Chocolate Fudge (Paleo + Vegan)

This Chocolate Fudge is incredibly smooth, rich and chocolatey. It’s made with only four wholesome ingredients, there’s no cooking required, and it’s Paleo + vegan! It’s the perfect holiday treat.

Back in high school, when I first start started experimenting in the kitchen and churning out tons of treats, I became infatuated with making fudge.

During the holiday season, I would make a whole bunch of batches, in all sorts of flavors, but most of them got sprinkled with a generous dusting of flaky Maldon sea salt – my newest obsession at the time, and one that still continues to this day.

My mom would bring the fudge to share with her friends and “Rachel’s salty fudge” always got rave reviews – everyone loved how creamy and rich it was, and the touch of salt woke up the taste buds just enough to be exciting. Of course, that recipe was far from Paleo + vegan – it was loaded with chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Both delicious things that are pretty far away from healthy.

So this year, in honor of Rachel’s salty fudge, I decided it was time to master a paleo/vegan chocolate fudge recipe. I immediately looked to my super easy paleo chocolate chunk recipe, thinking it could probably be pretty easily altered into a delicious, easy fudge.

And it turns out I was right! I played with the ratios on that recipe a bit and added a big dose of nut butter and managed to make an irresistibly good, incredibly easy chocolate fudge.

There’s only four main ingredients here. First, coconut oil. It’s one of my staple paleo/vegan ingredients, and it helps keep this chocolate fudge solid but still creamy. (pssst – if you want FREE coconut oil, I’ve partnered with Thrive Market to give you a jar! Thrive is one of my favorite places for healthier baking ingredients at a really good price – you’ve got to do some browsing!)

Next, the source of all that chocolate flavor – cocoa powder! I like to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder here because it gives a deeper color and richer flavor, but no worries if you can’t find any. Regular cocoa powder will also do the trick, it just might not be quite as dark.

It’s sweetened with maple syrup, which can be switched out for honey if you prefer it. Finally, we’ve got the game-changing nut butter. It makes the fudge super rich and gives it that creamy texture when you bite into it. I tried it with almond butter, and then peanut butter (not Paleo, but delish). The almond butter flavor blends more into the background, letting the chocolate shine, while the peanut butter is more noticeable. Cashew butter would also do a good job of highlighting the chocolate flavor.

There’s some optional vanilla extract and salt too, which I recommend but aren’t necessary for delicious fudge. The mixture will be pretty thin and runny when you pour it into the pan, so I don’t recommend using this recipe if you want to mix anything in – it’s not thick enough to suspend anything in it.

Once you let it set though, you can go to town with toppings. I kept it simple and classic with a generous sprinkling of my favorite flaky sea salt – Rachel’s Salty Fudge, Take 2! You could also top it with cacao nibs, or chopped nuts, or really anything your heart desires :) enjoy!

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Snapchat

Remember to #bakerita if you try the recipe!

Chocolate Fudge (Paleo + Vegan)

Save Print Prep time 5 mins Total time 5 mins Author: Rachel Conners Serves: 18 pieces Ingredients

½ cup (112g) refined coconut oil
¾ cup (72g) cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
¾ cup (192g) creamy almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
⅓ cup (104g) maple syrup (can also use honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
⅛ teaspoon salt (optional)
Flaky sea salt (optional)

Directions

Line a small baking pan with foil or parchment paper - I used a 9x5” loaf pan for a thick fudge. You can use an 8” square pan if you want thinner pieces.
Melt coconut oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave for about 30 seconds to a minute. Whisk in the cocoa powder, nut butter, maple syrup, and if using, vanilla extract and salt, into the melted coconut oil until completely smooth.
Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2 hours.
Using a sharp knife, cut into squares. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Store at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator.

3.5.3226