Instant Pot Fudge

152 Comments

We’re making rich chocolate fudge in an instant pot – no candy thermometer required! This homemade fudge is soft, creamy, and cuts beautifully when set.

instant pot fudge

Why make Fudge in an Instant Pot?

The great thing about this instant pot chocolate fudge is that it’s essentially a pour and cook recipe. You’re just dumping ingredients together in a pot and mixing. There’s no microwaving at different intervals or standing by the stove necessary.

“This was super easy and absolutely delicious. I made 2 batches within an hour! I followed the recipe to a T and now want to try different flavors of chocolates!”

Kelley
instant pot fudge

How to make Fudge in an Instant Pot:

First, we make sugar syrup: mix water and sugar and pressure cook. Easy!

Add butter, chocolate chips, dry milk powder, vanilla extract, and mix it all up! Pour it into a loaf pan and let it set.

Chill the fudge in the fridge and once it sets, slice it up! Look at how beautifully it slices!

And take a bite.

You probably didn’t need me to write out that last step. 😏

instant pot fudge

Fun fudge Flavor Ideas!

I have a ton of fudge variations swirling around in my mind, so here’s putting them to paper for us to try:

  • Add crushed candy canes or pretzels.
  • Add spices like cinnamon or nutmeg.
  • Stir in some espresso powder.
  • Mix in some toasted walnuts or pecans.
  • Top it with some flaky salt or sprinkles!
instant pot chocolate fudge

There are so many ways to adapt this fudge – have fun with the recipe. 🙂

instant pot chocolate fudge

Instant Pot Fudge

instant pot fudge

Instant Pot Fudge

4.99 from 59 reviews
Pin Recipe Print Recipe
Cuisine American

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup sugar approx. 200 g
  • cup water approx. 2.8 oz
  • 1 stick butter sliced, room temperature
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 12 ounces
  • 1 cup dry milk powder 100 grams
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Add the sugar and water to the instant pot and mix well.
  • Secure the lid, close the pressure valve, and cook for 11 minutes at high pressure.
  • Quick-release pressure.
  • Add the room temperature butter slices, chocolate chips and milk powder, and vanilla extract to the pot and quickly stir until well combined. 
  • Pour/spoon the mixture into a parchment-lined 9×5 inch loaf pan and let it cool down (for 30-40 minutes), then put it in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set.
  • Lift from the pan using parchment, then cut into squares.
  • Store fudge in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks, or in the freezer for a few months.

Video

Notes

  • Important: All recipes on my blog are tested using a 6 quart instant pot – I have not tested this recipe in a different sized pot. I don’t know if this recipe will work in a 3 quart or 8 quart, as the surface area is different and will affect the temperature of the sugar syrup. I suggest only using a 6 quart for this recipe.
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instant pot chocolate fudge

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Hi, I’m Ashley. Thanks for being here! I truly believe that food brings us closer together. Gather around a table with good food and good people, and you’ll have the ingredients you need to create some happy memories. My hope is that you find recipes here that you can’t wait to share with family and friends.

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Comments

  1. Kate Kinard says

    5 stars
    Howdy Ashley

    I made this recipe twice. The first time followed it exactly except subbed heavy cream powder for milk powder since that’s all I had on hand. I did get a burn notice but I just let it keep going and reach pressure. It turned out perfectly

    The second time I made a double batch (in same 6qt pot). Again worked perfectly. I added walnuts

    Thanks for another great recipe!

  2. Molly Darden says

    This succeeds every time, as I follow the recipe. I add walnuts, and substitute peppermint flavoring for the vanilla.

  3. AK says

    Hi Ashley,
    I made this today for the first time and followed the recipe as is. The end result came out a little grainy with butter pooling on top??? What could have caused this? The taste was delicious it just didn’t look appetizing! TIA for any tips!

    • Cathy says

      Hi Al,
      I am experiencing the same, butter pooling on top. I am only at the “cool at room temperature stage” so I hope it sets okay.

  4. Darbie says

    5 stars
    I was skeptical.

    And when my kids pulled it out of the fridge about 2 hours after it was made, they ate 65% of it and I still felt kind of meh. It was not quite the right texture to me.

    Then another couple hours later it was great!

    I’m still a fan of the original fantasy fudge, aka the fudge of my childhood Christmases, but this was very good and did not require a candy thermometer, marshmallow crème, or standing at the stove for an hour. Would definitely recommend or make again. Thanks!

    And definitely don’t cheat-give it time to set.

    I followed the recipe exactly other than adding mint extract.

  5. Sue Oberg says

    Ashley, I have absolutely loved your recipes! I tried this one and it seemed to work BUT I got “food burn” notification on my instant pot after 2 minutes. So I let the steam out and mixed up the rest of the ingredients. Did I do something wrong because there is no way I could have left it for 11 minutes. Fudge is cooling now so hopefully will taste good.

    • Ashley - My Heart Beets says

      I hope it still turned out well! If you are using a 6 quart, you mixed the sugar well, and everything else is right (valve and silicone ring on correctly) then I would suggest ignoring the burn sign and seeing if it goes away on its own after a few minutes next time. I’ve made recipes calling for sugar syrup many times and every now and then the burn sign comes up for me – but after waiting, it thankfully goes away on its own. Please let me know if that works if this happens again!

  6. Carrie Taylor says

    This fudge is amazing, and so simple! I am disabled and am always looking for easy recipes.. This one certainly fits the bill!
    I am eager to experiment with other flavors now 🙂

  7. Kelley says

    5 stars
    This was super easy and absolutely delicious. I made 2 batches within an hour! I followed the recipe to a T and now want to try different flavors of chocolates!

  8. Jeri Lynn White says

    I made this yesterday and the fudge was a little grainy. Any ideas why this happened? Do I just need to let it keep warm a little longer or keep stirring? Maybe it’s the kind of dry milk I used? I added crunched peppermint pieces to cover up the grainy feel and it was still pretty tasty. I made the peanut butter as well and it was great.

    • Ashley - My Heart Beets says

      Hi Jeri, I’m not sure why that happened – was the chocolate white and grainy? That can happen if you store chocolate in the fridge… or maybe it was the milk powder? Hopefully that doesn’t happen next time – let me know if you try again!

  9. Julie says

    I haven’t tried this yet but was wondering- I have some powdered buttermilk – would that added another dimension of flavor? Maybe part powdered milk and part powdered buttermilk? What do you think?

    I just made your peanut butter fudge and it is cooling. I can’t wait!!!

  10. Wendy says

    Maybe my stick of butter was more than your recipe? fully melted and mixed but there was a runny liquid on top that I tried to pour off. In the loaf pan now. Anyone else this happen to, as maybe I shouldn’t use the full stick. 1 stick is 1/2 cup.

  11. Becca says

    5 stars
    I’ve made this a few times now, it’s wonderful! I think the trick to avoid the burn warning is make sure to stir the sugar and water until completely combined, and make sure the seal on the instant pot is secure. I have never had a burn warning.
    I used non-fat dry milk, combined dark chocolate/semisweet chocolate, put walnuts into the final mix, and sprinkled some flake salt on top after pouring into the loaf pan. So good. The recipe lends itself to endless variations!!

    • Ashley - My Heart Beets says

      Hi Anj, I’m sorry for the late reply – any brand of dry milk powder should work. You can use non-fat or full-fat dry milk powder in this recipe. I have used this brand as well as this brand. I’ve also used the brand Village Farms from Wegmans. You can also find dry milk powder at Indian grocery stores as well as most grocery stores.

  12. Hema says

    5 stars
    Absolutely easy recipe! I did this in my 3 Qt mini and it was super easy. I added instant coffee crystals for added flavor and also about 1/3 cup extra milk powder. Also added a handful of butterscotch chocolate chips. My family loved it. Thank you for this easy recipe.

  13. Devayani says

    5 stars
    I made this fudge using the exact recipe but added peeled, thinly chopped almond slices to it at the end. Taste was amazing but made it slightly difficult to cut into perfect cubes. Will definitely make this again. Quick, easy and delicious like the rest of Ashley’s recipes 🙂

  14. April Brooke says

    5 stars
    Very easy to make and oh, so good! Thank you for sharing this. I look forward to trying some of your Indian food recipes! God bless you!

  15. Mercedes9907 says

    5 stars
    Excellent! For experimental purposes (and lack of a 6qt) I attempted to make this in an 8 quart instant pot. For all wondering, it can be done, and it is delicious! To make up for the size difference I increased the volume of all ingredients by 33% and it worked perfectly. This fudge tastes exactly like my late grandmother’s…it’s amazing!

    • JK says

      Can you post the actual measurements you used then? I am not understanding increasing each by 33%? I have an 8 qt as well. Thank you.

  16. Nikita says

    Thanks Ashley for this easy and amazing recipe, my 9 year old daughter made this without any help for our anniversary.

  17. K anonymous says

    5 stars
    Very impressed! Ive always avoided making fudge because it looked too hard, but this was easy and it tasted like professional fudge.

  18. Cook says

    This absolutely does not work. Third recipe I’ve tried from this blog and second one where I’ve gotten a burn recipe while cooking. Got a burn notice while cooking the sugar and water. Ignored it hoping it would go away but it didn’t. Quick released pressure and opened pot. Nothing burned. Tried setting it on high pressure again, took at least 5-7 minutes to do anything, wouldn’t come to pressure, just read on. Eventually it gave me the burn message again. Took off lid and sugar and water had cooked and formed a syrup so I decided to try and throw the ingredients in. Did but they wouldn’t melt well, just have a big mess to clean up.

    Haven’t had these sorts of issues with other instant pot cookbooks. Definitely know not to use this blog anymore and wouldn’t recommend to others. Makes me think all negative reviews aren’t posted.

        • My Heart Beets says

          If the syrup wasn’t hot enough, it could be an issue with your seal – but I’m not sure. It has worked for many others and I’m sure they’d be happy to help troubleshoot in the group – but totally get you not wanting to try again.

  19. Preetha says

    5 stars
    I’ve got to give five stars simply for the ease of doing this! I did this along with my seven year old and even she could measure and do everything with supervision. Ultimately, it was a hit! I love the fact that it only took a few minutes and the refrigerator did the rest.

    When I was done with the IP portion, it was not pouring consistency. It was fairly thick. Is it how it’s supposed to be? Everything turned out fine in the end but I was wondering about the consistency before it gets into the refrigerator. It was thoroughly enjoyed, though. So, thanks for the recipe. We’ll be making it again. 🙂

    • My Heart Beets says

      Preetha, that’s so great to hear! I’m glad you and your kiddo enjoyed making the fudge 🙂 As for consistency, you’re right, it’s not a thin consistency – it’s thick, so you’ll need a spatula to help get it all out.

  20. Swathi Iyer says

    Thanks for the recipe Ashley! My 2.5 yr old could not stop eating. I had to literally hide from him 😃.

    For my husband and I, it was a little too sweet. Can I reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup? How much water would I need then?

    • Heather says

      5 stars
      It is soooooo good! Made it with my little one. Very easy and such a treat! I found thay at first it seemed gritty when i dumpped and everythjng was combined so I used a rubber spatula and kept on mixing until it was smooth, thick and beautiful! Thanks this one is a keeper!

  21. Heidi S Atwood says

    5 stars
    I’ve made this fudge three times in two days! Perfect for giving away to friends and family. I kept getting the dreaded burn notice, and my pot wasn’t coming up to pressure, but it STILL was turning out. Then I double-checked the size of my IP and realized I had an EIGHT quart, not six. D’oh! That’s how good your recipe is, lol!!!

      • Becca says

        I want to try this recipe. My question is, can this re open be doubled? In a 6 qt or 8 qt?

        Thanks for a response!

          • Skylar says

            4 stars
            I wanted to try this with my IP and after reading a few, yours sounds the simplest 😉 but there was one i read, that is just as yours only it says to use the slow cook on IP, instead of pressure cook? I want to try this and maybe make it twice, one way with pressure cook and other with slow cook? What do you think? The slow cook might mess it up? Do better? I’m not sure?

  22. Preeti Chaudhry says

    5 stars
    Hi Ashley,

    So I had completely forgotten about keeping it nut free. Big thanks for the reminder! I did try it out with coconut milk powder, earth balance vegan butter stick and dairy free chocolate chips. I maintained the same proportions .. and it came out wonderful! Of course it tasted a bit coconut flavored, but in a good way. I also made individual pieces by setting the fudge in mini cupcake liners so I did not have to cut and then wrap individual pieces.
    I would definitely prefer the original recipe considering the chocolate fan I am, but for an allergen free fudge, I’d still give it a big thumbs up!
    Thanks as always for the guidance!

  23. Preeti Chaudhry says

    5 stars
    Hi Ashley,

    Thanks a ton for replying. I think stiti gbin the fridge would be okay coz these fudge pieces are not going to last much longer !!😊
    These are so good ..that I want to make another batch and send to my son’s preschool for his Christmas lunch this friday. However I need to make them dairy free and gluten free. I got a pack of gluten free vegan chocolate chips .. and decide to try the almond flour that someone suggested. However I forgot about the butter. What would you suggest adding as a butter substitute?

    • My Heart Beets says

      Hi Preeti, I’m so glad you like it so much! Are nuts okay for your son’s school? I ask only because they aren’t allowed at my son’s school. I haven’t tried to make this dairy-free yet, but I’d use full-fat coconut milk powder and coconut oil if I were to try. Let me know how it goes if you try!

  24. Preeti Chaudhry says

    Hi Ashley,

    Firstly I loved this easy breezy recipe. My question is around storage. Can I keep these fudge squares in the fridge or should I keep them out at room temp? Also How long they can stay good?

    • My Heart Beets says

      Hi Preeti, I’m glad you liked it! I store this fudge in an air-tight container in the fridge. Fudge should last a couple of weeks in the fridge – you can also keep it in the freezer if you want it to last longer. I will include this in the recipe notes – thanks for asking!

  25. Punam Chandra says

    Hi Ashley, is that enough amount of water? I will he using a 6qt insta pot! I am always afraid my pot might blow up if there isn’t enough liquid.

  26. Sur says

    5 stars
    Hi Ashley,
    QQ
    After making the sugar syrup, do I need to keep IP on sure when I am adding rest of the ingredients?
    Or does it cook with the heat automatically?

  27. Jenita says

    5 stars
    I made this today. and it came out fantastic, even though I did run into a bit of trouble. I got the burn signal but it went away in a few minutes. Next my butter took a while to melt and that was my mistake, coz it wasn’t at room temperature, so i stirred vigorously and it did melt finally. Came out delicious! So easy to make. My 3 year old loved it and keep asking for a piece.

    • My Heart Beets says

      Jenita, I’m really glad it worked out! And thanks for sharing your pic in the FB group 🙂 I’m glad you waited the burn sign out! I haven’t had that happen to me lately but I know when I was testing my kaju katli recipe it came up a few times before going away on its own so thankfully it doesn’t seem to affect the temperature of the syrup. When you run out of this fudge, try my cookies and cream version – I bet your kiddo will love that one too!

  28. Pamela says

    Hi, Ashley. I’m not rating this recipe, because I’m sure something went terribly wrong on my end! My sugar syrup looked right (based on other candy I’ve made). I stirred the ingredients in singly, though. The chocolate chips were closest, so I put them in and stirred. They were regular Nestle’s, but they didn’t melt entirely and stayed lumpy. (They had bloomed, but the chips aren’t that old.)

    So I stirred in the butter, which just laid there, and the milk powder, which finally broke down the chips and absorbed the butter. When I was done mixing, it definitely looked like it was starting to set up a bit. Then I added the vanilla, which seemed to coat the fudge more than mix in and which made everything look very glossy.

    I poured it into a pan, but there was so much butter laying on top that I poured it back into the pot and called my daughter to mix it with a hand mixer while I prepared another pan.

    This time it looks more like a super-soft fudge, but there’s no sign of crystallization or that fudgy texture. I can’t imagine that it’ll ever set up, even in the fridge, plus i had to use a paper towel to draw the extra butter off the surface of the fudge.

    So what gives? Were my chips just too dry? Does adding the milk powder at the same time as the butter and _then_ stirring all of it at once allow the butter to incorporate better? Or I it that I used Nido, which is powdered milk that’s been fortified?

    I’d like to try this recipe again, but I don’t want to mess it up and waste ingredients.

    • My Heart Beets says

      Hi Pamela, I’m happy to help troubleshoot – hopefully we can figure this out. I’m surprised the chocolate and butter didn’t melt – it sounds like the sugar syrup must not have gotten hot enough. Did you have any issues with the pot coming to pressure by chance? Did you quick release? If you make it again, I would suggest adding the ingredients into the pot faster – immediately after you quick release. I’ve tried this using the Nido powdered milk (as well as other brands) so I don’t think that’s the issue. Please let me know how if this batch sets – and how it goes if you try again!

      • Pamela says

        I’m happy to hear that I can rule out the milk, at least. I did quick release, and it definitely came to pressure — I was a little concerned, given how little water there was, but it looked like a thicker golden syrup. I think I will try another batch and just dump everything but the vanilla in at once.

        The chocolate mostly melted, but it stayed somewhat lumpy, and it didn’t combine with the butter when it melted. When I put the powdered milk in it helped, but the butter never fully incorporated. I think I’ll also try using some newer chocolate chips, just in case that contributed.

        Thanks for the help! I’ll let you know how it goes.

  29. Jess says

    5 stars
    Wow, this was so easy and delicious! I added 1 tsp of peppermint extract because I love chocolate and mint and thought it might work. It sure did!

    I’ve made a few of your recipes now and loved them all, though this is the first sweet one. Thank you so much!

  30. Ruchika Sood says

    Hi Ashley,
    I am a huge fan of yours. Thank you for posting such amazing recipes. I want to try the fudge today and want to add walnuts. Please guide me at what stage should I add them.
    Thank you so much!

  31. Mary Ann Lynch says

    5 stars
    OMG, Ashley, you hit this out of the park!! I cannot believe how easy this was and how good it turned out. It has that sort of texture that good traditional fudge is supposed to have. I have so many fudge recipes bookmarked and now this is the only one I need.

    FYI, I accidentally one and a half timed the recipe in my 6 quart instant pot and it worked great. (I didn’t realize that I was using 3/4 cup measuring cup for the sugar until I already added the water and it didn’t seem like enough, so I quickly increased all the other ingredients by 50 percent). With the additional volume of the recipe and added chopped walnuts, i ended up using a 9 inch square pan. The fudge was about an 1 inch deep which I don’t think was too thin. Just info for anyone else deciding to increase the recipe.

    Thanks so much for all your creations. Just made another one of your curries and your basmati rice a few days ago and such JOY!!

    • My Heart Beets says

      Thank you!! Your comment just made my day – I’m so glad you liked this fudge so much 🙂 And thank you for sharing notes on how you increased the recipe, I’m sure that’ll be helpful for others!

  32. Anu says

    Hi Ashley!

    Tried you Kalakand and I am now a huge fan of your recipes! Planning to try the Fudge now. Does using semi sweet chocolate chips make it sweet enough for the kids or do I use milk chocolate chips? Thanks again for the gorgeous recipes! ❤️

      • Anu says

        5 stars
        Hi Ashley! Made the fudge and it was a huge hit with the family! Husband and kids loved it! It was lip smacking delicious!! I made it in 8 qt. Used 1/4 cup of water extra and the fudge turned out perfect! Loads of love for such painstakingly written, perfect recipes! ❤️

  33. Barbara A. Bradey says

    Is 1/3 cup water correct?? This did not work for me at all. The sugar water was very pasty before i cooked it for 11 minutes. When i opened the pot, it was hardened and stuck to the bottom. i mixed and mixed and broke it up and continued anyway, and got the results of what looked like a dried out brownie mix, not a creamy fudge. What am i doing wrong?

  34. Anj says

    5 stars
    Wow. These taste so delicious!! I used regular chocolate chips so with that in mind, I should’ve used slightly less sugar as they’re super sweet, but still taste delicious! Nice and easy, will definitely make again with different variations! Thanks Ashley x

  35. Marty says

    5 stars
    So I made this. Still in the fridge phase at the moment. I used a 6qt as stated. I got to about minute 6 and got a food burn notice. So I released pressure and opened it and there was nothing “burnt” at all. So I just proceeded with the instructions. Hopefully it comes out tasty with only 6 mins under pressure instead of 11. It looked like it should via the video so I ran with it.

    • My Heart Beets says

      Hi Marty, is yours a newer IP by chance? If this happens again, you can try ignoring the burn sign and see what happens. With some other recipes, I’ve noticed that sometimes the burn sign goes away on its own after a few minutes and when it begins counting down again, it takes that extra time it was on “burn” into account. It sounds like it’ll work if it looked the way it did in the video – let me know 🙂

    • R. Schrader says

      Is your child allergic to all dairy, or just cow? We’ve had good success with powdered goat’s milk, which isn’t too “goat-y” in most baked goods. (Neither of us really cares for the flavor as a beverage.)

  36. Nancy McLain says

    This is great fudge! Because I did not read the recommendation to only use a 6 qt pot, my first attempt was in a 3 qt pot with half the recipe. That did not work at all. So, I made the full recipe in a 6 qt and it really worked! Next time, I am going to stir in some nuts and some mini marshmallows at the end.

  37. Denise says

    5 stars
    I made this in a 8 qt instant pot. I had to double the water so I didn’t get the “burn” error. Came out perfect. Great recipe!Thank you!

    • My Heart Beets says

      Hi Rhoda, I’ve only tried the recipe as written. Sugar syrup can be finicky and so I wouldn’t suggest doubling this recipe, but if you experiment, please let us know how it goes!

  38. Gauri says

    Hi Ashley
    Could you tell me what would be a stick of butter in grams maybe? I don’t get sticks here and I want to make this tomorrow. Thanks

  39. Amita says

    Hi Ashley!
    Thanks for these beautiful and accurate recipes… I love that you give the exact amount and time.. net result is perfect! It’s so much easier to teach the next generation!! Fudge looks yummy.. will try soon!!
    Thanks once again!
    Amita

  40. Nita says

    5 stars
    Reminds me of the chocolate walnut fudge at Pune/ mahabaleshwar.
    Can you please share the brand of milk powder you use in this and also in kalakand .
    My kalakand didn’t set at all . I had to microwave it for 10 mins and that did the trick.
    So I want to be sure this time. Please share your brand of dry milk powder .
    I made almond barfi, date roll, kalakand… Looking forward to this now. Thanks a lot Ashley.

      • Annie Lee says

        Yes could you please let me know if the coconut milk powder worked out? Dairy allergy kiddo saw this recipe and wants to make. Thanks!

        • Lata says

          I added almond flour instead of milk powder (didn’t realize I was out) and it turned out good.
          It’s a tad sweeter than I like even though I used 70% chocolate. I wonder if there is a way to reduce sugar – maybe proportionally also reduce water?

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