This pecan pie fudge only calls for 5 ingredients and is relatively healthy as far as fudge goes! Naturally paleo, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free.
After making my maple peanut butter fudge a while back, I immediately tried several other versions. And this pecan pie version is my favorite!
All you need is maple syrup, pecan butter, cinnamon, coconut oil, vanilla and salt. Just let it boil for 2 minutes (no candy thermometer needed!), pour into a mini muffin pan and freeze. The key is the salt.
This pecan pie fudge has got this salty-sweet combination going on and it’s amazing. If you don’t enjoy your sweets salty, then only use 1/4 teaspoon salt.
My only issue is that it’s not the cheapest candy to make with 1/2 cup of maple syrup for 12 pieces. If maple syrup weren’t so expensive, I’d be making copious amounts of this fudge and handing it out to everyone during the holidays.
I actually forgot to add in the chopped pecans after boiling the fudge so I just plopped a half pecan on top of each piece. I loved how smooth and creamy the fudge was that way but for a truly pecan pie-ish experience, don’t forgot the pecans!
It also calls for 1/3 cup pecan butter but that’s easy and cheap enough to make on your own! Just toss 3/4 cup (85 grams) pecans into a food processor and process until creamy and smooth like natural peanut butter.
If you’ve got a large capacity food processor like I do, you’ll need to process more than 3/4 cup to get it to do its thing properly. I did 1 1/2 cups, which gave me enough to make this pecan pie fudge twice.
I’ve never tried doubling this recipe so I don’t know how the cook time would be affected. Plus if I made a double batch of this, I’d just eat it all within a day or two, anyway. So making it on two separate occasions works for me. :D
Looking for more great Thanksgiving recipes? Click on the below images for more!
- Homemade Orange Cider Cranberry Sauce via The Snappy Gourmet
- Cheesy Garlic Herb Potatoes and Squash via Sugar Dish Me
- 5-Ingredient Pecan Pie Fudge via Texanerin Baking
- Brussels Sprouts and Farro Salad via Lemons for Lulu
- Sweet Potato Cheesecake via Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Cranberry Side Dish via Cooking on the Front Burner
- Fig and Goat Cheese Ball via Eat. Drink. Love
- Overnight Pumpkin Monkey Bread via Barbara Bakes
- Classic Apple Pie via Comfortable Domestic
- Acorn Squash Puree via Daily Appetite
- Pumpkin Banana Bread via Java Cupcake
- Green Beans with Almonds and Bacon via From Valerie’s Kitchen
- Classic Pecan Pie via That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Turkey Tenderloins with Mushroom Shallot Tarragon Gravy via All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
- Sweet Potato Casserole Donut Holes via Cupcake Project
- Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes via Chocolate Slopes
- Triple Spice Pumpkin Buttermilk Pie via Frugal Foodie Mama
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce via The Adventure Bite
- Twice Baked Potatoes via My Gluten Free Kitchen
- Green Bean Quinoa Casserole via Lauren Kelly Nutrition
- Warm Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Leek Salad with Cheddar Biscuit Breadcrumbs via Sarcastic Cooking
- Pumpkin Slab Pie via The Kitchen is My Playground
- Prosciutto Wrapped Parmesan Pears & Greens via The Complete Savorist
- Cranberry Apple Charlotte via The Redhead Baker
- Pumpkin Ricotta Chocolate Chip Bread via Ari’s Menu
5-Ingredient Pecan Pie Fudge (paleo, vegan, gluten-free)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 12 pieces
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup (85 grams) natural pecan butter1
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (56 grams) coconut oil2
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons roasted pecans, coarsely chopped, optional
- 12 pecan halves, optional
Directions
- Line a mini muffin pan with 12 waxed or silicone muffin liners. You can alternatively line a small container with parchment paper or waxed paper. This fudge will stick to regular paper liners!
- In a small saucepan, mix together the maple syrup, pecan butter, cinnamon, salt and coconut oil over medium heat. At first it won't appear to come together well. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and while continuing to stir constantly, boil for about 2 minutes. It should have thickened a bit. If you use a heavy bottom pan, you may need to boil it another minute or two. Stir in the vanilla until well combined. Stir in 5 tablespoons chopped pecans, if using.
- Pour into the waxed or silicone liners, top with pecan halves, if using, and place the pan in the freezer. If you don't have room in your freezer, refrigerate for a few hours until firm and then transfer the fudge pieces to a small container that does fit in your freezer.
- Freeze for about 2-3 hours. The liners will be easy to remove once the fudge has thoroughly frozen.
- This fudge does not travel well (unless you have a cooler!) It should be kept refrigerated or frozen.
Notes
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83 comments on “5-Ingredient Pecan Pie Fudge (paleo, vegan, gluten-free)” — Add one!
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One of the best recipes I’ve come across on the internet. So easy to make and so addicting! Made one batch as a test and have made three more since with a little extra pecan butter though. Instead of using standard-size silicone muffin liners, I used mini silicone baking liners that look like they would be used for peanut butter cups or something similar and only filled each one about halfway and added a lone pecan on top. I found those liners on Amazon as well as mini liners made out of parchment paper.
We made these with almond butter (accidentally picked up wrong jar) and we were also 1 cup short short lol! But WOW!!! They still came out amazingly GOOD!!! Definitely making another batch!
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! There’s only 1/3 cup of nut butter in the recipe so I don’t think you were really 1 cup short. ;) Thanks for your comment!
Delicious!! Thank you!!
I stuck to the recipe. But to deal with the stickiness everyone was talking about, I added another couple of tablespoons of home made almond butter to the saucepan til it was thicker. No separating and came out of the freezer in a couple of hours set! I used silicon muffin tin and they popped out easily. So yummy, will be making again as a special treat!!
The stickiness is a mystery to me! It’s worked every time but once for me and there were no variables as I used the same brands of ingredients and a scale. Bizarre. Thanks for your tip! I’m so happy it came out well. :)
That looks good!
Thanks! :)
Hi – I’ve been looking at paleo fudge recipes and I’m wondering why they all need to stay refrigerated after setting? Thanks in advance for any input.
Hi! Because a lot of them are coconut oil and / or nut butter based and so they melt at room temp. I have a paleo chocolate fudge recipe here that can be kept at room temperature. You can use almond butter in place of the hazelnut butter if you’d like. :) The chocolate helps firm it up!
Thanks! I’ll try that one.
Hope you’ll enjoy it! :)
I do actually remember. I made it exactly as it is written. I still can’t imagine what went wrong. But I know not to make it in the hot summer…so I will not be trying it again right now. It is still really hot and humid over here in the south.
They still tasted great even if they came out of the pan all squished and deformed and very soft but tasty!
I’ve been making different versions of these all day and am totally stumped. It’s also quite warm and humid here so I’ll take a break and try again later. Thanks for your response!
Are there any possible substitutions for the maple syrup, like honey? Just thinking about what I already have in my pantry. These look good!
The problem is that this (and I think most candy recipes that you cook) is kind of a particular recipe. I’d be afraid to offer any subs because I’m really not sure if they’d work here! And I’d hate for you to waste expensive pecan butter when I’m not sure. But if you do try it out, I hope you’ll enjoy them. :) Sorry I can’t give you a better answer!
Is there another oil you can use besides coconut oil?
I’m so sorry that I just now saw this! I wouldn’t recommend trying other oils in this fudge. Coconut hardens quite a bit once refrigerated, unlike other oils. Butter might work but I haven’t tried it.
You can use cacao butter (you have to melt it first) – it is GREAT and sets well :)
Oh, neat! You’ve tried it in this recipe? Thanks for the tip!
Yes! Cacao Butter is GREAT and I think works better. The fudge is firmer once set. It tastes great, enjoy. Thanks so much for the recipe.
I have some cacao butter so I’ll give it a try! Thanks again. :)
This recipe was so easy – even making the pecan butter was easy. I look for vegan friendly goodies for my friends that are vegetarian and vegan… these little bites of happiness were a big hit with everyone (even my non-veg/non-vegan friends). To make it even more special I used maple syrup that was personally tapped and boiled down by a neighbor! Now everyone wants to know when I’m going to make more :)
Yay! I’m so happy that it worked out well for you. :) And with personally tapped maple syrup?! Amazing. Thanks so much for your feedback!
This looks really good. Just so you know, I follow you on Google+, under the name Kathleen Clegg, which has been my name for 24 years. When I entered my name on the form though, I put Kathleen Coe, which is my maiden name. I don’t know what’s up with that. I must really need chocolate. This is a great giveaway. My husband’s favorite candy is the Ritter Sport Milk Chocolate Hazlenut candy bar.
Haha. You clearly need chocolate (just kidding!) ;) Sorry you didn’t win. I really wished I had enough for everyone!
Ok, I still don’t know what I am doing wrong…I used all the same ingredients as you and they are super sticky. Made two batches the night before Thanksgiving since my previous batch had separated. One of those batches seemed perfect and the second batch started separating at under 2 minutes so I pulled off of the heat immediately. I was using a silicon mini muffin pan and I was going to do something you suggested by putting them in the fridge for awhile and then pop them out and stick them in the freezer. Mine did not want to pop out. They were ultra gooey. But I did pull them out and kind of flattened them back out to resemble little squares and stuck in the freezer. Still tasty but I don’t know what the issue is with the stickiness. My husband thought they would make a great frosting for something.
I’m sorry it’s not working for you! So when you made them the night before Thanksgiving, one of the batches came out perfectly? I ask because you said it “seemed” perfect so I’m wondering if something went wrong later. Did you use different pans that night? If one batch worked and one didn’t and you used the same exact ingredients, I can’t think of anything to explain it other than a difference in the pans. Did you maybe use a heavy cast iron skillet for one batch? Or did you make the failed batch in a still very, very hot pan? I’m not even sure if that’d make a difference. I’d blame my ingredients on the problem if two people hadn’t made my maple peanut butter fudge (which is the same exact recipe as this one except for the type of nut butter and the addition of cinnamon and more salt) without issue. I was going to ask how you made your pecan butter but since one batch came out well, that’s not relevant, either. I’m totally stumped and wish I could help! So sorry.
Seemed perfect meant they cooked well, did not separate, and looked pretty in the pan but when I went to take them out of the pan, they were ultra gooey. Kind of had to scrape them out. So same ingredients, did not use cast iron skillet but I did use the same pan for each batch but the pan was cool and clean each time I made a separate batch. The only thing different between batches would be the amount of time they cooked on top of the stove.
And actually none of my batches I would say came out well except they tasted great. How they looked was a totally different matter….but oh well. I do want to try the maple peanut butter fudge sometime. I just have to get more peanut butter!
On a side note: I had never had pecan butter but it is SO good!
Darn. I really have no idea what it could be then! I’ll be in Texas next month and will try it from there and see if there’s some kind of ingredients difference I’m not aware of (although I really don’t think there is). If this pecan version doesn’t work for you, I wouldn’t bother with the maple peanut butter version since it’s more or less the same basic recipe. :( If these didn’t have to be refrigerated / frozen, I’d send you a batch! So sorry for all your trouble.
I know this is jumping in late but humidity and room temperature could make a difference. Try again when the weather and your home is dry and see if that helps.
Oh believe me, I know. I am from the south. I know when to make candy and when not to. If it’s raining outside, you can forget it. But this recipe really shouldn’t matter/ And I can’t tell you what the humidity was like then because it was around thanksgiving and I can’t really remember what it was like that month. One of these days, I will attempt it again…it is very tasty though regardless of how it set up.
Question though: I was using a silicon mini muffin pan…might be better to use the metal mini muffin pan with liners…they might come out easier in the long run.
A metal mini muffin pan works fine as long as you use waxed liners. I’ve tried using regular paper ones and it’s impossible to get them off (at least with the liners I had!) By the way, I couldn’t try these in the US while I was there because I didn’t have a food processor small enough to do the small amount of nuts I needed. And holy cow – nuts are expensive in the US! I couldn’t bring myself to spend so much money on a whole bag of pecans to make a larger amount of pecan butter. It’s so weird because our pecans, walnuts, etc. are imported from California but they’re cheaper here than they are in the US.
My first attempt at this has not gone so well. I think I must have cooked the mixture slightly longer than 2 minutes because the mixture separated. They are still tasty and I am going to try again.
Separated?! Oh no. I’m sorry to hear that. When you first stir it together, it may look a little separated, but it comes together quickly. I once did a batch for 5 minutes, just to see what’d happen, and that didn’t separate, either. Did you make any subs? I’m happy that they were at least tasty. :)
Oh yes, it came together in the beginning but totally separated after I cooked it. I’m not sure why now that you say you tried yours for 5 minutes. At 5 minutes those suckers should have been extremely sticky!
I just tried the recipe again and no separation. I cooked it just under 2 minutes. I’ll let you know how they come out.
I’ve had something similar happen with one of my own recipes that worked several times in the past and had nothing but positive reviews. It separated and did weird things. The only thing it could have been was an ingredient difference issue! Like a difference in how thick my Greek yogurt is. But looking at the ingredients here, I’m not sure what it could be. I hope the second batch worked out better and that you have a great Thanksgiving! :)
I just had this happen to me! I used almond butter instead of pecan butter and cocoa butter instead of coconut oil since someone in the comments recommended it. It’s totally stuck to the liners! Super gooey and caramel-y. It’s delicious but even after freezing for hours, I can’t get it off the liners. The only thing that I think can explain this is that I made a fourth batch and boiled it for too long. I boiled it for 2 minutes, just like the full batch. Not that you would remember, but did you make the full batch? Other commenters have made it without issue so cooking time (and maybe temperature) has to be the issue. I’ll make a full batch again with a candy thermometer and take notes on the temps!
My father-in-law lives in New Hampshire during the summer and he brought us back two very large jugs of maple syrup in September, so I will definitely be making this fudge for the holidays. I may even share it!
Haha. That’s very generous! And I’m jealous – two large jugs of maple syrup? This recipe was practically made for you. :D I hope you’ll enjoy it!
This fudge looks fantastic. I entered to win the chocolate, I adore all of these.
Thanks, Michelle!
That fudge looks absolutely glorious! Everyone seems to think of fudge for Christmas, but what a great idea for a little something sweet after a big feast! No overeating then, right?
Oh, goodness, no. Fudge is for ALL the time. ;)
I’m headed to Germany in a couple of weeks to visit the Christmas markets in Munich. I can’t wait to seek out all these yummy chocolates. My mom is also on the search for the genuine haribo gummy bears (not the ones from turkey we typically can find).
I’m so sorry I missed your comment! I don’t know how that happened. And I hope you’ll enjoy your time in Germany and at the Christmas markets. It’s a fun time (although the weather is miserable!)
I LOVE fudge! Usually making it involves busting out the candy thermometer and making sure everything is just right! I love that this version is so simple – boil for 2 minutes. I can do that! Also who doesn’t love the sweet and salty combo? It’s the best! Oh and this giveaway has me majorly craving chocolate. I sorta hope I win so I can eat. all. the. chocolate.
Yeees! It’s the best. Forget pecan pie! Make this. :D
This is some seriously mouthwatering fudge…I love the flavor, and I love that you make it in little liners – just adorable! (And what a delicious giveaway.)
Thanks, Heather! :)
Oh.My.Gosh. This looks heavenly and so easy to make too! Pinned!!
Thanks so much for pinning!
I love fudge. Especially fudge that is paleo! I must make these for Thanksgiving dessert this year!
I hope you’ll enjoy it! :)
I’ve also never had pecan butter and now I am so craving a taste. Actually, I want to try your pecan pie fudge because I’m intrigued by all of the ingredients! I’m so in love with your chocolate giveaway!! I would have to have any thing German that you can’t find here :)) How fun!
Thanks! I hope you’ll give it a try. :)
absolutely love German chocolate…great recipe
Thanks!
I’m a fudge addict. I love that this is healthier and simple to prepare. Can’t wait to give it a try!
I hope you’ll love it as much as we did! :)
Pecan pie fudge sounds like a dream come true. I love how you’ve made it in mini muffin forms. It looks so inviting and creamy. I really need to make this for Christmas. I know my dad would love it!
Oooh… it’d make a fantastic present! Put it in a pretty box and wrap it up. But then you’ll have to keep it refrigerated. ;)
This looks so decadent!! LOVE LOVE!
Thanks so much!
Wowsers!! I think I could quite easily eat a whole batch of this all by myself!
Haha. I’m pretty sure you could. I speak from experience. ;)
This looks simply delicious! I’ll have to give this a shot!
I hope you will! :)
Ok, I am embarrassed to say this (being a nut butter fanatic!) I have never had pecan butter!! This fudge looks amazing! Great recipe!
Thanks! And you have to try pecan butter. It’s good stuff!
I have never made any kind of fudge. This looks good.
Thanks for the chance to enter the drawing. My husband would love for me to win this. Ha!!
Thanks, Charlotte! Good luck on winning the giveaway. :)
That fudge couldn’t possibly look any more perfect, WOW!! And that giveaway….I’m seriously having withdrawal symptoms from all the Milka and Ritter Sport chocolate I know and love from Germany – I WANT IT!!!
Thank you! And haha. Sorry about that. ;)
This fudge looks amazing! As for all the chocolates, I’d do away with any of the ones with a yogurt or cookie filling, but would be in chocolate heaven with everything else!
The cookie filling ones are so terribly addictive! I think because they’re even sweeter than the regular stuff. So… good decision! ;)
Oh wow, this fudge looks so creamy and delicious. What a fabulous fudge flavor!
Tracey @ The Kitchen is My Playground
Thanks, Tracey!
This fudge would be dangerous for me to have around. 12 pieces = 1 serving, right?? Haha!
Haha. For people without portion-control, like me – yes! That’s totally accurate. :D
I can’t wait to look through all of the recipes! This fudge is such a great idea! What a wonderful twist on a classic favorite!!
Thanks so much, Sara! :)
Fudge totally scares me! But you make this one look so easy and delicious!!
This one isn’t scary! I promise. :)