Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Fudge Recipe (With Optional Peppermint)

A Recipe You Can’t Fudge

It’s the holiday season and you need some seriously satisfying, decadent, secretly healthier treats to give your kids in place of all the processed sugar. So how about some rich and smooth refined sugar free chocolate fudge (or chocolate peppermint fudge) that’s extremely easy to make?

I remember a few years ago when I was pregnant with my second daughter and I had signed up to bring dessert to the neighborhood Christmas party. I chose to make a peppermint chocolate fudge that was loaded with sugar and I knew I wouldn’t touch it.

But when I pulled the fudge out of the fridge after several hours, it was the same gooey consistency as it had been when I put it in. To this day, I do not know what went wrong,

I do know that failed Christmas fudge sat in our freezer for several months because no one wanted to waste it by throwing it out, but no one wanted to eat it with all the refined sugar it contained.

If you can relate to being a failed-fudge-maker and/or having an aversion to allowing your family to consume that much processed sugar, this healthy chocolate fudge recipe is exactly what you and your kids need.

We’ll get to the naturally sweetened part in a minute, but first I just have to say that this rich chocolate fudge is a super easy, no-fail recipe. It literally takes about five minutes to make and, as long as you use the correct ingredients, you can’t really mess it up.

The inspiration for this refined sugar free chocolate fudge goes back to when I was creating my hot cocoa spoons recipe (make sure you check that recipe out because it’s also super yummy and fun for kids).

I was originally trying to create chocolate candy in a spoon mold that would melt into hot milk. That did not end up working well at all for reasons I discuss in that recipe post. But what I discovered along the way was the basis for this chocolate peppermint fudge recipe.

And let me tell you, my kids LOVE this peppermint chocolate fudge! And if you’ve read some of my other posts, you might be surprised my 7-year-old loves it so much when you find out how it’s sweetened:

Raw honey.

If you don’t already know, she does not like the taste of honey. But even though this healthy fudge recipe is generously sweetened with honey, you cannot taste the honey flavor thanks to the richness of the chocolate.

So if you also have a child who does not like honey, don’t worry. No one would guess this peppermint chocolate fudge is made with honey. The healthiness of this fudge recipe is truly a secret 🤫

When to Make Chocolate Fudge

You might be thinking this peppermint chocolate fudge is the perfect recipe for Christmas – and you would be right! There’s nothing quite like the chocolate+peppermint combination for the holidays 🙂

But you can just as easily make this heavenly chocolate treat without the peppermint and use it for various other occasions (or make it without peppermint for Christmas if you have a child who does not like peppermint).

You could even use cookie cutters to make different shaped pieces of fudge as a special, secretly healthy treat for your kids on Valentine’s Day, Easter or any other holiday.

But regardless of what season you make this refined sugar free chocolate fudge, you will want to be sure to prepare it a day in advance to make sure it has ample time to set up in the fridge. You can also stick it in the freezer to help it set faster.

Something I want to mention is that, while many of the treats on the website can double as nutritious sweet snacks, this is one I recommend reserving as a dessert or celebratory treat.

It’s true that this naturally sweetened chocolate fudge has gut and immune health benefits from the raw, unfiltered honey it contains in place of empty, immune-suppressing refined sugar. But it is still quite rich, does not have any real protein and has caffeine from the chocolate.

The purpose of this peppermint fudge is not to be a healthy snack to meet your kids’ nutritional needs. The purpose is to reduce some of the refined sugar your kids consume during holiday seasons.

Everything in moderation, right? It’s okay for kids (and adults) to indulge in a treat as long as we don’t go overboard.

Ingredients

• Unsweetened Baker’s Chocolate: Unsweetened baker’s chocolate is the source of all that chocolate richness in the fudge. Make sure you buy baker’s chocolate that does not have any added sugar or other ingredients.

• Butter: Butter helps with melting the chocolate and adding creamy richness to the fudge. I use Irish grass-fed butter or organic.

• Raw Honey: Raw, unfiltered honey is the natural sweetener in this healthier fudge recipe. Since raw honey thickens in the fridge, you do not have to worry about the fudge being soupy. It will firm up well with raw honey.

• Peppermint Extract: An optional generous dose of peppermint extract gives the fudge that classic holiday flavor. Make sure you buy genuine, pure peppermint extract.

Instructions

Step 1

Add baker’s chocolate, butter and peppermint extract (if using) to a double boiler or a glass bowl inside of a pot of simmering water. Stir constantly until everything is melted and combined.

Step 2

Carefully remove glass bowl from pot and set aside to cool for five minutes.

Step 3

In a small bowl, measure out the honey. Once the chocolate has cooled for a few minutes, add the honey and mix very well for several minutes until everything is thoroughly combined.

Step 4

Pour chocolate into a small casserole dish (about a 5 x3 inch oval or 4×4 inch round dish).

Step 5

Cover with plastic wrap or foil and place in the fridge for four hours or in the freezer for one hour.

Step 6

Once fudge has set, cut into pieces and store covered in the fridge for up to one week. Alternatively, place in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to one month.

Substitutions & Tips

• Since this fudge does not use granulated sugar or processed ingredients that would be solid at room temperature, it does need to be kept cold to prevent it from becoming mushy.

• You can sub in coconut oil in place of the butter to make this fudge dairy free. Just keep in mind that it will become melty quicker at room temperature.

• This recipe makes a small dish of fudge that is perfect for a small family to enjoy – about six pieces of fudge. If you want to make this for a larger family gathering, x5 the recipe and use an 8×8 casserole dish. This will give you 16 good size pieces of fudge, or you can cut them smaller to go further.

You can easily make a larger batch with the “Print” button on the recipe card. Once you are on the printable recipe page, you can adjust how many servings you want to make. Simply multiply the serving amount shown at the top by 5 or however many batches you want to make and it will adjust all of the ingredient measurements for you.

• When mixing the honey into the melted chocolate, be sure you mix it thoroughly for a couple of minutes (this is especially important with a larger batch). If it is not adequately mixed, you will end up with unevenly distributed honey or unattractive swirls on the top of your fudge (although if this happens, you can always turn it upside-down so the smooth and shiny bottom is on top).