This dairy-free keto fudge is creamy chocolate heaven! My daughter declared it to be the best fudge I’ve ever made. Now that’s a ringing endorsement. A truly delicious low carb and dairy-free treat. Nut-free too.
This delicious coconut fudge recipe has been on my blog since 2013, but it was in desperate need of an update. Now I’ve made it creamier and lower carb than ever. And it’s completely dairy free and so easy to make. It’s definitely going into regular dessert rotation in our house.
Mind you, I do love dairy filled fudge too. There are no shortage of keto fudge recipes here on All Day I Dream About Food. How about some Peanut Butter Cup Fudge? Or some delicious Keto Rocky Road Fudge made with my sugar-free marshmallows?
I think it’s fairly safe to say that you will never get me to give up dairy. ‘ve had to give up so many other foods in my life and most of the time, I am okay with that. I’ve been able to create wonderful alternatives and I don’t miss many of the foods I once consumed with abandon.
On occasion, when confronted with a food I once loved and can’t makeover to be low carb, like a mango or a pineapple, I feel some regret. But I accept my lot in life and I hope I can say that I’ve made a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
However, I’d be hardpressed to give up my dairy and I sincerely hope I never have to do so. Cheese, yogurt, cream…these are the foundations of a happy low carb life! At least for me they are.
Dairy Free Keto can be so tasty!
I will readily admit, however, that there are some pretty wonderful dairy-free alternatives out there, and being that I really do dream about food all day, I am more than happy to play around and experiment with these things.
It’s fun getting a little bee in my bonnett about how I might use something like coconut milk to replicate a treat typically made with milk and cream. As several of my readers have tried making my Sugar-Free Condensed Milk with coconut milk, and have reported good results, I began thinking about fudge made with coconut milk.
I figured that at the very least, I would end up with some tasty, dairy-free chocolate goo that I could spoon out of the pan and into my mouth.
How to make Dairy Free Keto Fudge
You will notice in the updated recipe that there are a number of optional ingredients. So while this fudge is incredibly easy to make, there are some things I want to point out. These tips help make it the best keto fudge, according to my daughter!
Use canned coconut milk: You really cannot make this with the carton coconut milk. You need the thick rich coconut milk that comes in a can. Your mixture will never set properly, if you use anything thinner. I love the Native Forest brand because the milk is organic, non-GMO, and sustainably farmed, and because the cans are BPA free.
Coconut oil also helps the fudge thicken and set properly, so don’t skip it!
Using two sweeteners is important. I know people hate this and want just one go-to sweetener. Me too! But I played around with this recipe and while you can use just the Swerve, it tends to dry out and recrystallize a bit. The Bocha Sweet helps it stay softer. But you cannot use all Bocha sweet or it will never firm up properly.
I had one batch with more Bocha Sweet that was much too soft and I had to re-melt the whole thing and add more ingredients to thicken it.
Choose unsweetened chocolate: Take care not to confuse this with sweetened sugar-free chocolate like Lily’s. You want chocolate that is 100% cacao, with no sweeteners at all. It has more fiber in it and again, helps the fudge thicken and set properly.
But ALWAYS be sure to remove your hot coconut milk mixture from the heat before adding the chopped chocolate. Unsweetened chocolate is temperamental and tends to seize when subjected to too much heat.
The collagen is optional but it does help thicken the fudge and give it a wonderfully chewy quality. And it’s incredibly good for your joints, skin, and hair so I recommend it.
The extracts and flavorings are up to you! Want your keto fudge to have a true coconut flavor? Add coconut extract. Want it to be just like regular chocolate fudge? Stick with vanilla.
Add shredded coconut, chopped nuts, or any other tasty additions! You don’t have to do this if you just want plain fudge. But rolling the cut up squares in shredded coconut made a very lovely presentation.
How to store keto fudge
Like most keto fudge recipes, this dairy-free fudge does get a bit gooey at room temperature, so it’s best kept in the fridge. It does just fine for an hour or two, so if you’re serving to guests, you can leave it out on a plate for a bit.
And if you are rolling it in shredded coconut, it’s less sticky when picking it up.
That’s it! Ready to make a truly delicious dairy-free keto treat? My daughter really did declare this the best fudge she’s ever had. She would have eaten the whole batch if I’d let her!
Click here if you want more Keto Dairy Free Desserts!
Keto Coconut Milk Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (13.5 ounces)
- ¾ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tablespoon Bocha Sweet (can also use xylitol or allulose)
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 5 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
- ⅓ cup collagen peptides (optional)
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup shredded coconut (optional)
Instructions
- Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with waxed paper or parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the coconut milk, sweeteners, and coconut oil to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened and reduced by about ⅓.
- Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate and let stand 5 minutes, until melted. Stir in until well combined and mixture is smooth.
- Whisk in the collagen, if using, the cocoa powder, coconut extract, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
- Spread mixture in prepared pan. Chill 6 hours until firm and cut into squares. Roll in shredded coconut, if desired.
Notes
Janet says
Do you use virgin or refined coconut oil in your recipes?
Carolyn says
Mostly virgin…
Lori says
Stupid question, probably, but I’m used to people saying to scoop the cream off the top and just use that. So does this take the entire can or just the cream? Thanks.
Carla says
Amazing!! And so simple! You never disappoint, Carolyn!
I .G. says
👋
Just want to tell you that I replaced collagen with Whey protein (no flavor, unsweetened) and it was fantastic!
Carolyn says
I am surprised, I didn’t think it would mix in well. Thank you for the tip!
Ronalyn Hurley says
I followed your recipe but my fudge did not set up properly. I can re-melt it, as you mentioned you had to do with one batch, but what can I use to firm it up?
Carolyn says
Did you use a different sweetener?
You can re-melt it (very gently) and stir in more cocoa powder and/or collagen.
Darlene says
My daughter ants this. LOL Can I use coconut condensed milk instead of the sugar, coconut milk, and the oil? If so how many oz or do I just use the whole can.
Carolyn says
Do you mean store-bought coconut condensed milk? I am honestly not sure, since it’s pretty high carb and I don’t use it.
Susan Yakus says
Would I be able to add walnuts to this?
Theresa says
The only changes I made was I didn’t use coconut extract or shredded coconut, only because I didn’t have either one. I love coconut, but it was too much for me. This is a good recipe and I’ll still use it as a base. It actually set in less than a couple of hours and is a good consistency. Thank you for the recipe.
So Fi says
Sooooo Delicious!
Yvonne says
Delicious! Perfect for my dairy free challenge, too. My husband, who dislikes keto sweeteners, also liked it but I haven’t decided if I am going to share another square. How long will this keep in the fridge? Can I freeze it? Thanks for all of your awesome recipes.
Judith says
Can you use Knox gelatin powder instead of the collagen peptides?
Carolyn says
No… gelatin gels, collagen does not. It would be an awful mess.
Amy V. says
Help! I’ve made this recipe twice now and it’s delicious. However, it’s not setting up at all. The first time I used all cocoa powder because I didn’t have sugar free baker’s chocolate, the second time I followed the directions exactly and even let the coconut sugar mixture boil down for 30mins and it was even more wet. It still tastes amazing and I’ll probably use it in my coffee to make it a mocha, but I’d love for it to set. What am I missing? Maybe I need to add some gelatin or xantham gum?
Carolyn says
Well, cocoa powder alone would definitely NOT work. What brand of unsweetened chocolate are you using? And what kind of coconut milk?