This Peanut Butter Cup Fudge is a beautifully smooth and creamy fudge packed with mini peanut butter cups. For serious peanut butter lovers!

Peanut Butter Cup Fudge | SugarHero.com

I wasn’t planning on posting another recipe featuring mini peanut butter cups so soon after the glorious overindulgence known as Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, but the timing just sort of worked out this way.  And also: mini peanut butter cups. And furthermore: fuuuuudge. And in conclusion: YUM.

Peanut Butter Cup Fudge | SugarHero.com

This is one of my favorite fudge recipes. It’s a “no-beat” fudge, meaning you don’t have to go through the rigmarole of cooking it, cooling it, then beating until your little arm falls off and hoping you get the timing exactly right so that it sets perfectly. Instead, you cook it, stir in some peanut butter, and give yourself giant pats on the back for making such great fudge. The peanut butter adds a nice salty touch, so it’s not too sweet, and unfortunately that means you can eat piece after piece without feeling any pain. If you are a serious peanut butter fan, don’t miss my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake, Mega Stuffed Peanut Butter Cups and Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn Balls!

Peanut Butter Cup Fudge | SugarHero.com

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Peanut Butter Cup Fudge

3.50 from 4 votes
This Peanut Butter Cup Fudge is so easy…all you do is cook it, stir in some peanut butter, and give yourself giant pats on the back for making such great fudge! Of course you don’t have let everyone else know how easy it was!
Prep10 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Total30 minutes
Yields16 pieces

Ingredients

Instructions 

  • Line a 9×9 pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Place the cubed butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and gently warm it up until it is mostly melted. Once it is almost completely liquid, add the evaporated milk, the granulated sugar, and the salt, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Bring the mixture to a boil, and once boiling, insert a candy thermometer. Continue to cook the candy, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 236° Fahrenheit (113°C) on the thermometer.
  • Once at 236°F, remove the pan from the heat and add the peanut butter, marshmallow cream, and vanilla extract. Stir until the peanut butter and marshmallow cream are incorporated and everything is completely smooth.
  • Pour approximately half of the fudge into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Working quickly, sprinkle half of the miniature peanut butter cups on top of the fudge in the pan. Pour the remaining fudge into the pan, covering the peanut butter cups, and smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle the rest of the candies on top of the fudge. Once they come into contact with the hot fudge they will start to melt, so try not to disturb them after you’ve sprinkled them on, otherwise the chocolate will smear.
  • Let the fudge cool and set at room temperature overnight, or in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. When set, remove the fudge and peel off the foil backing. Use a large sharp knife to cut the fudge into 1-inch pieces to serve. Wrap the fudge well and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. For the best taste and texture, bring it to room temperature before serving.

Recipe Notes

Miniature peanut butter cups can be found at Trader Joe’s or Fresh & Easy grocery stores. They’re also sold by Reese’s and are at many drugstores. If you can’t find them, you can chop up regular peanut butter cups and use those chunks instead. Additionally, you can swap out the mini peanut butter cups for chocolate chips, chopped candy bars, or salted nuts instead.

Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?

Nutrition

Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 222mg | Potassium: 189mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg
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Meet Elizabeth!

Hi, I’m Elizabeth — a trained pastry chef, cookbook author, video instructor, and your new Baking BFF! I’m going to teach you everything you need to know to be a sugar hero. ❤️

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32 Comments

  1. I’m bummed that I missed out on the auction! Every pitbull I’ve ever known has been a big marshmallow. They’re such sweet dogs! I hope Muffin is doing ok.

    Now, on to sweets? This looks amazing. And I actually managed to track down some mini peanut butter cups after seeing your cookie recipe the other day. Not Trader Joe’s, unfortunately – I’m up in Canada where we’re TJ-less. I have an order in with a friend of mine who heads down fairly regularly though. 🙂

    1. A “marshmallow” is the perfect way to describe the pit bulls I’ve known! It’s a shame they have such a bad rep, they can be complete sweeties.

      And a BIG high five for the mini pb cups! Once you go mini, you’ll never go back. 🙂 It might be better to not have access to TJ’s, considering I think I’m single-handedly paying the salary of a few of their employees with my frequent trips…

  2. Hi Elizabeth, I was curious about your regular chocolate fudge, can I fold in a peanut butter swirl to make it “peanut butter” chocolate fudge?

    1. Hi Natalie! I’m sorry for the belated reply. I’m not sure which fudge recipe you mean (I have a bunch of chocolate fudge ones!) but in general, a peanut butter fudge swirl should work nicely. The trick is to not use too much peanut butter, otherwise it will be too sticky and not easy to cut. But just a bit of it, swirled throughout, should work well. Let me know how it goes!

  3. I have made this recipe now numerous times! I double the mini peanut butter cups too 😉 I have never gotten so many compliments on one recipe than I have with this one. My piece of advice for those doing this is to get yourself a food scale and weigh the marshmellow and peanut butter. Much easier than using measuring cups for those two ingredients! This recipe though is OUTSTANDING!

    1. Thanks Amy! So glad that you love it! It’s one of my faves too…it’s so easy! I agree that a scale makes things 300% better, as well. 🙂 Cheers!

  4. I just found your great site, and am so happy and eager to explore it! Also, I am looking to replace my old candy thermometer. What brand do you recommend?

  5. Hello, I was wondering if this fudge has to be kept in the fridge or if it can be left at cool room temp?

  6. This is not fudge consistency. I’ve been making chocolate fudge for decades. Followed the recipe using the instructions and it is not set. It’s smooth and stringy. Very dissappointed. It’s basically the same recipe as Fantasy Fudge from the Marshmallow jar, but using PB instead of chocolate chips.
    I made a peanut butter fudge last year and poured it on top of my chocolate fudge. It turned out so well that I thought I would do it again this year. I couldn’t remember what recipe I used, so I tried this one. It completely ruined my excellent chocolate fudge and I need to start over.
    I’ve never had an issue with fudge and this recipe is flawed. Shame on me for trying a recipe with no reviews to make sure it’s a proper recipe.before spending time and ingredients on it.

    1. I tried to edit my comment, but was unable.
      The fudge was not set after leaving it overnight in the fridge. When I got home from work the followng day, I planned to remove it and try a different recipe for the PB layer. It had set, after 18 hours in the fridge. I’m happy that it set, but unsure why it took so much longer than the resipe states.

      1. Hi Erin, I am so sorry to hear it didn’t work out as planned. That is very disappointing! It sounds like you have plenty of experience making fudge, I would love to help you troubleshoot this recipe! Assuming that all the ingredients were measured correctly my question would be if you have had your candy thermometer calibrated recently? I have found that over time they lose there accuracy. It sounds like it could be an easy fix of just a matter of not quite reaching the right temperature. Feel free to email me, and I would love to troubleshoot further with you! Thanks so much for your feedback!

  7. I’m writing this comment in 2023 and I’ve been making this recipe every year since 2013! I have never gotten so many people asking me for this recipe and telling me how good it is. I make the fudge exactly as your recipe states, and it turns out perfect every time. I buy the bags of the Reese’s mini ‘unwrapped’ peanut butter cups because they’re so easy to sprinkle on. This fudge is by far one of my most favorite desserts to make and the taste is incredible. I can’t believe I’ve been making it for 10 years now!

    1. Amy, I LOVE THIS!! Thank you so much for the comment – it means the world to me! Thrilled to hear that you love it and it’s become such a personal favorite. 🙂