How to Make Fudge and Freeze It So It Hardens, According to a Dietitian

If you're struggling to get your fudge to harden just right, you may be missing one key step. Preparing the perfect fudge will require some chilling time (and patience).

This Chocolate Maple Almond Fudge, crafted by Christy Brissette, RD and president of 80 Twenty Nutrition, is quick to prepare and will give you the firm, fudgy consistency you're looking for.

• 1/2 cup no-sugar-added almond butter
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

​Makes 12 servings​

1. ​Line your container:​ Line a medium glass or ceramic food storage container with parchment paper. You can also line mini muffin tins with muffin liners if you want to keep your serving sizes small.
2. ​Combine the ingredients:​ In a small saucepan over low heat, combine your almond butter and coconut oil. Once the oil melts, stir in the cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. When the mixture looks shiny and smooth, stir in the maple syrup.
3. ​Pour the fudge:​ After you've added the maple syrup, pour the fudge mixture into your prepared container or mini muffin tins.
4. ​Harden the fudge:​ Place your container or tins in the fridge for 2 hours, which is the time it takes for the fudge to set. Once it's hardened, cut the fudge into 12 pieces or remove it from the muffin tins. Store in the fridge or the freezer (if you don't devour it right away).

If you prefer harder fudge, freeze it for about 1 or 2 hours after pouring it in a container, Brissette says.

Using a mini muffin tin or silicone candy mold can also help your fudge firm up faster. Thanks to their smaller surface area, they'll help fudge harden much more quickly than if you pour it all into one larger container.

Fudge can last you about 7 days in the fridge — but it's best stored in the freezer because the fat (from the coconut oil) helps prevent a crystallized consistency, according to the USDA.

Fudge can last about 2 to 3 months in the freezer, per the USDA. Just make sure to store it in an air-tight container.

This upgraded fudge recipe swaps butter for almond butter and coconut oil, which not only makes this a plant-based recipe but also gives you a little more healthy, unsaturated fat and protein.

Almond butter packs heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which may help lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Almond butter also adds some fiber to your fudge, which regular butter doesn't supply. With about 3 grams of fiber per 2-tablespoon serving, almond butter offers about 12 percent of your daily recommended fiber intake, according to the USDA.

Fiber helps keep you feeling full for longer, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Brissette's dessert also trades refined sugar for maple syrup, which adds sweetness plus some important nutrients, including potassium, manganese and magnesium, and packs fewer grams of sugar than refined forms of the sweet stuff.