White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Fudge is the perfect balance of holiday flavors all in a delicious bite-sized treat!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and I am HERE for it. I love the music, the decorations, and the smells of the holiday season. I especially love the DESSERTS that come with the holidays.
My favorite dessert is fudge and this year White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Fudge is going to be a staple in our kitchen. I can almost guarantee there will be a batch made almost daily, it’s that good. Ok, maybe I’ll alternate between this recipe and 3-Ingredient Fudge, just to mix it up, but there will definitely always be fudge in our kitchen!
WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY PISTACHIO FUDGE
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This holiday season is sure looking like it’s going to be very different from any other we’ve had. Large family gatherings are starting to look like they’re not going to happen (this year at least… don’t worry, we WILL gather and hug each other again). No neighborhood holiday potluck, no door-to-door caroling, we’re going to have to seriously re-think some of our favorite traditions. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure ways to spread a little holiday cheer this year and yesterday it struck me… FUDGE.
What could possibly be better than opening your door to a festive holiday tin bursting at the seams with homemade fudge? Oh, I know… a tin bursting with homemade white chocolate cranberry pistachio fudge! While it’s definitely a mouthful to say, believe me when I say that this easy recipe is a dessert lover’s dream!
I am definitely a fan of traditional chocolate fudge, but I’ve recently found a love for all the extra add-ins you can put into this candy to make it unique. And unique is the perfect word to describe this easy fudge recipe.
I love the salty crunch of the pistachios and the decadent sweetness of the white chocolate and cranberries. I especially love that you only need a microwave to make it. I’m starting to collect cute holiday tins so that I can gift a batch of this delicious fudge to all of my neighbors, friends, and family!
Ingredients
For this recipe, you’ll need a few simple ingredients, all of which can be picked up at your local grocery store (or on your next Target run…)!
Fudge – For the base of this holiday treat you’ll only need some white chocolate chips & sweetened condensed milk. You want to make sure to get sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk.
Those marketing people make it super confusing because the cans look SO similar. The only real difference between the two is that evaporated milk is unsweetened. But for this dessert, you’ll definitely want that added sweetness!
Extras – Here’s where the fun comes in! Chopped pistachios and dried cranberries bring in the holiday flavors and salty goodness that make this a savory-sweet treat that everyone will enjoy!
How to Make Fudge
Do you have a microwave? If you answered yes, then you’ve got all the “fancy” kitchen equipment needed to make this easy fudge. This recipe is so quick and simple that it’s perfect use as a new holiday baking tradition with the kids!
- Start by lining a square baking dish with foil or parchment paper. Make sure you leave some extra around the edges so that you’re able to pull the hardened fudge out easily!
- Next, combine your white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a medium microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave the chocolate and milk for 60 seconds, then remove and stir. You’ll see that your white chocolate chips are starting to melt together, but they’ll need a litttttttle more melting time.
- Place your bowl back into the microwave and heat for another 30 seconds then stir. Keep repeating this step until your chocolate is completely melted into liquid chocolate goodness.
- Now, stir in 1/2 a cup of chopped pistachios and 1/2 a cup of dried cranberries.
- Next, pour your melted chocolate mixture into the lined baking dish and smooth it out with a rubber spatula.
- Sprinkle the remaining pistachios and cranberries on top – this adds some crunch AND it looks beautiful!
- Place your fudge in the fridge to cool. I usually leave it in there for an hour or two before cutting.
- Once it’s set, cut it into squares (I usually do 2-inches squares) and enjoy! Or get packing those holiday tins – while”taste testing” along the way!
If you have any leftovers, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week… if it’ll last that long!
Other Fudge Recipes
Now that we’ve got your mind on delicious fudge, why not try out some other variations of the sweet treat? Why not even make a fudge SAMPLER as a gift?! Sounds like the perfect Christmas gift to me!!!
- Salted Pretzel & Caramel Fudge – this fudge is the perfect balance of sweet and salty as well as crunchy and chewy! It’s a super easy fudge to make and definitely one of my favorites!
- Chocolate Pumpkin Fudge – we make this every fall around Halloween, but you could totally make it year round. You make it all in the microwave too!
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge – if you’re one of those people who sneaks raw cookie dough when baking, this fudge recipe is for you! It tastes even better than cookie dough.
Looking for some more holiday worthy (and drool-worthy) desserts?
- Caramel Pumpkin Blondies
- White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge
- Heirloom Chocolate Cream Pie
- White Chocolate Cherry Pudding Cookies
- No Bake S’mores Cheesecake Bars
- more DESSERT recipes…
Tools used to make this White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Fudge recipe
Microwave-safe Mixing Bowl: I love a good mixing bowl, especially one that can get popped right into the microwave!
Rubber Spatula: you can never have too many spatulas (…in my opinion, but my utensil holder may tell you differently.)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups white chocolate chips
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup shelled pistachios chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Topping
- 2 tablespoons shelled pistachios chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
Instructions
- Line a square baking dish with foil or parchment paper.
- Combine white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave for 60 seconds, and then remove and stir. Heat for another 30 seconds and then stir. Repeat as needed until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Stir 1/2 cup pistachios and dried cranberries into the white chocolate.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and smooth with a rubber spatula.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons each pistachios and dried cranberries on top of the fudge.
- Place in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Cut into 2-inch squares and enjoy!
Nutrition
Rose says
i followed this recipe exactly but after 2 hours it as still soft and sticky. what did I do wrong?
Denise says
This happen3d to me as well — the consistency is still soft and sticky. It holds together and looks solid but it is a bit too gooey for fudge consistency… not sure if I didn’t melt things long enough or too much, or if the type of chips you use affects the recipe, or maybe there’s too much sweetened condensed milk?
Tanaquil LeMaster says
Hi, I’m Tanny. This is one of my favorite snack. I always love to eat plain dried cranberries and pistachios, when you show the vlogs. I immediately got your recipe and how delicious the fudge tasted. Thank you so much!