This Coke and Peanut Fudge is white chocolate based with cola syrup and flavoring and full of salted peanuts.

My love of unique fudge flavors continues with this Coke and Peanut Fudge.

If you are not from the South you might be thinking…cola and peanuts?

Yep.

It’s a thing.

Often called Farmer’s Coke, it’s simply a bottle of Coke with salted peanuts added to the bottle.

Now the combo may sound weird but it’s really good together.

I’ve made the combo a few times on the blog.

I’ve made it as a Bundt and as an ice cream.

Ingredient Highlights:

• Vegetable Shortening: While most people use butter in their fudge recipes (and I still do for certain recipes) I have become a big fan of using shortening. Because it’s flavorless you can really highlight what you want the fudge to taste like. In this fudge, that is the cola flavor.
  Can I use butter? Yes, but you need to make sure you use a butter with the highest butterfat you can find. I make most of my fudge with a 85% butterfat butter.
• Baker’s Sugar: Also known as Superfine Sugar. It is granulated sugar that has been finely ground so the crystals are smaller. As a result, it dissolves easier than regular granulated sugar. Your fudge will be less grainy if you use this type of sugar.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is to be use. No half and half. There is no substitute for this.
• Marshmallow Creme: Marshmallow creme is different than marshmallow fluff. It contains cream of tartar and that makes it more suitable for making fudge. Cream of tartar helps prevent crystallizing.
  Can I just melt down marshmallows? No. Marshmallow creme does not have gelatin in it and that makes a big difference when making fudge.
• White Chocolate Chips – While I prefer the taste of white chocolate, most of the white chips these days are actually vanilla chip. Both will work.
• Cola Reduction: You will need to make a cola reduction using a 12 ounce bottle of cola…I used Coke. You can skip it and use all cola flavoring but I have done it both ways and prefer the combo of the syrup and the flavoring so that’s what I suggest.
• Cola Flavoring: There are a variety of cola extracts out there. Check to see if they are regular or super strength as that will change the flavor of the fudge. I used two tiny drops in mine and you could taste the cola.
• Peanuts: Use salted peanuts with no skin on them. They have to be salted.
• Mini Gummy Colas: I can only find them in bulk. So unless you like them a lot you can skip them. As they are mostly just for aesthetic reasons.

Can I use milk or semisweet chocolate chips instead of white chocolate chips?

Yes.

The combo of chocolate and cola go together well.

I used the white chocolate chips because I wanted the flavor of the cola to shine through.

Note that if you do use milk or semisweet chocolate chips you may want to add another drop of cola extract as the chocolate will drown it out a little.

General Keys to Successful Fudge:

• Have a thermometer.
  I don’t like the old fashioned ones that you clip to the side. Those never work for me. I like digital and use this one.
• Patience!!! This is hard for people. But you need to make sure your sugar fully dissolve in a slow manner. If you do it too quick the fudge will be grainy.
• You also need patience when mixing. When you first start mixing the marshmallow creme into the fudge mixture it will want to separate and not come together. You have to keep stirring and stirring until it does come together…which it will.
• Use Baker’s sugar. Also known as caster or superfine sugar. I don’t always follow my own rule because I don’t always have it on hand but it makes for a less gritty fudge.
• Use good butter. Preferably European. The higher the butterfat content the better. Cheaper butter often has too much water in it and will cause your fudge to separate.
• Same goes for your chocolate. The cheaper the chocolate the more likely it is to separate. If using chips I tend to use Guittard. And when making extra special fudge I use Callebaut chocolate.

P.S. It’s a great day to buy my cookbook Holy Sweet!

Want More Fudge Recipes?

Texas Sheet Cake Fudge

Oatmeal Cream Pie Fudge

Key Lime Pie Fudge

Strawberry Frosted Pop Tart Fudge

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Fudge