This pumpkin fudge is creamy and spicy, is easy to make with 4 healthy ingredients including real pumpkin. This soft fudge has cozy spices, melts in your mouth and is energizing. Serve in plain fudge squares, or coat in melted chocolate.
This creamy pumpkin fudge recipe is easy to make using a blender and has all the wonderful pumpkin flavors of fall. It has a metl-in-your-mouth texture and is addictive. The perfect special occasion or holiday candy recipe.
I love making fudge using 4 healthier homemade ingredients. It's easy to make so many different flavors, including my chocolate peanut butter fudge, my rocky road fudge, and even my butternut squash fudge. These recipes are especially useful for families who are watching what their kids eat. Similar to my 2-ingredient chocolate fudge, this fudge uses only a few healthy ingredients.
And you don't need a hot pot or a candy thermometer, just a blender and a few ingredients. And pumpkin puree of course. If you are into pumpkin, you might want to check out my other trending pumpkin recipes, including pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, baked pumpkin donuts with glaze and even a refreshing pumpkin smoothie.
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Why You'll Love This
It's easy to make: It's really easy when you use canned pumpkin puree (don't use pumpkin pie filling). It's pretty fool-proof - you'll only need to watch the end blend to be sure the liquids are adjusted. All you need is your blender - no cooking, no candy thermometer, and not even condensed milk.
It's super healthy: Pumpkin is the main ingredient in this fudge, and it is full of nutrients. It is a powerful heart health protector, high in potassium, vitamin C and fiber, as well as high in potassium, vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. Pumpkin - fresh or canned pumpkin puree - is notably high in vitamin A which is necessary in many essential body processes. Specifically, one cup of pumpkin provides more than 200 percent of the daily requirement for vitamin A.
Ingredients
Pumpkin puree. Use canned, organic pure pumpkin. And don't use pumpkin pie puree which has added ingredients.
Coconut butter. It's easy to make, just blend a bag of fresh unsweetened shredded coconut. See my recipe steps below or for a complete tutorial visit my how to make coconut butter post.
Maple syrup. To add a sweeter flavor and some moisture. Any liquid sweetener such as date syrup, agave or honey also works.
Nut butter. This adds a creamy texture and protein, as well as flavor. I used cashew butter which has only a mild nutty flavor.
Pumpkin pie spices, that are heavy on cinnamon, and cinnamon does a great job of giving our tongue the illusion that it is tasting something sweet. To carry on with the pumpkin pie spice profile, either use a bottled pumpkin pie spice or use ½ teaspoon cinnamon plus pinch of nutmeg.
Flavorings. Vanilla, salt.
See the recipe card at the bottom for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
Pumpkin puree. You should use canned puree for this recipe, not pumpkin pie filling which has added moisture and sugars. You can however use sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree if need for a similar flavor fudge.
Coconut butter. I think you could melt ½ cup of white chocolate chips instead, but it really will change the recipe and I haven't tried it so depending on your white chocolate brand, you may have to add the amount of nut butter.
Nut butter. Any nut butter flavor works. I suggest a neutral flavor such as cashew butter or almond butter. Peanut butter will make your pumpkin fudge taste evidently like peanuts.
Vanilla extract. You can also use pumpkin spice extract if you can get your hands on it to increase the pumpkin flavor.
I do not use marshmallow cream in this recipe. This recipe is focused on using coconut butter as the base cream. If marshmallows are on your mind, try my rocky road fudge recipe.
Variations
Mix ins. You can mix in or sprinkle on top nuts such as crushed pecans or crushed walnuts, raisins, butterscotch chips, dried cranberries.
Make fudge squares. Pour and freeze fudge in a parchment-lined loaf pan, freeze 30 minutes, and cut into squares.
Make chocolate-covered cups. Freeze the fudge in mini cups and dip in melted chocolate.
Step by Step Instructions
For more detail, visit the complete recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
Preparations: Prepare a mini cupcake pan with papers, or a mold or line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Make coconut butter: Blend 2 cups of shredded dry coconut to create 1 cup of coconut butter. Or use a jar of store-bought coconut butter.
Step 3: Blend coconut butter, nut butter, pumpkin puree, spice, water, vanilla and salt until creamy.
Step 4: Spoon the fudge into either lined mini cupcake pan or molds. Freeze for 1 hour before removing and setting in refrigerator.
Step 5: To make chocolate cups, melt chocolate in the microwave at 1 minute, coat mini paper cupcake papers, spoon a teaspoon of fudge into the cup, cover with more chocolate and chill.
Storage
Whether encased in chocolate or not, this fudge fares well at room temperature for about three days in a sealed container, then should be refrigerated. It can last two weeks refrigerate or three months frozen.
Freeze. To freeze, I would cut it into squares first, and remove the cups from the pan and put them individually in a sealed container.
Recipe Tips
Coconut butter. It's easy to blend shredded coconut into coconut butter, but here are a few tips for success.
- 1. Be sure the shredded coconut you buy is fresh and a good brand such as Let's Go Organic.
- 2. Use a blender that has a strong small space - such as the Blendtec's Wildjar or another small blender jar.
- 3. If your blended coconut butter seems grainy, add a few teaspoons of hot coconut oil. Heat the coconut oil by setting the jar in a pot of boiling water and stirring until it melts, a few minutes.
My how to make coconut butter post has more detail and also provides directions to make chocolate coconut butter.
Sweet enough? After mixing the mixture, taste-test to see if it is sweet enough. Add an additional 1-3 tablespoons of maple syrup if you prefer it sweeter. As is, the flavor leans on coconut butter, which is naturally sweet, and cinnamon, which amplifies any sweet flavor.
Store-bought coconut butter. If you do buy jarred coconut butter, the texture will probably be rock solid, and you need it to be creamy. To get there, set the jar in boiling water and keep stirring until the coconut butter is melted. It might take 10 minutes. You cannot microwave it or set it by itself in a pot because it will burn.
FAQS
Usually, homemade fudge won't set because of too much moisture, but this pumpkin fudge recipe made with coconut butter is likely to have the opposite problem, it might become too hard. The remedy is to keep the refrigerated, not frozen, and make sure you put the full nut butter and maple syrup amount into the recipe.
To package homemade fudge for gifts, use cellophane gift bags, tied with ribbon and a tag. Or use candy boxes, and nestle squares or cups of fudge in paper mini cupcake papers. For more ideas, visit my Homemade Chocolates in a Box post.
You certainly can! Mix in or sprinkle on top crushed pecan or walnuts before chilling to set.
Left over coconut butter stores well at room temperature in a sealed container or jar. Use it as a healthy spread on toast, add to soups, hot drinks, use a layer in energy bars.
More Fudge Recipes
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Fudge (4 ingredients)
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut butter (try my coconut butter recipe)
- ¾ cup pumpkin purée
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ cup nut butter
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ½ teaspoon cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or pumpkin extract
- pinch salt
Chocolate Shell (optional)
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Prep
- Line a mini-cupcake pan with paper liners, or set out a silicon mold.
- To make homemade coconut butter, follow this recipe for more detail or just blend up 1 cup fresh shredded dry coconut (unsweetened) to create ½ cup of creamy coconut butter.
- To use store-bought coconut butter, set the jar in a pot of boiling water and stir occasionally so the hard coconut butter turns creamy, about 3 minutes or more.
Make fudge
- Blend coconut butter, nut butter, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, spice, water, extract and salt until creamy.1 cup coconut butter, ¾ cup pumpkin purée, ¼ cup nut butter, ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or pumpkin extract, pinch salt, 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- Taste-test and add in a teaspoon or more of maple syrup if you feel you want it to be sweeter. Since coconut butter is naturally sweet, I didn't need any sweetener.
- Make cups. Spoon the fudge into either lined mini cupcake pan or molds. Freeze for 30 minutes before removing and setting in refrigerator.
- Make squares. Pour fudge into a parchment-lined loaf pan. Freeze for 30 minutes or just long enough to cut into squares.
To make chocolate cups (optional)
- If you want to make the chocolate cups filled with pumpkin fudge as I did, simple melt the chocolate chips in a microwave for 60 seconds. I use a pyrex measuring cup so I can then pour the melted chocolate.1 cup chocolate chips
- Pour chocolate into mini cupcake papers and use a spoon to draw a layer of chocolate up the sides and make a cup.
- Add about 1 teaspoon of pumpkin fudge into each cup. I didn't even wait for the chocolate to harden but you can if you want. Then pour on a chocolate coating. Freeze for 1-2 hours; refrigerate after that.
Storage
- Whether encased in chocolate or not, this fudge fares well at room temperature for about three days, then should be refrigerated. It can last two weeks refrigerated or three months frozen.
Chocoviv
So many delicious ideas...i would love to try them all.!
Dee Dine
Thank you so much!