This colorful and fun Grinch fudge recipe will make your own heart grow three sizes! Only four ingredients and minutes to make, it's just the right sweet treat for a family night watching the classic Dr. Seuss Christmas story.
Grinch fudge
Sweet treats fill the Christmas season, so why not make a fun dessert that stands out from the rest? This Grinch fudge is an easy, no-bake treat perfect for your Christmas cookie tray.
You only need a few minutes, a few ingredients, and a microwave, so you can get back to joining your family for The Grinch.
We’re big fans of easy fudge recipes that skip the traditional candy-making steps. By using chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk, you can make just about any flavor fudge you like! Our FAQ page has everything you need to know about easy fudge.
how to make Grinch fudge
supplies and ingredients you'll need
- 8-inch square baking pan
- non-stick foil OR parchment paper or regular foil and cooking spray
- 2 ⅔ cups white chocolate chips (16 ounces)*
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- green food coloring
- heart sprinkles
*the recipe here uses Nestle-brand white “morsels,” which are actually confectionery coating. If you’re using white confectionery coating chips (no cocoa butter listed in the ingredients), use 16 ounces. If using pure white chocolate (with cocoa butter listed in the ingredients), use 24 ounces.
let's make fudge! (microwave how-tos)
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick foil OR lightly greased foil or parchment paper.
In a large, microwave-safe bowl place the white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk.
Microwave for 90 seconds at 70 percent power. Use the residual heat to stir the mixture well until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. If necessary, microwave for additional 15 second intervals at 70% power until melted.
- TIP: Be sure to only microwave until the chips are about three-quarters of the way melted and then stir until fully melted as to not overheat the chocolate. Stir in a can of sweetened condensed milk until the mixture is very smooth.
Stir very well until the mixture is smooth.
Add a few drops of food coloring until desired shade of green is reached.
- I suggest Americolor Soft Gel Paste in Electric Green.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.
Press heart sprinkles over the top of the fudge.
- I planned one heart sprinkle per square of fudge. I cut the fudge into 25 pieces, so I made five rows and five columns of heart sprinkles.
- You may also add the heart sprinkles after the fudge is chilled and ready. Dab a bit of light corn syrup on the back of a heart sprinkle and attach to the fudge. (You can also do this if any of the hearts fall off after the fudge is ready.)
Chill until the fudge is well set, 2 to 4 hours, or overnight for firmer fudge. Cut into squares.
stove-top instructions
Alternatively, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water until about ¾'s of the chips are melted then remove from heat and let sit for about 3 minutes before stirring until melted and smooth.
For a great visual on what melting chocolate should look like, check out the video from this chocolate fudge post.
Can you freeze fudge?
Absolutely! Fudge freezes very well.
- Wrap in wax paper then cover tightly in tin foil then place in a zip top bag or an air tight container and place in the freezer.
- To thaw, remove the wrapped fudge from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for a couple hours before unwrapping.
- You can keep fudge fresh in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- However, if you decide to freeze Grinch fudge, I suggest you NOT add the heart sprinkles until after the fudge is removed from the freezer and fully thawed. You can attach the sprinkles with dabs of light corn syrup.
Can you add food coloring to chocolate?
You'll notice in this recipe I add gel paste food coloring to the melted chocolate. But wait! Food coloring tends to make chocolate seize (or stiffen too quickly).
When dealing only with melted chocolate, I suggest using special oil-based food coloring called candy colors. However, by mixing the sweetened condensed milk into the melted chocolate before adding the food coloring, magic happens and you can then use regular food coloring without the chocolate seizing.
watch this short video to make Grinch Christmas fudge
printable Grinch Fudge recipe
Get a printed copy of our How To Make Easy Fudge cookbook from Amazon or a printable E-book from EJunkie. The full-color fudge cookbook features 60 of our most popular easy fudge recipes.
This 4-ingredient, microwave GRINCH FUDGE is an easy and fun Christmas treat.
- 2 ⅔ cup white chocolate chips 16 ounces SEE NOTE!!
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 ouces
- pinch salt (optional)
- few drops green food coloring
- 25 heart sprinkles
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with lightly-greased parchment paper or non-stick foil. Set aside.
Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 70 percent power for 90 seconds. Stir, using the residual heat to fully melt the chocolate chips. If needed, microwave for additional 15 second intervals.
Stir the sweetened condensed milk into the melted chocolate until smooth. If desired, stir in a pinch of salt.
Add food coloring to desired shade of green, stirring very well.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and place the hearts on top. For 25 pieces of fudge, make 5 rows and columns of hearts.
Chill until well set, about 4 hours. Cut into squares, one heart per square.
Please note, the recipe here uses Nestle-brand white “morsels,” which is actually confectionery coating. If you’re using white confectionery coating chips (no cocoa butter listed in the ingredients, use 16 ounces. If using pure white chocolate (with cocoa butter listed in the ingredients), use 24 ounces.
more Grinch fun food ideas
Hosting a Grinch party? Here are more fun food ideas all about The Grinch.
- These Grinch marshmallows are also easy to make.
- Grinch candy cups are amazing.
- Your kids will love waking up to a stack of fluffy Grinch Pancakes on Christmas morning.
- Try a heart-filled Grinch cake.
- Loving these Grinch cupcakes.
more easy fudge recipes
'Tis the season for fudge! Here are some more awesome Christmas fudge recipes.
Here are more Christmas Fudge Recipes you might like...
- Pistachio fudge - February 2, 2023
- chocolate pecan fudge - January 26, 2023
- chocolate frosting fudge - January 24, 2022
Kennedy
Just in time for the new Grinch movie... this is great!
Louise J
Watched you make this on the Morning Show on Channel 8 iin Dayton, Oh. Super for kids and parties.
Beth
Thanks for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed the segment and the fudge!
Kimberly
My fudge never fully set! Should I have put it in the freezer to chill? Help! Lol
Beth
If the fudge is still too soft to cut you can cover it and pop it in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes until it firms up enough to cut. I do this when I want to speed up the process. Once you remove the fudge, and if you have lined the pan with tin foil or parchment paper then you can peel it off the fudge and set the fudge upside down and let it sit at room temperature for a little while. It will begin to dry pretty quickly then you should be able to flip it back over and make your cuts.
For future reference, we have very recently discovered that some sweetened condensed milk is thinner than others. I recommend adding an additional 1/3 cup of the white chips if your milk seems to be thin. Eagle Brand and Carnation brands are both thick while most store brands are quite thin. We have added this information to our FAQ page and will be sure to write it in our posts too.
Freddie Vankeuren
I made this for my kids over the holidays and they loved it. It was super easy to make and tasted great.
Mandy
Where did you get the red hearts or are they basically at most stores? Thank you
Meaghan
Hi Mandy,
They are the Wilton Jumbo Heart sprinkles. I believe I got them in the baking aisle of Michael's, but they should be in most craft stores. Here is what they look like, but you can use any comparable that you find!
https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Jumbo-Heart-Sprinkles-3-25/dp/B002DYJ214/ref=sr_1_2?crid=GCXK7OAND9XY&keywords=wilton+jumbo+heart+sprinkles&qid=1671566124&s=home-garden&sprefix=wilton+jumbo+heart+sprinkles%2Cgarden%2C74&sr=1-2
Mandy
Thank you :)… My first batch didn’t set up. I am trying again. I did see a comment with using Eagle or a thicker brand. I had used a generic so maybe that is the problem.
Meaghan
Gah! That's always frustrating. I use Carnation sweetened condensed milk, but Eagle is good too. The likely culprit is the white chocolate. There's a note in the blog post about what brand of white chocolate you use. I use nestle, which isn't made with cocoa butter. But if you're using pure white chocolate, increase to 24 ounces from 16 ounces. Here's the explanation from the blog post:
*the recipe here uses Nestle-brand white “morsels,” which are actually confectionery coating. If you’re using white confectionery coating chips (no cocoa butter listed in the ingredients), use 16 ounces. If using pure white chocolate (with cocoa butter listed in the ingredients), use 24 ounces.
Mary Lawrence
This is so much fun. I wish I would have seen it before Christmas, but I'm pinning it so I can make it next year. I know my kids will love it.
Arlette Howitt
This is so stinkin' cute! I've pinned it for next Christmas and plan to make it to give as gifts. Thanks for the fun idea.
Beth
Have fun making lots of Grinch Fudge!!! 🙂
Ruby
Love the idea but wondering if it needs to be stored in the fridge?
Meaghan
Hi Ruby, It's not necessary to store in the fridge, but if the fudge ends up a little soft (different brands of chocolate can have different affects), I do store in the fridge.
Shonna Cluri
This is so cute. My daughter is super excited about making it for Christmas.
Becky E
cute idea but it never set up....was like a green blob. kids still ate it but difficult to gift
Meaghan
Hi Becky, Ugh! If a fudge doesn't set firmly enough, it's in the chocolate. Unfortunately, chocolate can be finicky and different brands have different results. We use additional chocolate in our recipes to try and avoid exactly that, but sometimes it's just a mystery!
Joyce
Love them and they came out so cute! Thank you for the recipe.
Marie
If I double the recipe what size pan do I use.
Beth
You can either use two 8-inch square pans or one 9X13-inch pan. Enjoy!
Pam
I’m dairy free, any chance you could swap out the condensed milk with canned coconut milk?
Meaghan
Hi Pam, I have not tried that substitution, but I do not think it would work. The sweetened condensed milk is very thick and has a higher sugar content, and it's used as a shortcut candy making method (to avoid using a candy thermometer). That said, I believe there are dairy-free sweetened condensed milks out there. I imagine they wouldn't be as easy to find, but perhaps available online? I know amazon has sweetened condensed coconut milk which may work.