Microwave Vegan Vanilla Fudge

Name: Microwave Vegan Vanilla Fudge
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 191 min
Ingredients: 420 grams Golden Sugar ((Just under 2 US Cups - see note)); 250 ml Coconut Condensed Milk; 125 grams Plant Based Butter ((9 tbsp or 1 stick + 1 tbsp)); 2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste; 290 grams Icing Sugar ((Just under 2.5 US Cups))

Microwave vanilla fudge is a delicious and easy-to-make sweet treat that can be enjoyed any time of year. The best part about this classic vegan fudge recipe is that it is made in the microwave, making it a quick and easy dessert option for those with busy schedules.

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Why I Made This Recipe

When I was growing up in the UK, I always loved buying vanilla fudge at the seaside whenever we were on our holidays. Since going dairy free, I wanted to find a recipe that had a similar texture and flavour and this recipe is spot on.

Why You Need this Recipe

Traditional fudge is usually made with dairy products such as butter or milk. This version allows people with dietary restrictions to enjoy this sweet treat.

A slab of fudge cut up in to bite sized pieces.

Ingredients and Substitutions

This is a vegan AND gluten free recipe as we are using plant based butter and coconut condensed milk and there is no flour required. If you are not vegan or dairy free, this recipe can be easily adapted.

I always weigh my ingredients rather than use cup measures. This ensures accuracy for every recipe and perfect results every time. See the recipe card for US cup measurements.

Showing ingredients needed to make vegan vanilla fudge.

Dry Ingredients

Sugar: brown or golden sugar helps with the colour and flavour of this fudge. You can actually use any type of brown sugar in this recipe: light, golden, dark, or demerara. All will add a caramelly undertone to the fudge. If you only have white sugar available, that will still work but note that the fudge will be lighter in colour and have a lighter flavour profile. It will still taste amazing though.

Icing Sugar: the icing sugar helps to thicken up the fudge.

Wet Ingredients

Condensed Milk: to make this a dairy free and vegan friendly recipe, I am using sweetened coconut condensed milk. This is a wonderful ingredient to work with and it adds to the creaminess of our fudge. You can sub with regular condensed milk if you are not dairy free or vegan.

Butter: my preference is to use room temperature unsalted plant based butter. If you want to cut back on the sweetness in the fudge, you could sub it with salted butter. Use dairy butter if you are not dairy free or vegan.

Flavouring: this recipe is extremely versatile and you could add any flavouring to it. I wanted to recreate my childhood favourite flavour and used vanilla bean paste.

How to make Vegan Vanilla Fudge

What I love most about this recipe is that you don’t need any fancy candy-making tools as we are NOT boiling the mixture. As long as you have a microwave, you can make this fudge. Check out my FAQ section for any additional questions you may have.

Making the fudge

Start by combining brown sugar, plant based butter and coconut condensed milk in a microwavable bowl. I am a huge fan of using coconut condensed milk in my baking and this particular brand (Nature’s Charm) is available in most health food stores and also Bulk Barn stores across Canada. If you’re in the US, you can also find it on Amazon in my storefront.

Adding coconut condensed milk to brown sugar in a microwavable bowl.

Give everything a good mix with a spatula to combine and then we are ready to start heating up the fudge mixture.

The fudge mix in a microwaveable mixing bowl before heating.

Microwaving the mixture

Cook in the microwave 4 times for 2 minutes. Make sure you stir at each interval to ensure that there are no lumps of sugar remaining. The mixture should be smooth with no graininess remaining.

Here’s what the mixture looks like after 2 minutes in the microwave.

And now after 4 minutes. You can see that the butter has fully melted at this point.

After 6 minutes the mixture is almost ready, with just a little bit of graininess left from the sugar.

After 8 minutes, our mixture is nice and smooth. Don’t worry about the bubbles. They will settle.

Once the fudge mixture is smooth, it’s time to add in our flavouring and icing sugar, to thicken it up.

Adding vanilla bean paste to the fudge mixture.

I am using vanilla bean paste but you could add any flavouring here. Maple would be amazing and perhaps a mint extract for Christmas. You could also add colouring at this stage as well if you wanted to jazz up your fudge.

Adding icing sugar to the fudge mixture to thicken it up.

Stir until fully combined, ensuring that all of the icing sugar is incorporated. The fudge mixture will be lighter in colour and smells divine!

Mixing the icing sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer.

Grease your baking pan with plant based butter and line with parchment paper. Make sure that you push the paper into the corners of the pan. The overhang will allow us to easily remove the fudge once it has set.

Pour in the fudge, place the baking pan on a tray then transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours until the fudge feels firm on top.

Pouring the fudge mixture in to the prepared baking pan.

Freshly poured fudge in a baking pan, prior to setting in the fridge.

Remove from the baking pan, peel back the sides of the parchment paper and cut up in to slices. Don’t worry if the top of the fudge cracks slightly. It does have a slightly crumbly texture so some cracking is expected.

Set vanilla fudge after removing from the baking pan.

I like to slice my fudge into bite-sized pieces. Doesn’t it look wonderful! We really enjoyed this as a sweet afternoon treat and it was so close to what I remember from my childhood eating fudge in the UK. Happy days!

The slab of microwave vegan vanilla fudge cut in to bit sized pieces.

More Fudgy Options

Feel free to add a variety of toppings to this fudge, just before you pop it in the fridge to set. Crushed candy canes would be a great addition for Christmas fudge and even crumbled Oreos swirled into the mix and sprinkled on top for cookies and cream fudge.

Common Questions

How many pieces does this fudge recipe yield?

This recipe makes 35 bite-sized pieces which are wonderful for a quick sweet treat or to box up as a gift for friends and family.

What type of brown sugar should I use?

You can use any type of brown sugar in this recipe: light, golden, dark, or demerara. All will add a caramelly undertone to the fudge. If you only have white sugar available, that will still work but note that the fudge will be lighter in colour and have less of a caramel flavour. It will still taste amazing though.

How long does it take for the fudge to set?

My fudge took approx. 2 hours to set in the fridge. Timings may vary depending on the humidity.

What’s the best way to store the fudge?

Store wrapped in parchment paper and in an airtight container. If it is humid in your home, I suggest refrigerating and allowing it to come back to room temperature before eating. It will soften in warm conditions.