This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone #SmartWayToShareJoy #CollectiveBias
Looking for an easy homemade gift idea? The holidays are the perfect time to mix up a scrumptious batch of homemade fudge. Tucked away inside a decorative tin, it makes a thoughtful gift for neighbors, family, and friends. I love making homemade gifts--especially the edible kind--and this recipe for chocolate fudge calls for a secret ingredient that's sure to provide a tasty surprise!
What's the surprising ingredient in this chocolate fudge recipe? Well, I'll give you a clue. I grew up with my mom using it as the "secret" ingredient in a marinade and in a recipe for a frosted chocolate cake. Any guesses? It's Coca-Cola! Yes, this batch of ooey-gooey fudge has Coca-Cola cooked right in.
Recently, I modified my mother's traditional cake recipe for Coca-Cola Cake to makeCoca-Cola Cupcakes. What is it about Coca-Cola that makes baked goods so sugary sweet and moist?! And since I know it's delicious baked in chocolate cake and cupcakes, I decided to try it in fudge and make Coca-Cola Fudge. I love adding my own twist to my family's beloved recipes, and it just wouldn't be Christmas without a batch of homemade fudge. Paired with a glass of Coca-Cola, it's a treat that even Santa would choose over milk and cookies. Wanting to enjoy this holiday treat for yourself? Keep reading for the full recipe!
For my family, it also wouldn't seem like the holidays without an icy cold Coca-Cola. It's been a beverage staple at our holiday meals for as long as I can remember--right up there with the sweet tea and my momma's Christmas punch.Poured over ice or enjoyed straight out of the nostalgic glass bottles, it's a holiday favorite! Perhaps that stems from growing up here in the South with several of those years being spent in Atlanta where Coca-Cola is headquartered.
Back when my sister and I were kids, my mom recorded some of our favorite holiday movies onto a VHS tape. Anyone remember watching Mickey's Christmas Carol, the 1964 version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, or A Muppet Family Christmas? Along with several holiday movies, she also recorded the commercials. At the time, having those on the tape probably seemed like an inconvenience. Years later, they are just part of the recording's charm. She had the tape transferred to a DVD several years ago and now my kids can continue to enjoy those classic films year after year--commercials and all. One of the commercials is for Coca-Cola. It shows an elf tacking up a Christmas countdown poster with Santa's beard on it. Anyone remember that one? My sister and I would always want a taste of Coca-Cola after watching that commercial. Kinda like wanting chocolate when watching Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. That's a story for a different day though. I guess the commercial was effective because it worked it's magic on us. All of this to say that our family history with Coca-Cola at the holidays goes way back.
That's why I'm loving the limited edition holiday packaging for Coca-Cola this holiday season. It features a vintage Santa and sweet polar bears that bring back memories of holidays from years ago. And now I get to share those memories and traditions with my own children.
It just made sense to pair two of our holiday favorites--fudge and Coca-Cola--together into one tasty treat. I made a run out to Family Dollar to grab my "secret" ingredient and tested a couple different variations. The whole family was very eager to be my taste testers and tell me which they thought was the best. That's the recipe I'm sharing with you today. From our family to yours, here's our recipe for Coca-Cola fudge!
Coca-Cola Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 container (7 oz) marshmallow cream
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2/3 cups evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup Coca-Cola
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 bag (12 oz) chocolate chips (You can use semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- In a large pot, combine marshmallow cream, sugar, evaporated milk, Coca-Cola, and salt.
- Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly over medium heat.
- Boil the mixture for five minutes still stirring constantly. Tip: It is very important for it to boil for the full five minutes. Set a timer for this step.
- Remove from heat. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted.
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Pour into a buttered 8" pan. Let the fudge cool and set completely. Slice and enjoy!
I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine did! Make up a batch to gift to others this holiday season or just add it to the table at your own holiday festivities. Either way, it's sure to bring on many chocolate-smudged smiles this season!
Shop!
For more tasty recipes, gift ideas, and ways to save this holiday season, visit the Family Dollar on their website, Facebook, or Pinterest. It's a great place to shop the limited edition holiday Coca-Cola packaging to enjoy with your own batch of Coca-Cola Fudge.
More baking inspiration!
Love this fudge recipe? Enjoy another treat with Coca-Cola baked inside! Click here for my recipe for moist and delicious Coca-Cola Cupcakes.
Happy holiday baking!
FAQs
According to the company, only two employees are privy to the complete formula at any given time and they are not permitted to travel together. When one dies, the other must choose a successor within the company and impart the secret to that person.
Why did they change the Coca-Cola recipe? ›
Coca-Cola, which had been the world's bestselling soft drink, had been facing increasing competition from rival cola Pepsi, and the company wanted to re-energize the brand. In blind taste tests, consumers generally preferred New co*ke over Pepsi and the original co*ke.
What were the original ingredients in Coca-Cola? ›
When launched, Coca-Cola's two key ingredients were cocaine and caffeine. The cocaine was derived from the coca leaf and the caffeine from kola nut (also spelled "cola nut" at the time), leading to the name Coca-Cola.
What is the mystery drink of Coca-Cola? ›
Like all Creations drinks, Coca-Cola Y3000 is designed to taste mostly like co*ke, with a bit of something else. To come up with that extra note of flavor, and the packaging design, Coca-Cola turned to AI. The company relied on regular old human insights by finding out what flavors people associate with the future.
What are some hidden facts about Coca-Cola? ›
7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Coca-Cola
- It was created as an alternative to morphine. ...
- Its name was derived from 2 key ingredients. ...
- It was originally alcoholic. ...
- It originally contained 9 milligrams of cocaine per glass. ...
- The recipe is locked in a vault. ...
- The bottle was modeled after the cocoa pod.
Johannesburg, South Africa (May 23, 2024) - Ahead of celebrating Africa Day, Coca‑Cola is dropping its newest Coca‑Cola® Creation, Coca‑Cola® Wozzaah, a symphony of flavors inspired by the beating heart of African culture.
What makes Coca-Cola taste like Coca-Cola? ›
The natural flavors are derived from plant extracts, such as vanilla, cinnamon, citrus, and coca leaves. These flavors are the secret formula of Coca-Cola, and are kept in a vault in Atlanta, Georgia.
What is the difference between original taste Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola? ›
What's the difference between Coca‑Cola Classic and Coca‑Cola Original Taste Less Sugar? Coca‑Cola Classic is our original and iconic cola launched in 1886. Coca‑Cola Original Taste Less Sugar offers a great Coca‑Cola taste but with 55% less sugar and fewer calories.
What is leftover co*ke good for? ›
6 Ways to Put Leftover Soda to Good Use
- 1: Use it to make ice cubes. Tired of melting ice turning your glass of soda into a glass of yuck? ...
- 2: Use it to make Jell-O. Instead of using water, use leftover soda to create Jell-O. ...
- 3: Use it with cut flowers. ...
- 4: Use it to bake a cake. ...
- 5: Fun with fruit. ...
- 6: Glaze a ham.
Top Tips When Cooking with Coca Cola:
This fizzy drink's acidity level is high, so it also acts as a fantastic meat tenderiser. Most effective meat marinades include some type of citrus or vinegar acid, to break down some of the proteins in the meat. So, co*ke does the same.
Addictive ingredients: Soda contains ingredients like caffeine and sugar that can be addictive. For instance, much like addictive substances such as alcohol and drugs, caffeine also triggers the release of the feel-good hormone dopamine in the brain, making you crave more of it.
Where is the Coca-Cola secret formula kept? ›
1925 – Woodruff repays his loan and redeems the secret formula, bringing it back home to Atlanta and placing it in Trust Company Bank. 2011 – After 86 years, the secret formula is moved to the World of Coca‑Cola in Atlanta. Thousands of people visit the Vault of the Secret Formula every year.
Which country owns Coca-Cola? ›
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation founded in 1892. It manufactures, sells and markets soft drinks including Coca-Cola, other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and alcoholic beverages.
Why do you think co*ke chooses to protect its secret recipe via a trade secret and not a patent? ›
Patent would give the company a monopoly only for a period of 20 years. Therefore, the company decided to keep their recipe and formula a trade secret as they saw the growth of the company.
Why can't co*ke be reverse engineered? ›
There have been plenty of attempts to reverse engineer Coca Cola - and some came pretty close. However the major part of Coca Cola (and its flavour) is in the recipe - the technical process that yields final product, not the chemical composition of the ingredients.
What does Coca-Cola get its flavor from? ›
What is cola? While cola brands guard their own secret formula's with their lives, using generic terms such as 'artificial and natural flavours', cola generally, is a carbonated beverage which consists of these key ingredients; kola nut, citrus oils, vanilla and cinnamon.
How does the Coca-Cola experiment work? ›
Bubbles and soda will quickly shoot out of the bottle in a high fountain. The carbon dioxide molecules attach to the surfaces of the Mentos like they did in the cup of soda. All those Mentos in a lot of soda make a lot of bubbles that rise to the surface and push the soda out in a big woosh!
