This fudge happened by accident. Back when I was perfecting my granola bar recipe, I decided to warm up the almond butter mixture for one of the test batches. When I stirred in the chocolate chips, they melted—as chocolate chips do when they’re stirred into warm liquids. Head smack.
The chocolatey mix tasted great, but I cursed those chips for melting because I wasn’t trying to make solid chocolate bars. I couldn’t waste a precious blend of chocolate, honey and almond butter blends, however, so I carried on with the recipe and served it as a makeshift dessert at girls’ night. Jordan, Tessa and Alissa are always good sports.
We all enjoyed the chocolatey bars that night, but I was still mad at them for not being what I wanted them to be. “Off you go!” I declared, and sent the rest home with Jordan. She texted me a couple of days later to tell me that she and her husband had polished off the whole batch already and she was craving more. She called it “salted oat fudge” and suggested I publish the recipe, so here we are!
These delicious, easy, wholesome chocolate squares taste like a cross between fudge and no-bake cookies. You just can’t go wrong with a hybrid between fudge and no-bake cookies, am I right?
The version I’m sharing here uses oat flour instead of whole oats. The oat flour disappears into the fudge and absorbs excess moisture so the bars are firm at room temperature. You can taste a subtle oaty-ness in the fudge, which I thoroughly enjoy.
Feel free to play around with the fudge mix-ins; I made notes in the recipe to help you along. I added pecans and finished off the fudge with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Delicious!
Easy Salted Oat Fudge
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: About 36 small squares of fudge. 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
This delicious fudge recipe is healthier than most and lighter, too, thanks to oat flour! It tastes like a cross between fudge and no-bake cookies. Feel free to play with the mix-ins to suit your preferences.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup creamy unsalted almond butter or peanut butter
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup maple syrup or honey
- 4 tablespoons butter, sliced into small cubes, or ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt (scale back, to taste, if your nut butter is salted)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups old-fashioned oats ground into flour, see step 1
- 1 cup whole pecans or other nuts
- Optional: Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Prep work: Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut two strips of parchment paper to fit across the interior of an 8 to 9-inch square baker. Criss-cross the papers at the bottom of the baker and fold the ends up the sides of the baker (see photos). If you need to make your own oat flour, blend 1 and ¾ cups oats in a blender or food processor until ground into a fine flour.
- Toast the nuts: Arrange the nuts in a single layer on a small, rimmed baking sheet (I used parchment paper for easy clean-up). Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until fragrant (7 minutes for thinner/smaller/chopped nuts and about 10 for whole pecans). If you’re using large nuts like pecans, transfer them to a cutting board and chop them into small pieces with a chef’s knife.
- Make the fudge: In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the nut butter, chocolate chips, sweetener, butter, salt and cinnamon. Warm the pot over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is melted throughout. Remove the pot from heat.
- Stir the vanilla extract into the pot, followed by the oat flour and finally, the chopped pecans. The mixture will have thickened up at this point, so you might have to put some muscle into it to mix in those pecans. You can do it!
- Carefully dump the fudge mixture into your lined square baker. Use the back of a sturdy mixing spoon to push the mixture across the baker so it’s roughly evenly distributed. Cover the bottom side of a thick, heavy-bottomed drinking glass or mason jar with parchment paper and press it down on the fudge repeatedly until the fudge is evenly packed. If you’re finishing the fudge with flaky sea salt, lightly sprinkle some on top now and gently press it into place with the bottom of your parchment-covered glass.
- Cover and freeze the fudge for 30 to 45 minutes, until it’s firm to the touch and no longer shiny in the middle. If you’re not in a hurry, you can refrigerate the fudge for a couple of hours or longer.
- Use a chef’s knife to slice the fudge into 1 ¼-inch wide columns and rows. Fudge will keep well for a couple of days at room temperature, or for a few weeks in the freezer, sealed in an air-tight freezer bag.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my chocolate chip granola bars.
Make it dairy free and vegan: Use dairy-free chocolate chips and coconut oil in place of the butter.
Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free oat flour or oats.
Change it up: If you want to include whole oats in the fudge for texture, use 1 ¼ cups old-fashioned oats and ¾ to 1 cup oat flour (add oat flour until you can hardly mix in any more).
Need more holiday recipes? I got you covered over here.
▸ Nutrition Information
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Blendtec Blender
Crate and Barrel Everyday Square Baker
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Stacy | Keeping Willow
Delicious recipes that come about by mistakes are the best. That’s how the chocolate chip cookie came about, right? These look simple and delicious. Thanks for being willing to share, even if it was a mistake.
Christina // Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe
Yum this sounds so good! Totally pinning right this minute!
Kate McIvor
These look amazing! Since my jeans are still snug from the four batches of almond butter granola bars I made, I may wait until after the holidays to make these. But, I will make them. Thanks Kate!
jordan
Yay! I really loved these- so lucky to be a Cookie and Kate taste tester :)
Zaza
Wow, these look so so yummy!
cheyenne
wow, that sounds awesome! thanks so much for sharing. :)
xo, cheyenne
Amanda
Made these today for a gift….not sure if they will make it out of the house, they are so good. I used walnuts in place of the pecans and it turned out really well. Thanks for another great recipe!
Kate
Hooray! So glad to hear that Amanda, thanks for letting me know!
Sonja
That photo with Cookie’s face is so adorable and this salted oat fudge sounds amazing!
jodye @ whole pure recipes
This looks amazing! I’m literally about to walk into the kitchen and make this fudge right now! Thanks for the wonderful recipe, Kate!
anna
These look amazing! Do you think they would work with Buckwheat flour? I have celiac disease and cannot tolerate even gf oats :( BUT I love the mix of all the nuts and the chocolate!
Kate
Hey Anna, I’m really sorry, I wish I knew if that would work! I’m doubtful because I don’t think buckwheat flour has the same absorptive properties as oat flour. Coconut flour just might work, but you’d probably need way less than the amount of oat flour called for here because it is a super absorber! I will let you know if I think of any other options.
Misty Howard
Looks Yummy. Did you use maple syrup when you made it? I want to use the same sweetener. Thank You.
Kate
Hi Misty, yes, I used maple syrup in the fudge you see here. I also made a batch with honey. I didn’t notice any differences other than the subtle flavor differences that each provide. Enjoy!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
I love when recipes turn out accidentally awesome, especially fudge! I love when you include a picture with little Cookie in it, what a cutie!
Raquel
OH MY GOD.
laurasmess
I love recipes that evolve from little mistakes or skipped steps in an intended method. Yay for girlfriends who taste test and provide awesome feedback (and their husbands!). This salted oat fudge is full of goodness and I can imagine how good the texture would be. I can actually imagine just rolling the raw mixture into balls as well and perhaps coating them in dessicated coconut – little chewy fudge bites!! Yum either way xxx
laurasmess
P.S COOKIE. Oh, my heart! x
Sini | My Blue&White Kitchen
Some of the best things in life happen by accident. This fudge is definitely one of them. Looks so tasty!
Jill Ostrowski
I made these last night for a dinner party. I added a pinch of cayenne pepper for some heat, and went for the recommended sprinkle of salt flakes on the top. They turned out excellently! Quick and delicious, I’ll be making these again for sure.
Kate
Fantastic! Great idea to add some cayenne pepper. I like the way you think, Jill. Thanks for commenting!
Sarah C
These came out great! A keeper recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
Awesome, thanks Sarah!
Ella
This sounds SO good. I might make them for Christmas Neighbor Cookie Plates :) Thanks for sharing such an easy/yummy recipe!
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
Kelly
A happy accident- can’t wait to try them!
Emily L
I made these this afternoon and just had a piece and it was awesome!! I used coconut oil, 1/4 cup of maple syrup (I like my desserts less sweet) and used dark chocolate chips. I like how satisfying these were as well–the oats make it feel substantial and healthy :) and the chocolate and pecans make it feel indulgent!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thanks, Emily! Your version sounds so delicious.
Emily | Gather & Dine
Wow, you were thinking about not posting these?! I love the idea of adding in oat flour to fudge. You have such flair to everything that you do. :)
Kate
Thanks, Emily! I was so set on granola bars that I didn’t recognize this fudge’s potential at first. Ha.
Priscille
I made these and they turned out fantastic. Was just wondering how much oat flour comes from the 1 3/4 cups of oat. Since I had the oat flour I put 1 1/2 cups. Thanks
★★★★★
Mallory @forkvsspoon
I instantly thought of no-bake cookies when I saw the oat flour…what a nice mix-up to the fudge game!
Howie
This one is so pinned, I’m incredibly curious!!! Thanks :D
lady k
So it didn’t make sense that 1-3/4c oats would grind “up” to 2c oat flour and sure enough, it didn’t. It took 2-1/2c oats to grind “down” to 2c oat flour. That said, I suspect that I should have stuck with the flour from 1 3/4 cups because these are quite crumbly, certainly won’t stand up to being shipped or even kept at room temperature for a couple of hours on a cookie plate. Good flavor/texture/concept but the recipe could have used more detail … like grams.
Kate
Lady K, I’m so sorry this fudge didn’t work for you. I try to add as much detail as I can to my recipes, but those must have just caused confusion this time. 1 3/4 cups oats should’ve done the trick. I’ll try to remedy the recipe now.
Monique @ Ambitious Kitchen
Really loving this recipe! The oats and almond butter – yesss!
Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life
Kate, I am the person who cannot stop eating oat cookie dough before it goes in the oven – this sounds like heaven to me :)
You definitely cannot go wrong with a mix between no bake cookies and fudge, and I’m sure my family are about to get excited about this recipe too :)
Alissa
Yeyaaah! LOOOVED these chocolatey morsels. Salted oat fudge is the perfect name for it!
Leila Revel
Hi Kate, I absolutely love this recipe and so did my husband. The bars lasted all of two days and he is already asking me to make them again. One thing we both noticed is that they were a bit crumbly and I was wondering why this might have occurred or if they just naturally are this way. I did sub out the almond butter for peanut butter and the pecans for half peanuts/half raisins, but followed the recipe otherwise. They are still incredible of course, just curious about the texture.
★★★★
Kate
Hi Leila! I’m sorry about the crumbly texture. Sounds like yours were more crumbly than mine. Did you pack down the fudge really, really well? That’s important.
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen
What a deliciously happy accident! (For what it’s worth – I did a similar thing with chocolate chips this week – curse you mini chocolate chips!)
Anne (Days of Flavour)
These look so good. If I were at home right now I would definitely make a trip to the store and make these right away!
Christine // my natural kitchen
Can’t wait to make these! It’s always so nice to have a healthier treat on-hand, and these look so delicious! What a happy accident :)
Sandra
This looks gorgeous! Love your wee dog too x
Joanne
Well oat fudge sounds even BETTER than regular fudge! I mean, it must be healthy enough to eat for breakfast with all those oats!
Jordan
I will definitely be making these as a Christmas treat! Love the more wholesome approach to fudge.
Kate
I have a bag of oat flour I’d like to use instead of grinding oats. How much flour do I need (i.e., how much flour does the 1.75 cups of oats make)? Thanks!
Kate
Hey Kate, I’m so sorry I didn’t answer your question soon. It’s hard to say on the oat flour and I wish I had a for sure answer for you. I think you’d be safe with 1 3/4 cups oat flour. Mix in a little more if it still seems goopy.
Deborah
Yum! Made these today for a Christmas party and what a hit! So many folks asked for this recipe so I gladly shared your blog with them. I’ll make another batch tomorrow for family get together. I used bittersweet chocolate chips which worked out fine. I also used the 1 and 3/4 cups of oatmeal, then ground it in food processor..I did not remeasure it.
Thank you so much for delicious and healthy recipes! Have a wonderful holiday Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
Deborah, I’m so glad you all enjoyed the fudge! Thank you for sharing my blog with your friends. I really appreciate it.
kelly
These are fantastic and I don’the feel weighed down after having a few squares. I like to cut them into mini squares and left the nuts out so my kids would love like them too. With dairy/soy free dark chocolate and oat flour these are keepers. I had never made fudge and it was so easy. Happy holidays Kate!
Kate
Oh, I’m so glad! Thanks, Kelly! I used to make fudge with my grandmother and it was pretty tricky. This oat kind is way easier.
Deryn @ Running on Real Food
I was thinking it was probably time to put an end to the holiday eating…but I’ll have to extend it a few more days so I can make this ;) You need a treat on New Years anyways, right?! Thanks for another gem!
Jen Holliday
Kate! Oh mah gah, I can’t get over this stuff. I talked my mom into making it for the holidays and can’t stop eating it, I am in love! The texture is so pleasing, nut butter subtle, consistency perfect, and sweetness just right. My mom loves it too. THANK YOU!
★★★★★
Kate
Awesome!!! Thanks Jen!
Madeline
Yum Kate! I love these so much. All I had was salty peanut butter, so they are VERY salty, which turned out perfectly for me. The oat flour was such a great idea! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Kate
Yay, thanks Madeline!
Lisa
Hi Kate, love your stuff.
Do you think this would work if i subbed in shredded coconut in place of nuts? I’d like to make this nut-free for my son’s bestie who is anaphylactic. Thanks!
Kate
Hi Lisa! I’m afraid this recipe might not work for your son’s friend since it calls for nut butter in addition to the nuts. You could probably use coconut butter in place of the nut butter and omit the nuts, if you want to give that a shot, but I have not tried.
J Sax
Sunflower seed butter in place of nut butter may work OK too
Jeanette
I made these into little balls and then rolled them in coconut… oh my goodness, I just can’t get enough of them! They are so delicious and it’s like breakfast all rolled up together :) Thanks for posting your “mistake” recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing, Jeanette!
Amber
I was craving chocolate so I made a batch of these and they’re so good! I used organic peanut butter and carob chips. Also added cayenne because I love a little heat! The whole family loved them too!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Amber! Love that you added cayenne for some kick!
Gayatri
Kate, this fudge was spectacular! I had to use some Speculoos as well because I ran out of peanut butter but it was still great. Thank you!
Kate
Thanks, Gayatri! Glad you enjoyed it! Speculoos sounds like a most excellent addition.
Marian Long
These are terrific, and fun to make. I’ve probably made 4 batches in the past month, different variations, all successful. Just added sunflower seeds and dried cranberries to my latest batch. Was at a Christmas party the other day and someone else made hers with almond butter and toasted almonds. So glad I found this – thanks, Kate. Definite keeper.
Kate
Thank you, Marian!
Sandy
Made this recipe as part of a food gift pkg for my elderly father..yum! and healthy.. Not so sugary as fudge is and much more protein thanks for the recipe!
Crys
Will it melt if I pack and send to my brother during summer?
Alex
This really is too easy and delicious!
I particularly love the idea of adding home made oat flour to thicken
Thanks for sharing.
★★★★
Sally
I just made this recipe, but I used organic/unsalted cashew butter and cashew nuts. That’s what I had on hand, so we’ll see how it turns out (once it’s ready to be eaten)! I’ve never made fudge before. I’m wondering if this will be freezable as I will not be able to eat all of it!
Nolene
Hey! I have just discovered your page and love it. Was considering taking part in Sugar Free February and looking at some things I can make to get a nice sweet hit without using refined sugar. Wondering how the choc chips fit into this and what i could substitute in (maybe cacao chips?) Thanks!
Nolene
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Nolene! I’ve heard good things about the challenge. I’ve never worked with cacao chips so I’m really not sure. This recipe is pretty dependent upon the chocolate chips for structure. You might have better luck with this peanut butter fudge.
Carol
Hi Kate,
I am a private chef for a acupuncturist…also my best friend.
She is very picky! I have to have recipes they can easily pack for lunch. I am really impressed with your recipes. Veggie burbers are some of their favorites…i make them black bean burgers and spinach feta burgers. They loved your spicy lentil soup! Love your recipes ! Thanks,
Carol
Kelsey
Yum! I used peanut butter and found that this tastes a lot like an eat more bar. Chewy and salty. Love that there is oaty goodness in here.
Kate
Sounds so good, Kelsey!
Alison Carey
First dessert recipe of yours I have tried. The hardest part was cutting the bars after refrigeration, the easy part was eating them. I was apprehensive about the oat flour (I made my own with a Vitamix). I used coconut oil, maple syrup, and pecans and it came out great.
Kate
Perfect! Thanks, Alison.
Christine
Just made these – one word review – DELICIOUS!!!! So incredibly yummy and very easy to make. I added a 1/2 cup of shredded coconut and a sprinkle of bee pollen pressed on top with the salt. These will be a staple in the freezer from now on!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Christine!
Persis Pocock
this recipe is so delicious! i’m amazed – the combination of ingredients is spot on and is so incredibly yummy it is hard to believe. it does taste exactly like cookie dough mixture – amazing without any refined sugar. love it a lot – are there any other ideas for desserts that could be made with this same combination of ingredients
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you like it!
Marya Dantzer
why not keep the oats whole? Esp. if you use the quick-cooking variety, it seems they’d be fine. Or would the mixture not hold together as well?
Kate
Hi Marya! Great question. You really want this to act almost like a flour so it will bind correctly. Does that make sense? Blending the oats and using oat flour will get you the result you want. I hope this helps!
Heather | Southern Honey
I cannot tell you how many times I have made this fudge! It has seriously become my Sunday routine to make this for my mom because she has a bit of an obsession with it!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you love it, Heather! Thanks so much for the review.
Hayley
This was addicitive. I love that it’s better for you than traditional fudge (and no candy thermometer)! The only thing I changed was toasting the pecans in a skillet rather than the oven – just thought it was easier and quicker. I made it on Saturday and it’s already gone!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Hayley! Thanks for your review.
Anna
This fudge is amazing. I saw it in one of your recent emails and decided to make it in place of the fudge I usually make for Christmas. I made a test batch today and it turned out perfect. So delicious and I love how it’s not as dense and super sweet as the traditional marshmallow fluff fudge I’ve been making for years. Not to say it isn’t rich and indulgent. Just in a better way. Thanks for the recipe, I will be bringing this and your excellent granola to pass for Christmas this year! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear that! I love that you made a test batch. A cook after my own heart. I love testing recipes! Thanks for sharing your feedback and review, Anna.
Helene
Made this recipe last night to have a quick little chocolate fix with some healthy ingredients mixed in. Big hit with the whole family. Made as per the recipe with coconut oil and maple syrup. Roasted pecans and lightly salted almond butter complement each other nicely to make melt in your mouth goodness! Will try adding non pulverised oats as well next time but love it as is already! Thanks for this delicious recipe. Great to have in the freezer.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for commenting, Helene!
Maria Derrett
I just love this recipe plus your others. Keep them coming Karla
★★★★★
robin luchins
why does it say to preheat the oven if there is no baking?
I thought you’re not supposed to eat raw flour….. help
★★
Kate
Hi Robin, it’s ok to eat raw oats, and this recipe calls for oat flour. The recipe calls for preheating the oven because you’ll toast the nuts in the oven before stirring them into the fudge mixture.
Som
These fudge squares are so delicious,, I added toasted sesame seeds too . Thank you !
★★★★★
Katja
My whole family loved this, fab!thanks for a great recipe
★★★★★
Shubha
Hi there!
Going to make this today!
I already have oat flour (from old fashioned oats I ground a while ago). How many cups should I be using? Thank you!
-Shubha
Kate
Hi! It tends to come out similar, but I don’t have the exact measurements right now, sorry. Let me know how it goes!
Erin L Battle
Looking forward to trying this! I was wondering if I could make this with peanut oil or does it need to be a solid like coconut oil or butter?
Kate
Hi Erin, I’m not sure about using peanut oil. You want it liquid form melted coconut oil, for example.