Gumdrop Fudge is a family-favorite, festive confection made from creamy white chocolate and filled with colorful candy. This sweet treat is great for holiday gifting and perfect for Christmas parties, dessert platters, or serving as a snack.
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This easy Gumdrop Fudge recipe makes a big batch of silky white creamy candy that’s studded with red and green gumdrops and filled with little bursts of fruity flavor.
Just 4 simple ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time is all it takes to create a fuss-free, foolproof fudge with pretty pops of color.
Easy Gumdrop Fudge
Our Gumdrop Fudge Recipe is so easy to make simply by stirring together white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla on the stovetop and mixing in chopped gumdrops.
Making white fudge with gumdrops at home is fast and just as delicious as any long-cooked confection; it takes only a few hours to set before it’s sliced into squares and served in perfectly portioned pieces.
This Christmas fudge recipe reminds me of the fruity gumdrop Nougat candy that I ate as a child, but I’ve revised my festive fudge to make it even creamier by replacing marshmallows and butter with white chocolate and condensed milk.
Vanilla fudge is the perfect base for customizing this confection; you can have fun dressing it up for the holidays with colorful decoration or your favorite fillings.
Why We Love This Colorful Fudge Recipe
- Quick and easy to make.
- Only uses 4 gluten free ingredients.
- No candy thermometer or special equipment needed.
- Versatile recipe can be made with so many variations.
- Great for gifting when placed in a pretty box and wrapped up in ribbon for the holidays.
- Perfect for potlucks, holiday parties, dessert platters, or any time you have a candy craving.
Other Easy Fudge Recipes
Ingredients
- White chocolate chips
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Vanilla extract
- Red and green gumdrops: I used Dots candy which are similar to gumdrops without the sugar coating.
Substitutions and Additions
- Change The Chew: Use your favorite colorful chewy candy in this recipe, like gumdrops, spiced gumdrops, Dots, Skittles, Mike and Ikes, and Jub Jub candy.
- Choose Your Chocolate: Feel free to try this recipe with white baking chocolate or almond bark instead of white chocolate chips. I recommend high-quality chocolate, otherwise, the taste and consistency might be off.
- Customize Your Candy: Vanilla fudge is a blank canvas for decorating and customizing with your favorite colorful sprinkles, cookie crumbles, candy pieces, or any food you fancy.
- Vegan Version: To make Vegan Gumdrop Fudge, replace the condensed milk for condensed coconut milk and use dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Fudge For The Holidays:
- Christmas Candy: You can add dried cranberries or cherries and pistachios for a touch of red and green. Or make my Christmas Sugar Cookie Fudge, Christmas Fudge, Candy Cane Fudge, or Melted Snowman Fudge.
- Fall Fudge: Decorate your fudge with candy corn and candy pumpkins for fall or use your leftover Halloween candy as a mix-in or topping. My Candy Corn Fudge is full of fall fudge flavors.
- Fun Fudge Ideas: Check out my other fun fudge recipes, from Cookie Dough Fudge, to Unicorn Fudge, Rocky Road Fudge, Buckeye Fudge, Peanut Butter Fudge, and so many more!
Recommended Tools
- 9×9 inch square pan
- Foil or parchment paper
- Medium saucepan
- Sharp knife
See Full Recipe Card Below
Jump to RecipeHow to Make Gumdrop Fudge
- Make The Fudge Mixture: Stir together the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until melted and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the gum drops.
Pro Tip: do not let this burn or cook too high as it will turn the chocolate a tan color instead of white. - Pour In The Pan: Pour the fudge into pan and smooth out. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours up to overnight.
- Slice and Serve: Slice into bite-size squares. Serve and enjoy!
Tip From Our Recipe Developer
- I used Dots candies that I cut in half but you can use regular gumdrops or even spiced gumdrops.
- Make sure to work quickly once the chocolate has melted and before it firms back up.
- I let the fudge sit out after chilling for a bit to make it easier to cut.
- To get pretty squares, I like to trim off the rough edges first.
- Make sure you use sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk).
- I like to line my pan with parchment paper so I can lift out the fudge and cut it on a cutting board instead of in the pan.
- Be careful not to overcook your fudge or it will become grainy.
Storage
- To Store: Store your fudge in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Let the fudge come back to room temperature before serving.
- To Freeze: You can freeze your fudge for up to 3 months.
Other Easy Christmas Recipes
- Christmas Mints
- Peppermint Bark
- Reindeer Chow Chex Mix
- Christmas Dog Treats
- Christmas Chex Mix
- Butter Mints
- Christmas Coal Fudge
- Grinch Hot Chocolate Bombs
Gumdrop Fudge
Serves — 50
Gumdrop Fudge is a family-favorite, festive confection made from creamy white chocolate and filled with colorful candy. This sweet treat is great for holiday gifting and perfect for Christmas parties, dessert platters, or serving as a snack.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 cups white chocolate chips
- 14 ounces can sweetened condensed milk
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups chopped red and green gumdrops Dots candy
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 inch square pan with foil or parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan over medium low heat add your chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Stir until all melted and smooth, do not let this burn or cook too high as it will turn the chocolate a tan color instead of white. Once all the chocolate chips are melted remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the gum drops until just mixed in. Pour the fudge into your prepared 9×9 pan and smooth out.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours up to overnight.
- Remove the fudge from the pan once chilled and slice into bite size squares. You can cut the squares larger or smaller depending on your preference.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Store your fudge in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Let the fudge come back to room temperature before serving.
- To Freeze: You can freeze your fudge for up to 3 months.
- I used Dots candies that I cut in half but you can use regular gumdrops or even spiced gumdrops.
- Make sure to work quickly once the chocolate has melted and before it firms back up.
- I let the fudge sit out after chilling for a bit to make it easier to cut.
- To get pretty squares, I like to trim off the rough edges first.
- Make sure you use sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk).
- I like to line my pan with parchment paper so I can lift out the fudge and cut it on a cutting board instead of in the pan.
- Be careful not to overcook your fudge or it will become grainy.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 0.03g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Great variety that my grandkids love to make when visiting.
Great recipe and sooo easy !!! Thank you 🙂
Nice recipes but what does it mean by a cup. What size is a cup
1 measuring cup.
can u use white bark