I'm OBSESSED with this easy peanut butter fudge!
Keep it in the freezer and grab one or two when you need a pick-me-up snack any time of day, or enjoy one after dinner as a dessert.
Not only is it easy to make peanut butter fudge with healthier ingredients, but it's also easy to customize it to fit your preferences.
This easy peanut butter fudge is:
- healthier than traditional peanut butter fudge
- no-bake!
- easy to make
- delicious
- naturally gluten-free
- naturally dairy-free (if you use vegan chocolate chips)
- vegan (again, check your chocolate chips if this is important to you)
Check out the video below to see the exact steps and watch me make this recipe (it starts right after the ad, which helps me keep this content free for you forever—thanks for watching it!)
As with all of the recipes I teach you, look for high-quality ingredients without a bunch of preservatives, added sugars, or highly-processed ingredients.
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge Ingredients:
- Creamy peanut butter (pour off the oil in this case if oil has collected at the top of your jar)
- Virgin coconut oil
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- Optional (but highly recommended!): Dark chocolate chips, I like the vegan ones
This is one of those recipes that doubles as a snack, dessert, or even a light breakfast if you need something quick. This is what I love about healthy real-food recipes: you can eat them any time of day and do what works for you.
Peanut Butter Fudge Ingredient Substitutions
I encourage you to choose healthy ingredients when making this peanut butter fudge. As I mentioned above, you can customize this recipe to fit your preferences and dietary needs:
- I like to use (all-natural) creamy peanut butter here because it reminds me of the peanut butter fudge I had as a kid, but you can substitute almond butter or sun butter (sunflower seed butter) if one of those work better for you.
- Peanut butter has a not-so-great reputation in some health circles because peanuts are stored in large drums that tend to attract a lot of mold, and conventional peanut butter is loaded with added sugar. Use an organic or all-natural creamy peanut butter with no added sugars to keep this snack healthy. As a health coach, I find it important to vary your food, so if you've been only eating almond butter or sun butter recently, then give some organic PB a try.
- Leave out the maple syrup if you're looking for a zero-sugar snack or if you're diabetic. A little sweetener is totally fine for most active people—you can use more or less to fit your needs. Honey is also great here if honey works better for you, of you can use any sweetener of your choice (I recommend something natural and healthy, like one of these.)
- The chocolate chips are fun here, but if you don't want them just leave them out. Look for dark chocolate (low sugar) and vegan if you prefer vegan/dairy-free.
- About the coconut oil: we're relying on the chilled coconut oil to set this peanut butter fudge. Coconut oil melts at 76°F, so it makes a great no-bake dessert binder. It's also full of lauric acid, which is a medium-chain fatty acid with loads of health benefits. It's hard to substitute here; traditional peanut butter fudge is made with an insane amount of powdered sugar to hold it together and since we're not using that here, you need the coconut oil to make it hold up.
If you like this recipe, then you'll like these healthy snacks & desserts, too:
- Chocolate Avocado Pudding
- Healthy Hot Chocolate
- 4-Ingredient Raspberry Mango Sorbet
- Black Bean Brownies
- Anti-inflammatory Cardamom Almonds
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge (Made Healthy!)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 36 squares 1x
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Method: Stir
- Cuisine: Healthy
Description
This healthier version of peanut butter fudge is one of my favorites. I keep them in the freezer and grab a few for a snack when I need a pick-me-up of energy. You can substitute the peanut butter for almond butter or sun butter if you prefer. The chocolate chips are optional, and highly recommended! If you love it, please leave a star rating in the comments to help other readers in our community.
Ingredients
- ½ cup virgin coconut oil
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter* (that's about a 14-ounce jar of peanut butter)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- optional (and recommended): ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips (I like the vegan ones)
Instructions
- Melt: ½ cup coconut oil in a small pot (I use a 4-quart Dutch oven).
- Stir in: 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey, or no sweetener at all), ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon of sea salt.
- Stir until smooth (be patient, it takes 2-3 minutes. Warm it up on the stove if you need help getting it smooth).
- Line an 8x8 baking dish (or equivalent) with parchment paper. Pour the mixture in and smooth the top
- Sprinkle with ⅓ cup chocolate chips (totally optional, but yum!).
- Set in freezer for 1-2 hours, until set. We're relying on the coconut oil to set and hold these together, so the time to set will depend on your climate.
- Cut into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife. Enjoy a few pieces every day to remember that good food is simple food.
- Keep them in the fridge or freezer for the best texture. Coconut oil melts at 76°F, so don’t let them get too warm. They'll hold up about 30-60 minutes on a platter if you want to serve them at a party, depending on your climate. Stores in the freezer, covered, up to a month.
Notes
* Substitute the peanut butter for almond butter, sun butter (sunflower seed butter), or any mixed-nut or seed butter if you prefer. If any oil has pooled at the top of your jar of peanut butter (or substitution), pour it off as that will help your peanut butter fudge set (normally I'd tell you to stir it back in).
Keywords: Peanut Butter Fudge, No-Bake Dessert
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