In this post I’m going to show you how to make a simple and delicious fudge that has the flavors of hot chocolate, complete with tiny marshmallows! This one’s perfect for the holiday season!
What is Hot Cocoa Fudge?
Hot cocoa fudge is a delicious and easy fudge recipe that you’ll turn to again and again! It’s so yummy!
You might wonder what sets hot cocoa apart from an ordinary fudge recipe.
Simple! It’s the addition of three packets of instant hot cocoa mix. You stir it directly into the hot liquid and stir until it’s fully incorporated.
The flavors from those three packets are just the thing to make this fudge taste like a cup of hot cocoa!
And the addition of those tiny dehydrated marshmallows. . .well, that’s just the icing on the proverbial cake.
What are Dehydrated Marshmallows?
If you’ve ever had instant hot cocoa you’re probably familiar with dehydrated marshmallows. They’re tiny shrunken version of mini marshmallows that swell a tiny bit as they are place in the hot liquid.
You might be wondering if it’s okay to swap out mini marshmallows for dehydrated in this recipe. That’s totally up to you. The point of the dehydrated ones (which I purchased at Amazon, by the way) is the feel of cocoa. But mini marshmallows are fun, too.
Why I Made this Fudge
I’ve been on a roll lately making Christmas treats (in preparation for holiday-themed posts). I recently made Chocolate Crinkle cookies, (perfect for holiday trays). And I’m working on several other Christmas dishes to add, as well.
So, when I found this recipe at a food blog called Far From Normal, I was intrigued. Hot Cocoa fudge sounded perfect for the holidays, so I decided to give it a try! It came together so easily! And I took it to a seniors Bingo event and the ladies loved it, too!
This one is definitely perfect for Christmas!
Hot Cocoa Fudge Ingredients
You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need to make this fudge. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand in your pantry.
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- milk chocolate chips
- butter (salted or unsalted, your choice) plus a bit more for buttering the dish
- sweetened condensed milk
- pouches of hot cocoa mix
- vanilla extract
- dehydrated marshmallows (marshmallow bits)
How to Make Hot Cocoa Fudge
This cocoa came together so easily, y’all! And it really is the perfect holiday treat.
Butter an 8×8-inch dish. Place a piece of parchment paper inside and butter it, as well.
Pour the sweetened condensed milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl.
Place in the microwave and heat in 30-second increments until milk warms and butter begins to melt.
Put the chips into the bowl and continue to heat in 30-second increments until chocolate chips are fully melted.
Stir well until there are no lumps. Add vanilla extract and stir.
Now stir in the three packets of dry cocoa mix. (Check out that hot chocolate powder, y’all! Doesn’t it make you want to dive right in?)
Add half a cup of dehydrated marshmallows to the fudge.
Stir well until the fudge is smooth.
Immediately pour fudge into prepared pan. (A square pan is always best for fudge.) Spread in an even layer.
Immediately place the remaining (1 cup) dehydrated marshmallows on top.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill for a couple of hours.
Cut into pieces with a sharp knife and serve! (Portion sizes are totally up to you.)
Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. This fudge can be frozen up to two months in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
What to Expect from this Fudge
This fudge is going to be perfect on your Christmas cookie tray, y’all! It’s lovely to look at, creamy and delicious, and those little marshmallows? Well, they’re simply perfect!
I love the combination of the semi-sweet and milk chocolate flavors. And the addition of the sweetened condensed milk gives it the perfect consistency! (Homemade fudge is the best!)
I highly recommend this simple fudge recipe. (No candy thermometer necessary!) It’s so easy and holds up beautifully and definitely has that hot cocoa flavor.
Variations on this Easy Fudge Recipe
This fudge has a wonderful delicious flavor and is perfect just as it is. . .but there are always ways to change things up. Here are some ideas for next time:
Pecans: I’m nuts about nuts and I think this recipe would be great with a handful (up to a cup).
White chocolate chips: Add a cup of white chocolate chips in place of the marshmallows inside the fudge.
Peppermint candies: Skip the marshmallows. Crush several peppermint candies and press them into the top of the fudge. Perfect for Christmas!
Rocky Road: Add chopped almonds and miniature marshmallows (not dehydrated) to turn this into Rocky Road fudge.
Marshmallow cream: You can add some marshmallow cream to this recipe if you want it to be more like fantasy fudge.
Peanut Butter: Love the flavor of peanut butter? Swirl some in while putting the fudge in the baking dish.
M&Ms: Skip the marshmallows and press M&Ms on top. During the holidays use green and red M&Ms for a festive dessert!
Red Velvet: Add red coloring gel and a teaspoon of vinegar to turn this into red velvet fudge.
Hot Fudge: In the mood for ice cream? Melt down the fudge mixture and turn it into hot fudge sauce!
That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious chocolate marshmallow fudge recipe.
If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you’re at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!
See this recipe at
Learn more about doctored cake mixes, the theme of this blog.
For the master list of all doctored cake mix recipes on this site, visit Doctored Cake Mix Recipes, Master List.
About the Author
Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.
Hot Cocoa Fudge
In this post I’m going to show you how to make a simple and delicious fudge that has the flavors of hot chocolate, completely with tiny marshmallows!
Ingredients
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
- 3 Tablespoons Butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
- 14 oz Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 3 Pouches Hot Cocoa Mix (1.38 oz pouches)
- 1 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Dehydrated Marshmallows (marshmallow bits)
Instructions
- Butter an 8x8-inch dish. Place a piece of parchment paper inside and butter it, as well.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a microwave safe bowl.
- Place in the microwave and heat in 30-second increments until butter begins to melt.
- Add chocolate chips and continue to heat in 30-second increments until they are mostly melted.
- Stir well until there are no lumps.
- Stir in the three packets of dry cocoa mix and vanilla extract.
- Add half a cup of dehydrated marshmallows to the fudge.
- Stir well until the fudge is smooth.
- Immediately pour fudge into prepared pan.
- Immediately place the remaining (1 cup) dehydrated marshmallows on top.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill for a couple of hours.
- Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. This fudge can be frozen up to two months in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 287Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 100mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 36gProtein: 5g
The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
Thursday 28th of September 2023
Hot cocoa just conjurs up visions of snow!! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party. Hope your upcoming weekend is fantastic!