This fudge tastes like a candy bar in fudge form. It only needs 4 ingredients and is made with healthier ingredients. No refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil needed.
3Tbsp (24g)roasted salted or unsalted peanuts, finely chopped
Instructions
Line an 8 inch x 4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal later.
Add chocolate chips to a large microwave safe mixing bowl. Heat in 15-30 second intervals, stirring in between with a spatula, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
Add 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (144g) peanut butter to the melted chocolate. Make sure your peanut butter is room temperature. If it is cold, it will cause the chocolate to seize. Stir the peanut butter in with a spatula until it is fully and evenly incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to your prepared loaf pan. Place into the fridge for about 1 hour or until the chocolate looks set.
When the fudge base is almost ready, make the caramel. Add maple syrup and remaining peanut butter (1/4 cup or 64g) to a small bowl and mix until the mixture becomes uniform and smooth. The mixture should resemble a thick caramel. If it is too runny, add a little more peanut butter to firm it up. If it is not runny enough, add a little maple syrup to loosen the caramel.
Add the caramel on top of the chocolate layer and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly across. If your caramel is sticking a lot and you can't get it to be fully smooth on the surface, drizzle a small amount of maple syrup on top (about 1/2 tbsp) and gently spread it over the surface of the caramel. This should smooth it out. If doing this, keep gently spreading the syrup until it is worked into the caramel so you don't have liquid syrup on top. Finally, sprinkle the chopped peanuts on top.
Place fudge into the fridge for 3-4 hour or overnight, until the caramel and chocolate are set. When fudge is ready, remove it from the fridge and cut into small squares with a large sharp knife. Store uneaten fudge in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Dark chocolate note: Make sure to use dark chocolate chips (sometimes labeled bittersweet chocolate chips) that contains between 60-65% cocoa. Anything less than 60% may cause the fudge to not set. If you need the fudge to be dairy-free, make sure to choose dairy-free dark chocolate. If you need the fudge to be refined sugar-free, use a chocolate that is sweetened with unrefined sugar. Also make sure your dark chocolate chips contain lecithin. Chocolate without lecithin may seize and harden once you add in the peanut butter. I tested with regular dark chocolate chips with dairy and refined sugar (Ghirardelli)*, dairy-free chocolate chips (Guittard) and refined sugar free and dairy-free chocolate chips (Hu dark chocolate chips*).
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Peanut butter note: Natural peanut butter usually has oil separation. Make sure to mix the oil back in before using. Make sure to use peanut butter with no added oils. The only ingredients should be peanuts and salt. I used Kirkland peanut butter.
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.