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These chocolate meltaways are bite-sized, hand-held puddles of chocolate cream cheese fudge that are guaranteed to simply melt in your mouth.
These mini milk chocolate meltaways are the perfect holiday treat for many reasons. They don’t take long to make, you don’t have to bake them, and they last in the fridge for up to two weeks. Not that they’ll last that long, as once you have a bite of one of these chocolate meltaways, you’ll be coming back for more. With a mouthwatering fudge center and a sugary exterior, these bite-sized treats literally melt in your mouth.
If you’re also looking for more candies made from cream cheese, check out cream cheese divinity and cream cheese mints.
Recipe Ingredients
- Cream cheese (check out my easy homemade cream cheese recipe)
- Butter
- Cocoa powder
- Vanilla
- Lemon juice
- Milk
- Confectioner’s sugar
Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, or about one to two minutes.
Add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, vanilla, lemon juice, and milk, and beat again until fully mixed.
Add confectioner’s sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each and scraping down the sides of the bowl, until thick and very sticky like cookie dough. You may not need all of the confectioner’s sugar, so stop when it has the consistency of cookie dough.
Stir together remaining cocoa powder and 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar in a small bowl.
Pinch off small portions of the dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball into the cocoa/sugar mixture. Tap to remove excess. Repeat until all dough is used.
You can use some silicone candy molds like those here. Otherwise, you can use a simple technique by pressing down lightly on top of each ball with the tines of a fork to flatten and imprint the design. Yep, so simple and it’s so easy to make these adorable bite-sized fudge treats!
(If you use the link above for the candy molds, please note Southernplate will receive a very small commission should you choose to purchase).
Store these chocolate candies covered, in the refrigerator, until ready to serve. These are decadent easy little treats!
Storage
- You can store these chocolate meltaways in the fridge for up to two weeks, as long as all the ingredients were fresh when you made this recipe.
- If you’d prefer to freeze them, seal them in an airtight container and place them in the freezer for up to one year.
Recipe Notes
Feeling minty? Drop 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract into your dough to instantly make mint chocolate meltaways!
Chocolate Meltaways
Chocolate Fudge Meltaways are little bite-sized, hand-held puddles of chocolate cream cheese fudge that melt in your mouth!
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours hours
Total Time: 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate
Servings: 50 -60
Calories: 24kcal
Author: Stacey Lynn
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder split up into 1/2 cup (4oz) and 2 tbsp (1 oz)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 6-7 cups confectioner's sugar plus an additional 1/4 cup for dipping
Instructions
Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, or about 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, vanilla, lemon juice, and milk and beat again until well combined.
8 ounces cream cheese, 3 tablespoons butter, 5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon milk
Add 6 to 7 cups of confectioner's sugar, one cup at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Keep adding sugar until the dough is sticky and thick like cookie dough. You will likely use at least 6 cups but may not need the whole 7.
6-7 cups confectioner's sugar
Stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder with 1/4 cup of confectioner's sugar in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Pinch dough off and form into one-inch balls before rolling in cocoa powder/sugar mixture.
5 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, 6-7 cups confectioner's sugar
Press down lightly on each ball with the tines of a fork to flatten and imprint a pattern. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Can be stored in fridge for up to two weeks if all ingredients are fresh.
Notes
All nutritional calculations are approximate as can change depending on the ingredients chosen and the size of the meltaway created.
Nutrition
Serving: 1meltaway | Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
You may also like these chocolate candy and fudge recipes:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls No Baking Necessary
Holly Jollies – Candy On A Budget; In A Hurry!
10 Favorite Christmas Candies
Chocolate Fudge That Can Take Over The World
To succeed in life you need three things: A wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone.
~Reba McEntire
FAQs
Valuable tips for successful fudge
- Don't stir during cooking. Fudge can be cooked on the stove or in the microwave. ...
- Avoid crystallization. During cooking, sugar crystals can stick to the sides of the pan. ...
- Let cool before beating. After being cooked, the sugar must crystallize again to create fudge. ...
- Beat the mixture.
Why won't my 3 ingredient fudge set? This often happens when the condensed milk and chocolate chip mixture isn't hot enough to start. Everything must be completely melted before it is transferred to the pan to cool.
What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›
Once the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has come to a boil, do not stir it. If you do, the sugar can crystallize, giving your fudge a gritty texture. As you beat the fudge, pay attention to color and texture. Once the fudge loses its sheen and thickens, put down your spoon.
Can you freeze chocolate meltaways? ›
Storage. You can store these chocolate meltaways in the fridge for up to two weeks, as long as all the ingredients were fresh when you made this recipe. If you'd prefer to freeze them, seal them in an airtight container and place them in the freezer for up to one year.
Is evaporated milk or condensed milk better for fudge? ›
The sweetened condended milk is needed as no extra sugar is added to the fudge. If evaporated milk were used then the fudge would not be sweet enough and also would still be too soft unless the fudge is frozen.
Do you stir fudge when it's boiling? ›
Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer
Another key part of a successful fudge texture is when you stir the mixture. Stirring the sugar and milk during the initial stages of cooking allows the sugar to dissolve. However, once the mixture comes to a boil, it's time to put the spoon down.
How to make fudge more solid? ›
How do you fix fudge that is too soft? Bring the fudge back to a boil with 1–2 US tbsp (15–30 ml) of cream. If your fudge is soft or runny, it probably didn't come up to a high enough temperature while it was cooking. Put it back into the saucepan and add 1–2 US tbsp (15–30 ml) of 35% fat whipping cream.
Can you reboil fudge that hasn't set? ›
How can you fix soft fudge? Put it in a microwave safe bowl that is large enough that it won't boil over. Reheat it to the boiling point and cook for about 3 more minutes. Then you can beat some powdered sugar into it if this doesn't make it set.
How to make fudge thicker? ›
How can you fix soft fudge? Put it in a microwave safe bowl that is large enough that it won't boil over. Reheat it to the boiling point and cook for about 3 more minutes. Then you can beat some powdered sugar into it if this doesn't make it set.
How long do you boil fudge to get to soft ball stage? ›
How long does it take to make fudge:
- about 18 min to reach boiling.
- about 40 minutes to reach soft ball stage.
- 60 minutes to cool.
- 28 minutes to beat in a KitchenAid (your time for this may vary)
- 4 hours to set.
Options for what you can do with your unset fudge:
OPTION 1) Depending on how runny it is, you can either use it as a frosting for cakes, or a sauce for ice-cream. OPTION 2) Freeze it overnight. Cut it into squares. Cover each square thickly in melted chocolate, ensuring no part of the fudge is exposed.
What happens if you cook fudge too long? ›
Too cooked
The result is hard and brittle fudge. To save the fudge, put it in a saucepan with 45 to 60 ml (3 or 4 tbsp.) of 35% cream and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely melted. Then let it boil without stirring until the thermometer reaches 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).
What is a chocolate meltaway? ›
Meltaways are a candy that have a velvet texture that begins to dissolve in your mouth as soon as you eat it. This unique texture is made by combining chocolate that contains cocoa butter with another fat that has a different molecular structure than cocoa butter.
Should you refrigerate chocolate? ›
Do not refrigerate chocolate. Whether you only eat gourmet truffles or consume any chocolate put in front of you, please don't store chocolate in the fridge. This is because chocolate easily absorbs the odors of whatever items it is placed near to in a fridge, which can have a detrimental effect on its flavor.
Can you freeze fudge in plastic containers? ›
Freezing Fudge
Wrap your fudge in an air-tight container. Several layers of saran wrap, vacuum seal, Tupperware should all keep the moisture locked in pretty good. A couple hours before you would like to enjoy your fudge, take it out of the freezer and allow it to thaw out on your counter. ENJOY!
What does cream of tartar do in fudge? ›
Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!
How do you describe high quality fudge? ›
High-quality fudge tastes smooth and creamy because it contains small sugar crystals. It has a deep brown color and a satiny sheen. Poor-quality fudge tastes grainy because it contains large sugar crystals.
What causes homemade fudge to be grainy? ›
Grainy Fudge
The sugars probably crystallized, a common mistake when making candy like fudge or caramel. If the melting sugar splashes onto the sides of the pan, it turns back into crystals and causes the fudge to seize up. To avoid this issue, swirl the pan instead of stirring it with a spoon.
What gives fudge its firm texture? ›
Tiny microcrystals in fudge are what give it its firm texture. The crystals are small enough, however, that they don't feel grainy on your tongue, but smooth. While you ultimately want crystals to form, it's important that they don't form too early.
