This Pineapple Upside Down fudge recipe is a fun twist on the treat giving you the flavor of Pineapple Upside Down cake in rich, luxurious fudge. The cherries and pineapple provide a tart balance to the sweet fudge. Just 5 ingredients and no baking required, you can easily make on the stove or in your slow cooker.
I love fudge, but I despise how expensive it is. I can totally agree that it is an art form and those who make it should be well-paid, but $12-14 per pound?!? Sorry, can’t do it. Learning to make it yourself will save you major bucks. (Or even give you something to sell during the holidays to make some extra money!)
Fudge, in its most basic form, is sugar and liquid that has been heated to 235 degrees and cooled to 110 degrees before being poured into the baking dish to set. This allows tiny sugar crystals to form that give you a smooth texture, rather than a grainy fudge.
Making fudge can be a very tricky process requiring constant monitoring of your temperatures. By using sweetened condensed milk and sweetened chocolate chips, we eliminate the need to add granulated sugar and monitor the temperature so closely.
Ingredients:
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides. Grease the parchment paper with cooking spray.
Spread the drained crushed pineapple evenly on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar, heavy whipping cream, corn syrup, and salt. Stir until well combined.
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the mixture reaches 236°F on a candy thermometer, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, white chocolate chips, chopped maraschino cherries, and chopped pecans until smooth.
Pour the fudge mixture over the pineapple in the baking dish. Use a spatula to smooth the top of the fudge.
Chill the fudge in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until completely set.
Once the fudge has set, remove it from the baking dish using the parchment paper overhang. Cut into squares and serve.