I’ve been making this creamy Keto Fudge recipe for what feels like forever now. When the chocolate cravings strike and nothing but fudge will do, this is my go-to recipe. And I’ve made both the dairy and dairy-free versions for friends and family.
There are no shortage of keto fudge recipes here on All Day I Dream About Food. My Keto Peanut Butter Fudge is exceptionally popular. And Keto White Chocolate Fudge is perfect for the holidays.
This recipe was the first sugar-free fudge I ever made, way back in 2013. But I am always striving for improvement in my own recipes. And now I’ve found a way to make it creamier and even lower in carbs. And with added nutrition benefits too!
Reader’s Thoughts
“This is the best fudge I have ever made. It’s creamy and smooth and just sweet enough. It’s perfect.Thank you for the recipe.” — Tannis
Why we love this recipe
- Easy recipe: This simple recipe has you simmer some cream, then whisk in the chocolate and other ingredients. Pour into a loaf pan and let it set!
- Rich flavor: This keto fudge has a wonderfully rich, deep chocolate flavor from the unsweetened chocolate and the cocoa powder.
- Creamy texture: The smooth, melt-in-your mouth texture is absolutely toothsome.
- Dairy-free option: I’ve made this fudge both with dairy and dairy-free ingredients. It’s delightful both ways!
- Low carb: With no added sugar and only 4.6 grams of carbs per serving, it delivers chocolatey indulgence without the sugar crash.
Ingredient Notes
- Heavy cream: You can use heavy cream or full fat canned coconut milk.
- Almond milk: Using a little almond milk helps cut back on excess fat. You can also use hemp milk or other nut milks, or simply use more cream or coconut milk.
- Sweeteners: I use a combination of powdered erythritol sweetener and a little allulose. See Tips for Success for more details.
- Butter: This helps the fudge thicken and set properly, and also adds creaminess, so don’t skip it.
- Unsweetened chocolate: Make sure to choose chocolate that is 100% cacao with no sweeteners at all. It is lower in carbs and also helps the fudge thicken and set properly.
- Collagen peptides: This is a recent addition to the recipe and gives it extra chewiness. See the Tips for Success for substitutions.
- Cocoa powder: I recommend Dutched cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor. Raw cacao powder does not dissolve well for keto fudge.
- Pantry staples: Vanilla extract, salt.
Quick Overview: How to make this recipe
- Thicken the cream: This step has you make a simplified version of keto condensed milk, which acts as a thick base for the fudge. It takes about 30 minutes to thicken and reduce by about one-third.
- Melt the chocolate: Once the cream has reduced, add the chopped chocolate and let it melt, then whisk until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Whisk in the collage, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Chill and set: Pour the mixture into a loaf pan lined with parchment and chill about 6 hours to firm up.
Tips for Success
Like most keto fudge recipes, this does get a bit soft at room temperature, so it’s best stored in the fridge. However, it can sit out on the counter for several hours if you are serving it to guests.
Unsweetened chocolate is temperamental and can seize when subjected to too much heat. Be sure to remove the hot cream mixture from the heat before adding the chopped chocolate. Also make sure not to allow any water into the mix, as that will cause it to seize as well.
It’s best to use a good quality unsweetened chocolate, such as Guittard or Ghirardelli. I find that Baker’s brand tends to seize more easily than higher quality brands.
Troubleshooting: If your mixture does seize or begin to separate during the process, you can often rescue it by beating with a hand mixer on low and slowly increasing the speed as it begins to come together. This can also work in a blender if you have one that has a low setting.
To cut keto fudge into perfect squares, heat up a sharp knife. I like to hold mine over the flame of my gas stove for 5 seconds. You can also run some boiling water from a kettle over the blade.
Collagen substitutions: The collagen in this recipe provides a wonderful chewy quality and also some additional structure. You can use unflavored, chocolate, or vanilla. If you prefer to skip it, then I recommend adding another tablespoon each of cocoa powder and powdered sweetener.
One reader indicated that they swapped the collagen for some chocolate whey protein powder and that worked as well. I have not tried it myself so I can’t really say for certain.
Sweetener Options
I know it would be simpler if there was just one go-to sweetener that worked in every application. But that is often not the case with alternative ingredients. I recommend using a powdered erythritol-based sweetener to help set the keto fudge properly, and a little allulose (or xylitol) to keep it from recrystallizing.
I do not recommend using only allulose or xylitol in this recipe, as it will be far too soft and may not ever set properly. I don’t recommend cutting back more on the erythritol more, as it helps the fudge set. However, if you do try it, you may want to add another tablespoon or two of cocoa powder to give it more structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can freeze keto fudge very easily. Wrap the fudge up tightly and store in a container so it doesn’t get crushed. It can be frozen this way for several months. You can also keep this keto fudge in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Unsweetened chocolate is a keto-friendly ingredient. It is made up of cocoa mass and cocoa butter, with no added sugars or sweeteners. It has 4g total carbs and 2g fiber per half ounce serving. So it has only 2g net carbs. It’s useful in many keto dessert recipes, such as keto chocolate frosting.
This creamy keto fudge recipe has 4.6g of carbs and 2.2 gram of fiber. So it has only 2.4g net carbs per serving. And the best part is that it tastes just like the chocolate fudge you loved as a kid!
More fudgy keto recipes you’ll love
Keto Fudge Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup (315.45 ml) heavy whipping cream, or canned coconut cream
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) almond or hemp milk, unflavored
- 1/3 cup (63.33 g) powdered sweetener
- 3 tbsp (2 tbsp) granular allulose, (or xylitol)
- 2 tbsp butter, or coconut oil
- 5 oz (141.75 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1/3 cup (33 g) collagen peptides
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
Instructions
- Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with waxed paper or parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream, sweeteners, and butter to a low boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened and reduced by about one third.
- Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes, until melted, then whisk until well combined and smooth.
- Whisk in the collagen, if using, the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
- Spread the mixture in prepared pan. Sprinkle with sea salt or chopped nuts, if desired. Chill 6 hours until firm and cut into squares.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Sooooo Delicious!
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.
Can you use Knox gelatin powder instead of the collagen peptides?
No… gelatin gels, collagen does not. It would be an awful mess.
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?
Well, cocoa powder alone would definitely NOT work. What brand of unsweetened chocolate are you using? And what kind of coconut milk?
Help! My fudge didn’t set! I used Hershey’s Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips, powdered Swerve and an Asian Coconut Milk! Now I see you talking about Xanthan gum! Can I reheat my runny fudge and just add Xanthan gum or do you think the Hershey’s is the problem or even my can of Coconut milk. It had been around a while but the can was never opened and I kept it in the fridge. The milk was a kind of clear liquid with the separated fat on the top. I tried to mix it up good but the boiling seemed to do that better. It is so runny it wouldn’t even freeze over night!
My friend, who loves fudge, says this is the best keto fudge he’s tried (and I’ve made a lot!). Does anyone know if this will set well if I leave out the chocolate and cocoa powder? I want to try a vanilla flavour using this recipe. Does anyone also have any tips on how to make this harder? I’d like to be able to keep it out the fridge so it isn’t cold when eaten. Thanks.
It won’t set properly without the chocolate and cocoa powder.
I made this fudge for Christmas this past weekend. It turned out beautifully, soft and super sweet! Next time I may sprinkle some sea salt on top to cut the sweet a bit. My question – How long will it keep on the counter? When should I put it in the fridge and how long is it ok in the fridge? Thank you from Austin, Texas!
I love your recipes 🙂
Best Keto fudge! Kept half of fudge separate adding toasted walnuts, sugar-free peanut butter, and coconut. Froze both. Simply divine!
Extremely easy to make. I only used 4 oz of unsweetened chocolate, as that was a full bar, and some reviewers mentioned that the fudge had a very dark chocolate flavor with 5 oz of chocolate. I used Valrhona cocoa powder (the best!) and stirred in 65g of chopped, toasted macadamia nuts as well. Cooked for 35 minutes before it was reduced by 1/3, and the rest went like clockwork. Great fudge! Tastes legit. I didn’t think it tasted too dark chocolate-y. It was pretty sweet really. I did include the collagen powder, which helped the fudge set up nicely.
Even after refrigeration for 7 hours the fudge isn’t set. Was it because I used the Bakers unsweetened chocolate with 32% Cacao?
Very likely part of the issue. Any unsweetened chocolate should be 100% cacao. How is that only 32%?
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Will 100% coconut cream work in place of the coconut milk?
Coconut cream makes it more thin, which means you need a bit more chocolate or some additional cocoa powder, to thicken it.
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!
Coconut milk for the win! These are so good. I love that they fit into my diet.
I just love the coconut & chocolate combo! This fudge looks perfect. 🙂
I can’t wait to try this!! It looks and sounds incredibly delicious!
I had no idea you could make fudge without dairy! It turned out great!