Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (2024)

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These chocolate meltaways are bite-sized, hand-held puddles of chocolate cream cheese fudge that are guaranteed to simply melt in your mouth.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (1)

Jump to Recipe

These mini milk chocolate meltaways are the perfect holiday treat for many reasons. They don’t take long to make, you don’t have to bake them, and they last in the fridge for up to two weeks. Not that they’ll last that long, as once you have a bite of one of these chocolate meltaways, you’ll be coming back for more. With a mouthwatering fudge center and a sugary exterior, these bite-sized treats literally melt in your mouth.

If you’re also looking for more candies made from cream cheese, check out cream cheese divinity and cream cheese mints.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Cream cheese (check out my easy homemade cream cheese recipe)
  • Butter
  • Cocoa powder
  • Vanilla
  • Lemon juice
  • Milk
  • Confectioner’s sugar

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (2)

Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, or about one to two minutes.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (3)

Add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, vanilla, lemon juice, and milk, and beat again until fully mixed.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (4)

Add confectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each and scraping down the sides of the bowl, until thick and very sticky like cookie dough. You may not need all of the confectioner’s sugar, so stop when it has the consistency of cookie dough.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (5)

Stir together remaining cocoa powder and 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar in a small bowl.

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Pinch off small portions of the dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball into the cocoa/sugar mixture. Tap to remove excess. Repeat until all dough is used.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (7)

You can use some silicone candy molds like those here. Otherwise, you can use a simple technique by pressing down lightly on top of each ball with the tines of a fork to flatten and imprint the design. Yep, so simple and it’s so easy to make these adorable bite-sized fudge treats!

(If you use the link above for the candy molds, please note Southernplate will receive a very small commission should you choose to purchase).

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (8)

Store these chocolate candies covered, in the refrigerator, until ready to serve. These are decadent easy little treats!

Storage

  • You can store these chocolate meltaways in the fridge for up to two weeks, as long as all the ingredients were fresh when you made this recipe.
  • If you’d prefer to freeze them, seal them in an airtight container and place them in the freezer for up to one year.

Recipe Notes

Feeling minty? Drop 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract into your dough to instantly make mint chocolate meltaways!

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (9)

Chocolate Meltaways

Chocolate Fudge Meltaways are little bite-sized, hand-held puddles of chocolate cream cheese fudge that melt in your mouth!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate

Servings: 50 -60

Calories: 24kcal

Author: Stacey Lynn

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons butter at room temperature
  • 5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder split up into 1/2 cup (4oz) and 2 tbsp (1 oz)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 6-7 cups confectioner's sugar plus an additional 1/4 cup for dipping

Instructions

  • Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, or about 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, vanilla, lemon juice, and milk and beat again until well combined.

    8 ounces cream cheese, 3 tablespoons butter, 5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon milk

  • Add 6 to 7 cups of confectioner's sugar, one cup at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Keep adding sugar until the dough is sticky and thick like cookie dough. You will likely use at least 6 cups but may not need the whole 7.

    6-7 cups confectioner's sugar

  • Stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder with 1/4 cup of confectioner's sugar in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Pinch dough off and form into one-inch balls before rolling in cocoa powder/sugar mixture.

    5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, 6-7 cups confectioner's sugar

  • Press down lightly on each ball with the tines of a fork to flatten and imprint a pattern. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Can be stored in fridge for up to two weeks if all ingredients are fresh.

Notes

All nutritional calculations are approximate as can change depending on the ingredients chosen and the size of the meltaway created.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meltaway | Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

You may also like these chocolate candy and fudge recipes:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls No Baking Necessary

Holly Jollies – Candy On A Budget; In A Hurry!

10 Favorite Christmas Candies

Chocolate Fudge That Can Take Over The World

To succeed in life you need three things: A wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone.

~Reba McEntire

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to perfect fudge? ›

You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).

What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›

Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.

Why is my 3 ingredient fudge not setting? ›

The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.

What is a chocolate meltaway? ›

Meltaways are a candy that have a velvet texture that begins to dissolve in your mouth as soon as you eat it. This unique texture is made by combining chocolate that contains cocoa butter with another fat that has a different molecular structure than cocoa butter.

What not to do when making fudge? ›

7 Common Mistakes to Avoid for Candy Shop-Worthy Fudge and Caramels
  1. Using the Wrong Pan. All candy and confections start by melting sugar. ...
  2. Stirring the Sugar. ...
  3. Not Using a Candy Thermometer. ...
  4. Leaving Out the Parchment Paper Lining. ...
  5. Skipping the Cooking Spray. ...
  6. Scraping the Pot. ...
  7. Using a Cold Knife to Slice.
Dec 16, 2015

Do you stir fudge while it is boiling? ›

Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer

Another key part of a successful fudge texture is when you stir the mixture. Stirring the sugar and milk during the initial stages of cooking allows the sugar to dissolve. However, once the mixture comes to a boil, it's time to put the spoon down.

Why is my old fashioned fudge not hardening? ›

Fudge usually behaves this way when it's not cooked to a high enough temperature (due to oversight or a faulty candy thermometer).

What makes fudge softer? ›

If there is too much evaporation, when the cooking time is too long, there will not be enough water left in the fudge and it will be too hard. Conversely, if the cooking time is too brief and there is not enough evaporation, too much water will remain and the fudge will be too soft.

What happens if you cook fudge too long? ›

The amount of time you cook fudge directly affects its firmness. Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.

Why do you add vanilla to fudge? ›

Vanilla enhances the flavour of chocolate by adding creaminess, balancing sweetness, and countering acidity and bitterness.

Can you redo fudge that didn't set? ›

OPTION 4) If you think the reason it didn't set was because you didn't heat it to the right temperature, you could try putting it back into the pan and re-cooking.

Why is my sugar not melting in my fudge? ›

It might be that you haven't dissolved all the sugar before boiling the fudge mixture. It could be that there just wasn't enough fluid or fat to enable the sugar to dissolve or it might even be that the fudge wasn't beaten long enough or hard enough.

What is melted chocolate and butter called? ›

Chocolate Ganache made with Butter is semi-sweet chocolate melted with butter to create a rich and shiny chocolatey topping, glaze, icing, or filling.

Why use candy melts instead of chocolate? ›

Candy melts are easier to use than white chocolate. All you need to do is melt them using a bain-marie or microwave. Meanwhile, white chocolate requires tempering, which is done to stabilize its fat crystals, giving them the smooth and glossy finish they are known for.

What gives fudge its firm texture? ›

Cooking. Cooking is necessary to dissolve sugar crystals and to evaporate part of the water in the cream. The length of this step has a direct impact on the firmness of the fudge. As water gradually evaporates, sugar is concentrated and the temperature of the mixture rises above 100°C (212°F).

What makes fudge moist? ›

The amount of time you cook fudge directly affects its firmness. Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.

What does cream of tartar do in fudge? ›

Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!

Can you beat fudge in a stand mixer? ›

Pour the mixture over the chocolate, being sure to shake, not scrape, the mixture from the pot. Set aside to cool for 10 to 12 minutes. (This prevents a grainy consistency.) Using the clean wooden spoon or a standing mixer on low speed, stir or beat the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and incorporated.

References

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