I’ve been planning to make and post this one for a while. Not just because I love peanut butter and chocolate (which my god do I ever!) but because I really wanted to put something together that was both delicious and vegan friendly. I have a lot of friends who are either vegan or can’t do dairy and I remember thinking to myself, if I ever had to give up dairy I would just curl up in a ball and never get up again.
Of course that’s not actually true. But I’d miss reeses peanut butter cups more than I could possibly explain in words. That’s what prompted this recipe. Well, that and discovering how well coconut oil is a butter/shortening substitute. Honestly you can make this recipe vegan or non, and you’ll probably want to use the refined coconut oil if you want to avoid the coconutty flavor (which I actually like so it doesn’t bother me) but dairy or non, this fudge is some of the best I’ve had in a while. It’s seriously pretty much like eating a reeses PB cup.
If you want to make this recipe non-vegan, just substitute butter in place of the oil, and milk in place of the plant-based milk. But I urge you to try it vegan, you won’t be disappointed!
Fudge Ingredients:
1/2- cup semi-hard coconut oil (refined or unrefined depending on your preference)
1/2- cup soy milk (or any plant-based milk)
2- cups brown sugar
1-tsp vanilla
2/3- cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, but all natural won’t work well in this recipe so I’d avoid it)
3 1/2- cups confectioner’s sugar
Chocolate Topping Ingredients:
1 3/4- cup semi-sweet, dairy free chocolate chips
1/2- cup coconut oil
Add the coconut oil and brown sugar to a sauce pan and heat between low and medium until the oil is melted and combined with the sugar.
Next add in the milk, stir until combined, then add in the vanilla and let mixture boil for a full two minutes, until the mixture is light brown and very bubbly at the top.
Turn off heat, and add in peanut butter, stirring until completely combined. Mixture will be thickened and almost caramel-y. In a separate bowl, add in the three and a half cups of confectioner’s sugar, and pour the peanut butter mixture over the top.
Stir until fully combined. The mixture will be doughy and soft, almost like a cookie dough. It should not stick to your finger when you touch it. If it does, add in more confectioner’s sugar one teaspoon at a time until it’s tacky but doesn’t stick to your finger.
Line an 8×8 pan with non-stick foil or wax paper and pour in fudge. There should be about half to quarter of an inch space at the top for the chocolate. Spread fudge out with rubber spatula, running it across the top to create a smooth surface.
In a bowl or sauce pan, combine chocolate chips and coconut oil and either melt on the stove with low heat, or microwave for about 45 seconds. Stir until the chocolate chips and oil are melted and combined, then pour mixture over the top of the fudge and spread out with spatula until all surface is covered and even.
You can either top with more chocolate, chopped PB cups, or leave as is. Place fudge on flat surface in the fridge and cool for approx 2 hours, until fudge is hard and ready to cut. When the fudge is ready, loosen the foil edges and lift from the pan. Using a sharp knife, slice into desired squares and serve.
Fudge should be kept wrapped tightly in plastic and kept in cool temperatures. Although if you’re anything like me, there won’t be much time for saving. Just devouring.
Much A'dough About Baking 