Just 30 minutes transforms 6 ingredients into a rich Peanut Butter Fudge, perfect to share with family and friends. My friend's grandma's classic recipe.
Combine sugar, evaporated milk, and corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed, large pot. Heat over medium to medium-high heat. Stir to mix the liquid, and then stir occasionally, scraping the bottom, while you bring it to a boil. This usually takes me about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare your other ingredients and your baking pan. Line a 9x13 inch pan (or other pan) with parchment paper, or butter it well. Measure out your marshmallows, if using them instead of marshmallow creme. Measure out your peanut butter if you want a head start of scraping it from the jar.
Once the mixture boils, insert a candy thermometer into the liquid. Be sure the bulb of the thermometer doesn't touch the bottom. Do not stir.
Cook until the syrup reaches 234F (the soft ball stage of candy making). Remove the pot from heat.
Add the peanut butter, marshmallows, and vanilla. (I usually add marshmallows first to give them a head start to dissolve.)
Use a rubber spatula to stir constantly until everything is smooth and mixed well. The mixture thickens and stiffens up quickly once most of the marshmallows are dissolved.
Pour the fudge into the prepared pan. Scrape it into the prepared pan. (I sometimes pour it when I have just 2-3 mini marshmallows remaining, and smooth them out in the pan.)
Let the fudge set at room temperature for at least 2-4 hours. Cover with plastic wrap if leaving overnight before cutting.
Lift the parchment from the pan to remove the fudge. Cut into bars if sharing as gifts, or into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few weeks.
DO NOT USE SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK. Only use evaporated milk.
Use regular peanut butter with sugar and oil added; natural peanut butter, without oil and sugar, will not work properly.
You can use a 7 ounce jar of marshmallow creme like Lori's grandma did, or you can measure out 7 ounces/200 grams/ 4 ½ cups of miniature marshmallows as I do. Larger marshmallows would need to be cut into tiny pieces.
Be sure to use a candy thermometer to cook the syrup to the right temperature.
Work quickly once the syrup is done. The fudge will set quickly once most of the marshmallows have dissolved.
Calorie count is an estimate only.