No-Bake Strawberry Fudge Squares (Printer View)

Creamy white chocolate and tangy strawberry powder form vibrant pink fudge squares over a crunchy graham crust. No baking needed.

# Components:

→ For the Crust

01 - 7 oz digestive biscuits or graham crackers, finely crushed
02 - 3.5 oz unsalted butter, melted

→ For the Strawberry Fudge Layer

03 - 7 oz white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
04 - 14 oz sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
05 - 1.75 oz freeze-dried strawberries, ground to fine powder (or 3.5 oz fresh strawberries, puréed and strained)
06 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
07 - Pinch of salt
08 - 1–2 drops pink or red gel food coloring (optional)

→ Optional Garnish

09 - Fresh strawberry slices
10 - Extra freeze-dried strawberry pieces or coarse sugar crystals

# Method:

01 - Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, combine crushed biscuits and melted butter. Stir until all crumbs are moistened and the mixture holds together when pressed.
03 - Press the crumb mixture firmly into the prepared pan in an even layer. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
04 - Place white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a medium heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (double boiler) and stir gently until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
05 - Remove from heat. Stir in freeze-dried strawberry powder (or strained purée), vanilla extract, salt, and food coloring if using. Mix until fully combined and the color is uniform.
06 - Pour the strawberry fudge mixture over the chilled crust. Spread evenly with a spatula to reach all corners.
07 - Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours, or until the fudge layer is firm to the touch.
08 - Lift the fudge out of the pan using the parchment overhang. Place on a cutting board and slice into 16 squares with a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts. Garnish each square with a fresh strawberry slice or extra freeze-dried strawberry pieces, if desired. Serve chilled or slightly softened at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture is somewhere between fudge and cheesecake, which is basically the best of both worlds
  • You can make the entire thing without heating up your kitchen, and nobody has to know how embarrassingly simple it was
02 -
  • If your fudge mixture seizes or looks grainy, you probably got water in your chocolate or overheated it, and unfortunately there's no coming back from that
  • Letting them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving makes all the difference between rock hard and perfect fudgy texture
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients for the crust mixture helps everything bind together better than cold butter straight from the fridge
  • If you're using fresh strawberry purée instead of freeze-dried powder, reduce the sweetened condensed milk by about 2 tablespoons to compensate for the extra liquid
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