Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (2024)

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These chocolate meltaways are bite-sized, hand-held puddles of chocolate cream cheese fudge that are guaranteed to simply melt in your mouth.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (1)

Jump to Recipe

These mini milk chocolate meltaways are the perfect holiday treat for many reasons. They don’t take long to make, you don’t have to bake them, and they last in the fridge for up to two weeks. Not that they’ll last that long, as once you have a bite of one of these chocolate meltaways, you’ll be coming back for more. With a mouthwatering fudge center and a sugary exterior, these bite-sized treats literally melt in your mouth.

If you’re also looking for more candies made from cream cheese, check out cream cheese divinity and cream cheese mints.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Cream cheese (check out my easy homemade cream cheese recipe)
  • Butter
  • Cocoa powder
  • Vanilla
  • Lemon juice
  • Milk
  • Confectioner’s sugar

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (2)

Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, or about one to two minutes.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (3)

Add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, vanilla, lemon juice, and milk, and beat again until fully mixed.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (4)

Add confectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each and scraping down the sides of the bowl, until thick and very sticky like cookie dough. You may not need all of the confectioner’s sugar, so stop when it has the consistency of cookie dough.

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Stir together remaining cocoa powder and 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar in a small bowl.

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Pinch off small portions of the dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball into the cocoa/sugar mixture. Tap to remove excess. Repeat until all dough is used.

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (7)

You can use some silicone candy molds like those here. Otherwise, you can use a simple technique by pressing down lightly on top of each ball with the tines of a fork to flatten and imprint the design. Yep, so simple and it’s so easy to make these adorable bite-sized fudge treats!

(If you use the link above for the candy molds, please note Southernplate will receive a very small commission should you choose to purchase).

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Store these chocolate candies covered, in the refrigerator, until ready to serve. These are decadent easy little treats!

Storage

  • You can store these chocolate meltaways in the fridge for up to two weeks, as long as all the ingredients were fresh when you made this recipe.
  • If you’d prefer to freeze them, seal them in an airtight container and place them in the freezer for up to one year.

Recipe Notes

Feeling minty? Drop 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract into your dough to instantly make mint chocolate meltaways!

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (9)

Chocolate Meltaways

Chocolate Fudge Meltaways are little bite-sized, hand-held puddles of chocolate cream cheese fudge that melt in your mouth!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate

Servings: 50 -60

Calories: 24kcal

Author: Stacey Lynn

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons butter at room temperature
  • 5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder split up into 1/2 cup (4oz) and 2 tbsp (1 oz)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 6-7 cups confectioner's sugar plus an additional 1/4 cup for dipping

Instructions

  • Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, or about 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, vanilla, lemon juice, and milk and beat again until well combined.

    8 ounces cream cheese, 3 tablespoons butter, 5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon milk

  • Add 6 to 7 cups of confectioner's sugar, one cup at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Keep adding sugar until the dough is sticky and thick like cookie dough. You will likely use at least 6 cups but may not need the whole 7.

    6-7 cups confectioner's sugar

  • Stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder with 1/4 cup of confectioner's sugar in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Pinch dough off and form into one-inch balls before rolling in cocoa powder/sugar mixture.

    5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, 6-7 cups confectioner's sugar

  • Press down lightly on each ball with the tines of a fork to flatten and imprint a pattern. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Can be stored in fridge for up to two weeks if all ingredients are fresh.

Notes

All nutritional calculations are approximate as can change depending on the ingredients chosen and the size of the meltaway created.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meltaway | Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

You may also like these chocolate candy and fudge recipes:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls No Baking Necessary

Holly Jollies – Candy On A Budget; In A Hurry!

10 Favorite Christmas Candies

Chocolate Fudge That Can Take Over The World

To succeed in life you need three things: A wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone.

~Reba McEntire

Chocolate Meltaways: A Fabulous Fudge Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my 3 ingredient fudge not setting? ›

Why won't my 3 ingredient fudge set? This often happens when the condensed milk and chocolate chip mixture isn't hot enough to start. Everything must be completely melted before it is transferred to the pan to cool.

What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›

Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.

How to fix fudge that won't set? ›

How can you fix soft fudge? Put it in a microwave safe bowl that is large enough that it won't boil over. Reheat it to the boiling point and cook for about 3 more minutes. Then you can beat some powdered sugar into it if this doesn't make it set.

Is evaporated milk or condensed milk better for fudge? ›

Evaporated milk doesn't have sugar added. The sweetened condended milk is needed as no extra sugar is added to the fudge. If evaporated milk were used then the fudge would not be sweet enough and also would still be too soft unless the fudge is frozen.

What makes high quality fudge? ›

You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).

Why do you add vanilla to fudge? ›

Vanilla is often added to chocolate candies or other chocolate recipes because it complements and accents the flavor of chocolate.

How do you firm up homemade fudge? ›

The amount of time you cook fudge directly affects its firmness. Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.

Why is my sugar not melting in my fudge? ›

It might be that you haven't dissolved all the sugar before boiling the fudge mixture. It could be that there just wasn't enough fluid or fat to enable the sugar to dissolve or it might even be that the fudge wasn't beaten long enough or hard enough.

Why did my fudge turn out like taffy? ›

If the temperature is too low, the fudge will be too soft and sticky, and if it's too high, it will turn into a hard, crumbly mess. The ideal temperature to cook fudge is between 232-234 degrees F (111-112 degrees C).

What went wrong with my fudge? ›

However, homemade fudge doesn't always set up into a semi-firm, melt-in-your-mouth confection. If your fudge doesn't firm up after a few hours, you either have too high an amount of liquid to sugar, or your mixture hasn't reached the soft-ball stage. Using a candy thermometer can help home cooks avoid this problem.

How do you keep homemade fudge from being grainy? ›

To avoid this, ensure that you stir the fudge mixture consistently and remove any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan using a wet pastry brush.

What can you do with failed fudge? ›

OPTION 1) Depending on how runny it is, you can either use it as a frosting for cakes, or a sauce for ice-cream. OPTION 2) Freeze it overnight. Cut it into squares. Cover each square thickly in melted chocolate, ensuring no part of the fudge is exposed.

Why didn't my homemade fudge set? ›

The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.

Why does my fudge fall apart when I cut it? ›

Overcooking or Undercooking:Solution: Cooking the fudge for too long or too short a time can affect its texture. Follow the recipe instructions closely and use a timer to avoid overcooking.

Do you stir fudge while it is boiling? ›

Brush the sides of the pan with a wet brush at the beginning of cooking to dissolve sugar crystals stuck to the sides. Never stir the mixture during cooking or sugar could crystallize again. The mixture may seize and become grainy. Use a candy thermometer or conduct a cold water test to check if the fudge is done.

What does cream of tartar do in fudge? ›

Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!

Why is my fudge not creamy? ›

If the sugar crystals are not properly dissolved before cooling, they can create a gritty texture. To avoid this, ensure that you stir the fudge mixture consistently and remove any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan using a wet pastry brush.

How do I get my fudge to harden? ›

Freezing your fudge is the key to a hardened result.

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