Rich and Creamy Vintage Maple Fudge Recipe
By Rebecca St.Clair
This vintage maple fudge is sinfully sweet and full of delicious flavour. Luscious and silky, this fudge blends the deep rich taste of pure maple syrup with a velvety finish that lingers long after the last bite.
A maple candy that instantly brings back memories of chilly spring days, holiday gatherings, and visits to a local sugar shack.
With just a handful of kitchen staples, this bite-sized treat is full of, old-fashioned sweetness without any artificial ingredients, making this a treat that you can feel better about indulging in.
Handmade in small batches, this maple syrup fudge is the perfect taste of tradition—soft, creamy, and infused with that amber syrup. Each piece feels like a slice of home, whether enjoyed by your family or gifted to someone special.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Tradition – A symbol of Canadian culture and tradition. Tapping trees and processing the sap for sugar has been done by First Nations long before European settlers arrived.
Natural ingredients – Made a handful of simple ingredients like pure maple syrup.
Family fun – A quintessential welcoming of spring in Canada especially Ontario, Québec, and Eastern Canada.
How to store vintage maple fudge
Room Temperature
Store the fudge covered in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 2 weeks.
Freezer
For longer storage, store the fudge in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to make homemade maple fudge without a candy thermometer
Maple fudge needs to cook to the ‘soft ball’ state. Don’t let this scare you, it is easy to do this without any special equipment at all!
Instead of a thermometer, drip a little bit of the cooked maple mixture into a glass of cold water. Fish the little lump out with your fingers and if you can mold it into a squishy but firm ball, the fudge is cooked.
If it is still quite loose, continue to cook the mixture another minute and then check again.
What is soft ball
Soft ball is how we refer to a sugar and liquid candy mixture that has been heated to 240°F. Heating sugar to different temperatures will result in a softer to harder candy in the end.
Jelly 220 °F (104 °C)
Thread 230 °F (110 °C)
Soft-ball 240 °F (115 °C)
Firm-ball 248 °F (120 °C)
Hard-ball 260 °F (127 °C)
Soft-crack 285 °F (140 °C)
Hard-crack 302 °F (150 °C)
If you have a candy thermometer and would like to use this for making maple fudge, make sure to keep the bottom of the thermometer in the liquid and not touching the bottom of the pot. This will give you a false reading.
Since candy thermometers did not always exist, candy makers would use the method of dropping the cooked candy into cold water. When the liquid is dropped in water it will easily be formed, by your fingers, into a soft ball. This is just as reliable a method as using a thermometer.
Vintage Maple Fudge Alternatives
In my opinion this is a perfect fudge just as it is, with only the taste of pure maple syrup. However, there are some fun things that especially the kids will find fun to decorate their maple fudge with.
- toasted shredded coconut
- coarse sea salt
- chopped nuts
- festive sprinkles
- crispy bacon bits
- chocolate drizzle
What type of maple syrup to use for fudge
Pure maple syrup is needed to make maple fudge, this is not the same as pancake syrup found in a squeeze bottle at the grocery store.
While any type of pure maple syrup will work for this recipe, my go-to is golden or amber maple syrup. It has a lighter and milder maple flavour.
As you cook the syrup down to make the fudge, it will darken and intensify the flavour. Starting out with a lighter syrup gives a milder and creamier fudge.
Tips and tricks for the perfect maple fudge
Candy making is a tricky process. The cooked sugar goes from not done, done, to bunt beyond repair in a few seconds.
To make this recipe perfect the first time,
- Prep work – Make sure you have everything ready to go before starting to cook the fudge. Have your tray lined or molds set up.
- Large pan with water – Hot sugar will continue to cook for a few minutes after removing from the heat. If you notice the syrup is starting to get too dark, dip the bottom of the pot into cool water to immediately stop it from cooking. Don’t use freezing cold water, as you will then have the syrup set up in the pan.
- No stirring! – Stirring the hot fudge mixture may cause it to crystallize. Just allow it to bubble away on its own.
- Caution! – Cooking sugar is extremely hot! Never touch the hot syrup with your bare hands.
Ingredients
Maple syrup – The flavour for this fudge. Use golden or amber syrup for the best flavour.
Sugar – White sugar is used to make the fudge.
Milk – Provides a rich creaminess
Salt – Taste and contrast.
Corn syrup – Provides softness.
Butter – Cools the fudge and provides a rich creaminess.
How to Make Vintage Maple Fudge
- In a large sauce pot combine the maple maple syrup, sugar, milk, salt, and corn syrup.
- On medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Do not stir.
3. Leave a wooden spoon resting on the top of the pot to prevent it from boiling over.
4. Watching the mixture constantly, heat it until it reaches 238 °F (soft ball), if using a candy thermometer.
*Alternatively, keep a glass of cold water off to the side. With a spoon, drip a little bit of the cooked mixture into the water. Fish it out and if it squeezes into a soft ball in your fingers it is done.
5. Remove from the heat and immediately add in the butter. Do not stir.
6. Allow the mixture to cool about 8 minutes or until warm.
7. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and creamy.
8. Immediately spread into a lined rectangular tin or molds.
9. Allow to cool until set.
10. Remove and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Vintage Maple Fudge
This fudge blends the deep rich taste of pure maple syrup with a velvety richness that lingers long after the last bite.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups maple syrup 310 ml
- 2 cups sugar 400 g
- 2 Tablespoons corn syrup 30 ml
- 1 cup milk 250 ml
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 g
- 2 Tablespoons butter 30 g
Instructions
- In a large sauce pot combine the maple maple syrup, sugar, milk, salt, and corn syrup.
- On medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Do not stir.
- Leave a wooden spoon resting on the top of the pot to prevent it from boiling over.
- Watching the mixture constantly, heat it until it reaches 238 °F (soft ball), if using a candy thermometer. *Alternatively, keep a glass of cold water off to the side. With a spoon, drip a little bit of the cooked mixture into the water. Fish it out and if it squeezes into a soft ball in your fingers it is done.
- Remove from the heat and immediately add in the butter. Do not stir.
- Allow the mixture to cool about 8 minutes or until cooled to warm.
- Stir the mixture until it is smooth and creamy.
- Immediately spread into a lined rectangular tin or molds.
- Allow to cool until set.
- Remove and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Notes
Place in a lined square tray or use candy molds to shape these little fudge candies.
Nutrition Information
Yield
20Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 166Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 7mgSodium 34mgCarbohydrates 36gFiber 0gSugar 35gProtein 0g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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