Quick 2-Ingredient Fudge Recipe

What's even easier than 3-ingredient fudge? Two-ingredient fudge of course! This isn't one of those recipes that claims to be super simple but in reality really isn't. This 2-ingredient fudge recipe calls for chocolate and condensed milk, and that's it. As any chocolate fan knows, when you're craving just a taste of chocolate but don't want to make a big production out of it only one thing will suffice — a hunk of fudge. 

We secured this fudge recipe from the creator of Little House Big Alaska, Laura Sampson. Sampson is a food photographer, recipe developer, and versatile chef. While Sampson claims 2-ingredient fudge recipes are actually really popular, "...most of the recipes out there require a microwave. Being in a house without a microwave always made me hesitate, could it be done without a microwave? Making stove-top 2-ingredient fudge was a real eye-opener for me!" So if you, too, live in a microwave-less home, this one's for you.

As previously mentioned, the only two ingredients you need for this fudge are a can of condensed milk and two and a half cups of chocolate chips. We asked Sampson what brand of milk she prefers and her loyalty is clear. "I've always used Eagle Brand condensed milk for this recipe. I don't even know if other brands exist? Maybe store brands? I bet they would work fine too," she insists. The standard Eagle Brand condensed milk is the 14-ounce can, which is what you should use for this fudge. 

In regards to the chocolate, everyone's got their preference (some milk, some dark, some EXTRA dark), but Sampson claims, "For this 2-ingredient fudge I used straight semi-sweet but I think ANY chocolate chips would work!" So if you've got a fam that's partial to milk chocolate chips, feel free to use those instead. If they like white chocolate chips, things might really get wild with this fudge.

Prepare the pan you're going to use to form the block of fudge. All you need here is an 8x8 baking pan, parchment paper, and butter.

If you've ever tried to line parchment paper in anything (cake pan, sheet pan — you name it), you know it has a tendency to roll up, which can make it challenging to subsequently get the food item onto the parchment. For this 2-ingredient fudge recipe, all you need to do is butter the 8x8 baking pan, then line it with the parchment, across the bottom and up the sides. The butter will ensure that the parchment sticks to the pan. 

Please note, there is no need to add any more butter to the top of the parchment before you add the fudge ingredients. So slowly step away from that stick of butter after you've initially slicked up the pan to ready it for the parchment. 

Now it's time to mix your chocolate chips with your condensed milk. Per this 2-ingredient fudge recipe, you should pour the chocolate chips in a medium-size mixing bowl. Then you should warm the sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan on the stove until it's hot, but not boiling. Medium heat is advisable, but you can gauge the temperature setting for this task based on your own stove's tendencies. 

While the condensed milk is warming, you should stir it continuously so it doesn't stick to the saucepan and burn. When it's officially hot, immediately pour the condensed milk over the chocolate chips in the mixing bowl. Then you will quickly stir to combine the two until the mixture is smooth and oh so chocolatey. 

This is also a time when you can mix in add-ins, if you want more than straight chocolate in this fudge. According to Sampson, "You can add just about anything to this fudge, peanuts, walnuts, marshmallows, sprinkles. You can stir them in before putting the mix in the pan." Carefully consider if you want a hunk of anything else when you take a bite of fudge before moving on to the next step.

As soon as you're done stirring the warmed condensed milk and the chocolate chips, you should transfer it to the prepared baking pan. Seriously, do not dilly dally on this next step. This 2-ingredient fudge recipe specifically instructs you to pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it out before it cools. It should still be hot when it goes into the pan. Spread it out evenly, using a spatula, or the back of your stirrin' spoon, to make sure it fills the entire pan. 

This is also the step where you can introduce add-ins, except here they would go atop the fudge, not inside the fudge. Sampson explains that there is also the option to add more ingredients (nuts, candy, etc) "...after you've got the fudge in the pan. You really just need to decide where YOU like them, in or on?" Whoa. Looks like you've got some tough decisions to make here. 

There's only a tiny bit of work left before this 2-ingredient fudge is ready to chill in the fridge for a bit. After you have successfully scraped all of the chocolate and condensed milk (and anything else you might add) mixture into the prepared baking pan, use plastic wrap to smooth and flatten the top of the block of fudge across the pan. Pull out more than enough to cover the surface area of the fudge, and gently press it smooth with your hands. 

If you don't have plastic wrap, parchment could work for this step too. This will help you give the surface that pretty, neat, "I'm eating fudge and not a brownie or a regular ol' piece of chocolate" vibe we all crave and love. You could technically skip this step but you're gonna have some real lumpy fudge if you do.

Clear out a spot in your refrigerator, because now the fudge needs to reside there for a bit. This 2-ingredient fudge recipe instructs you to cool the fudge in the fridge for several hours, ideally a minimum of four. Be sure to remove the plastic wrap you used in the previous step before you put the fudge in the fridge.

 Of course, we like detail so we asked Sampson, how long is too long for letting this fudge chill? Is there such a thing? "I don't think you can chill them too long," she says. So if you want to leave the fudge overnight, and save the part where you have to cut it into hunks for the morning, go for it. We will not fault anyone for wanting to eat fudge for breakfast. It sounds like a delicious pairing with freshly brewed coffee. 

Once the 2-ingredient fudge is sufficiently chilled and is in solid fudge formation, it's time to hack it into pieces you can easily pop into your mouth. Fudge is rich so a little goes a long way — the bite-size hunks are key. They may end up eating several of those bite-size pieces of fudge but at least give people the illusion that there is portion control while consuming this dessert.

To execute this step in the recipe, you can simply lift the parchment from the baking pan and place the large block of fudge onto a cutting board. A sharp knife is ideal but the fudge should be relatively easy to cut through regardless. If you want to get a uniform size and shape, there are tools and techniques out there specifically designed for cutting fudge—apparently the Internet is never short of tips for slicing dessert. If you want a literal fudge cutter, of course Amazon has got them.

This 2-ingredient fudge can stay tasty and safe to eat in the fridge for up to a week. However, in order for it to stay fresh and moist, even in the fridge, be sure to keep it in an airtight container. This will make sure the fudge is fudge-y and not chalky. Sampson agrees, "I would definitely recommend storing them in something airtight so the fudge doesn't dry out." The airtight container might seem like a no-brainer but it's worth reiterating in case somebody decides to go rogue and just put the fudge in the fridge on a plate uncovered. The horror! Do not let your work in this 2-ingredient fudge recipe go to waste with a mistake like that. 

Want more hacks on the best way to store common foods and perishable items we all usually have in our kitchen? We've got plenty more tips on how to properly store foods that'll blow your mind.