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Easy Fudge Recipe Without Condensed Milk

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fudge without condensed milk stacked on a plate.

If you’re looking for a fudge snack that you can easily make at home, try my fudge recipe which only requires a few basic pantry ingredients. It doesn’t require sweetened condensed milk as many fudge recipes do, but it’s just as delicious!

close up image of fudge without condensed milk

What is Condensed Milk? How is the fudge made without it?

Condensed milk is cow’s milk from which water has been removed. It’s also sweetened with added sugar and is often used in traditional fudge recipes because it’s thick and sweet. However, not everyone has condensed milk in their pantry. So, if you want to make fudge on a whim, you need to improvise with some basic ingredients that you likely already have on hand. This is where my recipe comes in handy!

Melting the butter and chocolate in the microwave is the easiest way to create this fudge without condensed milk. But, this can also be done on a stovetop by melting and constantly stirring until combined.

However, keep in mind that evaporated milk is completely different and shouldn’t be used as a substitute.

overhead image of fudge without condensed milk cut into squares.

Main Ingredients For Fudge Without Condensed Milk Recipe

  • Chocolate – your choice of dark chocolate or chocolate chips!

  • Butter – I used non-dairy.

  • Milk – I used almond milk.

  • Powdered Sugar

  • Vanilla Extract

Tips When Making This Fudge Without Condensed Milk Recipe

  • Chocolate: I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate or darker. I used 70% dark chocolate for this fudge recipe and had delicious results. The additional powdered sugar contributes quite a bit of sweetness to this recipe, therefore to avoid fudge that’s too sweet, use a dark chocolate which contains less sugar.

  • Milk: I used almond milk but regular milk works fine too. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try chocolate milk!

Storage

Store this fudge in the fridge for best results! If left at room temperature, the fudge runs the risk of melting (especially in warmer climates). I actually prefer to store my fudge in the freezer in the summertime, it’s still soft enough to sink my teeth into – but perfectly firm, cold, and just SO delicious!

Easy Fudge Recipe Without Condensed Milk
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Easy Fudge Recipe Without Condensed Milk

3 from 130 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

0

minutes

If you’re looking for a fudge snack that you can easily make at home, try my fudge recipe which only requires a few basic pantry ingredients. It doesn’t require sweetened condensed milk as many fudge recipes do, but it’s just as delicious!

Ingredients

  • 6 Ounces Dark Chocolate (or 3/4 cup chocolate chips)

  • 1/4 Cup Butter (Dairy or Dairy-free)

  • 1/4 Cup Milk (Dairy or Dairy-Free)

  • 2 Cups Powdered Sugar

  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions

  • Line and grease a loaf pan. 
  • Microwave chocolate, butter, and milk in a bowl for 2 minutes or until melted – stir to combine.
  • Add in powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat with a hand or stand mixer until smooth.
  • Transfer mixture to prepared pan, cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm. Use a greased knife to cut fudge into squares.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • This fudge is best stored in the fridge or freezer.

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Desserts

Vegan Pumpkin Cookies With Maple Frosting

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Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

These delicious vegan pumpkin cookies are the perfect Fall treat! Filled with warm pumpkin spices and topped with tasty maple frosting, these soft and fluffy pumpkin cookies are a great snack to share with friends or family.

With all the pumpkin recipes I’ve been posting this month (scroll to the bottom of the post for a full list), I realized I haven’t attempted to bake any cookies, which is a favorite snack of mine! If you love fluffy cookies, you’ll love these! These pumpkin cookies are firm, but almost cake-like in texture. And while these pumpkin cookies are delicious all on their own, the frosting topping really makes them special. The hint of maple plays wonderfully with the pumpkin and adds just a bit of extra sweetness.

MAIN INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THESE Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

  • All Purpose Flour – I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill All-purpose gluten-free flour with great success!

  • Pumpkin Pie Spice

  • Baking Soda

  • Butter – I used vegan butter. There are plenty available in grocery stores. Earth Balance is a popular one.

  • Brown Sugar – If you’d like, you can use 1 cup of coconut sugar in place of the brown and granulated sugar.

  • Pumpkin Puree – Sweet potato would be a great a substitute if you don’t have pumpkin.

  • Vanilla Extract

  • Maple Syrup

TIPS ON MAKING Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

  • Don’t have any pumpkin pie spice? That’s okay! You can make your very own at home if you have the ingredients.
    • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
    • 2 teaspoons ground ginger & 2 teaspoons ground allspice
    • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Vegan Pumpkin Cookies With Maple Frosting
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Vegan Pumpkin Cookies With Maple Frosting

4 from 32 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: SnacksCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

24

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Calories

300

kcal
Total time

40

minutes

These delicious vegan pumpkin cookies are the perfect Fall treat! Filled with warm pumpkin spices and topped with tasty maple frosting, these soft and fluffy pumpkin cookies are a great snack to share with friends or family.

Ingredients

  • For the cookies:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour, I used gluten free

  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 6 tablespoons vegan butter, softened

  • ½ cup brown sugar, see Notes

  • ½ cup granulated sugar

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • For the frosting:

  • 1/4 cup vegan butter, softened

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

  • 1 1/2  cups powdered sugar

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the all purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a separate smaller bowl, use either a hand or stand mixer to beat together the vegan butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
  • Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
  • Use a tablespoon to scoop out equal amount of cookie dough onto your prepared baking sheet, placing them a few inches apart. 
  • Gently press down on each cookie to flatten the tops, then bake for 10-12 minutes or until set in the center. Let cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Make the maple frosting by whipping all ingredients together with either a hand or stand mixer, then dollop equal amounts of frosting over each cookie.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • If you’d like, you can use 1 cup of coconut sugar in place of the brown and granulated sugar.
  • To store: Cookies should be stored in an airtight container in a single layer in the refrigerator for a couple days.
  • To freeze: Bake them, allow them to cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe ziplock bag, and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.  

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Desserts

Gluten Free Oreos (vegan)

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Five gluten-free oreos stacked on top of each other.

These vegan and gluten-free oreos are BETTER than the real thing! Sweet vanilla frosting is layered between two extra-chocolatey, crumbly cookies. These gluten-free oreos are not only fun, but surprisingly easy to make!

Five gluten-free oreos stacked on top of each other.

I. love. oreos. They’re easily one of my favorite packaged cookies (right next to milanos). Thought as I’m sure we all know, oreos are not gluten-free. *womp womp* But now that’s ok! I made these gluten-free oreos with all my celiacs and gluten-intolerant people in mind. These babies are completely gluten-free, though I’d argue they taste even better than regular oreos.

What You Need to Make Vegan and Gluten-Free Oreos

Vegan Butter – Found in both the cookie and the filling, vegan butter is key to this healthier recipe! A cup of softened vegan butter in the cookie dough makes them irresistibly soft and crumbly. While half a cup of softened vegan butter in the filling makes it light and fluffy. I use and love the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Baking Sticks in most of my vegan/dairy-free recipes, though feel free to use whatever kind of vegan butter you’d like! Also, if you’re not vegan or dairy-free you can easily swap regular butter in its place.

Gluten-Free Flour – I prefer and recommend Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour, though feel free to use your favorite gluten-free flour in this recipe. When picking out a gluten-free flour for baking, you always want to make sure that it contains xantham gum! If you’re not gluten-free, you can use regular all purpose flour instead.

Cocoa Powder – Any unsweetened cocoa powder will work for these gluten-free oreos! You could even use unsweetened cacao powder for extra vitamins and minerals in your cookies. Cocoa powder is usually pretty lumpy and is the main reason I recommend you sift the dry ingredients in this recipe. Sifting the cocoa powder in particular will ensure that the rich chocolatey flavor is distributed evenly throughout the cookie dough.

Filling gluten-free oreos with vanilla frosting.

Tips and Tricks

  • I know most of us, me included, forget to soften our butter ahead of recipes that call for softened butter. While you can usually get away with quickly microwaving butter to soften it, that trick won’t work for this gluten-free oreos recipe. The dough for these cookies is on the stickier side and if your butter is at all melted going into this mixture, it will make your dough nearly impossible to work with. Therefore, don’t forget to leave the vegan butter out for at least an hour before making this recipe!
  • I didn’t have a cookie cutter small enough for this, so I used the rim of a shot glass to cut out my cookies! If you find yourself in the same boat, take a look around your kitchen for other items you might be able to use. You’ll be surprised by how many round objects can double as a cookie cutter!
  • Any double-stuffed fans out there?? Simply double the filling recipes and pile on that sweet vanilla frosting! You’re free to stuff these gluten-free oreos as much as you want.
Gluten-Free Oreos (vegan)
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Gluten-Free Oreos (vegan)

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: American
Servings

24

oreos
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Total time

45

minutes

These vegan and gluten-free oreos are BETTER than the real thing! Sweet vanilla frosting is layered between two extra-chocolatey, crumbly cookies. These gluten-free oreos are not only fun, but surprisingly easy to make!

Ingredients

  • For the cookies:

  • 1 cup vegan butter, softened

  • 1 cup sugar, see Notes

  • 2 cups gluten-free flour

  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • For the filling:

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened

  • 2 cups powdered sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • For the cookies:
  • Beat the butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy.
  • Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda together in a separate bowl and mix to combine.
  • Add the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar, mix until a dough forms.
  • Transfer dough to a floured surface and roll into 1/4-inch thick disc, then cut out 2-inch round circles.
  • Transfer all circles onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the fridge to chill for 20-30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • For the filling:
  • Beat all filling ingredients together until light and fluffy.
  • Place a dollop of filling onto each cookie and top with another cookie – repeat for all remaining cookies!

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Sugar: I used coconut sugar in this recipe and had great results! Though feel free to use white or cane sugar.

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Breakfast

Cranberry Orange Scones (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

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Close up image of cranberry orange scones.

These cranberry orange scones are perfectly flaky and sweet! I took a traditional recipe and turned it gluten and dairy-free with just a few simple swaps. These scones taste incredible with a warm cup of coffee for breakfast or lightly toasted as an afternoon snack.

Cranberry orange scones stacked on top of eachother.

Breakfast in bed was the big thing on Mother’s Day in my house. And because my dad can barely boil an egg, the cooking of breakfast was always my job. I always loved to cook, so I had fun thinking up a breakfast menu for my mom on Mother’s Day. I don’t remember too many menu items from over the years, but I do remember making her cranberry orange scones one year. And the only reason I remember is because I truly couldn’t believe how INCREDIBLE they were! Ever since that Mother’s Day, I’ve thought about those scones frequently. And honestly, I have no good excuse as to why I haven’t remade them sooner?!

Though for this year’s cranberry orange scones, I added my Sam Does Her Best signature gluten-free and dairy-free twist. You know what it is. Not going to lie here either, I was pretty worried these just wouldn’t work sans gluten and dairy. But to my surprise, they definitely did. And not only did they work, but they taste even better than what I remember! So without further ado, I present to you gluten-free and dairy-free cranberry orange scones that will change your Mother’s Day game forever.

What You Need To Make Cranberry Orange Scones

Gluten-Free Flour – I use and recommend Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Powder, it’s pretty much an exact dupe to regular all purpose flour. Though feel free to use any gluten-free flour you’d like, my only recommendation would be to make sure that it contains xantham gum. Xantham gum is a stabilizer and a key ingredient in holding your baked goods together.

Dairy-Free Butter – Make sure your butter is ice cold for this recipe! I’d even recommend dicing it into cubes and then sticking it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so. Cold butter is signature to any and all scones because when baked, it gives your scones that irresistible flaky texture.

Dairy-Free Milk – I used almond milk and had great results, but feel free to use whatever unsweetened dairy-free milk you’d like in these cranberry orange scones. You also want to make sure that the milk is cold, in order to ensure the butter in this recipe stays cold.

Tips and Tricks

  • Use a fork to combine the butter into the flour. When mixing, lightly mash the butter cubes with the back of the fork. You’re simply looking to break up the butter into the dry ingredients. You’ll know you’re done with this step when you have a crumbly mixture and your butter is the size of peas.
  • Lightly whisk the eggs before adding them into the cranberry orange scones dough. Crack them in a bowl and give them a quick whisk with a fork to break up the yolks before proceeding with the recipe.
  • Make sure your surface is well-floured before transferring the dough onto it. The dough will be quite sticky, but when introduced to flour on your work surface, will be much easier to handle! Continue sprinkling gluten-free flour on the surface, on your hands, or on the dough itself whenever it feels too sticky to work with.
Cranberry Orange Scones (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
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Cranberry Orange Scones (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: SnacksCuisine: ScottishDifficulty: Intermediate
Servings

8

scones
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

These cranberry orange scones are perfectly flaky and sweet! I took a traditional recipe and turned it gluten and dairy-free with just a few simple swaps. These scones taste incredible with a warm cup of coffee for breakfast or lightly toasted as an afternoon snack.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour

  • 1/4 cup almond flour

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

  • 8 tablespoons cold dairy-free butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

  • 1 cup cold dairy-free milk

  • 2 large eggs, whisked

  • 1 cup dried cranberries

  • For the egg wash:

  • 1 egg, whisked

  • For the icing:

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

  • 3 teaspoons fresh orange juice

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
  • Mix together the gluten-free flour, almond flour, sugar, baking powder, and orange zest in a large bowl.
  • Add in the cubed butter and mix with a fork until the butter is the size of peas, then fold in the cranberries.
  • Add in the cold milk and whisked eggs, mix until just combined.
  • Transfer dough to a floured sheet of parchment paper set on a work surface and gently press into a 1-inch thick circle.
  • Slice into six triangles and transfer to a baking sheet, then brush with egg wash and sprinkle with extra sugar.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, then remove from oven, gently separate scones, and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  • Make the icing by whisking the powdered sugar and orange juice together in a small bowl, then drizzle over cooled scones.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Ingredient Swaps: Feel free to use all purpose flour instead of gluten-free flour, and leave out the almond flour if you’d like. You can also swap regular butter for the dairy-free butter and cow’s milk for the dairy-free milk in this recipe.

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Dairy-Free

Hummingbird Cupcakes (GF/DF)

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Straight on shot of hummingbird cupcakes sitting on a cutting board.

These hummingbird cupcakes are the perfect spring-time sweet treat! They taste incredibly decedent despite being grain, dairy, and refined sugar-free. These adorable cupcakes are chock-full of delicious crushed pineapple and shredded coconut. And in case you thought they couldn’t get any better, they’re also topped off with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting that is out-of-this-world good.

Hummingbird cupcake topped with pineapple and toasted coconut with a bite taken out.

It’s funny because I’m literally eating a hummingbird cupcake (and getting cream cheese frosting all over my keyboard) as I write this. I’m full-on addicted to the babies. They’re sweet, but not too sweet. Incredibly versatile – enjoy them as a snack, dessert, or heck you can even eat them for breakfast!

The first time I ever ate a hummingbird-anything was at this cute little muffin place by my parents house. My mom got me to try one of their hummingbird muffins and I’ve truly been hooked ever since. I then discovered hummingbird cake and was like – woahhhh, I didn’t know life could get EVEN better! And in case you’re like, Sam WTF is a hummingbird cupcake?! It’s similar to carrot cake, but has crushed pineapple and shredded coconut instead of carrots. It also features a cream cheese frosting, just like carrot cake. If you’re looking for a muffin instead of a cupcake, simply make these without the cream cheese frosting. My suggestion here is – take a plain cupcake, top it with a little crunchy almond butter, and enjoy it as a sweet afternoon snack!

What You Need To Make Hummingbird Cupcakes

Almond Flour – I chose almond flour as the base of these cupcakes for two reasons. One, it’s grain-free, making these cupcakes so light and healthy that you could literally eat them for breakfast if you wanted to. And two, it yields a soft, crumbly cupcake that doesn’t fall apart when bitten into, but also isn’t too dense.

Coconut Sugar – Just a 1/2 cup of coconut sugar is all you need in these cupcakes! This is what I mean by they’re sweet, but not too sweet. Coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic index than the usual white sugar. It also contains many more vitamins and minerals than most other sugars. If you don’t have coconut sugar, you can either use brown sugar, cane sugar, or white sugar instead.

Mashed Bananas – You won’t find a single hummingbird recipe without mashed bananas in it. In conjunction with the pineapple and coconut, a little banana is truly magnificent. It adds a touch of sweetness and incredible flavor. You can use 1 cup of apple sauce instead, if you’d like.

Crushed Pineapple – Like I said earlier, crushed pineapple is a main ingredient in these hummingbird cupcakes. I buy canned crushed pineapple and rinse out the liquid before using in this recipe. Though you can use finely chopped fresh pineapple instead.

Shredded Coconut – Similar to the crushed pineapple, these wouldn’t be hummingbird cupcakes without a little coconut. My one thing when baking with coconut is to make sure it is unsweetened. Our cupcakes are sweet enough, we don’t need the coconut adding to that.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Paleo – Leave out the dairy-free cream cheese frosting and you’ll have yourself delicious little paleo hummingbird muffins!
  • Make it Vegan – Use your favorite egg-substitute in place of the eggs in this recipe. I have not tested this recipe using flax eggs, though I can image that it will yield less-fluffy but still tasty cupcakes.
  • Make it Sugar-Free – Leave out the frosting and sub 1/2 cup of your favorite sugar-free sweetener for the coconut sugar. You can also leave out the coconut sugar altogether, if you’d like!
Hummingbird Cupcakes (GF/DF)
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Hummingbird Cupcakes (GF/DF)

4 from 3 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate
Servings

12

cupcakes
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Almond Flour, see NOTES

  • 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar

  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

  • 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

  • 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, melted, see NOTES

  • 1 Cup Mashed Banana, about 2 bananas

  • 2 Eggs, see NOTES

  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

  • 1/2 Cup Crushed Pineapple, drained

  • 1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut, unsweetened

  • For the cream cheese frosting:

  • 1/2 Cup Dairy-Free Cream Cheese

  • 1/4 Cup Dairy-Free Butter, softened

  • 2 Cups Powdered Sugar

  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake liners.Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 1
  • In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 2
  • In a small bowl, mix together the coconut oil, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla extract.Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 3
  • Add the wet ingredients, crushed pineapple, and shredded coconut into the dry ingredients and mix to combine.Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 4
  • Fill each cupcake liner with 1/4 cup of batter and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 5
  • Transfer cupcakes to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.DSC_0118Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 6
  • Make the frosting by adding all ingredients to a bowl and beating with either a hand or stand mixer until combined. Dollop frosting onto cooled cupcakes and enjoy!DSC_0118Hummingbird Cupcakes Process Photo 7

Notes

  • Almond Flour: Be sure to use almond flour, not almond meal.
  • Coconut Oil: You can use 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or melted butter instead.
  • Eggs: I like to remove my eggs from the fridge a couple hours before baking. If your eggs are too cold when added to the batter, they might cause your coconut oil to re-harden.

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