This Easter Jelly Bean Fudge is a delicious treat with a creamy, smooth texture that pairs perfectly with the chewy, slightly firm jelly beans. The combination creates an interesting and fun bite every time!
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Making this jelly bean fudge can be a fun activity for families, with kids enjoying the decorating process. It’s a creative way to involve the family in your holiday preparations.
Ingredients
Before starting this recipe, gather all ingredients you'll need. Having everything ready and on hand will make the process much easier and more enjoyable!
- Sweetened condensed milk - this recipe uses a 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk (most often found in your grocer's baking aisle).
- White chocolate chips
- Butter - use unsalted butter
- Jelly beans - use colors and flavors of your choice
- Gel food coloring - optional. Choose a color you love—pastel shades are especially beautiful for Easter.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Each step in making this fudge with jelly beans only takes a few minutes but the fudge needs to set up for about 3 hours. It's worth the wait!
Prepare pan
An important step to making perfect fudge is preparing your pan so the fudge can be removed easily once it’s set. Here’s how to do it:
- Use a 8x8-inch square pan which is at least 2 inches deep.
- Cut two pieces of aluminum foil, each large enough to cover the bottom and sides of your pan.
- Lay one piece in the pan, then place the second piece on top, crisscrossed in the opposite direction. Make sure to leave some foil hanging over the edges of the pan to create "handles." These handles will make it easy to lift the jelly bean fudge out once it is set.
- Lightly grease the foil with cooking spray or melted butter.
Jelly Bean Fudge instructions
Once your pan is prepared, it's time to dive into making the fudge recipe.
1 - Place sweetened condensed milk, white chocolate chips and butter in a 3-quart heavy duty saucepan. Begin heating over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until white chocolate is melted (3 - 5 minutes).
2 - Resist the urge to turn up the heat as white chocolate can easily scorch. Optional - once white chocolate chips begin to melt, add a few drops of food coloring. Remove saucepan from heat.
3 - Stir in ¾ cup of jelly beans into saucepan. Reserve remaining ½ cup to decorate top of fudge.
4 - Pour jelly bean fudge into prepared pan. Spread evenly with a spatula.
5 - Arrange jelly beans into flowers over top of fudge. Suggestion: use a green jelly bean for the flower center and other colors to create the flower petals (6 - 7 jelly beans per flower).
6 - Let fudge cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then, put it in the refrigerator for 3 hours or until set. To remove it from the pan, gently lift the edges of the aluminum foil and take it out. For a fun touch, you can use a grass piping tip to decorate the edges of the fudge with green buttercream.
Equipment
This fudge is super simple to make and doesn’t require a candy thermometer like many other candy recipes do. Before you start, make sure you gather the following tools to make the process even easier:
- Bowls, measuring cups and spoons
- Heavy Duty Sauce Pan
- Square Pan 8" x 8"
- Aluminum foil
- Heat-proof spatula
Storage
Store the Easter Jelly Bean Fudge in an airtight container at room temperature, keeping it away from heat. It will stay fresh for up to a week. When stacking fudge pieces in the container, be sure to place sheets of wax paper between them to keep them from sticking together.
If you want it to last longer, you can refrigerate it for up to three weeks.
For even longer storage, wrap the fudge and freeze it for up to two months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Top Tip
Resist the temptation to increase the stovetop heat while making this fudge, as doing so can lead to scorching. Instead, maintain a steady, moderate heat and stir the mixture slowly and continuously to ensure a smooth, perfectly cooked fudge.
FAQ
It is thought in the 1930s, jelly beans became a popular part of Easter traditions because of their egg-like shape. This reminded people of the Easter Bunny, who is said to deliver eggs as a symbol of new life and the arrival of spring.
More Easter dessert ideas
Looking for more dessert ideas for your Easter gathering? Check out the following recipes:
I hope you enjoy this Easter Jelly Bean Fudge as much as my family and friends do!
📋 Recipe
Jelly Bean Fudge
Equipment
- Bowls, measuring cups and spoons
- Square Pan 8" x 8" and at least 2" deep
- Aluminum foil
- Heat-proof spatula
Ingredients
Jelly Bean Fudge
- butter or vegetable spray to prepare pan
- 1 14 Ounce Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 3 Cups White Chocolate Chips
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
- 2 Drops Gel food coloring optional - use a color of your choice
- ¾ Cup Jelly beans
Jelly Bean Decorations (optional)
- ½ Cup Jelly beans use colors of your choice to make 'flower' jelly bean decoration
- 1 Can Premade green buttercream optional: to pipe 'grass' around outside of fudge
Instructions
Prepare Pan
- Cut two pieces of aluminum foil, each large enough to cover the bottom and sides of your pan.
- Lay one piece in the pan, then place the second piece on top, crisscrossed in the opposite direction. Make sure to leave some foil hanging over the edges of the pan to create "handles." These handles will make it easy to lift the fudge out once it has set.
- Lightly grease the foil with cooking spray or melted butter.
Jelly Bean Fudge
- Place sweetened condensed milk, white chocolate chips and butter in a 3-quart heavy duty saucepan.
- Begin heating over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until white chocolate is melted (3 - 5 minutes). Resist the urge to turn up the heat as white chocolate can easily scorch.
- Optional - once white chocolate chips begin to melt, add a few drops of food coloring.
- Remove saucepan from heat.
- Stir in ¾ cup of jelly beans into saucepan. Reserve remaining ½ cup to decorate top of fudge.
- Pour jelly bean fudge into prepared pan. Spread evenly with a spatula.
- Arrange jelly beans into flowers over top of fudge. Suggestion: use a green jelly bean for the flower center and other colors to create the flower petals (6 - 7 jelly beans per flower).
- Leave at room temperature until cool (approximately ½ hour).
- After fudge cools, cover pan with plastic wrap or foil. Place in refrigerator for 3 hours or until set.
Unmold and slice
- To unmold, carefully pull up on sides of aluminum foil to remove from pan.
- Remove aluminum foil and place fudge on a cutting board.
- Optional: For an extra touch, use a grass piping tip to add green buttercream along the edges of the fudge.
- Using a sharp knife, slice into 1" x 1" squares or adjust to your preferred size.
Video
Jerry says
Such a simple and creamy fudge.