One reason why this recipe rocks and that sets it apart from other fudge recipes: it doesn’t call for specific chocolate temperatures.

Depending on the recipe, the temperature of certain ingredients can indisputably impact and even entirely alter the outcome of the recipe. But as in this case, it’s not always the most realistic; not everyone has a thermometer to heat and cool the chocolate to the prescribed ranges. That’s not to knock the recipes that do require precise temperatures – it’s warranted and the fudge is presumably delicious – it’s just that there were 2 stipulations I insisted on meeting when creating this recipe:

• The fudge is simplified and practical. The more straightforward a recipe is, the more feasible it is for everyone.
• An objective for all recipes – that it is healthier. Upon investigation, a majority of healthier fudge recipes include nut butter; likely to help achieve the notable fudgy texture that we all adore. But including peanut butter would then make it peanut butter fudge, in my eyes. So a healthier, traditional fudge free from any unconventional ingredients was the second condition.

Now while this recipe doesn’t push for exact temperatures, it does request that particular brands are used for two of the ingredients. Singling out name brands in the ingredient list and strongly recommending their use is far from common in SUNutrition recipes – Dairy-Free Peach Froyo is only other one that comes to mind that does so. Know that it’s for good reason and not personal preferences or promotional purposes (in which there are zero commissions or affiliations with the brands listed below). The reason being that through the trial and error that goes into the final product you see, some brands were found to produce better results than others; the select brands are identified so that you can reproduce this recipe as closely and as accurately as possible! I acknowledge this does slightly impede on the first stipulation of making a more accessible, feasible recipe, but once you sink your teeth into this creamy, decadent fudge, you’ll understand the brand bias.

Making fudge without a thermometer can be finicky – I’ve had a few batches come out too soft. When that happens, it generally means the chocolate wasn’t heated for long enough. If the cooking time is too brief, then not enough water gets evaporated and too much water causes the fudge to be soft and a little messy to eat. Without getting into the intricacies, that is one of the many motives why thermometers and precision are heeded in fudge recipes. But not to worry, even if your fudge turns out softer than you’d like, I can guarantee (speaking from experience) it won’t go to waste, especially if you have a dessert-lover nearby! And don’t let it discourage you from trying again; practice makes perfect as they say.

You can’t ever go wrong with fudge. And one of the best features of fudge is the flexibility. You can do away with the crust and candied pecans to make classic chocolate fudge. From there, you can leave it as is or get creative with the flavors: white chocolate drizzle, peanut butter swirl, sprinkles, dried fruit, almond slivers and shredded unsweetened coconut, caramel layer with flaky sea salt.

So rich, smooth, and incredibly addicting, this dairy-free fudge is sure to be a family favorite and holiday hit; enjoy!

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If interested, the macronutrients are below. They are kept separate at the very end of each recipe blog so that this can remain a safe, positive space for all as not everyone wishes to see the nutritional information.

Macros:

To preface, fudge and other sweets are meant to be savored, not rigidly tracked. At times, the ingredients should be the primary focus, rather than the calories and numbers.

In regards to this fudge, could it have been made even healthier? Yes. But would it taste as much like the real deal? Now that’s iffy. To do so would mean sacrificing the aforementioned conditions and compromising the mantra of all SUNutrition recipes: tastes too good to be healthy.

Sometimes, making a recipe healthier means improving the quality of the ingredients. A standard fudge recipe calls for a combination of any of the following: chocolate, butter, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, marshmallows. When compared to the ingredients in this fudge, the ingredients here are more natural, less processed, and better than the former for overall health – which is more imperative than macros.

So with that being said, take these macros lightly; with a ~grain of salt~ if you will.

Whole batch, with the crust and toppings: 393.89 C | 274.87 F | 59.51 P

Whole batch, without the crust and toppings: 319.8 C | 220.5 F | 35.325 P

To figure out the macros of each individual piece, there are two ways to go about it. The first would be to divide the macros of the whole batch by the # of pieces cut. Though the con of this method is it may be hard to cut equal pieces depending on the placement of the pecans. The other option would be to weigh the entire batch of fudge once it has set (either in ounces or grams) and divide the total macros by the weight to determine the macros per ounce or gram. Then weigh the piece in question and multiply that weight by the previously calculated macros per ounce or gram to determine the macros for that piece.

The macros for recipes are also available on MyFitnessPal. Simply search the name of the recipe followed by “ – SUNutrition” (so for this recipe, search “Chocolate Pecan Pie Fudge – SUNutrition”).