Grandpa's Peanut Butter Fudge

Peanut butter fudge has always been a tradition in our family, but when my great-grandmother died, the recipe was lost. Of all the recipes I have tried, this tastes the closest to what she made. I did however make changes. I do not add the peanut butter to the boiling mixture, I boil the sugar/milk on medium/high until it reaches soft ball stage (around 234 degrees); use a candy thermometer. I would not recommend just guessing with the soft ball stage unless you are truly a professional- fudge is extremely fickle and can turn out or not for even the most seasoned baker. As soon as that stage is reached, immediately take it off the stove and add the peanut butter/vanilla. I mixed with a regular mixer on low for around 6 minutes and it turned out perfect. Great recipe, the best I have found so far.

WONDERFUL! Rich, creamy and so peanut buttery! Yum! Side note, I used my Kitchenaid mixer and let it beat on 2 for 15 minutes. Heck of a lot easier that way. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

I was looking for a peanut butter fudge recipe that was a "boil to the soft ball stage" and had no marshmallow creme in it. This was it. The added bonuses are that it is quick and easy. Thanks for sharing your Grandpa's recipe. Ida

This was delicious!! I made it at home and my grandma loved it. It's hard to beat her peanut butter fudge, but I think I did. We just got back from N. Carolina and the family loved it!! It didn't last long so I had to make more. Here are some things that I did that you might try: If using Jiff peanut butter or any peanut butter that is a little more stiff and not so oily, add about 1/2 cup extra of peanut butter and a but more butter than called for. This will make it more creamy and smooth. I also add a bag of Peanut Butter Chips to the mix right before I pour it out so they don't melt all the way. This adds more flavor and gives you something to chew. I reserved a handful of the chips to sprinkle on top of the fudge and lightly pressed them down into the top. When using a pan to boil the fudge make sure it is a burn proof pan. I made the mistake of using a pan that wasn't scorch proof and it changes the flavor. Also, don't let the fudge get too stiff when you are stiring it to cool it down before you pour it, keep it a little more soft so that it pours easily and spreads evenly. This fudge tastes better if you let it set for about 3 days in an air tight container at room temperature. By this time it has had time to marinate and is much creamier. In N. Carolina the fudge didn't even get a chance to sit for a few days. I hope this helps. Thanks for a great recipe, I will be making this again and again. Especially when the holiday's come around.

Before making this you should read what the others have shared as an easier route. I did this and found it very helpful. Make sure you have a candy thermometor and bring your mixture to an soft ball between temp. 235 no more than 240. Also an helpful hint was to spray your pot very lightly with a cooking spray along with your stir spoon of choice, this was a great tool. the sugar will stick to the side of your pan as it boils so this helps after cooking for an easier clean up. Once your mix is to temp. have your kitchen aid ready to go with the butter and vanilla and add your hot mixture to that and turn to speed 2 or 3 and check on it every 2 minutes to see is your mix is getting hard. I found in my kitchen aid the time was 14 minutes. Then I spread the mix on a wax paper lined (also spray very lightly with baking spray) smaller baking sheet. I left out on my counter until it was completly cooled, I lifted the wax paper and I cut into bit size pieces (using my pizza cutter) verses larger so I can gift out as gifts, using the smaller pans makes it thicker so if you cut small pieces you still get just enough in your mouth for a perfect bite. I freeze it until ready to hand out and it turns out perfect! Tastes great! You have to be willing to take the time this recipe needs, if you want to be quick in and out then try another recipe. I think some things don't need to be rushed and this is one of them. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with me.

Oh, wow. This is just about perfect fudge. I poured it into a 7 x 11 pan and it made a ton, enough to make Christmas presents for three people. Everyone loved it. Sweet, creamy, rich, peanut buttery. I used crunchy peanut butter, which I think was a bad decision, as it interrupted the texture in a way I didn't like. Next time, I'll use creamy.

I've never had peanut butter fudge so this was a nice surprise. After seeing that some reviewers ended up with hard, gritty fudge, I was worried about over cooking this, so I cooked it to 240 degrees on my candy thermometer and it was too soft. Perhaps a specific temperature would help people obtain the right fudge consistency. I don't know what it is, but it's more than 240 :) Anyhow, I ended up with a substance that tasted like and was the same consistency as peanut butter cookie dough. This recipe yields alot, it made a 7x11" pan and probably could be stretched to a 9x13" too. Thanks for the recipe!

The flavor of this fudge is absolutely perfect. So "peanut buttery." I used a candy thermometer, and boiled to the softball stage. Mine turned out a little bit grainy. When I searched the internet, I found that once it reaches softball stage, fudge shouldn't be stirred again until the temperature drops to 110 F degrees. Crystals are important to fudge, but they start too soon if the fudge is stirred early. Next time, I will try this approach. A keeper for me!

Absolutely excellent. I threw in a spoonful of cocoa powder to make it extra rich. MMMM!

I just tried making it and I don't know what happened. I ended up with a dried crumbled mess, so I thought I'd add a little milk to make it creamy again and it looked like taco meat. I am the one girl who cannot make peanut butter fudge to save my life!

This fudge is absolutely phenomenal. I was skeptical that the syrup mixture wouldn't cream up, but I put it in my Kitchen Aid along with the peanut butter and butter (the only substitute I used) and vanilla - it was great, I didn't time how long I had it beating but it was at least 6 minutes and then I poured it into a 9x13 pan. I can't stop eating it, in fact I need to make more because it's part of the goodie trays for the holidays.

This was the first time I have ever attempted to make fudge and I am so happy w/ this recipe. It turned out great, didn't take long to set up and was real easy to make. Taste awesome, too!!! Thx Grandpa;)

This fudge is awesome. It's one of the best peanut butter fudge recipes I've made. If you're high altitude, be sure to get the mixture to "soft ball" stage - it might take a little longer. I had to mix 'vigorously' for quite a while, but the end result was scrumptous!

Thanks for the great "TRADITIONAL" recipe. I really hate it when people add marshmellow cream and then call it fudge. Our great grandmothers would roll over in their graves...... This recipe rates a 12 on the 1 to 10 scale.

OMG, this is the best fudge I've ever had. Keep stirring and it won't be grainy. Thanks so much for posting this. It should be 10 stars!!!

I can't belive it! I cannot make fudge it is the one thing that I can't make. This recipie rocks, it was setting, which in my experience never happens for me. I shut the burner off after it reached 234 degrees, then added the Peanut butter, butter and vanilla, I mixed gently which brought the temp down around 180, I poured into my kitchen aid which I had read to do in other reviews, and started to mix, only mine was setting before I even started the mixer, so I only mixed for about 10 minutes on number 2 speed, and then patted it into my pre-prepped pan. The flavor is awsome, and is one of the best fudges I have ever tasted. I am totally not sure how people are getting PB carmels out of this, becuase I got fudge, and I suck at fudge. The only changes I made was that I used 2 TB of butter, and I used half and half instead of milk cause that was what I had and I needed to use it up. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. This is going to be a family christmas tradition from now on!

This is creamy and easy to make. I made for fellow employees at work. It went a long way and everyone loved it.

This is a great recipe for fudge beginners. I did use whipping cream instead of milk only because I wanted to use it up what I had on hand. Not a big deal. Anyone making fudge, really let the mix boil and stir. You'll see the mix thicken and go from grainy to smooth as water evaporates and the sugar dissolves. Just be patient. Before I start making fudge I spray my wooden spoons with cooking spray as well as wipe the pot with cooking spray to keep any undissolved sugar from sticking around (which leads to fudge not setting). I also pour heated ingredients into another pot over butter and vanilla. And stir low heat like a mad woman. Those are my lucky rituals.

Best peanut butter fudge recipe I have made. Comes out great!

Hey! This is my recipe exactly - do we have the same Grandpa? :) One thing I do which seems to bring it to the soft ball stage quicker is add a little bit of almost any type of syrup - corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, anything along that line - about 1 Tbsp. Don't ask me why that helps, but it seems to. I love the suggestions to use a beater - I'm going to try that next time. I've also never tried adding the peanut butter right at the beginning - I think I'll give that a try also.

followed recipe to the tee and it never did set up... however the sticky goo i tasted was excellent!!!

I did not like this recipe at all. While it was cooling, it tasted great, but once cooled it was pure sugar! Too sweet. No one at my work or in my house wanted it. I would not recommened this recipe.

I would have to give this a one. At least for me, this did not turn out at all. After reading the reviews, I used a candy thermometer and tried to use my Kitchen Aid mixer. I started the mixer and went to the sink with the pan to put it in hot water, when I turned back to check on the candy, it was powdery. I was very careful measuring the ingredients, even used my digital scale to make sure the sugar amounts were correct. The only thing is, I do live at about 7300 foot level in the mountains of Southern California.

This is not really fudge at all. More of like a chewy toffee. Not exactly the creaminess I was looking for.

Too sweet, WAY WAY too sweet. Even for fudge, which is sweet, this is over the top. Too bad there's no less than 1 star rating.

I am a first time fudge maker, this recipe was quick and easy. I did add an extra 1/2 cp of peanut butter and waited to add the peanut butter until after I brought the sugar & milk to 240. My husband went crazy over the fuge. Thanks for the great recipe!!

This was fantastic, my dad made great fudge and this reminds me of his, thank you, he passed 5 years ago!!!!! A great homemade taste.

thanks to another review I used my kitchen aid to do the mixing (15 mins on 2 was perfect), and this was wonderful!!! I too hardly ever have marshmallow fluff on hand, so this was a great recipe to find. I will cut back on the white sugar by about 1/2 cup next time though... it is so sweet we can only have a "tiny" piece and with milk or coffie at one time.. will make again.

Easy as pie! First time I've ever attempted making my own fudge and I have to say I'm quite pleased! I've just poured it into their respective tubs to cool down, and when it's done I'll take another pic. I decided to make sweets as gifts for my Dad and Husband this year rather than buying any, as I wanted to show them how good they've made my year and how glad I am that they are my family, and this recipe turned out absolutely perfect for the sentiment. Thank you so much for sharing, this is fabulous. And if I can do it, it can be done!

This was my first time making fudge of any kind. I followed the directions exactly and used a candy thermometer, as suggested by reviewers. I cannot believe how easy this was and how good my results are. I will make again but next time use my mixer for the final stage. I probably had to stir the fudge for 10 minutes. Thank you for this recipe.

Very good fudge, tastes exactly like peanut butter but is a little bit too sweet.

Followed the recipe and it turned out the best I've ever made! You can actually taste the peanut butter! Hope I don't eat all 36 servings.

I'm not a big fan of fudge myself, so I made this for my girlfriend. She said it was delicious, but next time I will make it in a more shallow pan - it was waaayyy too rich to be so thick.

I have always been scared to try a fudge recipe that doesn't have marshmallow creme since its so easy to make that way. This recipe is fantastic. I have been looking for a good recipe to make for a friend of mine who loved her mother's PB fudge, buther mother passed away before writing it down for her. I followed another users advice to use my kitchenaid mixer since I thought I couldn't ever mix it for as long as it needed to be mixed.

My first time making fudge, and it tasted just like my grandmas fudge when i was growing up. it was thick, and so rich i was having a memory rendezvous with each bite. It is very important to mix it as long as it says or it will not set.

outstanding

This was my first attempt ever in making fudge, so I was concerned how it would turn out. No worries with this recipe though! I followed the directions exactly (with the exception of using almond milk instead of regular milk), and it turned out beautifully. I made this for an annual Halloween party, and everyone devoured it! This will be my go-to recipe for fudge forever. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!!

This fudge is so easy to make and it tastes great. I cooked the sugar milk to a boil and used my hand mixer after adding the peanut butter. I topped the fudge with 2 handfuls of chocolate chips and pressed them in.

Ive never had peanut butter fudge before, but my boyfriend loves it so i thought id try to make it. I followed the recipe exactly, tested the sugar milk mixture for the softball stage in a glass of cold cold water, and mixed peanut butter in after i took it off the heat. it turned out great! not grainy at all, super smooth. Might be my favorite fudge!

This is the only fudge I can make! It's so good, and easy too!

This wasn't as good as my mothers, but in a pinch it hit the spot! :)

this is so simple and easy to make.. I believe its all most fool proof.. I made 2 seprate batches both turned out great

For extra crunch use crunchy peanut butter delicious! I have made peanut butter fudge alot but this recipe is by far the best and the ingredients were easy to find just around the house.

I was seriously debating whether or not to try this recipe. I love peanut butter, but, for some reason, I was afraid this wouldn't showcase the PB to it's fullest potential. I was wrong. This fudge is AMAZING. Tasted like peanut butter cookie dough and WHO DOESN'T LOVE THAT??? I followed another reviewers suggestion and added the peanut butter, butter, and vanilla after taking the sugar/milk mixture off the heat. This was after I reached a temperature of 234 degrees. (Please use a thermometer.) I was fearful that it might not set up right, as some others had experienced, but it came out wonderfully! The only thing I would like to do differently in the future is use baker's sugar (I don't remember the correct name for it) so that the texture is as creamy as possible. But, with all that scrumptious brown sugar, it might not make a difference. This recipe is a keeper! Seriously addicting.

I followed the recipe and ended up with caramels that tasted like peanut butter. Ended up pouring melted chocolate over the top and calling it peanut butter candy.

I just made this fudge for the first time this morning...it's the best I have ever made! It truly tastes like something I would pay big money for at a candy shop. Thank you for sharing!

Great creamy peanut butter flavor and really easy to make. If you've never made fudge before and want to give it a try this is the perfect recipe. It can also be made using chunky peanut butter if you want to add some crunch.

I made this and it was awful... The consistancy is gooey and It doesn't taste good.. My guess is they are missing an ingretient

thanks my dad used to love this wen he was growing up buh since his grandpa died he hasnt had it and this was te only thing he looked forward to for christmas and now i get to bring him back the holiday he will remember :)

Awesome! As another review said, I used my Kitchenaid Mixer for 15 minutes and it came out great! I can't imagine having to do it by hand, because it got awfully thick around the 5 minute mark...

This recipe was too sweet for me and my family. It ended up with a gritty texture too.

WOW! I made this fudge today and it's more than half gone already. I was kind of concerned since I woke up to rain. And we all know what we've heard about making fudge in the rain. It does not ring true for this recipe. This is so way cool. Now, I have a new treasured recipe for peanut butter fudge, come rain or shine. Thank you so much for sharing your Grandpa's recipe with all of us.

Loved it. Made for my Christmas cookie dish this year! So easy!

My Husband is a "HUGE" fan of just about anything with peanut butter. I have been trying to make my grandmothers recipe and it never turns out to be fudge. More like a sauce. The recipe worked. I hope he enjoys it as much as my son did when he scraped the pan sides and the stirring spoon!! Thanks, Melinda P.S. I used home made brown sugar and crunchy PB.

This is still setting (I can tell it's going to without a problem most likely) but I tasted the fudge in its non set state and it was really good! Very easy to make for me as a first time homemade fudge maker (on my own)

Very good. I don't have a candy thermometer so I made sure I waited until the soft ball stage. Turned out perfectly. I added 1/4 bag of chocolate chips before mixing - YUM

AAAAAAmazzzzzing Fudge, loved it!! Brought mixture to soft ball scooped in the peanut butter etc and it became the perrrfect fudge receipe. Thank you Adriander

Thank you soooo much for this recipe! This is the first fudge recipe that has ever worked for me. Definitely giving five stars for this one.

I made this fudge twice last Christmas for holiday gift plates, and my life-long love affair with chocolate fudge took a sudden turn...all I can say is one of the batches never left the house.

I took the advice of others and put the fudge in my stand mixer. I beat it a bit too long, but it tasted wonderful!! I will definitely make this again, but watch it more closely next time!!

Good recipe. I made the mistake of ignoring the STIR-IN-ONE-DIRECTION rule. The parts that actually solidified were delicious. The corners would have made a really good ice cream topping. Follow the directions exactly and you will be fine.

This is excellent and easy to make. I was wanting to make fudge, but out of marshmallow creme, this is the first time I've been successful making fuge without marshmallow creme. Will keep this recipe. Am considering adding cocoa powder next time.

This was super easy and super delicious. If you love peanut butter then this is for you!

Delicious! The only changes I made were to add 2 T light corn syrup and then cook to 234 degrees. I took it off the stove, dropped in the butter and let it cool to lukewarm, then beat it until the gloss was gone. It was creamy and perfect!

I had to make 3 batches of this before I could get it to set. It simply would not get hard! Then when it did set, it was too firm. I finally realized I wasn't cooking it long enough, but for all the waste and constant stirring over a hot stove, the taste was realy no better than the easy marshmallow creme kind in my opinion.

this is an easy to make fudge and it taste great too

I just made this fudge and it is great! I followed other reviews and added the butter,vanilla, and peanut butter after I brought the milk and sugar to soft ball stage and removed from heat. I used my hand mixer on 1 for 5 minutes and 2 for 1 minute. The fudge isn't grainy at all and set beautifully. I did reduce the sugar by 1 cup total (1/2 white and 1/2 brown). Will definately make again and not use marshmallow cream recipe.

I tried this recipe and it was awesome! Thanks for sharing. I did as someone suggested used therm. And timed the beating for 6minutes. Everyone who tried it said it was great.

loved this recipe. I was looking for a sweet and peanut buttery fudge and this was it. it hit the spot. yum.

This fudge was good but it was gritty and the mixture was REALLY runny so I added more peanut butter,I think that the sugar to milk and peanut butter ratio left a bit to be desired.

This recipe was great, althought I took another reviewers advice and used a candy thermometer to get the mixture to softball stage, which took about 5-10 minutes. I then put the peanut butter mixture into my stand mixer and mixed for 10-12 minutes. My co-workers loved it and it was gone in no time.

I have made this exact recipe for the last two Christmas' and without a doubt this is the best I have ever tried. I use a candy thermometer, so no guesswork as to the soft ball stage and an electric mixer, which saves the hand beating. Everyone that tries it has to have the recipe. Thanks Grandpa for this special treat!

it was a ok recipe but it wasnt harden after cooling and i try the recipe again and added 1 c of powder sugar and pour the fudge in a 9x13 glass cake pan and my goodness this was the best recipe

The easiest fudge I've ever made. I love the taste!

This is the first recipe for fudge, I found that was easy, and turned out perfect! Thanks so much!

This is the first time I've ever made fudge so I was very nervous but it turned out well. I used the Kitchenaid mixer as one user suggested and was able to do my clean up while the fudge essentially made itself (this was after the cooking stage which does require close attention). I used butter instead of margarine and used crunchy peanut butter which I wouldn't recommend, not because of the texture, I don't mind nuts in my fudge, but because peanuts have a very distinct flavor and they overwhelm the fudge more than walnuts or pecans would. Next time I'll try creamy as the recipe suggests.

IT WAS AWESOME THANK YOU

Tastes great but I too followed the recipe exact and it is more like a caramel. From now reading all the reviews I think the problem with it not setting is we are following the recipe and adding the peanut butter when it comes to a boil. Most of the 5 star ratings say they added it after the softball stage. I also used my kitchen aid mixer so this is the only difference I see.

The best peanut butter fudge recipe I ever made. Perfect. Great tasting. I did put the peanut butter in with the butter and vanilla. Mainly because that is the way I have always done it and was afraid to cook the peanut butter in it.

I JUST MADE THIS FUDGE ON A RAINY DREARY SATURDAY. IT TURNED OUT GREAT. I USED MY MIXER TO MIX IT AND IT IS WONDERFUL. I HAVE A GOOD RECIPE FOR PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE BUT I ONLY MAKES A SMALL AMOUNT, THIS MAKES ENOUGH TO GIVE AS GIFTS WHICH IS WHAT I ALWAYS DO WITH MY CHRISTMAS CANDY. I FOLLOWED THE RECIPE AND USED A CANDY THERMOMETER. WILL ADD TO MY CHRISTMAS MUST HAVES.

I have used this recipe for years and love it. Turns out perfect every time

This recipe is AMAZING. It was extremely easy to make and everyone I make it for LOVES it. A real keeper!

I made this recipe last night and it was absolutely the best peanut butter fudge ever! I looked for a recipe that did not use marshmallow fluff because I don't like that kind. This one had really good reviews so I tried it. I will use this recipe from now on!! I didn't follow the instructions exactly after learning a lot about fudge-making recently. I used a candy thermometer and boiled to 225 (mine is not accurate--about 7-10 degrees off). Then I cooled it before stirring the butter and vanilla in. Stirring in the same direction is something I had not heard before. I will try that when making chocolate fudge as well.

Very grainy, not sure if I did something wrong, but I don't think so. Also lacking in PB flavor, for such a large yield.

Enjoyed this great recipe again this year! Just finished making this and it turned out great! Very easy and VERY tasty!!

loved this after the second try lol( i cooked it too long to like rock candy state almost lol) very tasty and have learned my lesson with this fudge to be very cautious when making fudge lol.

I am the biggest fan of peanut butter. And this was fast and easy. The best combination!

Thank you so much for submitting this recipe! This tastes exactly like the fudge I remember from childhood. It's also very easy to make, as I've never before made fudge. Thanks to all the reviewers who gave me some great tips to make this turn out so well! I would say definately use a candy thermometer. You can't go wrong that way.

Too sugary. Did what recipe called for but turned out like eating sugar.

I recipie was very easy to make and very yummy. It set up perfectly!

I followed this recipe almost to a T WITHOUT a candy thermometer and barely any brown sugar, and i used homemade peanut butter. About the the balls in cold water, i think they're more like balls with tails, i just used a spoon to drop some into cold water and when it formed little balls with tails taht quickly sank to the bottom i thought it was time. I used 3 3/4 cups of white sugar and 1/4 of brown (lol, thats all i had left) and i added some molasses when i put everything in the pot. Other then than i followed everything, stirring the right way etc. And it turned out great. First time making fudge and i'm pretty satisfied. Not to mention this recipe is one of out of the 3 that DONT use offbeat ingredients that no one usually has.

Sooooo delicious!!!!

very quick and easy.... great tasting too....

This is just like the PB fudge I had when I was a little girl. The recipes differ a little (like others wrote about adding the peanut butter in the end)... but I think the end result will be the same! I tried it GRANPAS way this time! This fudge is WAY, WAY better than the fudge that is made with marshmallow cream!

Always a hit with kids and friends always are asking for it!

The family loved it very easy to make and had a good flavor to it. Thanks !

Best peanut butter fudge I've ever made. Everyone loved it!!!!

Amazing, will keep this in my recipe box as a festive treat.

I tried t his recipe...The very very first time I've ever made fudge in my life! I was looking for something simple, that didn't require ingredients I don't always carry. I wasn't expecting such a dark colored p/b fudge. However...it tastes justs as good if not better than any other fudge out there. THIS is a great recipe!! Especially for first time candy makers. In my honest opinion! Thanks!