White Christmas Fudge
White Christmas Fudge is not only incredibly easy to make, it is also a beautiful addittion to your holiday table. Made with creamy white chocolate, chewy dried cranberries and buttery pistachios. Additionally, this fudge is kissed with the bright citrus flavor of orange. It a mildly sweet and festive treat that also makes a beautiful homemade gift.
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A White Christmas Fudge That Even Fudge Haters Adore
When I told my husband that I was working on this White Christmas Fudge recipe all I heard from him was belly aching about how he hates fudge. On and on about how horrible fudge is and why do I have to put stuff inside of stuff and why do I have to make fudge in the first place….
Paul likes to tease me a lot but he was dead serious about his disdain for fudge.
You can image how surprised I was when he asked to try a piece of this White Christmas Fudge. Guess what?
He loved it and couldn’t stop munching on it. I believe it is because this White Christmas Fudge is not as sweet as most fudge recipes and has a beautiful fresh citrus flavor with chewy cranberries and nutty pistachios. A true Christmas delight!
Choosing the Best White Chocolate for Perfect Fudge
When it comes to making this White Christmas Fudge it’s crucial to avoid using white chocolate chips, as they often contain additional stabilizers that can hinder the smooth texture of the fudge. Additionally, white chocolate chips do not have enough cocoa butter in them and the fudge turns out waxy.
Instead, opt for high-quality white chocolate bars or discs that contain cocoa butter as the primary ingredient. Some recommended brands that consistently deliver excellent results include Valrhona, Callebaut, and Ghirardelli Bars. These brands offer a higher percentage of cocoa butter, ensuring a luxurious and creamy texture in your fudge. By choosing the right white chocolate, you’ll elevate your fudge-making skills and achieve delectable results every time.
Ingredients Needed
- Sweetened Condensed Milk– Adds sweetness and a creamy and smooth texture. Additionally, sweetened condensed milk helps to bind the ingredients together.
- White Chocolate- The star ingredient with its rich cocoa butter content that contributes to the smoothness and indulgent mouthfeel of this fudge.
- Orange Extract- Gives zesty and aromatic flavor.
- Salt- Acts as a flavor enhancer.
- Dried Cranberries- Bring sweet-tart flavor and visual interest.
- Pistachios- Contribute to flavor, texture, visual appeal, and nutritional value.
How To Make
- Line a 8 x 10 inch baking pan with foil by turning the pan face down and forming the foil around the outside of pan. Turn pan right side up and foil should slide in easily. Gently press excess foil onto the side of outside of pan.
- Heat and consistently stir sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat for about 4-5 mins or until heated throughout.
- Add chocolate, extract, zest and salt. Continue stirring until chocolate is completely melted.
- Take off heat and gently stir in nuts and fruit.
- Evenly spread into pan and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours. Once chilled lift sides of foil out of pan and cut fudge into squares.
Top Tips For White Christmas Fudge
- Keep an eye on the milk- It’s essential to heat the sweetened condensed milk until it is warmed throughout, but be careful not to boil it. Stirring constantly will help prevent scorching.
- Mix in the nuts and fruit gently- When adding the pistachios and dried cranberries, stir them in gently to avoid crushing the pistachios and to evenly distribute the fruit throughout the fudge.
- Line your pan with foil- I adapted this recipe from womansday.com and they had the wonderful idea of lining the pan first with foil. It makes this fudge so much easier to cut. To do so, turn the pan face down and form the foil around the outside of pan. Turn pan right side up and foil should slide easily in.
- Finely chop the chocolate- If using white chocolate bars, cut the bars into small pieces. This ensures that the chocolate will melt smoothly and evenly in the mixture. Use a sharp knife or a food processor to achieve small, uniform pieces.
- Stir continuously- Stirring the sweetened condensed milk and chocolate mixture constantly while the chocolate melts prevents it from burning or sticking to the pan. Keep the heat at medium to avoid overheating.
- Try these oils- I have fallen in love with LorAnn Oils. They make excellent candies and taste wonderful in baking. My next hope is they come out with organic oils. (affiliate)
Mastering the Art of Cutting White Chocolate Christmas Fudge
To achieve clean and precise slices, follow these steps:
- Start by ensuring your fudge is properly chilled and firm.
- Use a sharp knife, preferably heated under hot water and dried, to prevent sticking.
- Make slow and steady downward motions, using the length of the blade for a smooth cut.
- Between slices, wipe off any residue from the knife for neater results.
Frequently Aske Questions
What is the purpose of the salt in this recipe?
Salt acts as a flavor enhancer, bringing out the natural sweetness of the white chocolate and other ingredients.
Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried cranberries?
Using fresh cranberries instead of dried cranberries in the white fudge recipe may not be the best substitution. Fresh cranberries have a tart and tangy flavor along with a higher water content, which will affect the texture and consistency of the fudge. Dried cranberries are typically used in fudge recipes because they have a concentrated sweetness and chewy texture that complements the smoothness of the fudge.
Can I substitute the pistachios with a different type of nut?
Yes, you could use walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, or cashews.
How should I store the fudge if I want to keep it for longer than a few days?
After cutting, store the fudge in an airtight container to maintain freshness. If kept refrigerated, it can last for up to two weeks. Bring it to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Can I add any decorations or toppings to the fudge?
Yes, sprinkles, crushed cookies, chopped nuts, edible glitter, dried apricots or cherries, shredded coconut, or drizzled chocolate are some options.
More Christmas Favorites
Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
Old Fashioned Cream Cheese Pie
Mom’s Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle
White Christmas Fudge
Ingredients
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk 1 can
- 24 oz good quality white chocolate *finely chopped if using bars, see Note #1 below
- 1 tsp orange extract or orange oil *see tips above in post
- 1 tsp orange zest *optional
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup shelled pistachios *raw & unsalted
Instructions
- Line a 8 x 10 inch baking pan with foil by turning the pan face down and forming the foil around the outside of pan. Turn pan right side up and foil should slide in easily. Gently press excess foil onto the side of outside of pan.
- Heat and consistently stir sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat for about 4-5 mins or until heated throughout. See Note #2 below
- Add chocolate, extract, zest and salt. Continue stirring until chocolate is completely melted. See Note #3 below
- Take off heat and gently stir in nuts and fruit.
- Evenly spread into pan and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours. Once chilled lift sides of foil out of pan and cut fudge into squares. See Note #4 below
Notes
- DO NOT USE WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS to make this fudge. White chocolate chips do not have enough cocoa butter in them and the fudge turns out waxy.
- Instead, opt for high-quality white chocolate bars or discs that contain cocoa butter as the primary ingredient. Some recommended brands that consistently deliver excellent results include Valrhona, Callebaut, and Ghirardelli Bars. These brands offer a higher percentage of cocoa butter, ensuring a luxurious and creamy texture in your fudge.
- Finely chop the chocolate- If using white chocolate bars, cut the bars into small pieces. This ensures that the chocolate will melt smoothly and evenly in the mixture. Use a sharp knife or a food processor to achieve small, uniform pieces.
- Start by ensuring your fudge is properly chilled and firm.
- Use a sharp knife, preferably heated under hot water and dried, to prevent sticking.
- Make slow and steady downward motions, using the length of the blade for a smooth cut.
- Between slices, wipe off any residue from the knife for neater results.
Nutrition
Follow along on Facebook and Pinterest for more Holiday inspirations.
This is such an incredible fudge. Love the cranberry and pistachio pops of color too!
????????????
My husband is the same way with fudge! Lol
That’s too funny!????
This is really a great idea! Such an awesome treat!
Thank you you Toni! it’s kind of dangerous at our house because we can’t stop eating it.
This is so pretty! It’s perfect for gift giving.
Thanks a lot for sharing! I’m definitely making these this year again: last year, all those who ate some either said “get these (far) away from me” or “well, these are f****** good! you should make some more” (sorry for the language, but it was… meaningful!).
This time, I’m hoping to save a few for my Advent calendar : following your advice, I’ll store them in the fridge & the calendar boxes will contain small coupons giving me the right to fetch just ONE(you bet…) from the fridge.
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this!!! So many of my recipes either people ADORE or hate. It compleltey fills me with joy when I find the ones who love it. Thank you so much for taking the time to make the recipe and then coming back to tell me. I hope you have a wonderful Holiday season!!
I am new to cooking and could use some help please.
Where can I buy the orange oil and would “Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Bar, 4 oz” be the kind of bar you are talking about that has more cocoa in it? Thank you for your help
Kindest Regards
Becky
Hi Becky,
These are really helpful questions and I am so glad you are asking because I know this will help others too.
1) I purchased the orange oil from Hobby Lobby but I know you can order that brand from Amazon also (there is a link right above the picture that takes you directly to the oil).
2) Yes, Ghiradelli White Chocolate Baking Bar is perfect for this fudge. Honestly, the bar is more expensive than buying the chips but the fudge it creates is far superior.
3) Please do hesitate to ask any additional questions. It truly makes me happy!
Have a wonderful time making fudge!
I have a question for Heather. But will help you too. You say she can buy the cooking bar. It’s much better than the chips. when your referring to the chips, are you referring to chocolate melts? As chocolate chips don’t work for fudge. Also telling her that going to a dollar store or other store and buying chocolate bars is a much cheaper way to go.
Hi Sandra. I was referring to white chocolate chips sold on the baking isle at most grocery stores. I have not made this fudge with white chocolate melts. I do know that White chocolate bars have the perfect amount of cocoa butter yielding a much better consistency than white chocolate chips.
Thank you so much for your help! I will be making the fudge next week for Thanksgiving. It looks so beautiful!
sorry to bother you again but….I cannot find unsalted pistachios, can I use salted?
Hi Becky. You are not bothering me at all. I would place the salted pistachios in between a few paper towels and rub gently to try and shake off excess salt. As long as the nuts are not extremely salty it should work out fine. Hopefully this helps.
Thank you for your help, I will let you know after Thanksgiving how it turns out, I am so excited to make this. Thank you for sharing,
oh my gosh, nobody here in Tulsa has LorAnn natural oils, I have tried Joann fabric, Hobby Lobby, Walmart, Whole Foods, Atkins Natural Store. I dont have time to order it from Amazon, any suggestions please. I have my heart set on making this fudge this Thanksgiving.
Hi Becky,
Ok, so the good news is I asked my cousin who lives in your area and she says the store All Things Cake has it. Just in case they ran out or are no longer carrying it, just go ahead and use a regular orange extract. I love LorAnn oils but don’t worry if you can’t find it. It will still be delicious.
Thank you, they are open tomorrow, so YAY! thank you again
Hi, stupid question. Can I use 8×8 dish? The fudge would just be taller probably. Any problems with that?
It should be absolutely fine. It may take just a little bit longer to set and the pieces, like you said, will be taller. I hope you enjoy!!
How do I store this??? I made this tonight for this weekend.
Hi Rhonda, I hope you enjoy this fudge this weekend. I have found storing the fudge in the refrigerator in an airtight container to work very well.
I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving. I got up early to make it fresh, but it did actually only take me 15 minutes! My family loved it and I was, of course, asked for the recipe from an in-law who is going to make them for her work holiday party. She actually refused to take left overs with her though, because she isn’t working until Monday. She didn’t trust herself not to eat it all by then!
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the fudge. This fudge always disappears so fast at our house. Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try and for coming back to rate it!
This may be a stupid question but do you think these would hold up if mailed to someone?
Hi Sherri. This is actually a really good question. Yes, during the winter months I believe this fudge will hold up well being shipped. However, during the summer or warmer months I would proceed with caution.
Also just as a note, this fudge is best when made with the white chocolate bars rather than the chips. White chocolate bars are a bit more fragile, making it even more challenging trying to ship in warmer months.
Long story short, I hope you enjoy!!!
So – are these supposed to be much harder than regular chocolate fudge? I made this and the old fashioned chocolate fudge last night and refrigerated both overnight to firm them up, and the chocolate turned out perfectly, but this one is much harder, almost the consistency of a chocolate bar. I used Lindt white chocolate bars because I couldn’t find baking bars at our store. Do you think it is just b/c they were refrigerated overnight?
Hi Collins. Yes, this white chocolate fudge definitely has a different consistency than the Dad’s Old Fashioned Fudge. I would recommend letting this white chocolate fudge sit at room temperature before serving.
Also, I am so happy to hear that the chocolate fudge turned out perfectly. That one is the more temperamental candy to make so it sounds like you did it perfect.
Merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy the fudge!
Can this fudge be stored in the freezer?
Hi Paul. Yes, freeze cooled white chocolate fudge in portions, tightly wrapped or in airtight containers. Label with the date. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying.
The only challenge is that the texture may soften slightly after thawing. This recipe can last for 2-3 months in the freezer if stored properly. I hope this helps.
I make this every Christmas, highly recommend, everyone loves it. I save some Pistachios, cranberries and orange zes to sprinkle over the top. A definite keeper.
You put a big smile on my face. Thank you so much Merle.