What Is Cowboy Fudge?

Do you have a hard time choosing only one dessert every day? If you often wish there was a way to infuse more sweet treats into your go-to chewy coconut chocolate chip cookies recipe, you might enjoy making a fresh pan of cowboy fudge. Essentially, cowboy fudge is a delectable dessert made from sugar, butter, and cream and then elevated with a curated selection of sweet and savory extras.

As with most cowboy-centric foods, there is no limit on what you can add to a simple pan of specially-flavored fudge. Considering the other foods that fall under the same label, such as cowboy-style potatoes loaded with chili and cheese or cowboy cookies made with chocolate, oats, and pecans, you have many optional ingredients to choose from when making your own special cowboy fudge.

Start by preparing your favorite fudge recipe. Make a traditional chocolate variation, or for hearty cowboy appeal, make peanut butter fudge. Once the combined ingredients reach the desired temperature over your stove, fold in a variety of sweet and salty extras such as toffee bits, broken graham crackers, and salted nuts. Pour the mixture into a pan lined with wax paper and if desired, add more toppings. Cover your pre-set fudge with mini marshmallows, salted pretzels, or crushed potato chips. Allow the fudge to fully set before enjoying. Now that you know how to make cowboy fudge, use similar ingredients to make yet another cowboy-inspired treat.

Instead of fudge, you may be in the mood for a dessert that has more of a distinct bite. In that case, swap out the fudge for chocolate bark. Sure enough, the exact difference between chocolate and fudge has everything to do with texture. While fudge is known for its soft and chewy consistency, chocolate is firm and breakable. For a sweet treat that has a sturdier, crunchy consistency, cowboy bark comes together in a flash and features more of your favorite toppings.

To make this alternative dessert, simply melt dark chocolate chips in a double boiler over your stove or in your microwave. Once melted, pour the chocolate into an even layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, add a combination of your favorite sweet and savory foods and chill before enjoying. If you miss the Trader Joe's version of cowboy bark (which is no longer available in stores), adorn your melted chocolate in a mixture of pretzels, peanuts, almonds, toffee bits, and chocolate sandwich cookies.

For another intriguing variation which includes an additional layer of crunchy foods, instead of pouring melted chocolate directly onto a lined sheet pan, pour the chocolate over a pan loaded with salty potato chips. Then add your favorite toppings including nuts, chocolate gems, and even coconut. For a bit of added spice, go one step further and grate some fresh jalapeño directly on top.