Fudge Not Setting: Why It Happens and How to Fix It

When your fudge, a dense, creamy candy made from sugar, milk, and chocolate. Also known as chocolate fudge, it's meant to hold its shape when cooled—yet it often turns out soft, grainy, or sticky. You followed the recipe, measured everything, even used a candy thermometer—but still, your fudge won’t set. The problem isn’t your skill. It’s the science.

Fudge isn’t just melted chocolate and sugar. It’s a delicate balance of sugar syrup, a concentrated solution of sugar and water that must reach the right temperature to crystallize properly. If the syrup doesn’t hit 234–240°F (112–115°C), the sugar won’t form the tiny crystals that give fudge its smooth texture. Too hot, and it turns hard and crumbly. Too cool, and it stays runny. Then there’s stirring, the one step that can ruin everything if done at the wrong time. Stirring while the mixture is hot makes crystals grow too big, leading to grainy fudge. You wait until it cools, then stir like crazy—because you think that’s what the recipe says. That’s the mistake.

And let’s not forget the ingredients. Using sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk? That’s fine for some recipes, but it changes the water-to-sugar ratio. Skipping the butter? That fat helps control crystallization. Using cheap chocolate with vegetable oils instead of real cocoa butter? It won’t set right, no matter how hard you try. Even the pan matters. A heavy-bottomed pot heats evenly. A thin one? Hot spots mean uneven cooking.

Most people think fudge fails because they’re bad bakers. But it’s not about talent—it’s about timing, temperature, and the right tools. The posts below cover exactly that: why fudge turns grainy, how evaporated milk makes it creamy, whether refrigeration helps or hurts, and the one step most recipes get wrong. You’ll find fixes for every common mistake, backed by real tests and simple explanations. No fluff. No guesswork. Just what actually works when your fudge won’t set.