For Day 5 of Thanksgiving Week we’re making a rich, dense, super chocolatey fudge with just two base ingredients: dark chocolate chips and almond butter.
Somehow, those two ingredients combine to create the luscious, creamy, shelf-stable fudge of my dreams.
It also happens to be gluten-free, dairy free, vegan friendly, and, depending on the chocolate you use, paleo-friendly too.
No joke, this fudge is everything I ever wanted fudge to be: it’s sweet but not sickeningly so (which I find is the problem with most fudge recipes- I legitimately can’t eat more than a tiny nibble of most fudge before being overwhelmed with the sweetness level), has a deep chocolate flavor, a slightly softer, almost truffle-like texture (that holds it’s shape at room temperature!), and is absolutely loaded with pecans. We’re also sprinkling some flaky sea salt on top to help balance out that richness and add another layer of dimension to this super simple fudge.
And, despite being made with almond butter, this fudge doesn’t taste like almond butter fudge; in fact, if you aren’t a fan of pecans and just want a classic, straight up fudge, the base recipe is perfectly dreamy on it’s own.
But who can resit the lure of ultra crunchy, perfectly roasted pecans?
Not me, that’s who.
So, we’re adding chopped pecans to the fudge and topping it with a generous handful of whole pecan halves to add maximum pecan goodness in every bite. While I enjoy this fudge plain, I seriously LOVE this fudge with pecans (or, really, any nut you love- walnuts or hazelnuts would be my first two choices for alternatives, if you aren’t into pecans).
I know Thanksgiving is usually all about the pies, but I think there’s room on your table for a little something chocolatey, isn’t there?
There certainly is on mine.
Since Thanksgiving is all about, well, giving thanks, I’m going to put in a little plug for using fair trade + organic chocolate chips in this recipe, which is a sure way to say thanks to the farmers who grew the cocoa and sugarcane used to make them.
We always buy Equal Exchange chocolate (and coffee!) because they’re an employee-owned company committed to improving the lives of small farmers around the globe, and their unwavering commitment to making a positive change in our global food system is worth spending an extra dollar on chocolate chips for, particularly because their chocolate is full-flavored and really shines in this minimal ingredient fudge. We buy them on their website by the case, on amazon, and in our local Whole Foods.
They’re seriously so good, and worth every penny.
Stay tuned this week for two more brand new Thanksgiving recipes, as well as the Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup on Monday, November 19th!
As always, if you make this recipe, let me know how it turns out! Leave a comment below, or take a picture and tag me on Instagram so I can see all your Thanksgiving recipes in action
4-Ingredient Salted Chocolate Pecan Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw pecans divided
- 3/4 cup creamy almond butter no added oil/sugar
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips or 1-10oz package, minus 1 Tablespoon
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Instructions
- First, toast your pecans. Turn the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, dump pecans on a sheet pan, and put into the oven immediately (no need to let it preheat!). Let cook for 10-12 minutes, or until pecans are toasted and fragrant. Keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t burn.
- While pecans toast, line a loaf pan with parchment paper for the fudge. Then, place chocolate chips and almond butter into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted and fully combined with almond butter (about 5 minuets, total). Turn off heat and let sit until pecans are finished.
- Once pecans are cool enough to handle, finely chop half of them and stir them into the chocolate mixture. Pour chocolate into the prepared loaf pan, top with reserved pecan halves and sea salt, and either freeze for 20 minutes, fridge for 35 minutes, or let sit at room temperature for an hour to fully firm up.
- Once fully firm, lift fudge out of the pan, and slice into 24 small squares (cut into 3 equal rectangles the long way, then cut in half crosswise, and cut each half into 4.
- This fudge is shelf-stable, so can stay at room temperature for up to 2 weeks (though I think the pecans taste their freshest within 5 days of making). Alternately, store in the freezer for up to 1 month and let come to room temperature before serving.