The easiest, most fool-proof, rich, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth Salted Maple Pecan Vegan Fudge. Punctuated with crunchy pecan pieces and a smatteering of sea salt crystals, it's like salty, sweet perfection!
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Let's get right to the point. If you have any degree of a sweet tooth, this Salted Maple Pecan Vegan Fudge is your friend. Like your BEST friend.
In this post:
I'll spare you the details, but I was trying to create another recipe and it did not go to plan. Out of the darkness though, came this and let's be real here, I don't mind if I do.
This Vegan Fudge is made with minimal ingredients and there is no cooking involved. It is super easy! Plus, did I mention that it's gluten-free, refined sugar-free and oil-free too? The only fat occurring here is that which is naturally present in the cashew nuts. The healthy, good stuff!
How to make easy vegan fudge
Ok, be prepared to be underwhelmed. This whole process is super easy, super quick and totally foolproof!
- Mix the cashew butter, salt and maple syrup together until combined well.
- Stir in the coconut flour, pecans and vanilla
- Spoon into a cling wrap or parchment paper lined loaf pan, dish or individual muffin cups and smooth out the top, then sprinkle with chopped pecans and sea salt flakes or small crystals.
I am totally in love with Maldon Sea Salt Flakes. They taste so good and are great for saving for special scatterings like this.
- Place in the freezer and allow to set for at least 20 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer and cut into nice sized chunks.
Storage and freezing
You can store the vegan fudge in the fridge or the freezer after the initial set. If kept in the fridge it will stay quite soft but still firm enough to hold and bite into, whereas from the freezer, it will be harder but not completely solid. I like it both ways. try both and see what you prefer!
Variations
The pecans and the scattering of salt on top, is so good, but if you wanted to play around there are many other flavour combos you could use like:
- any other chopped nuts or seeds
- raisins or other dried fruit
- chocolate chips
- freeze dried fruit
- candy
- shredded coconut
- coffee extract
- cinnamon
- cookie pieces
ummm please stop me....or there will be nothing but fudge recipes here for the next 6 months!
Recipe
Salted Maple Pecan Vegan Fudge
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 256g / 1 cup creamy cashew butter , be sure to mix the natural oils which rise to the top, well into the butter when you open it so it's nice and creamy. See recipe notes for alternatives including nut-free option*
- 120mls / ½ cup maple syrup , make sure it's real maple syrup and not the cheap flavoured stuff
- ½ teaspoon salt , fine
- 70g / ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon coconut flour , see recipe notes for substitutions**
- 50g / ½ cup chopped pecan nuts , see recipe notes for nut-free options***
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- OPTIONAL extra pecans and sea salt flakes for sprinkling
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the cashew butter, maple syrup and salt to a bowl and mix together really well.
- Add the coconut flour, vanilla and pecan nuts to the cashew butter mixture and stir really well again until there is no dry flour showing at all. Be very thorough and make sure you scrape into the bottom of the bowl with the spatula. It gets pretty thick and hard to stir. That's normal.
- Line a 1lb loaf pan (or other similar size container) with either cling wrap or parchment paper. Cling wrap I found is a tighter fit and makes it look neater when you turn it out. If you don't have anything suitable you can make them in muffin cases instead.
- Pack the fudge mixture into the loaf pan and flatten out the top so it's neat. Get a mug of water and dip a spatula in it then shake it off to remove any excess, before spreading the top of the fudge and you will find that it won't stick all over the spatula and will make your job much easier. You can dip in the water every few spreads to keep the effect up.
- Once the top is level sprinkle some more pecans and some sea salt flakes on the top for decoration and press them really lightly with your fingers into the fudge so they stick.
- Put the whole pan in the freezer for about 30 minutes, then remove, lift out of the pan and cut into pieces. The fudge can be stored in the freezer or in the fridge after the initial set. If kept in the fridge it will stay quite soft but still firm enough to hold and bite into, whereas from the freezer, it will be harder but not completely solid. When it's frozen it's best just to leave it for a minute or two before eating. It's great both ways so try both and see which you prefer. Or go 50/50!
NOTES
- any other chopped nuts or seeds
- raisins or other dried fruit
- chocolate chips
- freeze dried fruit
- candy
- shredded coconut
- coffee extract
- cinnamon
- cookie pieces
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Angie says
WOW! absolutely perfect thank you Mel for sharing yet another 5 star recipe!
Kaye says
Hi, can this be stored in room temp or will it melt? Thinking of having this in an open display case which is refrigerated, but will be placed 2 racks above the vents so the cool air won't really reach it. Thanks!
Melanie McDonald says
It won't melt but it will get soft if not refrigerated.
Maggie says
Good evening. I saw you on Youtube on an episode of Chef AJ and i was really impressed with your willingness to share recipes like the one you showed for the fudge. I want to thank you for allowing access to your website without first charging a fee as other guests on Chef AJ have previously done. It was your willingness to share your recipes that made me buy your book. I am living in Lisbon, Portugal and cannot wait to receive your cookbook. Thank you again for a wonderful recipe.
.
Ashlee says
Would it be possible to add cocoa powder and make this a chocolate fudge?
Melanie McDonald says
Yes that should be fine. Not a huge amount though or you'll make it dry. A few tablespoons should be ok. You could even add a few chocolate chips!
Gina Jankovich says
Is the cashew butter you use sweetened or unsweetened?
A Virtual Vegan says
Unsweetened. I don't think it's possible to buy sweetened cashew butter, at least not here.
Sue says
Oh my! I cut it into 24 pieces and am on my second. I had to stop eating and tell you how good this is and so easy to make!! My husband tries not to eat much chocolate because of migraines, so this is perfect. Thank you for your wonderful talent!!
A Virtual Vegan says
You're welcome. Thank you Sue. I have the same problem with this recipe. It's a good job I keep it in the freezer. Out of sight, out of mind! I hope your husband enjoys it too.
Anna says
This is really delicious! I made it the other day and it’s a real hit! Thank you!! (P.s I was wondering whether to get raw cashew butter, or roasted w/ sunflower oil... I opted for the latter as I thought it’d be easier to work with, as I find raw cashew butter quite hard. But is there a preference for the recipe?)
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you enjoyed it! Roasted or not it doesn't really matter. Roasted will just give a slightly different, nuttier flavour. So use whichever you prefer!
Beth says
Made this for Thanksgiving today. It was a hit with everyone!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm glad to hear that Beth. Thank you and happy Thanksgiving!
Cheryl D Garcia says
Made this with a few changes.... I always omit the oil that separates from nut butters since we are wfpbno. It worked fine but seems very soft even after in the freezer for an hour. When cut, it is too soft to hold the shape. No worries, it is delicious as a soft dessert, we love it!
A Virtual Vegan says
The oil in nuts solidifies once it gets below a certain temperature and that's why because you drained off the oil, it didn't firm up properly. Glad you enjoyed it regardless though!
Sandi says
I made the cashew butter myself. My 21 year old vegan son said I was the best mom ever for making this for him! No milk and no butter. Simply amazing. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
Aaaww that's lovely. I'm really pleased you both enjoyed the recipe and thanks so much for stopping by to leave feedback. It's much appreciated!
Chessie says
I finally got some cashew butter and made a batch of this with what was on hand (agave instead of maple syrup, and chopped walnuts instead of pecans). It wasn't as sweet as I would expect fudge to be, so I'm thinking that maple syrup must be sweeter. It's crazy good anyway, and I will definitely make a proper batch with maple syrup next time! And I can't wait to try coffee in this. You may have just created a (cashew fudge) monster!
Melanie McDonald says
Ha ha, it is pretty addictive! It's not as sweet as regular fudge because it's a healthier version and refined sugar free. Having said that agave is nowhere near as flavourful as maple syrup so it wouldn't have been at it's best. Coffee flavour would be great!
Deb says
Can hardly wait to try this!!
In the recipe you state that it makes 24 servings, but in the video, you cut the fudge into 15 pieces.
The 24 servings would be awful small.
A Virtual Vegan says
Fudge usually comes in small cubes which is why it says 24 servings. It's incredibly rich so you don't need much. I only have 60 seconds in videos so have to simplify things. Too much cutting and it gets boring to watch and takes too much time. Plus little cubes wouldn't photograph so well and would have been hard to get evenly sized while cutting at a weird angle while filming. That's why I only cut it into 15 in the video. You can cut it into however many pieces you like. Hope you enjoy it!
Suz says
Made this without the extra salt due to a thyroid condition. It was amazing! Being vegan is not hard with options like these. Thanks for the inspiration. :-)
Melanie says
Hi
Made the fudge and it was yummy but my partner doesn’t like coconut. I notice on your recipe substitutes you say you can use almond flour but I’m not so keen. Do you think you could use any other flour like oat flour perhaps? Thanks ????
A Virtual Vegan says
The fudge really doesn't taste of coconut if that helps. I tried it with oat flour while developing the recipe and although it works, the flavor is nowhere near as good. The oat flavor overpowers everything and the texture isn't as nice. It also has a bit of a weird mouth feel. I definitely wouldn't use any other types of flour as it will end up gummy and horrible. It needs to be a flour that taste good raw. That's why almond and coconut flour work so well.
Lauren says
Looks life a fantastic recipe. How long can these be stored in the freezer?
A Virtual Vegan says
They never last very long here so I haven't been able to test that but I would imagine about 3 months.
Sue Williams says
OMG - I LOVE fudge but always struggled with making the "real" versions before I became vegan. Imagine my delight when I found this recipe - yes I had to order in some of the ingredients specially, but this is so easy and quick to make and totally delicious - thank you I will definitely be making this regularly now xx I added some coconut flakes in mine as well - trouble is not eating too much in one go !!!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Sue. And I totally agree that it's only problem is that you have to struggle not to eat it all! I like that I can keep it in the freezer. Out of sight, out of mind...most of the time anyway. Thank you for coming back to leave feedback. It's much appreciated!
Marius Caseanu says
I'd like to know how many grams of carbs per 100 g of fudge are in this one.
A Virtual Vegan says
The nutritional information is always shown on all of my recipes. It is just below the recipe card.
Nancy says
Can you share how many pieces are in one recipe in addition to number of grams ? That’s easier for most people to plan and cut into suggested serving size. Thank you
A Virtual Vegan says
There are 24 servings. The number of servings are always in my recipe card above the ingredients. One of the 24 squares weighs about 25g.
Anita says
I am thinking of making this fudge this weekend. I don't have coconut flour, but have almond, oat, and rice flour. Of those three, is there one that you recommend more than the others? I saw that you suggested almond flour as a substitute but that perhaps the maple flavor might not come through as well. I may just get coconut flour, but hesitate to run out to the market tonight. :) Thank you! This looks delicious!
A Virtual Vegan says
I tried it with them all and by far the best is with coconut flour. It's heads and tails above the others in taste. With oat flour it tastes distinctly oaty and has a strange mouth feel. With almond flour it's nice but it is very almondy and doesn't taste like maple pecan at all. If you can get some coconut flour I really recommend it. You'll understand why when you try it!
Joanne Kucinskas says
I made this yesterday. I followed the recipe as written, no substitutions. It so easy to make that the most challenging step was getting the cling wrap in the loaf pan.
The finished product looks exactly like the recipe photos. And the best part...so decadently delicious! I cut into squares and stored them in the freezer. They are the perfect after dinner treat. I love the perfect balance of salty and sweet.
Thank you for this amazing recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
I agree about the cling wrap. That is the most challenging part! I'm so glad you enjoyed them Joanne and thank you so much for stopping by to leave feedback. It's much appreciated!