Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Pinterest X (Twitter) Instagram RSS Facebook
    Buy GO DAIRY FREE and EAT DAIRY FREE today!
    Go Dairy Free
    • Need to Know
      • Newbies Start Here!
      • Take the Challenge!
      • Dairy-Free FAQs
      • Latest News
      • Milk Allergies
      • Lactose Intolerance
      • Other Health Issues
      • Testimonials
      • Calcium Guide
      • Holidays & More
      • Best Books
      • The Community
    • Recipes
      • Recipes by Category
        • Alisa’s Recipes
        • Sarah’s Recipes
        • Appetizers
        • Beverages
        • Bread
        • Breakfast
        • Cheese Substitutes
        • Condiments & Dressings
        • Cream Substitutes
        • Desserts
        • Entrees
        • Kids Can Cook
        • Milk Substitutes
        • Pasta
        • Salad
        • Sandwiches
        • Sauces
        • Sides
        • Snacks
        • Soup
      • Full Dairy-Free Recipe Index
      • Gluten-Free Recipe Index
      • Vegan Recipe Index
    • Reviews
      • Dairy Substitutes
        • Butter
        • Cheese
        • Cream
        • Creamer
        • Dessert Toppings
        • Ice Cream
        • Ice Cream Novelties
        • Milk
        • Yogurt
        • More Kitchen Essentials
      • Sweets & Snacks
        • Protein Shakes
        • More Creamy Beverages
        • Snack & Protein Bars
        • More Snacks
        • Chocolate
        • Cookie Dough
        • Cookies & Brownies
        • Pies & Cakes
        • Pudding & Mousse
        • More Sweet Treats
      • Meal Makers
        • Baking Mixes
        • Bread Products
        • Breakfast Pastries
        • Cereal & Granola
        • Cheesy Pasta & Rice
        • Frozen Pizza
        • More Entrees
        • Dip and Spreads
        • Salad Dressing
        • Sauces
      • All Product Reviews
        • New Product Reviews!
        • Browse by Product Type
        • Full Review Index
        • Gluten-Free Review Index
        • Vegan Review Index
    • Grocery Guide
      • Alisa’s Dairy-Free Kitchen
      • Brands We Love
      • Dairy Substitutes
      • Dairy Ingredient List
      • Understanding Food Labels
      • No Dairy Product Lists
      • Ordering Specialty Foods
      • Best Grocery Stores
    • Eating Out
      • Fast Food Listings
      • Recommended Restaurants
    • My Books!
      • Go Dairy Free 2nd Edition (best seller!)
      • Eat Dairy Free 1st Edition (full color!)
      • eBooks & Printables
      • Book Supplements & Resources
    • About Us
      • Meet Us
      • Contact Us
      • Join Us
      • Work With Us
    Go Dairy Free
    You are at:Home»Dairy-Free Recipes»Dairy Free Desserts»Vegan Maple Cream Fudge That Will Make You Forget Dairy

    Vegan Maple Cream Fudge That Will Make You Forget Dairy

    69
    By Alisa Fleming on December 3, 2018 Dairy Free Desserts, Dairy-Free Recipes

    This smooth, rich, and perfectly sweet vegan maple cream fudge has been a favorite on Go Dairy Free for many years. So I thought it was time for me to give this post an update with more detailed instructions and some recipe tips.

    Vegan Maple Cream Fudge Recipe that everyone loves! Dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, gluten-free, and soy-free, but perfectly rich and purely maple in flavor.

    The Secrets to Perfect Vegan Maple Cream Fudge

    Use a Candy Thermometer

    It’s not expensive, and a candy thermometer can mean the difference between creamy fudge and a sugary mess. If you drop a bit of the maple mixture into cold water and it forms a soft ball, this is the “soft ball stage.” But it can be easy to overshoot this stage, or to be uncertain on visual cues. A candy thermometer is a more accurate indicator that can help ensure that you don’t overshoot the goal.

    Also, be sure your candy thermometer is accurate before starting. When placed in actively boiling water, it should reach 212°F. And make sure your thermometer tip is not touching the sides or bottom of your pan. It should be submerged in the liquid you are measuring, and not touching anything else – otherwise you will be reading the temperature of the pan!

    Most grocery stores sell candy thermometers, if you need one in a pinch. But you can also buy one online.

    Choose the Right Ingredients

    As noted in the recipe, you should use regular, full-fat, canned coconut milk. Do NOT use the drinkable coconut milk beverage sold in cartons. To understand the difference between coconut milk and coconut milk beverage, see this post: What is Coconut Milk?

    And this is the time to splurge on real maple syrup. Maple-flavored syrup and pancake syrup usually have additives that could hinder good results. Go for the pure stuff!

    Practice Patience

    Making vegan maple cream fudge isn’t difficult, but it does involve a fair amount of waiting for heating and cooling. And ten to fifteen minutes can seem like a long time when mixing. But it’s essential for the creamy finish. That said, don’t over-mix! Once it reaches a thick, creamy frosting consistency and loses it’s gloss, press it into your pan and let it set.

    Vegan Maple Cream Fudge Recipe that everyone loves! Dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, gluten-free, and soy-free, but perfectly rich and purely maple in flavor.

    Special Diet Notes: Vegan Maple Cream Fudge

    By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and top food allergy-friendly.

    4.5 from 18 reviews
    Vegan Maple Cream Fudge
     
    Print
    Prep time
    25 mins
    Cook time
    15 mins
    Total time
    40 mins
     
    This rich, creamy fudge requires patience, but it is actually quite easy to whip up.
    Author: Alisa Fleming
    Recipe type: Dessert
    Serves: 64 pieces
    Ingredients
    • 1 cup white sugar
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • 1 cup coconut milk (regular, full fat; NOT coconut milk beverage), shaken
    • ⅓ cup coconut oil
    • ¼ cup maple syrup
    • Pinch salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or to taste
    Instructions
    1. Grease or line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
    2. Put the sugars, coconut milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt in a medium saucepan.
    3. Place the pan over medium heat, and stir to combine as the mixture starts to boil.
    4. Reduce the heat (to avoid bubbling over) and let bubble the mixture reaches the soft ball stage on a candy thermometer (235 to 240ºF).
    5. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
    6. Beat for 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture cools and thickens. (I recommend a stand mixer or beaters for this; see Note below.). It should thicken to a frosting consistency.
    7. Evenly press the mixture into your prepared dish. Let it cool completely before removing and cutting into 1-inch squares. If it is still a little soft at room temperature, you can refrigerate the fudge until firm.
    Notes
    Note: Some of you had success with letting the mixture cool first, but a lot of you are having issues with that. So I've defaulted back to the original instructions.
    3.5.3229

    For More Must-Have Recipes, Get Go Dairy Free!

    Go Dairy Free 2nd Edition - The Ultimate Guide and Cookbook for Dairy-Free Living with Over 250 Recipes!

    Alisa Fleming
    • Website

    Alisa is the founder of GoDairyFree.org, Food Editor for Allergic Living magazine, and author of the best-selling dairy-free book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living, and the new cookbook, Eat Dairy Free: Your Essential Cookbook for Everyday Meals, Snacks, and Sweets. Alisa is also a professional recipe creator and product ambassador for the natural food industry.

    69 Comments

    1. Adrienne on December 20, 2018 9:28 pm

      Whoa – this looks amazing! It’s a little late for Christmas, but my family won’t mind at all having this after the Holidays :).

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on December 21, 2018 7:06 am

        Haha, I think fudge really shouldn’t be limited to just one time of year 🙂

        Reply
    2. Leanne on December 14, 2018 2:56 pm

      This fudge looks absolutely delicious! I’m definitely going to add this to my Christmas goodies list.

      Reply
    3. Michelle on December 13, 2018 7:06 pm

      SO mine turned out to be a sugary mess like you mentioned in the tips. I used a candy thermometer, but on low the mixture was barely boiling and not rising in temp at all, so I turned it up to medium heat after almost an hour of trying to get it to softball stage. Is that where I messed up? After close to 20 minutes of mixing, it still was not the smooth frosting consistency you mentioned. It’s very grainy still.

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on December 13, 2018 9:58 pm

        Hi Michelle, that’s odd. So you brought it to a boil over medium heat, and then reduced the heat so it was simmering, correct? It sounds like perhaps your stove is a little cooler – stoves can definitely vary – mine boils away even when turned down! You might want medium-low instead of low. It does sound like perhaps it was cooked a bit too long.

        Reply
        • david Quaglietta on December 5, 2019 8:24 pm

          Turned out amazing add double the maple to the 2nd batch

          Reply
          • Alisa Fleming on December 5, 2019 9:40 pm

            Fantastic! Thanks you for sharing your feedback David.

            Reply
      • Tiffany on December 23, 2018 3:50 pm

        Mine was a sugary mess too. So much time and effort just to toss it out. Sad.

        Reply
      • Tiffany on December 23, 2018 3:54 pm

        Followed everything to a tee…mixture wouldn’t get up to soft ball unless I turned up the heat. It was a sugary mess. Alas, so much time, effort and money down the drain. Sad.

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on December 24, 2018 8:40 am

          Hi Tiffany, I’m so sorry it isn’t working for you! Candy can be finicky. So did you get it up to the soft ball stage? Then beat until smooth – this part can take very long. Next time, rather than toss it, you can add more liquid and bubble it again. Grainy fudge can be fixed! Some other things that can damage results: high humidity (yes, the weather!) and sugar crystals on the pan. I’m going to make this fudge again today and see if I can’t help with some trouble-shooting tips.

          Reply
    4. Sheila on December 11, 2018 5:15 pm

      Hello, dying to try this fudge, could I use maple extract or flavouring instead of vanilla? My son is a maple fanatic lol. Thanks in advance ?

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on December 11, 2018 5:57 pm

        Of course!

        Reply
    5. Vanessa on December 10, 2018 12:58 pm

      Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on December 10, 2018 10:11 pm

        As long as regular fudge would. It gets eaten up before we can test longevity 🙂

        Reply
    6. Kristen Wood on December 8, 2018 2:11 pm

      These look so delicious (and perfectly uniform!). I definitely want to try this! 🙂

      Reply
    7. Janet Paula on December 4, 2018 2:07 pm

      Can I replace the sugars in your recipe with cane sugar and coconut sugar? Also, ⅓ cup coconut oil be replaced with 1/3 cup melted cocao butter? Thanks so much for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on December 4, 2018 2:12 pm

        I can’t make any guarantees on the coconut sugar swap. It might work well, or it might not – I haven’t done much candy making with coconut sugar. It will likely taste scrumptious no matter what though! You should be able to sub food-grade cocoa butter for the coconut oil, but the fudge will set up more firmly.

        Reply
    8. Jules Shepard on December 4, 2018 7:26 am

      My mom was a chocolate fudge maker so perhaps it’s in my genes? This looks wonderful and I’m dying to give it a try!

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on December 5, 2018 9:43 am

        I think it must be!

        Reply
    9. Kristina on December 4, 2018 7:02 am

      as much as I love chocolate fudge, I am equally intrigued by the non chocolate versions. as it is the holidays, I happen to have extras of all ingredients on hand – this may happen today! 🙂

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on December 4, 2018 2:12 pm

        Fudge is awesome – all types. Period.

        Reply
    10. Erin Dee on December 3, 2018 9:31 pm

      This maple cream fudge looks perfectly delicious! What a great idea for gift-giving at the holidays!

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on December 5, 2018 9:44 am

        It really is! Although, I love it any time of year 🙂

        Reply
    11. Tara on February 18, 2018 12:19 pm

      Just made these this morning. Boiled for 2 minutes. Simmered for quite a while to reach 235 degrees and waited about fifteen minutes for syrup to cool to 110 degrees prior to beating it. Results were perfect! Smooth, firm, creamy tasting fudge which holds its shape beautifully and looks magnificent 🙂 Being a lifelong vegetarian who is newer to veganism, my brain has not yet fully habituated to the taste of coconut in place of butter or vegan butter. I refuse to go back to dairy, but wondered if a vegan butter could be substituted for the coconut oil? Has anyone tried this?

      Thanks for a fabulous new go to recipe!

      Tara

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on February 18, 2018 2:26 pm

        So glad you enjoyed the recipe Tara! It will taste good with the vegan butter, but won’t set up quite as firmly.

        Reply
    12. Sophie on February 16, 2018 12:58 pm

      I’m beginning to know this recipe by heart. Making 100 squares of it to sell at a local French Canadian cabane à sucre at our annual winter carnival this weekend. Turning out great? the secret is to whip it good!

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on February 16, 2018 1:40 pm

        Awesome. And thanks for sharing your “secret” Sophie!

        Reply
    13. Jill Van Prooyen on August 1, 2017 2:05 pm

      Very delicious! I let the fudge cool awhile before mixing (like another poster suggested) and it hardened a lot faster!

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on August 3, 2017 2:32 pm

        Great, thanks Jill!

        Reply
    14. Pingback: Vegan Oh Henry Bars – Em is Alive

    15. Philipp on December 25, 2016 6:56 am

      The taste of the fudge is great.

      However, it didn’t set in my case. I followed the recipe and beat it for >30min, but it’s still too creamy and I can’t cut it. Do you have suggestions?

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on January 2, 2017 1:59 pm

        Hi Philipp, so sorry for my delay. It should set up if you used a full-fat coconut milk (not coconut milk beverage). It’s also best not to over-mix the fudge. 30 minutes is a bit long.

        Reply
    16. Holly on July 12, 2016 9:41 am

      This fudge is delicious. I added some chopped pecan nuts just because that was what I fancied, and also cooled the mixture down in a bowl of cold water before starting to beat it, but otherwise stuck to the recipe as stated.

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on July 12, 2016 3:41 pm

        Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and tips Holly!

        Reply
    17. Melinda on December 15, 2015 9:48 am

      How long is this fudge good for? Does it need to be store in an airtight container and/or in the fridge? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on December 16, 2015 4:21 pm

        It should keep for up to one week in the refrigerator Melinda, but can also be frozen.

        Reply
    18. Linda on February 13, 2015 5:10 pm

      Please clarify….Is this coconut milk in the dairy section, e.g. Silk or So Delicious brand, or the kind in the can that is thicker, or fresh coconut milk?

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on February 13, 2015 6:31 pm

        Hi Linda, it’s real coconut milk – like in a can or small carton. If it were a coconut milk beverage we would put “milk beverage” or “milk alternative”.

        Reply
    19. Olivia on October 11, 2014 8:31 pm

      This fudge is really good, but also a tad oily. I would reduce the coconut oil to 1/4 cup. Also, I waited until the fudge had cooled to 110º F to beat it, because waiting until 110º F will keep large crystals from forming and destroying the batch. Very good flavor and texture.

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on October 12, 2014 6:01 pm

        Thanks for sharing your modification Olivia!

        Reply
      • Nik on January 15, 2021 7:28 pm

        It’s 2021 and I tried this recipe according to the directions, 3 times, and it was a crystalized mess. I followed your directions, with a batch that had already been boiled down once, and it worked! Sure, it was oily, but it looked like fudge!

        I’m trying to rate this recipe 3/5 stars, but it automatically filled them all on.

        Reply
        • Alisa Fleming on January 16, 2021 9:13 am

          Hi Nik, I’m not pleased that it wasn’t working or you, but am glad you finally had a fix that works for you. Fudge is tricky, with crystalization. That’s the most common issue, and can be caused by several factors. There is no auto-fill on the stars. It’s just whatever star you click on. I double checked, and it seems to be working. Sorry for any issues you had.

          Reply
          • Nik on January 19, 2021 7:42 pm

            Thank you for the quick response! The star thing must just be a quirk for some end users. I look forward to more fudge experimentation!

            Reply
    20. Pingback: The Search for Vegan Fudge | Acquiring a Taste

    Newer Comments →

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Rate this recipe:  

    Go Dairy Free - The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance and Casein-Free Living
    Dairy-Free Cinnabon Recipe - Copycat for those famous Cinnamon Rolls! Also nut-free and soy-free

    Dairy-Free Cinnabon Copycat for Tender, Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

    Dairy-Free Brie Cheese Recipe with Truffled, Black Garlic, and Camembert Options

    Dairy-Free Brie Cheese with Truffled, Black Garlic, and Camembert Options

    Enjoy Life FoodsFames ChocolatesEat dairy free book Chocolate Emporium
    Go Dairy Free is the leading website for information on the dairy-free diet. We share dairy-free recipes, product reviews, news, recommendations and health guides to aide those with milk allergies, lactose intolerance or a general need or desire to live without dairy. Dairy-free does include milk-free, lactose-free, casein-free and whey-free, too! We also offer ample resources for gluten-free, soy-free, food allergy, vegan and paleo diets. Please note that ingredients, processes and products are subject to change by a manufacturer at any time. All foods and products should be considered at risk for cross-contamination with milk and other allergens. Always contact the manufacturer prior to consumption. Disclaimer - All Rights Reserved - Privacy Policy Go Dairy Free © 2005-2023 Fleming Marrs Inc.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.