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Small Batch Creamy Lemon Fudge (In A Loaf Pan)

Learn how to make real traditional fudge with this Small Batch Creamy Lemon Fudge recipe made in a loaf pan. It’s a sweet and tangy flavor in every bite!


Creamy Lemon Fudge

Fudge. Real, homemade, use a candy thermometer fudge.

I finally did it!

Usually I end up cheating and let the ingredients make the fudge (otherwise known as easy fudge), but this time, I finally conquered the technique.

I made Small Batch Creamy Lemon fudge made with real lemons. No lemon extract required!

Real, traditional fudge is made by boiling together milk and sugar until the temperature reaches 235-240F, which is known as the soft ball stage in candy making.

This ensures the fudge sets up and becomes firm after cooling.

Then you stir in your flavorings before transferring to a loaf pan to harden into candy.

It isn’t hard to do; really it comes down to patience and an accurate cooking thermometer.

As long as you follow my directions, you will soon have Small Batch Creamy Lemon Fudge to eat!


Creamy Lemon Fudge

Fudge has always been a huge enemy of mine.

I remember years ago I wanted to make pumpkin fudge. Little did I know what I was getting into to, I found a recipe and made it.

After it cooled, I cried. It barely set and could only have been eaten by a spoon.

That’s when I learned how precise fudge making is. That bringing it to a rolling boil wasn’t enough; it had to reach at least 234 degrees on a candy thermometer.

You also don’t stir the fudge once it’s boiling; otherwise, sugar crystals will reform. This is why fudge can often have a gritty texture because the sugar recrystalized.

And even if you do reach 234 degrees, factors you can’t control such as the weather can make or break your recipe.


Creamy Lemon Fudge

I was so nervous in making lemon fudge.

What if I did all that work and it failed yet again?

After I poured the mixture into my pan, I anxiously checked on it often as it cooled. Slowly, it started to harden. The fudge was turning into, well, fudge!

I breathed a sigh of relief as I made a mess cutting it.


Creamy Lemon Fudge

I toyed with the idea of making rocky road fudge because it is my mom’s favorite, but with the dreary weather and chilly days ahead, I wanted to brighten it up a bit with some citrus.

The texture is creamy melt-in-your-mouth goodness with a huge tang of lemon flavor, which comes from the zest of real lemons. You definitely don’t need lemon extract (more on that in a bit).

I did add some food coloring to emphasis this is indeed lemon fudge since it’s not naturally bright yellow.

You certainly don’t need food coloring if you’re not worried about presentation. Naturally it comes out a pale yellow.


Creamy Lemon Fudge

The original recipe called for lemon extract, but I found most people don’t have this in their pantry, including myself.

You can substitute lemon zest for lemon extract, so I added a lot more than I would typically use.

Do not try to substitute lemon juice because the extra liquid and acidity may prevent the fudge from firming up after cooling.

I also substituted heavy whipping cream for evaporated milk. Sometimes when I’m in the mood to make fudge, I don’t have canned evaporated milk. And if I do, I don’t use the whole can.

However, I almost always have heavy cream on hand, so it was a natural fit.

You definitely need a candy thermometer, preferably with a digital face (I bought this one).

If you are without one, you can test the mixture using the soft ball stage test.

I made a small batch of fudge in a loaf pan because by nature, fudge is almost sickly sweet. That means most people can only eat a small square before the sugar rush hits.

Depending on how big you cut your pieces, you can make anywhere from 12 to 16 squares.

More Fudge Recipes

Small Batch Creamy Lemon Fudge

Small Batch Creamy Lemon Fudge

Yield: 12-16 squares
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Cool Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Learn how to make real traditional fudge with this Small Batch Creamy Lemon Fudge recipe made in a loaf pan. It's a sweet and tangy flavor in every bite!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream or evaporated milk
  • 4 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup butter (2 ounces or 4 tablespoons), cut into 4 tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest (roughly 2 lemons)
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Few drops of yellow food coloring (optional)

Instructions

  1. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Have all of your mise en place (ingredients) prepped before starting.
  2. In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cream/milk. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until it reaches a rolling boil.
  3. Turn the heat down to medium-low and boil until a candy thermometer reaches 234F degrees, about 5 minutes. Do not stir. If it begins to brown, turn the heat down to low, ensuring it's still at a boil.
  4. Once the mixture reaches 234F degrees, remove from the heat. Using a rubber spatula, immediately stir in white chocolate, butter, lemon zest, and vanilla until the chocolate and butter are fully melted. The mixture should be thick and smooth. If you want a brighter color, stir in the food coloring.
  5. Immediately transfer to the pan and spread into an even layer. Let cool until firm, 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour chilled. Remove from the pan and cut into squares.

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© Carla Cardello
Cuisine: American / Category: Candy + Treats
Source: Adapted from The Well Seasoned Cook

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I always thought that fudge implied chocolate, Carla! This looks delicious and I have to say, lemon always cheers me up. Good job on conquering your nemesis. :)

    Reply

  2. Nice one. I fell in love with Fudge in my first time in the Foodie Penpals programme, and I’ve always had it around the house since. I’d love to try and make some – I wonder if in small doses it can act as a “limoncello replacement” for kids in the middle of a heavy meal…

    Reply

  5. Oh my goodness, I love lemon desserts. This looks divine. I thought I would go on a baking break after the holidays, but I may have to make this soon

    Reply

  6. Carla

    Your lemon fudge looks divine! Fudge is a fickle beast. One Christmas about 10 years ago I made about 6 batches trying to find one that had the texture and taste from a childhood memory. I never did find the right recipe!

    Reply

  7. Lemon Fudge is on my bucket list too. I’ve made all sorts of chocolate fudges but have never ventured out of my flavor comfort zone. You should probably send me a sample of this, just so I can see if it tastes as wonderful as it sounds ;-)

    Reply

  15. I love lemon and fudge and had no idea that lemon fudge existed. But these gorgeous photos have shown me otherwise. I love that the white balance is warm. It reminds me of lemons and sunshine (aka somewhere that is not my freezing apartment!). And much kudos and congrats to you for tackling thermometer fudge–candymaking is super tricky!

    Reply

  25. No doubt about it, I’m definitely going to have to make this. My mom loves fudge, and loves lemon-flavored things, but I don’t think she’s ever had lemon fudge before… plus I made some homemade lemon extract last month, so this is the perfect way to use it! :D

    Reply

  31. Oh, Carla, fudge is way too technical and fussy for me to make at home. Good on ya for conquering this! It looks absolutely perfect – so creamy, luscious and bright. I would totally welcome something refreshing like this right now – it’s so dreary outside, I could use a hit of lemony fudge.

    Reply

  33. Wow these are a great idea. My mother loves lemon and fudge but I’d never had the idea to put them together. I’ll have to try this for her upcoming birthday. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  38. WoW! is all I can say Carla! I have never made fudge and I don’t know if I will ever have confidence in my baking skills to try one but this sure looks good! And I can just see the creamyness oozing!

    Reply

  40. These look fantastic! Can you store them outside the fridge and what would the shelf life be?

    Thank you

    Reply

    • Yes you can store it outside of the fridge. The only time I store it in the fridge is when it’s super hot out during the summer and the fudge gets soft. For the shelf life, candy typically lasts longer than most desserts, so best guess is 1-2 weeks if stored properly in an airtight container.

      Reply

  41. Normally when I make fudge I aim for 114-115°C (237-239°F) and so I was doubtful about only heating to 234°F/112°C. I thought perhaps the chocolate would help it to set more easily, but it didn’t, and so I ended up with a gloopy mess (albeit a delicious one)! I then had to remelt the mixture and dissolve it in some more evaporated milk and heat it to 115°C, before waiting till it cooled to 60°C/140°F before beating it and scraping it out into a tin, wasting a fair amount in the process.
    Aside from the issue with the temperature, the recipe is fantastic. I did add a little maple syrup for more flavour and some baking soda to get the mixture to boil up nice and high (my thermometer needs to be submerged a fair amount to get a decent reading).

    Reply

    • I’m sorry to hear the fudge didn’t set up correctly for you. Candy making can be a bit fickle because there are external factors we can’t control, such as weather. I would also make sure your thermometer is calibrated correctly. Being a few degrees off would make a huge difference in fudge making.

      Reply

      • Thanks for replying! I’m not sure it was the weather – I just had a look at some data online, and the air pressure over here has been pretty much average over the past few days. I don’t think it was my thermometer either; I calibrated it with boiling water a few weeks ago.

        No other fudge recipe I’ve seen has asked for anything as low as 112°C. Perhaps it was the type of chocolate I used. Do you heat all your fudge mixtures to this temperature?

        It’s not a massive deal though; I still managed to end up with a decent amount of yummy lemon fudge at the end. My sisters and I just had the last few pieces today, as a matter of fact!

        Reply

        • Most of my fudge recipes can be made without a candy thermometer due to the ingredients used (known as foolproof fudge). This one is a more traditional recipe because it’s lemon, which is hard to turn into foolproof fudge.

          Reply

      • Thanks for your reply Carla, but that link isn’t working for me… I have quite large mugs, so don’t want to get the measurements wrong by putting too much in!! :)

        Reply

        • When you say mugs, are you referring to coffee mugs or actual dry ingredient measuring cups? I see you’re from the UK based on your email, so I want to make sure nothing is lost in translation! You may need to copy and paste the link into your browser if it’s not a clickable link. Or you can google “OXO Good Grips 6-Piece Measuring Cup Set”.

          Reply

          • Oh you definitely need dry measuring cups for this. Candy making is a science, so the wrong measurements would result in a failed recipe. I don’t know the weight of each item, so you’ll have to do some research and converting for that.

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