This lemon fudge is anything but your plain old traditional fudge recipe! This creamy fudge is exploding with fresh citrus flavor! It’s makes a perfect food gift or is fantastic at Christmas, Easter, and Mother’s Day!
This is a super quick and easy homemade candy recipe that takes about 5 minutes plus rest time to make! It’s so fun!
I can’t get over how pretty this fudge is! It will add a pop of bright flavor and color to any holiday dessert or candy plates!
This isn’t your average old traditional fudge recipe! It’s made without chocolate sweetened condensed milk. That’s right! There is no white chocolate chips in this recipe!
This is not traditional chocolate fudge, but you’re going to love lemon fudge. It’s amazing and you’re going to love it! The fudge is creamy, and absolutely bursting with tangy flavour! It’s sweet, but not overly sweet.
It reminds me of my lemon dessert sauce, but in homemade fudge form!
Why This Recipe Works
I’ve made this homemade fudge recipe so many times and it always turns out perfect! Everyone raves about it because it’s such a fun switch up.
It’s an easy recipe! All you really need to do is boil the fudge for a bit! You don’t need a candy thermometer or any special equipment to make this homemade candy recipe.
You’ll need simple ingredients! You don’t even need fresh lemons., unless you want to add lemon zest. All the ingredients are normal pantry/fridge items.
It tastes amazing! It’s tart, sweet, and a little bit like a soft and creamy lemon drop!
Ingredients
These really are simple ingredients, but it’s important to use the right ones. Let’s talk about information you need to know about a few of the ingredients you need.
Lemon Pudding: You need 2 small boxes (2.9 ounces each) of lemon cook and serve pudding and pie filling. Do NOT use instant pudding. You’re going to heat this pudding mix up and cook it. Instant pudding doesn’t work the same way. You can find in the baking aisle at the grocery store.
Milk: Whole, 2%, or evaporated will work. Condensed milk isn’t the same thing and won’t work in this recipe.
Butter: Use real butter, not margarine. Butter tastes better and will give the fudge and incredible flavor. You can use salted or unsalted. I always buy salted butter because I’m a salt addict. Use whatever you have on hand.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for the full ingredient list, recipe, and instructions.
Two small boxes of cook and serve pudding aren’t the same size as one large box. Be sure you use two small boxes for this recipe! I always use Jell-O brand and haven’t tested with other brands.
How to make easy fudge without condensed milk
This recipe quickly became on of the most popular recipes on my site. Most readers make it and love it, but there were a few that had trouble getting it to set up. Don’t worry! I’m going to show you exactly how to make it.
I retested and rewrote the recipe to make sure it’s absolutely foolproof! Although it’s an easy recipe, you do need to follow the instructions! Don’t be scared! You can totally make it successfully. Most readers have!
This isn’t a fly by the seat of your pants recipe! You can watch the video below to see how I do it.
Use exact measurements! This isn’t one of those recipes where you can eyeball it.
Step 1: Line a 9×9 baking dish with wax or parchement paper.
Step 2: Add butter to a sauce pan and melt over medium to medium high heat. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn. It only needs to be melted.
Step 3: While the saucepan is still on the burner add milk and dry pudding mix (just the powder). Stir and continue cooking for 1 minute. This is an important step! Be sure to cook the pudding for one minute or the fudge will be more like a sauce. The mixture should get stiff, sticky, and form a ball. It should peel away from the edges of the pan. After cooking for one minute remove from the heat.
Step 4: Stir in powdered sugar. It will get stiff and a bit hard to stir. You can muscle up and keep stirring, or use an electric mixer to incorporate the powdered sugar into the pudding mixture.
After adding the powdered sugar the fudge will be thick and stiff. If it’s so stiff that the powdered sugar is really hard to get to mix in, you can add a couple of tablespoons of milk. Start with one and additional tablespoons as needed.
Step 5: Press the fudge mixture into the prepared pan. Dust with powdered sugar if you’d like. Refrigerate for a few hours. Slice into 1 inch pieces.
FAQs
I like storing my lemon fudge at room temperature because it’s soft and creamy at that temperature. It will keep for upt to 2 weeks. You can also store it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Refrigerating fudge can make it dry out a little bit. Either way, be sure to store the fudge in an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out.
Yes! Fudge can be frozen although it does alter the texture and flavor a little bit. It’s best to store the whole brick. Thaw in the refrigerator. Cut in pieces. Store at room temperature. I honestly don’t ever freeze this fudge because it’s so easy to make that I don’t need to make it ahead of time.
Other Lemon Desserts
We love all lemon desserts! Gimme a lemon cake, lemon meringue pie, lemon tart, or lemon brownies and I’m a happy girl!
Here are a few really easy lemon recipes that you’ll love!
Lemon fudge is the perfect food gift! This homemade fudge is unique enough that nobody else will be giving it! Yet, everyone will ask for the recipe and beg you to bring it again!
This lemon fudge recipe is perfect if you’re looking for a no chocolate fudge recipe. It’s made without white chocolate chips, chocolate, or condensed milk!
I love it when you make my recipes and give me feedback! If you have a minute please comment below and leave a star ranking! Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook!
Easy Lemon Fudge Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 2.9 ounce packages lemon cook and serve pudding & pie filling just the dry mix
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk as needed
Instructions
- Line a 9"x9" pan with wax paper or parchment paper.
- Add butter to a sauce pan and melt over medium to medium high heat. Watch it carefully and stir as needed so it doesn’t burn. It only needs to be melted.
- While the saucepan is still on the burner add milk and dry pudding mix (just the powder). Stir and continue cooking for 1 minute. This is an important step! Be sure to cook the pudding mixture for one minute or the fudge won't set up and will be more like a sauce. The mixture should get stiff, sticky, and form a ball. It should peel away from the edges of the pan. After cooking for one minute remove from the heat.
- Stir in powdered sugar. It will get stiff and a bit hard to stir. You can muscle up and keep stirring, or use an electric mixer to incorporate the powdered sugar into the pudding mixture.After adding the powdered sugar the fudge will be thick and stiff. If it’s so stiff that the powdered sugar is really hard to get to mix in, you can add a couple of tablespoons of milk. Start with one and additional tablespoons as needed.
- Press the fudge mixture into the prepared pan. Dust with powdered sugar if you’d like. Refrigerate for a few hours. Slice into 1 inch pieces.
alexis j lyskawa says
that looks soooo delish. thank you.
Pamela says
This was so good! Mine set up beautifully. Mine never quite reached a boil before I thought it was thick enough. Perfect fudge consistency. Friends and family all loved it. It was so pretty too!
K Ann Guinn says
Thanks so much for this awesomely delicious and simple recipe! I made it last year and am sure it will stay a favorite! I just looked you up again from my Pinterest pins to see if I can still make it this year, and hope to try.
One note about the lemon pudding. I could only find chocolate and vanilla, if I recall, so I think I used vanilla and added a bit of fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Whatever I did, I hope to repeat it, because it was phenomenal!
Thanks again!
Amy Engberson says
Yay! Glad you loved this fudge and found it again! And using vanilla pudding and adding lemon juice, zest and maybe a little food coloring is a fantastic idea! That will be helpful for other readers who don’t have access to lemon pudding! Thanks for sharing!
katy says
My first comment sounded a little bit snarky when I reread it but it had already been posted. I didn’t mean it to be that way. I haven’t tasted my second batch yet but aside from the fact that he didn’t set up the first batch was delicious!
katy says
The first time I tried this recipe I use the exact measurements you gave and it would not set up for me. The second time I tried it I used much less milk and that seem to work for me. I’m not sure why it would not set up for me and why you seem to have such great success with it.
Amy Engberson says
Hi Katy! I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the amount of time people cook the pudding mixture. Mine gets so thick that it almost needs more milk to thin it down every time. Adjusting the amount of milk used is a great way to adjust the consistency of the fudge! Glad you figured it out! Merry Christmas!
Tamara says
I would love to make this recipe, but the Jello Lemon pudding is not available where I live (no lemon of any brand/type). I can get lemon meringue pie filling – both the Jello brand and the Sherrif/Dr. Oetker brands…… Do you think I can substitute?
(http://www.oetker.ca/ca-en/our-products/shirriff/shirriff-lemon-pie-filling/shirriff-lemon-pie-filling.html)
Amy Engberson says
Hi Tamara! I can’t tell from the website if that lemon pie filling is a dry mix. If so you could try it. If not I had another reader suggest using vanilla pudding and flavoring it with lemon juice (substitute a portion of the milk with lemon juice). I would add lemon zest and yellow food coloring as well! Hopefully that gives you some options! Merry Christmas
Pat Reis says
This site makes me madder everyone I visit it..this time one has to go through 3 clicks……T.L/DR…..”quick easy recipes”……”site…is a “royal pain”……some of us are tired of the long……..boring dialog..
Amy Engberson says
Hi Pat! Where to start? I’m sorry you find my site a royal pain and outright boring! I suppose you could click the X at the top right hand corner at anytime to exit and get back to your exciting life! This recipe is actaully a super easy recipe, and out of this world delicious, and you didn’t have to go purchase a cookbook to get the recipe. All you had to do was put up with my super annoying site for a few minutes. Unfortunately I have to make money at my job, I assume you do too. Part of making money as a blogger includes having ads and asking readers to click to the next page. Thanks for understanding! Merry Christmas and I hope you at least love the fudge!
Sharon Schlegel says
Could you double this recipe!
Amy Engberson says
Hi Sharon. I haven’t ever tried doubling this recipe. I don’t see why it would be a problem. You will just need to use a big enough sauce pan and put it in a bigger pan to set. Let me know how it turns out if you try it! Merry Christmas!
Barbara says
FYI – In your instructions it does not say to boil for 1 minute only to cook for one minute. This could be why some are still having issues. Thanks
Amy Engberson says
Thanks for pointing that out. When I cook mine it comes to a boil pretty quickly and gets fairly thick. I’m wondering if people are not cooking it hot enough, which can be tricky because you don’t want to cook it so hot it burns but it needs to be hot enough to actually get it to thicken. Merry Christmas!
Amanda says
This is amazing. I think I could use any flavor pudding! Love the video, too.
Amy Engberson says
Yes Amanda! Any flavor of pudding works! I love the bright cheery color of the lemon pudding though!
Sues says
I feel like lemon fudge is so rare, but it’s such a great idea! I love the color of this!!
Amy Engberson says
Thanks! I love that it’s so different from all the other fudges on the candy trays! It’s a breath of fresh air!
JoAnne Fisher says
I can not print the lemon fudge recipe. HELP. Please
Amy Engberson says
I just emailed you a link. Let me know if it doesn’t work!
Linda stott says
Can you use chocolate pudding instead of the lemon pudding. Can’t wait to make the lemon pudding fudge .
Amy Engberson says
Yes! I’m guessingn you can use any flavor of pudding you want! I haven’t experimented with it yet but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Let me know which one is your favorite!
Linda Stott says
can’t wait to try both of them.thankyou so much.
Nancy Von Hausen says
I had this recipe from my mother years ago. She cut it off the back of a Jello box. I lost it and have been looking for it for years. Thank you!!
Amy Engberson says
How fun! I’m so happy you finally found it! This fudge is so yummy!
Edna Davis says
Would love the recipe for the lemon fudge please
Amy Engberson says
Click on the grey box at the bottom of the page that says something like “click here for recipe” it should take you straight to a printable! If it doesn’t work for some reason let me know and I’ll be sure to get it to you!
cis says
Not clear on the ingredients… what is “dry lemon pudding”?!?! Probably something that is obvious to Americans, but not to me for sure …
cis says
OK, reading some replies from before, it is some packaged stuff… I cannot get it here and it does not sound very healthy.
I would like to make my own version if I had any idea what it looks like… perhaps something with arrowroot and lemon flavour?
Amy Engberson says
Sorry it’s not available where you live. It probably isn’t the healthiest foods in the world, but adding 3+ cups of powdered sugar to any dish probably means it’s not going to be healthy! I guess I don’t eat fudge because it’s healthy but because it tastes so YUMMY!
Amy Engberson says
I’m going to add a picture of the lemon pudding soon then you will be able to see exactly what I’m talking about!
michelle says
this is so cool!! i tried it out but it looked like soup .
….
but, i can try again and im sure it will turn out better!!
youre amazing
Amy Engberson says
I’m going to make a Lemon Fudge video soon because it’s so yummy and so worth making! Hopefully it will help people make it successfully every time!
Christine Armstrong says
Where can I get the lemon and serve puddings? Can you show photo to help with recognition?
Regards, Chris
Amy Engberson says
I’m going to add a picture of lemon pudding on this post soon so people can see exactly what it is! Stay tuned!
D says
How much of each…. we need recipe.
Amy Engberson says
Click on the grey box at the bottom of the first page and it will take you straight to the recipe. The box says something like, “Click here for the recipe”. If it doesn’t work for you let me know and I’ll make sure I get the recipe to you!
Sherrie says
If using one of the 4.2 oz. box cook and serve lemon pudding, you just add 1 teaspoon lemon extract with the powdered sugar after removing from heat and beat in.