Testing out six variations of peanut butter fudge in my kitchen was a great day. I had Ryan, the kids and a few friends vote on their favorites and right here is the #1 no-bake vegan fudge recipe.
For starters, the fudge is only 4 ingredients (and two ingredients are optional toppings!)! Second, it can be made ahead and stored in the freezer until your next party (if you can handle the temptation). Oh, and did I mention that this is vegan fudge, too?
For the photos, I added a drizzle of chocolate and crumbled mini peanut butter cups, but those are totally optional! What isn’t optional is using Medjool dates to create a naturally sweet, caramel flavor to the fudge. It’s outta this world! I used Natural Delights Medjool Dates because they are my favorite (seriously… you will be obsessed once you try them, too). I’ve partnered with them to share this simple dessert recipe with you.
Table of Contents
How to Make Peanut Butter Fudge
You can make this vegan fudge recipe in 30 minutes or less (and 20 minutes of that is the freeze time!).
Combine all 4 ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until super creamy. If you need to double the recipe to blend better, then go for it!
Pour the fudge into a silicone ice cube tray and spread evenly.
Freeze for 20 minutes, until the fudge has hardened slightly. While the fudge is freezing, jump to step 7 if you want to add a homemade chocolate drizzle.
Remove from freezer and set on counter.
Add chopped mini peanut butter cups on top and press gently to “set it” if you wanna win some style points.
Vegan Ingredient Swaps
Since this recipe only has a handful of ingredients, this swap list will be short n’ sweet:
If peanut butter isn’t your thing, then swap for cashew or almond butter. Even if you use super smooth almond butter, the final texture will change (yet still be fudge-like). Just make sure whatever nut/seed butter you use is unsweetened and limited ingredient.
If you aren’t able to easily find Medjool dates, then you can swap for maple syrup. The vegan fudge will still freeze just fine, though it won’t be as thickly fudgy.
Choosing the Right Dates
I’m slightly obsessed with Natural Delights Medjool Dates. Seriously, they’re perfectly soft + sweet. Many dates are dry, yet not these! These dates are versatile, so I eat them as-is, stuff them with almond butter for a quick energy bite, or throw them in a Cinnamon Date Smoothie for a little added sweetness. I’ve tried so many fancy pants dates over the years, and these are hands down my fav.
Medjool dates are a whole fruit natural sweetener with good-for-you dietary fiber. This combination is metabolized by your body slowly, resulting in lasting, natural energy to help carry you through your day— in a healthy, yummy way.
I know they sound like an odd ingredient for peanut butter fudge, yet you won’t think that after your first bite!
Tips for Drool-Worthy Fudge
- If you have a silicone mold like the green one used in my photos, then definitely use it! As you can see, it will create perfectly adorable fudge pieces.
- Make sure the coconut oil is 100% melted. That way it will cool down more evenly and not leave you with any odd spots on your fudge. I don’t notice a ‘coconut’ taste with this fudge yet if you are super sensitive to taste, use refined coconut oil for a more tasteless addition.
- For presentation, cut the fudge into squares and separate before drizzling with chocolate. That way each square is nicely covered in drizzle.
- Pour the chocolate drizzle over the hardened no bake fudge while it’s still cold. This will create an instant hardening effect and make the fudge easier to handle.
Fudge FAQs
Since my recipe is no bake fudge, there’s no need to cook the ingredients to just the right temp. Instead, just make sure the coconut oil is completely melted before blending. This way the mixture will easily spread out in the pan, and freeze properly (with no oil clumps).
I use Costco-brand organic peanut butter in my recipe, so there are only 2 grams of sugar per serving (all natural). So the only sugar comes naturally from the Medjool dates used. If you cut 12 squares into this fudge, each square has 12 grams of sugar.
Well… I wouldn’t recommend eating my vegan fudge on the daily, yet it’s only got 4 ingredients, that are all whole food + plant based. So feel free to indulge in a few pieces and enjoy a sweet treat without the sugar spike.
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
I love finding plant-based ways to enjoy my fav desserts, and I dare you to try some, too! Here are more fun, tasty recipes that ditch eggs, dairy and more yet taste phenomenal and grace any dessert table with ease.
- Chocolate covered banana bites
- Blackberry coconut sorbet
- Fudgy brownies
- Strawberry milkshake
- Chocolate pudding
- Vegan chocolate chip cookies
- Rice krispie treats
- Soft ginger cookies
- Vegan caramel dip
Don’t forget to rate + review this recipe once you make it! Your feedback is so important to me.
Peanut Butter Fudge
Equipment
- freezer
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- ½ cup natural peanut butter
- 5 Natural Delights Medjool dates
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Toppings (optional)
- 1 cup mini peanut butter cups I use Justin's
- 3 tbsp vegan chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- sea salt coarse
Instructions
- Line an 8×4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Combine fudge ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until super creamy.
- Pour the fudge mixture into the loaf pan and spread out evenly.
- Freeze for 20 minutes, until the fudge has hardened slightly.
- Remove from freezer and set on counter.
- Add chopped mini peanut butter cups on top and press gently to 'set'.
- Gently melt the coconut oil and chocolate chips over stovetop on low, stirring constantly.
- Lightly drizzle melted chocolate on the cold fudge for instant hardening effect.
- Sprinkle coarse sea salt lightly over top (if using).
- Cut into squares and store in freezer until ready to enjoy.
Video
Notes
- To keep this recipe vegan, make sure you use natural peanut butter, vegan chocolate chips, and vegan peanut butter cups.
- Swap cashew butter or almond butter for the peanut butter. Note that this will change the texture.
- Feel free to add any toppings you want, or mix in nuts as desired to the fudge before it sets in the freezer.
Made this fudge for Valentine’s Day for myself. I wanted a treat that was sweet, but something with no chocolate. Turned out great! It’s hard not to eat several pieces though! Loved it a little too much!
I just love your book Simple Green Meals and the recipes are outstanding! I am inquiring about the Peanut Butte Fudge recipe. I want to make it and noticed you use a silicone ice cube tray that looks functional and would like to know where you bought it. It looks perfect for the PBF recipe. Thank You!
Peace and blessings,
Jeanette
Hi Jeanette, These would work great – Check out these 1in x 1in Silicone Ice Cube Trays I found on Amazon
I made these for a work party and they were a huge hit! And simple ingredients also makes me feel great letting my toddler have a few pieces. To keep them from melting, I kept them in a glass container on top of an ice pack and it worked perfectly.
Curious if you think these would hold shape for a cookie gift box- we do cookie gift boxes of assorted cookies as gifts for our neighborhood. Thank you- I enjoy your take on smoothies and would love to try this recipe!
Best!
LW
What a nice idea! I’m movin to your neighborhood for sure! This Peanut Butter Fudge actually holds up best in the freezer until you’re ready to eat, so it might not be the best choice for a box. You might try our Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies or some yummy ginger cookies instead! 🙂
This looks delicious but my grandson is allergic to nuts, too! I may try & substitute out the coconut oil for melted vegan butter & sunflower butter for the peanut butter. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Love the swaps Cheri! Def let us know what you think!
I’m oil free. Is there anything I can substitute for coconut oil?
Gosh— you could try leaving it out and see if it would work. I would prob add more peanut butter if doing this and double the recipe to get it blended really well.
On a side note…we’re big fans of healthy fats around here and love coconut oil because it helps our bodies (including brain and digestive system) work at it’s best. Yet, we do understand that oils aren’t for everyone. While we’ve not tried an oil free version of this recipe, you could try substituting in applesauce in place of the coconut oil. If you do, let us know what you think! 🙂
Made these last night and they are soo good! They are easy to make and I highly recommend. I need a bit of help though. I have a Blendtec, but still cannot get my dates to fully blend, do you have any tips for this?
Hey Shannon— you could possibly add a little more coconut oil and peanut butter to get the blender to whip like liquid. When I made them, I had the blender going on high speed and it was pureed into a silky texture that I blended long enough to get the dates to completely blend up. You could also double the recipe so there’s more content for the blendtec to blend– that could help too.
We’d also recommend soaking your dates in hot water for 30 minutes prior to blending. This will soften them and make them easier to blend.