Slow Cooker After Eight Fudge Recipe - What the Redhead said (2024)

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I don’t know anyone that doesn’t love After Eights. That wonderful mix of rich dark chocolate and mint fondant. After Eights always remind me of Christmas when I was small, being handed a solitary mint chocolate in it’s little wrapper after dinner whilst the adults enjoyed their coffee. They’re as reminiscent of Christmases gone by as a big tub of Quality Street!

It always felt like such a huge treat and something savoured over the festive season as well as one of our favourite Christmas sweets. But now I’ve realised After Eights aren’t just for Christmas and they’re not just reserved for after dinner either.

They’re actually fantastic for the whole family to enjoy at any time so I thought I’d create an After Eight fudge so we can enjoy them on a whole new level. This delicious chocolate fudge is a real treat for the whole family.

What chocolate should we use for this fudge slow cooker recipe?

This dark chocolate fudge is very rich and can be toned down slightly by using milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate but I wanted to have a really true After Eight flavour which I think is only possible when using all dark chocolate for this recipe.

Slow Cooker After Eight Fudge Recipe - What the Redhead said (1)

Unlike other fudge flavours we’ve created, this wonderful chocolate mint fudge recipe uses a mix of After Eights after dinner mints and dark chocolate to make sure the fudge sets properly. The mint fondant in the After Eight chocolates changes the consistency of the fudge quite a lot so if you use all After Eights and no plain chocolate the fudge just won’t set quite right.

Can you refrigerate this slow cooker chocolate fudge?

This also means that the fudge doesn’t last as well in the fridge. If you’re not going to be making it straight away, make sure there’s a whole After Eight Mini on the top of each piece. If any are open, with the fondant showing, the fondant will melt in the fridge. Or, alternatively, don’t put the After Eights on top and then it will store happily in the fridge for a few weeks in an airtight container.

Can you make this fudge in the microwave?

Many people make fudge in the microwave but I much prefer the control I have when I make it in the crock pot or slow cooker. If you don’t have a slow cooker, make it in the microwave by putting the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and heating on short ten second bursts in the microwave, stirring in between. Then follow the instructions as per the recipe below.

Can you make slow cooker fudge with evaporated milk?

Our slow cooker fudge works because condensed milk has a really high sugar content, needed to create that beautifully rich fudge. Evaporated milk isn’t the same, doesn’t have that sugar content and isn’t thick enough to help the fudge thicken and set. You can’t use evaporated milk in these recipes – so get some condensed milk instead.

Do you cook slow cooker fudge high or low temperature?

We always cook fudge on a high slow cooker temperature setting and it takes around 40 minutes in total. You could make it on the low setting but it would take longer and would still need to be stirred regularly. You may as well keep the slow cooker on high and be done in under an hour!

When cooking, is the slow cooker fudge lid on or off?

When making slow cooker fudge, you need to remove the slow cooker lid otherwise excess moisture would be retained in the slow cooker pot and the fudge wouldn’t thicken as it needs to.

Slow Cooker After Eight Fudge Recipe - What the Redhead said (2)

Can I make this fudge without After Eights?

If you don’t have After Eights you could still create a really nice fudge recipe reminiscent of After Eights by using a tin of condensed milk, 500g dark chocolate and a tablespoon of peppermint extract. It would create a really lovely dark mint chocolate fudge you can enjoy throughout the year – not just in December!

Slow cooker fudge is so lovely to give as a gift and this home made fudge would be great as a Christmas gift or an end of term teacher gift. We put the fudge pieces into individual gift bags tied with a ribbon – so simple.

You could also try this recipe with different After Eight flavours – the new Gin & Tonic After Eights, White Chocolate After Eights, After Eight Strawberry or any other milk chocolate After Eights you find in the shops. Let me know how they turn out!

If you’re looking for other delicious slow cooker fudge ideas to try you can find all our fudge flavours to date here and we have to recommend the Terry’s Chocolate Orange fudge, Peanut Butter Fudge and the Lotus Biscoff fudge too!

Plus, if you’re looking for other After Eight recipes, watch this space. I have so many in the pipeline – an After Eight tray bake, After Eight Cheesecake, After Eight Brownies, After Eight Muffins and even an After Eight Mousse recipe!

Slow Cooker After Eight Fudge Recipe - What the Redhead said (3)

What equipment do you need to make slow cooker fudge?

Slow cooker fudge doesn’t need anything special to make it, and you probably already have everything you need at home, but this is the equipment we use:

Once you’ve got everything you need to make the fudge you can just keep making it again and again – in so many different flavours too!

So here’s our easy Slow Cooker After Eight Mint Fudge recipe:

Ingredients

  • A 397 ml tincondensed milk
  • 200g Nestlé After Eights
  • 300g Dark Chocolate – can be bars or chocolate chips.

To decorate:

  • Mini After Eights

Instructions

  • Break the dark chocolate up into pieces and add to the slow cooker bowl with the sweetened condensed milk and After Eight mints.
  • Turn the slow cooker on to high and leave to cook for 40 minutes with the lid off, stirring every ten minutes.
  • When melted, thick and well combined, pour the mixture into a tin lined with parchment paper or silicone baking tray.
  • Top with the Mini After Eights and put in the fridge to set – preferably overnight.

If you’d like to pin or print this Slow Cooker After Eight Fudge recipe for later you can do so below. Happy baking!

Slow Cooker After Eight Fudge Recipe - What the Redhead said (4)

Print Pin

Slow Cooker After Eight Fudge

This fudge tastes just like After Eights and is so easy to make. A really rich and delicious sweet treat you can enjoy all year round.

Course Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, British

Keyword fudge, slow cooker

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 40 pieces

Calories 104kcal

Ingredients

  • 397 ml tin condensed milk
  • 200 g After Eights
  • 300 g Dark Chocolate

To decorate:

  • 50 g Mini After Eights

Instructions

  • Break the dark chocolate up into pieces and add to the slow cooker bowl with the sweetened condensed milk and After Eights.

  • Turn the slow cooker on to high and leave to cook for 40 minutes with the lid off, stirring every ten minutes.

  • When melted, thick and well combined, pour the mixture into a tin lined with parchment paper or silicone baking tray.

  • Top with the Mini After Eights and put in the fridge to set – preferably overnight.

*Note: Nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published.

Slow Cooker After Eight Fudge Recipe - What the Redhead said (5)
Slow Cooker After Eight Fudge Recipe - What the Redhead said (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to beat fudge? ›

Beat the mixture

After letting the fudge cool, it's time to beat it. It is important to stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken and its surface starts to look dull or matte. Now is the time to stop beating and pour the fudge into a mould.

Can you over stir fudge? ›

Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer

Another key part of a successful fudge texture is when you stir the mixture. Stirring the sugar and milk during the initial stages of cooking allows the sugar to dissolve. However, once the mixture comes to a boil, it's time to put the spoon down.

What does beating do to fudge? ›

Beating the syrup caused the formation of crystallization nuclei, anchor points to which sugar molecules attach to form crystals. Few crystallization nuclei will form in syrup that is still hot, and sugar molecules will readily attach to them. The crystals grow so easily, and the result is really grainy fudge.

Why does fudge need to cool for such a long time? ›

A supersaturated solution is highly unstable, and any agitation will cause crystallization to occur throughout the solution. If fudge is stirred while it's still hot, fewer crystals form, and they grow larger as the syrup cools, resulting in a coarse, grainy candy.

What is the secret of making great fudge? ›

How to Make Smooth, Creamy Fudge
  • Melt the sugar gently. ...
  • Resist stirring. ...
  • Potential grainy moment: We know it's hard to not stir, but fight the urge! ...
  • We'll say it again: resist stirring. ...
  • Potential grainy moment: If you stir your fudge before it cools to 115° F crystals can form. ...
  • Now stir it just enough.
Dec 20, 2023

What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›

Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.

What happens if you cook fudge too long? ›

The amount of time you cook fudge directly affects its firmness. Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.

What happens if you don't beat fudge long enough? ›

However, if you don't beat it at all, the crystals won't form properly, so your fudge won't set. If you forget to beat the fudge, try heating it back up over low heat, then beat it once it's slightly softened. If you beat the fudge too soon, the crystals will be too large, and the fudge will be grainy.

Can I fix fudge that didn't set? ›

OPTION 3) Sieve together some powdered sugar and cocoa powder, and gradually work this into your unset fudge until it reaches the consistency of dough, then roll out and cut into squares, or shape into balls and then roll in powdered sugar (roll the balls in icing sugar, not yourself).

Why can't you make fudge when it's raining? ›

Cooking in High Humidity Can Cause Problems

Humidity can cause fudge to boil over in the pan or stay soft when set, so try to avoid working on humid days if at all possible.

What is the ball method fudge? ›

According to most recipes, the ingredients of fudge are cooked to what is termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers.

Can I use a hand mixer to beat fudge? ›

While beating by hand is the traditional method, you can use an electric mixer if you have one. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and turn it on medium. Beat it just until it starts to thicken and lose its gloss. It is easy to overbeat fudge with a mixer, so watch it carefully and check it after every minute.

Why add vanilla to fudge? ›

Vanilla enhances the flavour of chocolate by adding creaminess, balancing sweetness, and countering acidity and bitterness.

Why did my fudge come out like taffy? ›

If the fudge is very soft and slightly chewy then it is possible that it did not quite cook to soft ball stage and next time the mixture should be cooked to a slightly higher temperature (soft ball is 112-116c/235-240F and a sugar or candy thermometer can help).

Why is my old fashioned fudge not hardening? ›

The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.

Can I use a mixer to beat fudge? ›

Immediately stir the fudge with the wooden spoon or beat on low speed with an electric mixer. The mixture should seem runny at first. Continue to stir vigorously or beat on low speed until the mixture begins to thicken slightly and loses some of its shine, 18 to 22 minutes.

How long should fudge cool before beating? ›

Let the pot sit undisturbed between 30-60 minutes, until temperature drops to 100°F or 37.77°C. Some people say you don't need to go this low, but I've started aiming for this temperature after reading how cooler sugar crystals stay smaller (to avoid grainy fudge).

What to do if you forgot to beat fudge? ›

If you forget to beat the fudge, try heating it back up over low heat, then beat it once it's slightly softened. If you beat the fudge too soon, the crystals will be too large, and the fudge will be grainy.

How do you prevent grainy fudge? ›

Prevent Graininess Before It Starts

The most common reason for graininess is because you began beating or stirring it while the fudge was still cooling. It's best to wait until it's cooled to somewhere around 110 to 113 degrees to begin stirring.

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