This healthy chocolate peanut butter fudge couldn’t be any easier! You just melt everything together. Naturally vegan with a paleo and nut-free option. With a video.
Note: I originally posted this fudge recipe back in 2012 but decided to make some changes to the recipe to make it a little more allergy and dietary-friendly by testing it with sunflower seed butter and maple instead of honey!
I’ve gotten a lot of comments over the past few months about sunflower seed butter that made me curious. I know a lot of you have peanut allergies, can’t send peanuts to school or are paleo so I thought I’d try it out (here’s a recipe for homemade sunflower seed butter). You can also buy SunButter on Amazon!
This fudge, by the way, can’t be sent to school! It needs to be kept refrigerated or frozen.
One thing you don’t want to skip on is the salt. It just calls for “salt to taste” because I think I like things a lot saltier than most people. It really intensifies the peanut butter taste!
If you don’t have a mini muffin pan or a silicone mold, you can pour the mixture into a small parchment-lined tupperware container or the like. I just went with a mini muffin pan because it seemed the least messy.
This chocolate peanut butter fudge doesn’t taste exactly like traditional fudge – the texture isn’t the same and obviously it’s not as sweet, but if I had to choose between the two, I would pick this.
I just feel better eating it. And I love the taste and texture although it’s not the same as the really unhealthy stuff.
I’ve also tried this healthy peanut butter chocolate fudge with hazelnut butter and it was tasty but it’s hard to beat chocolate + peanut butter, right? ;)
If you prefer some peanut butter fudge without the chocolate, I highly recommend this maple peanut butter caramel fudge! It’s also vegan (but not paleo because of the peanut butter). :)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge (vegan, gluten-free, grain-free with paleo and nut-free options)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 12-16 pieces of fudge
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) refined coconut oil1
- 1/2 cup (128 grams) natural peanut butter or sunflower seed butter for paleo / nut-free (use the kind with just nuts / seeds and salt)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (72 grams) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- salt to taste (be sure to add this! It really brings out the peanut flavor)
- 1/3 cup + 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- if using sunflower seed butter: coconut sugar to taste (I used 5 teaspoons)
Directions
- Melt the coconut oil in a small pot or pan over low heat. Add the nut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt and stir together. When it’s completely smooth, take it off the heat and add the maple syrup and stir until well combined.
- If using sunflower seed butter, add coconut sugar to taste. Put the pot back on the burner and set to the lowest setting. Stir until the coconut sugar is dissolved.
- If using peanut butter, you don't need additional sugar. Once the maple syrup is combined, immediately pour the fudge into a silicone mold or into the liners.
- Place in the refrigerator until set. Mine took a few hours. If you’re in a hurry, stick them in the freezer. If using a silicone mold, remove the set candy from the mold so that the fudge doesn't take on the taste of the mold.
- Store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Notes
- I updated this recipe on 6/9/16. Here's the original recipe (in case you've made it in the past): 6 tablespoons (84 grams) refined coconut oil, 1/2 cup (128 grams) natural peanut butter, 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (72 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1/4 cup (80 grams) honey
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103 comments on “Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge (vegan, paleo options)” — Add one!
2 comments are awaiting moderation!
Lise – Yay! I'm so happy that you enjoyed them! I've never had sunflower seed butter before but your version sounds interesting. And it's great to know that these actually work as truffles! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback (and I think this is the third time you've done it, which is awesome). It really makes my day! :)
Hi Erin, thanks for the recipe! I tried this recipe as truffles for Valentine's Day (with a few changes) and we loved them! I subbed sunflower seed butter for peanut butter, and added a pinch of salt and some vanilla to bring out the sweetness, since SSB isn't as sweet as PB I think. I rolled them in cocoa powder – what a treat! And even though they're still pretty efficient calorie bombs, they've got some health benefits too. Thanks!
Nora – I can't wait!
Union Street Eats – Coconut oil is new to me! I got it for another recipe, used only a tablespoon, and then came up with this as a way to get rid of some coconut oil. I think it's a good way. :)
Coconut oil is my new obsession. These are perfect!
Yes maam I will but it will probably be in a couple weeks :)
Nora – Thanks! But I want to see your fudge recipe. Are you going to post it?!
Katie – Hehe, yeah. Melted is the way to go! Who wants cold and hard when you could have soft and melty. :)
Sara – I just saw what you said on Facebook. YAY! Someone is going to make one of my recipes! Please tell me what you think. I hope you love them. :)
Oh my goodness these look amazing!! So cute and yummy looking! I can't wait to try these!
You out did yourself my friend! These look perfect and sound so delicious!! I love melty chocolates too! :)
Ahhhh! I just made a fudge recipe two days ago and this looks FABULOUS! Nice job on using honey and coconut oil – and I can't resist peanut butter mmmmmmm!!!! :) Love the hearts too!
Sonia – Thanks a bunch! I love how enthusiastic you are about things. It makes taking hundreds pictures of just one thing worth it. :)
I'm happy you enjoyed the article. It was all new to me until I made your chocolate coconut almond butter and read up on cocoa powder.
Hahaha. But I sound like a moron when I end every fourth sentence with YAY! There was even a YAY! in the directions. But thanks for your support of my yays. We thank you. :D
OMG, these look sooooo good! You made them look absolutely perfect, so shiny and creamy. I want to sink my teeth into one right now.
Seriously, I can't believe how beautiful they are.
And they have peanut butter in them? OMG!
Oh, and extremely good article on cocoa powder. Thoroughly enjoyed that!
And one last thing, there's no shame in saying YAY four times in a post! Especially not when it's that exciting. I say you should reinstate them. Poor YAYS…
Heidi – Thanks! I hope that works out. I've never had unrefined coconut oil before so maybe it's not how I'm imagining it to be. I hope you can try them! Please let me know how they turn out if you do. :)
These are incredible. The first couple pictures they look delicious but I thought, how special can they be. And then that picture with the bite out of it – Omg! Amazing. I am totally completely convinced. I think I might try these with my regular coconut oil, I think the coconut flavor would be delicious, if it's even noticeable. I love that you made them into little hearts, so cute!
Katrina – Yeah, the mixture is totally liquid when you pour them in the molds so they're just forced to come out perfectly.
Miryam – If you keep them in the fridge, they're quite firm and not gooey. I just like mine that way so I leave them out at room temperature for a while to get them a bit softer. You should totally try this recipe. It's way more fun than those boring almond cookies. :)
Regan – Thanks! You could always make a tiny batch. I normally always make 1/4 batches so I can't possibly eat an entire batch of something at once. Only 1/4 of a batch. :)
Erin… these look AH-MAZING. I am afraid to make them at home, though. I would want to eat them over and over and over and… ;-)
Wow this is an awesome recipe. How cute with the heart shape! I could probably eat the entire batch by myself :-).
I have peanut butter chocolate fudge in my super long dessert to do list but this one is way healthier. I bet you can also make truffles with this recipe.
I really like this recipe. I bet you could probably add some melted chocolate to the mixture and then it won't be so runny like you mentioned, but then again the fudge won't be as healthy :-)
I really need to try this. A lot of the time my truffles don't end up as pretty as I'd like, but with a mold I just know they'd turn out! Yum!
Caroline – Truffles! Maybe I should have made them as truffles. I think you'll be seeing these slightly altered as truffles. Thanks for the idea and for pinning. :)
Becca – I don't like to use natural peanut butter in lots of things, especially pie, because the texture is totally different and the flavor isn't the same. I like the flavor of commercial peanut butter. It's sugary and so creamy! I think it makes a difference when baking but other people don't mind it.
Natural peanut butter is definitely healthier, WAY healthier, but I don't see the point in using it in baking if you don't like the outcome. So I don't. I'm going to try to come up with recipes that are yummy with natural peanut butter, though. I don't need all the added bad fat and sugar in the commercial stuff.
This looks so creamy and delicious! I like the picture with the bite taken out of it, it shoes great texture of the fudge.
Also, quick question: do you know why commercial peanut butter (like Jif) is always used and people suggest against using natural peanut butter. I've always wondered this, but never really asked because not many recipes call for natural peanut butter, like this one. I would think natural would be better because you could control the sugar and salt amount.
Woah! Erin, you've outdone yourself. These look amazing! They almost remind me of a truffle! Thank you for the amazing recipe. This is a must try and definitely must pin. ;-)