This smooth, sweet, salty, secretly healthy peanut butter fudge melts in your mouth!
Healthy peanut butter fudge recipe
Did you know it’s possible to make the most delicious homemade fudge with no butter, no heavy cream, and no high fructose corn syrup required?
Only five plant based healthy ingredients, and it tastes just like traditional fudge.
It really and truly does!
Each bite of soft peanut butter fudge is rich, velvety, and so creamy.
This is one snack you’ll find yourself making over and over (and over and over) again.
Also try 3 ingredient Peanut Butter Truffles
A few years ago, while on a beach vacation in Delaware, I discovered a little candy shop along the boardwalk.
The store offered an array of enticing flavors like Chocolate Pecan, Sea Salt Caramel, Toasted Coconut, Pumpkin Walnut, and Classic Peanut Butter.
It would’ve been impossible to leave that shop not craving fudge. The second I returned home from the trip, I turned my kitchen into its own confectionary factory, whipping up healthy peanut butter fudge from scratch.
My original plan had been to make many different flavors of fudge… but peanut butter tasted so good that I never got to the others!
Trending now: Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
Healthy peanut butter fudge recipe video
Key ingredients
Peanut butter – I love the fun texture of crunchy peanut butter, or you can go with smooth peanut butter for a creamier fudge.
Both natural peanut butter and conventional brands (like Jif or Skippy) work here.
Almond butter is a tasty alternative to peanut butter. Or for those on a nut free diet, try sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter.
Coconut oil – Either refined or unrefined coconut oil should be readily available at regular grocery chains as well as stores like Target, Marshall’s, and Whole Foods.
Do not omit or substitute vegetable oil for the coconut, because it does not harden when cold and therefore your fudge will never solidify.
Sweetener – Liquid sweeteners like honey or pure maple syrup are the best options for the smoothest fudge. You can substitute liquid sweetener for granulated sugar or powdered sugar if you wish.
For keto fudge, use low carb syrup, monk fruit, erythritol, or stevia drops to taste.
Banana (optional) – As a huge peanut butter banana fan, I add one ripe banana to naturally sweeten the fudge. If you prefer your recipe to be banana free, you do not need to add the fruit.
How to make the vegan fudge
- Measure out your peanut butter. If using natural nut butter, gently warm it up on the stove top or in the microwave until soft and easy to stir.
- Mash the banana (if using), then whip all of your ingredients together with a spoon or in a food processor until completely smooth.
- Use a spoon or spatula to spread the mixture into a plastic container, glass container, or small baking pan.
- Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips or chopped walnuts if desired.
- Freeze until firm and easy to slice.
- Due to the melty nature of the coconut oil, this freezer fudge is best kept frozen. Store leftovers in an airtight covered container for up to a month.
Want a fun alternative to traditional fudge squares? Freeze the peanut butter mixture in candy molds or mini cupcake liners!
What makes this healthy peanut butter fudge?
Refined sugar free. If you go with the banana option or any of the sugar free options included in the recipe below, this fudge can be entirely free of refined sugars.
Protein in each bite. Just one piece provides over four times the amount of protein found in traditional peanut butter fudge.
No corn syrup, no shortening. Many peanut butter fudge recipes call for high fructose corn syrup, butter or shortening, sweetened condensed milk, or sometimes even marshmallows. You won’t find any of those ingredients in this healthier version.
Vegan + dairy free. The healthy snack can also be gluten free, egg free, and soy free.
More healthy fudge flavors
What would be your dream fudge flavor? Chocolate Banana Bread? Caramel Popcorn? Sugar Cookie Dough? Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Fudge?
Please feel free to list as many ideas as you wish, and you might just see your dream flavor up here on my blog in the near future.
Healthy Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup peanut butter or nut or seed butter of choice (120g)
- 3 tbsp coconut oil (36g)
- 2 tbsp sweetener of choice (30g) or stevia drops to taste
- 1 banana (optional)
- 1 handful mini chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- If peanut butter is not already soft, gently heat until easy to stir. Either combine all ingredients in a small blender or stir together by hand until completely smooth. Spread into a small container or mini cupcake liners. Freeze until firm. To keep the peanut butter fudge from melting, store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
Healthy Peanut Butter Recipes
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars
Healthy Girl Scout Cookie Tagalongs
For those wondering what to sub for coconut butter because they can’t find or make it, just want to share that I’ve been successful with 50-50 coconut flour (finely ground) & coconut oil, as well as 25% coconut oil & 75% coconut flour. I haven’t yet tried to make the butter by adding some oil to the coconut (to make easier on my blender), but just adding the oil & flour directly to Katie’s recipes has worked very well for me (& her fudge recipes using this method are delicious, by the way!)
Since being pregnant, I cannot get over how much I love peanut butter. I’ll have to try this.
Lily
author of Destria Waves
Should this be made with a fresh banana or an over ripe freezer banana?
I used PB2 (powdered peanut butter) instead of regular peanut butter, 3tsp nuttelex lite instead of the coconut butter, and a stick blender and they turned out amazing! I poured the mix into cute little gingerbread cookie cutters on some flat baking paper because it’s nearly christmas! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
I made these as described for all ingredients and amounts except the coconut oil (I was al out) and I used Spectrum’s shortening for that. They taste yummy but with the shortening, after frozen for many hours I ended up with the shortening as a layer on the bottom of the fudge. It ‘settled’ towards gravity in most of the fudge pieces. I found this odd as I’d hand blended it for many minues till smooth, but that’s ok! They still taste good and I like how I can taste the banana in with the peanut butter. Made these for my honey for x-mas! Thanks, Katie! Next time though, I’ll try the oil.
I just made these and sprinkled dark mini chocolate chips on top before freezing. It’s 1/3 gone and it’s not quite fudge yet! So yummy!
There are just toooo many things on your site that I want to make!
Going all heart-eyed emoji at this fudge though so perhaps that should be first on the list!
I made this earlier today. My blender had a hard time whizzing the ingredients around at first, but it trooped through! Absolutely gorgeous fudge. So simple. So indulgent. And it’s healthy! I’m so happy. Thank you! 😀
I love dreamsicles, or some call them creamsicles (orange and cream). That would possibly make a great fudge! I haven’t tried your pb fudge yet, but I’m going to!
Hi,
I tried this fudge recipe and it turned out great!. I subbed coconut manna for the coconut cream though because that is what I had on hand. It was such an easy recipe and it tastes delicious. Thanks so much for sharing. May I share this recipe on my blog?
Have a lovely day!