.

    8 ounces cream cheese, 3 tablespoons butter, 5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon milk

  • Add 6 to 7 cups of confectioner's sugar, one cup at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Keep adding sugar until the dough is sticky and thick like cookie dough. You will likely use at least 6 cups but may not need the whole 7.

    6-7 cups confectioner's sugar

  • Stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder with 1/4 cup of confectioner's sugar in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Pinch dough off and form into one-inch balls before rolling in cocoa powder/sugar mixture.

    5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, 6-7 cups confectioner's sugar

  • Press down lightly on each ball with the tines of a fork to flatten and imprint a pattern. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Can be stored in fridge for up to two weeks if all ingredients are fresh.

Notes

All nutritional calculations are approximate as can change depending on the ingredients chosen and the size of the meltaway created.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meltaway | Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

You may also like these chocolate candy and fudge recipes:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls No Baking Necessary

Holly Jollies – Candy On A Budget; In A Hurry!

10 Favorite Christmas Candies

Chocolate Fudge That Can Take Over The World

To succeed in life you need three things: A wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone.

~Reba McEntire

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good fudge? ›

Tips for Making Fudge
  • Monitor the Temperature with a Candy Thermometer. If you end up with soft fudge that turns into a puddle in your hands or hard fudge that is a bit reminiscent of a crunchy candy, improper temperature is likely to blame. ...
  • Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer. ...
  • Beat Thoroughly.
Mar 8, 2023

Why is my 3 ingredient fudge not setting? ›

The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer.

How do I know if my fudge is ready? ›

You know it's ready when a small amount of the mixture dropped into a glass of cold water sets into a soft ball that you can lift out with a teaspoon and pinch between your fingers. Turn off the heat and keep stirring for 5 minutes or until the mix starts to thicken a little.

How do you fix fudge that won't set? ›

How can you fix soft fudge? Put it in a microwave safe bowl that is large enough that it won't boil over. Reheat it to the boiling point and cook for about 3 more minutes. Then you can beat some powdered sugar into it if this doesn't make it set.

What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›

Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.

Is evaporated milk or condensed milk better for fudge? ›

Use Evaporated Milk- Make sure to use evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk. If you accidentally use sweetened condensed milk your fudge will be incredibly over the top sweet. Cut up the Butter– Before adding the butter in make sure to cut it into smaller pieces for faster melting.

Why do you add vanilla to fudge? ›

Vanilla is often added to chocolate candies or other chocolate recipes because it complements and accents the flavor of chocolate.

How do you firm up homemade fudge? ›

If your fudge is soft or runny, it probably didn't come up to a high enough temperature while it was cooking. Put it back into the saucepan and add 1–2 US tbsp (15–30 ml) of 35% fat whipping cream. Stir the fudge as it heats, but only until the sugar in the chocolate is completely melted again.

What keeps fudge from getting hard? ›

Too Soft or Too Hard Fudge

The amount of time you cook fudge directly affects its firmness. Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.

What makes high quality fudge? ›

You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).

When should you not make fudge? ›

Humidity can cause fudge to boil over in the pan or stay soft when set, so try to avoid working on humid days if at all possible. If waiting for a less humid day isn't feasible, you'll need to boil your fudge at a slightly higher temperature than usual — or just order some delicious fudge from Wockenfuss!

What happens if you stir fudge too early? ›

Never stir the mixture during cooking or sugar could crystallize again. The mixture may seize and become grainy. Use a candy thermometer or conduct a cold water test to check if the fudge is done.

Can you reboil fudge that hasn't set? ›

Don't panic if your fudge is grainy, nothing is lost it just requires some more work. Pop the grainy fudge back into the pan along with some water and a little cream and melt the fudge back down to a liquid and re-boil it to temperature.

What happens if you boil fudge too long? ›

The ingredients for fudge are combined and cooked to 234 degrees, cooled to 110 degrees without stirring, then beaten until creamy. Candy that isn't cooked long enough will end up too soft; overcooking makes fudge crumbly or hard.

Should you stir fudge constantly? ›

It is important to stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken and its surface starts to look dull or matte. Now is the time to stop beating and pour the fudge into a mould. Another tip: Do not scrape the sides of the pan or the spoon used for stirring.

What gives fudge its firm texture? ›

The key to creamy, luscious fudge is controlling crystal formation. If the sucrose (table sugar) crystals are small, the fudge will feel creamy and smooth on your tongue. But if the crystals are large, the fudge develops a crumbly, dry, or even coarse texture.

What does cream of tartar do in fudge? ›

Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Corie Satterfield

Last Updated:

Views: 6519

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (62 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Corie Satterfield

Birthday: 1992-08-19

Address: 850 Benjamin Bridge, Dickinsonchester, CO 68572-0542

Phone: +26813599986666

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Table tennis, Soapmaking, Flower arranging, amateur radio, Rock climbing, scrapbook, Horseback riding

Introduction: My name is Corie Satterfield, I am a fancy, perfect, spotless, quaint, fantastic, funny, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.