When only a decadent dessert treat will do, give this butterscotch fudge a try. It offers a nice change of pace from the usual summery dessert fare (think fruit-forward cobblers, ice cream and the like). It also packs a lot of flavor into a small, single-serving piece. You can gift the extras to neighbors, or easily freeze it to enjoy yourself for months to come.
Ingredients for Butterscotch Fudge
- Butter: As this is one of this recipe’s primary ingredients, choose the best quality butter available. Check out our complete guide on different butter types and uses. You can use either unsalted or salted, but if you opt for the latter, adjust the additional salt to taste.
- Sugar: The sugar is caramelized as it cooks, giving the butterscotch base a distinctly rich, almost toasty, toffeelike flavor.
- Evaporated milk: This recipe uses evaporated milk in lieu of heavy cream or sweetened condensed milk to enrich the butterscotch fudge’s texture.
- Salt: Provided you use unsalted butter, the addition of salt to this recipe results in a fudge that is just sweet enough. If you opt to use salted butter omit the additional salt, or only add it sparingly and to taste.
- Miniature marshmallows: These marshmallows elevate the flavor complexity of each bite considerably, adding chewiness and a more intense caramel flavor to the fudge.
- Butterscotch chips: These chips are key to the butterscotch flavor, especially as this recipe uses granulated sugar instead of brown sugar.
- Walnuts: These earthy and crunchy nuts enhance the texture and flavor of each bite, and provide a contrast to the intense sweetness of the fudge.
- Maple flavoring: Maple flavoring helps amplify the other flavors of this fudge, brightening the caramel-rich, buttery sweet taste.
Directions
Step 1: Grease the pan
Line an 8-inch square pan with foil and grease the foil with 1 teaspoon of butter. Set the prepared pan aside.
Step 2: Prepare the fudge mixture
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for five minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 3: Add mix-ins
Remove from the heat; add the marshmallows, chips, nuts and maple flavoring. Stir until the marshmallows and chips are melted. Spoon into the prepared pan, and let stand until set.
Step 4: Cut fudge, enjoy and store extra
Using foil, lift the fudge out of the pan. Discard the foil and cut the fudge into 1-inch squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Butterscotch Fudge Variations
- Swap in sweetened condensed milk. The major difference between evaporated and sweetened condensed milk is that the latter is sweetened. That being said, if you make this swap, consider reducing the amount of sugar you use in the recipe so that the fudge doesn’t turn out too sweet to eat (we know that’s hard to imagine, but trust us, it can happen).
- Omit or try different types of nuts. The earthy taste of crunchy walnuts is delicious with butterscotch fudge, but we get that not everyone’s a fan. In this recipe and really any fudge, you have a sweet and rich base to which you can add practically any nut (or none at all). Aside from walnuts, we like pecans, hazelnuts or slivered almonds in this fudge.
- Add flaky sea salt or warm spices. Think cardamom, cinnamon or cloves. If a salty-sweet craving strikes, the combination of flaky sea salt and richly sweet butterscotch is hard to beat.
How to Store Butterscotch Fudge
Fudge does not need to be refrigerated. To keep it tasting fresh, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then store in an airtight container.
Can you freeze butterscotch fudge?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze butterscotch fudge; really any kind of fudge is freezer-friendly. If you are making fudge for a special event (or as part of a cooking-intensive effort), having this prepped and frozen before you plan to serve it can also save you a lot of time. It’s also simple to do. Here are our top tips for properly freezing (and thawing) homemade fudge.
Butterscotch Fudge Tips
What is the flavor of butterscotch?
Butterscotch tastes like its name suggests, with a buttery sweetness accented by a complex, caramel-like flavor, thanks to the molasses. It pairs especially well with vanilla (think vanilla bean ice cream drizzled in butterscotch sauce). It is also delicious on its own, as in this fudge recipe, and is a refreshing twist on more common types of fudge such as chocolate and peanut butter, which we love too.
Why is it called butterscotch?
While sources differ on the origins of the name, a widely held claim is that butterscotch dates back to 1817 in Doncaster, England, and a candymaker by the name of Samuel Parkinson. His invention was a hard candy, sold as buttery brittle toffee, with variations on the brown sugar and butter base since then evolving into the flavor we know today. Another theory suggests that the word “scotch” comes from the word “scorched,” in reference to the cooking method.
What is the difference between caramel and butterscotch?
Whereas caramel is made by melting down granulated white sugar, butterscotch is made by melting down butter and brown sugar (the above recipe uses granulated sugar, with the addition of butterscotch chips to achieve the butterscotch flavor). In both processes, the sugar molecules break down and caramelize.
Caramel can be made either wet (with the addition of water, most commonly, or by adding a liquid such as heavy cream—you can even use cider) or dry (by melting down only the granulated sugar). The liquid used will influence the flavor notes.
Butterscotch takes on a distinct flavor due to the molasses in the brown sugar it is typically made from. Butterscotch and toffee are made from the same ingredients, with the key difference being that butterscotch is done at the soft crack stage of cooking sugar, whereas toffee is cooked to the hard crack stage.
