5-Ingredient Easy Peppermint Fudge - dairy and sugar free

I love making healthy desserts for my family but no bake desserts are my favorite since they come together so quickly. Some of our favorites are No-Bake Coconut Cookies, Bean Fudge, Healthy Chocolate Truffles with a Kick, but now we can add this Healthy Easy Fudge from Tiffany of Don't Waste the Crumbs to our recipe box.

I don't know about you, but no matter how many times I say no to a second helping of pie or refrain from grabbing another Christmas cookie as I walk through the kitchen, my pants always fit a little tighter during the holiday season.

I'm sure it doesn't help that there's a glass of homemade eggnog next to my one cookie, or that my daily cups of coffee have become peppermint mocha lattes.

But then again, what fun are Christmas treats if you can't indulge just a teensy weensy bit?

That's why I keep coming back to this peppermint fudge recipe. Besides being made of chocolate and peppermint (a quintessential flavor combination at Christmas--or anytime), it's super easy and SUPER delicious.

I'm not just saying that because I created it either. My step-mom, a self-proclaimed non-candy eater, RAVED about this peppermint fudge. And I quote:

"This is Christmas, all wrapped up in a candy."

and

"This is what Christmas should taste like."

Personally, you can always have me at "fudge," but if you're the type of person who needs a bit more convincing on the practicality of things:

What's Great About This Peppermint Fudge:

• It only requires 15 minutes of minimal hands-on effort and then an hour or so to cool in the fridge (which requires NO effort at all plus you can chill it quicker in the freezer). Ideal for the Christmas season when days seem shorter and lists are longer.
• Don't have a "spare" 15 minutes? No problem. Save time by making this recipe while making dinner on the stove. I turned our pot of green beans into a double boiler and by the time we were done eating dinner, dessert was ready!
• The recipe only needs five ingredients, and none of them are artificial or expensive.
• Since you're reading a blog about living and eating healthier, there's a really good chance you have everything you need in your pantry!
• Fudge is naturally rich, so one batch is easily enough for a dinner party. And the optional crushed peppermint candies make it look extra fancy.
• You can use any pan as a mold, so long as it's no bigger than an 8"x8" pyrex dish.
• The peppermint fudge recipe can easily be made in advance. Way in advance if needed. This fudge kept in my fridge for two weeks just fine, and would have kept longer if we hadn't eaten it all.
• It's allergy friendly. The recipe contains no dairy*, no soy*, no gluten*, no sugar* and no wheat*. And it still tastes awesome!
• If by some chance you don't have an ingredient for this recipe, Adrienne has homemade tutorials for you.

So, now that we're officially all out of excuses as to why we shouldn't make peppermint fudge, let's just get on with the recipe and indulge. Quickly, before January rolls around and all those "healthy" people start giving me a hard time about my pants. 😉

Why Salt on Fudge?

Adding the salt at the end creates a definite "salted" taste to the dessert, similar to the saltiness of salted caramel (although not as strong). The salt can be added at the very beginning, with the chocolate and coconut cream concentrate if very little salt taste is desired.

Other Healthy Fudge Recipes

Healthy Fantasy Fudge
Bean Fudge
Naturally Colored Mint Fudge
Mushroom Fudge

Recipe Notes

• Storing Tips: Fudge will retain its shape at a relatively cool room temperature (60-70F). Place fudge in the freezer for a couple hours beforehand if you expect the environment to be on the warmer side. When not being consumed or drooled over by party-goers :), fudge should be stored in the fridge and will keep for at least two weeks.
• Stevia Alternative: Instead of liquid peppermint stevia, you could use 6 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar or honey, as well as adding peppermint extract to taste, for AIP (technically extracts aren't allowed on AIP but they are used in many AIP recipes)
  You can use this homemade version of liquid stevia instead of using a store-bought brand. Also, around 1 tsp powdered stevia and 1 1/5 teaspoons peppermint extract can be substituted for the liquid stevia. For AIP, use about 6 Tbsp honey or maple syrup with 1 1/5 teaspoons peppermint extract.
• Chocolate options: Don't have dark chocolate? Any type of chocolate will work really, but lighter chocolates tend to contain sugar and soy lecithin, both really not a boon for a real food diet.
  You can use these Homemade Chocolate / Carob Chips instead of dark chocolate, and use the carob version of these for AIP.
• White Fudge Option: This peppermint fudge recipe can easily be adapted to a white fudge by substituting these Homemade White Chocolate Chips in place of the dark chocolate.
• Mold Options: Mini-loaf pans and 8" x 8" glass pans make excellent molds.
• Coconut Cream Alternative: This Homemade Coconut Butter will work great instead of coconut cream concentrate. If you use coconut butter instead, the fudge will be thicker and harder when refrigerated.

Special Diet Options & Substitutions

AIP: Use carob instead of chocolate and an AIP sweetener instead of stevia.
Candy Topping Options: These mint candies are sugar-free. If you'd prefer an all natural option you could use these candies (that are not sugar-free) or these candies that are all natural and sugar free but white. You could try coloring them or leave them white for a different look but the same taste.

Do YOU love Chocolate and Mint as much as I do?

What's your favorite Christmas-ey treat?

This post has new images that were placed in the post in December 2020. Here is the original photo for reference:

Tiffany is a frugal foodie, balancing the desire to feed her family healthy food while being a good steward of her finances. She continues to work hard at mastering real foods without going broke and shares her journey at Don’t Waste the Crumbs.