Most cookie dough fudge recipes follow a similar pattern: first, an edible cookie dough is made with butter, sugar, vanilla, heat‑treated flour, and chocolate chips, but without eggs; then a simple white‑chocolate‑and‑condensed‑milk fudge is prepared and mixed together with the dough before being spread into a pan to set.
Some versions keep the cookie dough in chunks or a separate layer under or swirled through the fudge, while others blend everything together into one unified cookie‑dough‑flavored slab. Because the base uses sweetened condensed milk and melted white chocolate instead of cooked sugar syrup, the method is quick and forgiving, giving you a pan of fudge in minutes plus chill time.
Equipment
- Medium mixing bowl for the cookie dough.
- Hand mixer or sturdy spatula to cream butter and sugars.
- Small microwave‑safe bowl or baking tray to heat‑treat flour safely.
- Saucepan or microwave‑safe bowl for melting white chocolate with sweetened condensed milk.
- Rubber spatula for folding fudge base into the cookie dough and scraping into the pan.
- 8×8‑inch (20×20 cm) square baking pan lined with parchment paper, with overhang for lifting out.
- Knife for cutting the set fudge into squares.
Ingredients
This is a clear, measured cookie dough fudge formula based on several popular recipes.
Cookie dough:
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened.
- ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar.
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- ½ teaspoon salt (use ¼ teaspoon if your butter is salted).
- 1½ cups (185–190 g) all‑purpose flour, heat‑treated.
- 1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed for a soft dough.
- 1 cup (170–180 g) mini or regular chocolate chips, plus a small handful extra for topping.
Fudge base:
- 1 can (14 oz / 396 g) sweetened condensed milk.
- 2 cups (340–360 g) white chocolate chips or finely chopped white chocolate.
- 4–6 tablespoons (56–85 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces (optional but helps richness and texture).
- ½ cup (100 g) light or dark brown sugar (for extra cookie‑dough depth; used in some stovetop versions).
- ½–¾ teaspoon salt, depending on taste.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
You can omit the brown sugar and butter from the fudge base and simply melt white chocolate with condensed milk and vanilla for an ultra‑simple version, then fold that into the prepared cookie dough.
Instructions and steps
The first step is making safe, edible cookie dough. Because traditional cookie dough contains raw flour and eggs, cookie dough fudge recipes either skip eggs entirely and heat‑treat the flour or cook the whole mixture briefly on the stove.
Most no‑bake versions start by heat‑treating the flour: the all‑purpose flour is spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet and baked at about 350°F (175°C) for 5–7 minutes, or microwaved in a microwave‑safe bowl on high for about 60–90 seconds, stirring once, until it reaches at least 165°F internally. After cooling completely, this flour is safe to mix into the dough.
In a medium mixing bowl, softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar are creamed together with a hand mixer or spatula until light and fluffy, which usually takes a couple of minutes. Vanilla and salt are then mixed in until smooth.
The cooled, heat‑treated flour is added gradually, mixing on low just until combined; at first the mixture may look crumbly, but a tablespoon or two of milk is added to bring it together into a soft, pliable cookie dough that holds together without being sticky. Finally, most of the chocolate chips are folded in, reserving a small handful to sprinkle on top of the fudge later.
With the cookie dough prepared, attention turns to the fudge base. For the simplest approach, white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk are combined in a saucepan over low to medium‑low heat, along with butter, brown sugar, and salt if using that deeper “cookie dough fudge” style.
The mixture is stirred frequently until the chocolate and butter are fully melted and the sugar dissolves, creating a smooth, thick, glossy mixture; bringing it just to a gentle bubble for a few minutes helps dissolve the sugar and avoid graininess. Once melted and uniform, the pan is removed from the heat and vanilla is stirred in.
Some recipes instead melt white chocolate and condensed milk in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between each until smooth; this works especially well if you are not using extra sugars that need to dissolve.
Either way, the fudge base should cool slightly before it touches the cookie dough, so it doesn’t melt the chocolate chips. Letting it sit for a few minutes off heat until it is warm rather than piping hot helps preserve the chip shape.
The cookie dough and fudge base are then combined. One common method is to scrape the prepared cookie dough into a large bowl, pour the warm white‑chocolate‑condensed‑milk mixture over it, and fold gently with a spatula until everything is evenly blended and the dough is loosened into a thick, pourable fudge.
Another method, seen in layered recipes, spreads the cookie dough in the prepared 8×8 pan as a bottom layer and chills it briefly while the chocolate fudge is made separately; then the fudge is poured over the dough so the two form distinct layers. In both approaches, the key is to work quickly, since sweetened‑condensed‑milk fudge begins to set as it cools.
Once the mixture is ready, the parchment‑lined pan is filled. For the fully combined style, the thick cookie‑dough fudge mixture is scraped into the pan and pressed into an even layer with a spatula, smoothing the top as much as possible.
The reserved chocolate chips are sprinkled over the surface and lightly pressed in so they adhere. For layered versions, the chocolate fudge is poured over the chilled cookie dough layer and spread to cover completely, then sometimes decorated with extra cookie pieces or chips.
The pan then needs to chill until the fudge is firm enough to slice. Most recipes suggest refrigerating for at least 3–4 hours or, more often, overnight for best results; some indicate that freezing for a shorter time works if you are in a rush, though texture is nicest when set slowly in the fridge. Once firm, the fudge is lifted out of the pan using the parchment overhang and transferred to a cutting board.
A sharp knife, sometimes warmed under hot water and dried, is used to cut the slab into small squares or rectangles, since the fudge is quite rich and sweet. The squares can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they typically keep well for several days to a week.
Variations
Cookie dough fudge is highly customizable, and many recipes tweak the chocolate, dough mix‑ins, or structure. Some versions focus on ultra‑smooth texture by cooking the fudge base on the stovetop with sweetened condensed milk, butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup or glucose and then adding flour and white chocolate, essentially making a cooked cookie‑dough‑style fudge before folding in chocolate chips; this helps avoid any graininess from undissolved sugar.
Others lean into a simpler no‑cook approach: butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, and condensed milk are mixed directly into a dough, white chocolate is melted and stirred in, and mini chips are folded through without any stovetop step.
The type of chocolate chips can shift the flavor balance. Dark or semisweet chips cut some of the sweetness and give a richer chocolate note, while milk chocolate chips make the fudge taste closer to classic chocolate chip cookie dough.
Some bakers mix a combination of mini and regular chips, or add chopped chocolate bars for more varied chunks. Swapping part of the chips for crushed cookies (like chocolate chip cookies or Oreos) introduces extra texture and visual interest in the fudge layer.
Flavor variations go beyond classic chocolate chip. Peanut butter chips or a swirl of peanut butter in the fudge base turn it into peanut‑butter‑cookie‑dough fudge, while adding rainbow sprinkles to the dough makes a “funfetti” or birthday‑cake style.
A pinch of extra salt or a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top can help balance the sweetness and add a bit of salted‑cookie‑dough character. For holiday twists, crushed candy canes, festive sprinkles, or red and green mini M&Ms can be pressed into the top before the fudge sets.
Regardless of the variation, the core appeal stays the same: cookie dough fudge delivers the indulgent brown sugar‑vanilla flavor and soft texture of edible chocolate chip cookie dough in a firm, sliceable fudge format, with sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate making the process quick, reliable, and oven‑free.
