Easy Kahlua Chocolate Fudge

Sometimes I just want a little bite of chocolate. Good chocolate. Creamy, dreamy, fudgy dark chocolate. Chocolate fudge is one of those candies that a little goes a long way to satisfying a craving. 

The fun thing about chocolate fudge is that it can be flavored in so many ways, and can feature white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or (my favorite) dark chocolate.

With the endless variations that chocolate fudge affords, it’s nice to get creative with it. 

Enhancing chocolate with coffee

One combination that I especially like is chocolate and coffee together. We already know that a great way to enhance the flavor of a chocolate item is to add some espresso powder to it. You see that in Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge, Tiramisu Truffles, and Black & White Cookie Cake.

That small amount of coffee flavor lends a foundation to the chocolate without showing itself. Add a little more coffee and you get mocha.

Kahlua, a coffee-flavored rum from Mexico, is a great way to add coffee flavor. It contains two separate components, the coffee and the rum. Both are created separately using slow and careful processes, then they are blended together and aged for four months before bottling.

Sounds to me like many of the blended scotch and whiskey drams I’ve had.

I use Kahlua in my Kahlua Cake. In that instance the alcohol bakes out, leaving behind a lush mocha flavor in that cake. What if you added Kahlua to a dark chocolate fudge?

Kahlua Fudge marries the best of both worlds - creamy dark chocolate with a hint of coffee liqueur. However, you can feel free to substitute another liqueur of your choice to add a boozy kick.

Just know that, unlike the Kahlua Cake mentioned above, the alcohol isn’t cooked out. Depending on how much you add, there will be a kick. Case in point, my Dark Chocolate Whisky Fudge. That recipe features one full cup of whisky, and yes, that's noticeable! You can cut back the Kahlua to ¼ cup if you want the fudge to be less potent.

What you need

Luckily a recipe for chocolate fudge doesn't require any fancy ingredients: dark chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, butter, vanilla extract, espresso powder, and of course, Kahlua.

Sweetened condensed milk not only adds the necessary creaminess to the fudge, it's a timesaver because you don't have to wait for milk to boil away to the proper thickness. It also provides sweetness, so you don't need additional sugar. The butter helps the fudge to firm up when set.

Since chocolate is the main flavor, use the best you can get. And using espresso powder not only ups the coffee flavor, it gives body and support to the chocolate.

You can add chopped nuts if you'd like. Pecans, walnuts, or pistachios would all work well here. Lightly toasting the pecans really brings out their buttery flavor, but I'd leave the walnuts and pistachios raw.

How to make chocolate fudge with Kahlua

Step 1: Chop the chocolate

Using a serrated knife (it grabs the chocolate better than a chef's knife), chop the chocolate into small chunks (photo 1). This will allow the chocolate to melt quickly in the heated milk.

Step 2: Heat the milk and butter

Heat the sweetened condensed milk and butter over medium-high heat until it's steaming and starting to bubble, about 200°F on a digital thermometer (photo 2). Remove from heat.

Step 3: Melt the chocolate

Add the chopped chocolate, then cover and let stand 3 to 4 minutes. Stir the ganache until it's smooth (photo 3).

Step 4: Add the flavorings

Add the Kahlua, espresso powder, vanilla, and nuts (if using), and stir until it's combined (photo 4).

Step 5: Transfer the fudge to a pan

Transfer the fudge to an 8- x 8-inch collapsible pan that's been greased with butter. If you don't have an 8- x 8-inch collapsible pan, you can use an 8- x 8-inch baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper or foil, allowing the excess paper to overlap. Grease the parchment or foil with butter.

Smooth the top using a small offset spatula (photo 5). Let the pan set for 4 hours at room temperature, then chill for 1 to 2 hours or until firm.

Step 6: Cut the fudge

Portion the fudge into 1-inch square pieces (photo 6). Cut each slice, in one stroke if possible, with a knife warmed in boiling water and wiped dry each time.

Questions asked and answered

Here are some questions you might have...

Pro Tip: Make fudge like chocolate ganache

In general, making a chocolate fudge recipe isn’t difficult, but the methods can vary from one recipe to another. Most involve melting chocolate in a saucepan, double boiler, or microwave, then stirring in sweetened condensed milk (and sometimes butter) and letting it set in a pan.

Another variation is the one I used for that Dark Chocolate Whisky Fudge. Melt chocolate with butter, mix whisky with powdered sugar, then stir, stir, stir until combined.

The commonality with both methods is that you must melt the chocolate first, then add in the liquids. You need to be watchful to make sure that the chocolate doesn’t burn, a hazard especially easy to do when using white chocolate.

Also, you must be careful not to get any water in the melted chocolate or it will seize up, and then you have to start over. That’s not fun when you’re using good quality (and likely relatively expensive) chocolate.

I turn the process around and make my easy Kahlua Chocolate Fudge like I would a recipe for chocolate ganache: warm the sweetened condensed milk and butter, then add the chopped chocolate to the warmed mixture before adding the flavorings.

This way insures that the chocolate (especially white chocolate) won’t burn. Plus, you don’t need a double boiler. Isn’t that easy? It’s the ganache way or the highway, baby!

Treat yourself or someone special

This fudge is smooth and creamy, with a pronounced mocha flavor and boozy kick. Since it's potent, this fudge shouldn't be given to children or pregnant women.

Store the fudge in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The fudge will last for 4 weeks. To freeze the fudge, wrap it first in wax paper, then in plastic wrap. Put the wrapped fudge in a ziplock bag. It will last for several months.

Kahlua Fudge makes a great adults-only gift for the holidays or a treat for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day or Date Night. Actually, it’ll make any day special. It also ships well for your faraway family and friends, wrapped in plastic and sealed in a ziplock bag.

Just a bite of rich, creamy, dreamy Kahlua Chocolate Fudge.

It’ll conquer that chocolate craving straightaway!

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