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!
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.
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (13.5 ounces)
- 3/4 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tbsp Bocha Sweet (can also use xylitol or allulose)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 5 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 1/3 cup collagen peptides (optional)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp coconut extract (optional)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)
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Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with waxed paper or parchment paper.
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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 1/3.
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Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate and let stand 5 minutes, until melted. Stir in until well combined and mixture is smooth.
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Whisk in the collagen, if using, the cocoa powder, coconut extract, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
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Spread mixture in prepared pan. Chill 6 hours until firm and cut into squares. Roll in shredded coconut, if desired.
Read the "How to Dairy Free Keto Fudge" section for recipe notes.
Pamela says
Hi Carolyn. Love your website and have been an avid follower of yours on Pinterest. I’ve made your pumpkin cheesecake perhaps once too often. 😉
I live in the Netherlands, and I’m not sure your can of coconut milk would be the same as ours. What is the volume of the can?
Thanks!
Carolyn says
I think it was about 14 to 15 ounces. I am not at home so I can’t look up the ml right now but remind me when I am back on Tuesday and I will! 🙂
arlene says
Yum! OK, that was worth the wait. Looks fantastic!
Kalyn says
Definitely looks delicious.
Leslie says
Oh my, these look divine! I’m not a dairy free girl, but I do love my coconut milk, and I enjoy shaking it up with some dairy free alternatives. This is definitely getting put on the “make it soon” list. Thanks!
Alison | a girl defloured says
That coconut fudge looks absolutely divine. I think I’ll have to make them for my daughter who is just crazy about anything coconut+chocolate. <3
JanetFCTC says
This sounds delicious, Carolyn! I hear you about giving up dairy but this looks like a tasty alternative, that’s for sure.
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
This is such a pretty and decadent looking fudge, Carolyn! Love that you put your tasty, low-carb magic wand on a classic favorite! Thanks for sharing.
Haggus says
I could sooner make piles of real fudge with my willpower fully intact than make this and not act on eating the whole thing in one shot. Sigh…
Kitty says
What I’ve found is I tend to eat a lot the first day, but then I find that two or three pieces will do, till finally 1 piece satisfies. You will not continue to want a whole batch at a time every day.
Sue in CA says
This looks and sounds yummy … wondering if, along with the xanthum gum, some chia seeds could go in this recipe? I think I will give that a try
thanks so much
Carolyn says
I don’t see why not!
Stacy says
I don’t see xanthan gum on this recipe how much is supposed to go into it please?
Carolyn says
There is no xanthan gum… this is an updated recipe.
Darija says
Hi, I was wondering if you could tell me what else could be used instead of xanthan? I don’t think it’s sold here where I live, and I really want to try this recipe. I would be grateful for any ideas 🙂 Have a good day.
Carolyn says
You could use a little starch to thicken it. Hold back about 1/4 cup of the coconut milk and mix it with 1 tbsp corn or arrowroot starch. Then add that to the cooking coconut milk about 1 minute before you take it off the heat. That should help.
Esther R. says
I am going to try this. YUM!!! I’m D/F .
[email protected] says
I am addicted to coconut milk!! Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says
I love coconut milk and so does my family!
Heather says
Could I use coconut cream instead of milk? I have it in my cupboard so i thought I’d check before i start 🙂
S. Harris says
I’m sure you get this annoying question all the time…..but, is there any acceptable substitution for the powdered Swerve Sweetener or powdered erythritol? I have no way of getting either one where I live and this looks too yummy to pass up! I’m open to any type of sugar/sweetener/substitute that might work. Thanks!
Carolyn says
Hi there. You could use almost any sweetener but Swerve has oligosaccharides which are a fiber. That’s going to help thicken the fudge. So if you use something else, you may need to add some additional xanthan to get it to thicken properly.
Can you get erythritol at all? If so, I’ve heard some people have good luck grinding it in a coffee grinder to get a finer sweetener (although it’s not really powdered). It may still be a touch gritty but it will taste good.
ashley - baker by nature says
Mmmmmm, that fudge looks FANTASTIC!
nichole says
LOVE this! I am allergic to dairy, so I must use coconut milk. I thank you for trying this using xanthan gum though!!! I am definitely trying this later today, and I will report back!!!
Edith Patchan says
I made this fudge as directed using a 24 count “daisy” treat silicone pan (found at Dillard’s). I used the new sweetner Nectresse instead of my usual Truvia (just because I wanted to try it out.) Didn’t use coconut just slightly pushed in a walnut half on each one. Came out great! Only had to freeze them and they popped out easily. My husband really liked them. He’s not a candy person but he loves dark chocolate. Very strong chocolate taste might be better with 1-2 oz less chocolate. Or not? Thanks for the recipe Carolyn—You’re my go to favorite “Chef”.
Rick says
Hi there. The fudge looks great and the recipe sounds doable for me. Just wondering how much coconut milk is used, because I have a half-gallon from Trader Joe’s and not a can.
Thanks, Rick
Carolyn says
The cans contain 13.5 ounces. I hope that helps!
Rick says
Thanks Carolyn
Amy in GA says
Hi Carolyn, what are you using to cut this fudge? Your cuts always look so neat and smooth.
Carolyn says
Hot sharp knife. I often heat mine up for a few seconds over the flame of my gas stove. It really takes about 3 seconds.
Laura S says
Hi,
Loving your blog and pinning away! Could you tell me if this fudge, once set, can stay out of the fridge? Or must it stay in there?
Thanks
Carolyn says
It can, it gets pretty sticky but it doesn’t melt completely
Joanna says
Just made the jalapeño popper casserole!! Amazing! So tasty and creamy! These bars caught my eye and hope to make them soon….though, wish your recipes had calories listed as well.
Joanna says
oopps, sorry that was a different person’s recipe! So sorry, sometimes I get lost on my tablet, Im still so used to using a computer. But the cajun crab cakes I made last week were awesome. I think a few people at work were jealous of my lunch. haha. Your recipes make things much more tasty while doing aktins induction. And yet there are still many more I want to make after I am off the low carb! They look too yummy.
Terri says
I made this for myself for Christmas. I absolutely love the consistency. It’s a little too dark chocolate for my taste. I’m hoping I can use at least two ounces less chocolate and it still have the same consistency. Great recipe, though. Thank you!
beth says
How long will this last in the fridge? I made it and it’s wonderful, but I’m worried about it spoiling.
Carolyn says
Hi Beth…sorry for the delayed reply. They can last for at least a week in the fridge, assuming your coconut milk is good!
Cappy says
I just made this last night, and while they are delicious and the consistency is perfect, they are a very intense dark chocolate flavor, which I usually love, but in fudge I guess I’m looking for more sweet, less intense chocolate. Have you made this recipe with cream instead of coconut milk? I’m wondering if that would mellow out the intense chocolate flavor. Also wondering if stirring in some peanut butter would work, or cutting back on the amount of unsweetened chocolate added, as some commenters have suggested.
Cappy says
OK, I experimented with part of the batch of fudge I made last night. I softened a few cubes of the fudge in the microwave for a few second, then stirred in an approximately equal amount of natural peanut butter (the kind that is just peanuts and salt). The resulting spread was delicious! I then formed the remainder of the peanut butter fudge concoction back into a cube-like shape, wrapped it in wax paper, and put it in the fridge. In a few hours it had set back into a firm, fudge-like consistency, and was a little creamier than the original recipe. I’m definitely going to make this again as peanut butter chocolate fudge! Now I’ve taken another portion of the fudge and mixed it with pureed roasted hazelnuts and put it back in the fridge. We’ll see if that works in a few hours. 🙂
beth says
How long can this be frozen for?
Carolyn says
I never froze mine but at least a month, I would imagine.
Carolyn says
Sounds yummy!
Cappy says
The homemade hazelnut butter didn’t work as well as the peanut butter. I think when I made the hazelnut butter I processed it too long and the oil started to separate. Also, once the hazelnut butter was added into the fudge, it needed additional sweetener to balance out the slight bitterness of the hazelnuts. So I re-melted the rest of my original batch of fudge briefly in the microwave, warmed up some natural peanut butter (about a cup), and stirred them both together. Poured it all back into an 8″ x 8″ pan that had been greased with olive oil and let it sit in the fridge overnight. It set back up perfectly, and may even be a little smoother than the original batch. It definitely pleases my taste buds more than the original recipe! Thank you!
Cappy says
Edit: sorry, I used coconut oil to grease the pan, not olive oil!
Kim says
Hi Carolyn,
I love your blog & recipes & I always look forward to trying out your recipes, this one being no different! But I was curious what brand of unsweetened chocolate you use or prefer?
Carolyn says
Ghirardelli usually, for unsweetened. It’s a higher quality than Baker’s. If I can get my hands on it, I also like Scharffen Berger or Dagoba.
Kim says
Awesome! I have some Ghirardelli on hand too! Thank you for the response. 🙂
Cappy says
Cook’s Illustrated did a blind taste test of unsweetened chocolate, and surprisingly, Hershey’s Unsweetened Baking Bar came out as the winner. Ghirardelli’s was in their top five picks as well. I buy whichever of those two is on sale. 🙂
Anna Fergus says
I try to avoid all sugar substitutes for our family. Would regular sugar or powdered sugar work with this recipe?
Carolyn says
I don’t know for sure as I haven’t tested it but powdered sugar would probably work.
Anna Fergus says
Thank you. Maybe I’ll give it a try. 😉
Patricia says
Anna, have you tried it already? Or maybe you, Carolyn? Anyone else?
I’ve just discovered this yummy recipe, and my little boys love anything chocolate+coconut, but we don’t use any sugar substitutes either…
Anna Fergus says
I liked it but texture wasn’t quite “traditional”; not off putting, just not what I was expecting. It’s definitely worth a try
AJ says
Would this be considered a fat bomb? Cant wait to try it! Thanks!
Carolyn says
At the time that I made them, I’d never heard of fat bombs, but sure! I think this would fit the bill!
Jennifer says
I am new to the gluten and dairy free diet. My 4 mth old has shown food allergies to these two things so far. 🙁 I am looking forward to making this sweet treat for Christmas so I don’t miss out in these yummy deserts. 😉
Kelly @ Nosh and Nourish says
I haven’t taken the plunge to buy xanthan gum. Is it worth buying? What other stuff would I use it in?
Carolyn says
It’s useful in a lot of low carb baked goods. Helps gluten-free things hold together a bit better! And a bag lasts a looooong time. Like 2 years long. I keep mine in a jar in the freezer.
Anonymous says
Can you just ground normal (not powdered) in a food processor and use that? I don’t have powdered erithritol or Swerve Confectioners.
Carolyn says
Some people have done that but I do think you get a little grittiness.
Angela says
Can this be made with cocoa powder instead of chocolate bars? If so, how much should I use?
Angela says
Made these today. So good! Toasted the coconut though. I didn’t have enough unswt chocolate bar so I subbed half of it for 2tbspcocoa and 1 tbsp coconut oil mixed together, worked beautifully. Whole family loved it.
Carolyn says
So glad it worked out!
heather pennel says
Hi! I made this recipe today and was so excited. I made the fugde in silicon muffin holders and halfway through and a few bites in i had an epiphany. I had half the fudge still in the pan i added a handful of unsweet coconut and some sugarless peanut butter and it tasted just like a no bake cookie. My husband even like it!! Thank you for the start!
yesenia says
I notice a lot of homemade low-carb fudge turns out thin pieces and not like traditional thick fudge. Will this recipe still hold up well to making it a thicker layer?
Carolyn says
Yep. Just do it in a loaf pan instead of an 8×8 pan.
Sandra says
Can I use baker’s unsweetened chocolates?
Carolyn says
Baker’s is not great quality so it may seize, but it’s worth a try.
HANDE HAMMETT says
I know this is an old post but I wanted to THANK YOU! So simple, yet so satisfying and delicious. I don’t find myself going for seconds, thirds. A little treat after lunch with coffee, sits in the fridge for a whole week. So hard to find good low carb recipes.
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Annalisa says
I really love recipes like these, that use coconut milk instead of regular milk, since I have to stay away as much as possible from dairy.
But, living in Europe, I cannot find Bocha Sweet nor allulose, since they have not yet been approved here for human consumption. So that leaves me with xilytol, as second sweetener (no problem with erithritol and stevia or monkfruit).
Do you think that without xylitol the fudge becomes very hard and crystallized? Of course I could use it, but I am just curious as to what the result might be, without it.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes, all those I tried from your site were a success! (as opposed to many others I tried from other sites and that were quite disappointing).
Carolyn says
I do think that without the xylitol, your fudge will dry out a lot faster and possibly re-crystallize. That’s the trouble with straight erythritol.
Gb says
This looks delicious! Perfect dessert to make for my keto friends.
Sonia says
Going by the comments I read it seems the older version of the recipe contained xanthan gum. Can I use that in place of collagen as I cannot find it here in the stores? If yes, please let me know the amount of xanthan gum to be added. Thanks.
Carolyn says
Whisk 1/2 tsp in after you’ve simmered the coconut milk for the subscribed length of time.
Vicki Nelson says
I don’t see where it lists Xanthan gum in the recipe, Was it left out of this specific recipe purposely?
Carolyn says
It’s an updated recipe so there is no xanthan anymore.
Melissa says
Perfect dessert!
Suzy says
Hello to my new favorite candy! This will be perfect to make for the upcoming holiday!
Anna says
This fudge is delish! Thanks for the recipe!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
Oh my, this fudge sounds absolutely amaaazing!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Stephanie says
These look amazing! I love chocolate with coconut so I can’t wait to try them!
Liz says
My doc wants me to reduce dairy for a while, and I’ve been grieving – haha! But this fudge is WONDERFUL! It’s creamy and delicious and I was able to just use the random sweeteners I happened to have in the house. Thanks for a great recipe for us poor dairy free folks!
Elsa Pearl Walter says
I’m just finding this now in 2020, but I have to say, it’s absolutely AMAZING! We ate the whole pan in one day. I did cut back the sweetener, but I like stuff less sweet anyway. (I did 1/2 cup powdered swerve, and 2 tablespoons monk fruit.) It was so good, I’m currently making another batch!
Stephanie says
I had no idea you could make fudge without dairy! It turned out great!
katerina @ diethood.com says
I can’t wait to try this!! It looks and sounds incredibly delicious!
Carrie Robinson says
I just love the coconut & chocolate combo! This fudge looks perfect. 🙂
Krissy Allori says
Coconut milk for the win! These are so good. I love that they fit into my diet.
Anne says
I recently used your condensed milk recipe in an Instant pot, and it reduced so easily and did not need too much tending, due to the high sides of the liner. It didn’t burn either. I used it to adapt a fudge recipe from Japan that adds cocoa powder to the canned stuff. I should have used your mixture 1/2 and 1/2 of bocha/erythritol to get a softer texture. Next time!
I just love your site. Thank you so much for making taste so important!