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As a kid, there were many packaged treats I loved. Cosmic Brownies. Nutter Butters. Little Debbie’s Fudge Rounds.
I’ve already recreated the Cosmic Brownie recipe with stellar results, so it seemed only fitting that I move on to Homemade Fudge Rounds. In fact, we’re celebrating an entire Nostalgia Week recreating homemade versions of our favorite childhood packaged treats!
Actually, I had all but forgotten that Fudge Rounds existed until shopping at Target during this recent back-to-school season.
All the end caps were piled high with packaged treats for lunch boxes, and it inspired me to tackle some more copycat / homemade / from scratch versions.
Which sweet snack was your favorite?
Make sure to check out the pink tip box below for lots of baking tips to make the BEST Fudge Rounds right at home.
How to Make Homemade Fudge Rounds
What are Fudge Rounds?
Little Debbie Fudge Rounds are fudgy round chocolate cookies, sandwiched together with chocolate buttercream. Think Whoopie Pies, but richer and fudgier! A box of these treats can be found at pretty much any American grocery or convenience store.
Why you’ll love this copycat Fudge Rounds recipe:
- Super fudgy, decadent, soft chocolate cookies
- Sandwiched together with silky smooth chocolate buttercream
- Drizzled with melted chocolate for a cute (and tasty!) finishing touch of chocolate stripes on top.
These will satisfy any chocolate craving. Seriously decadent and chocolaty without being too rich, these Fudge Rounds will be a crowd-pleaser at any picnic or BBQ, or a hit with the kids after their first day back to school!
Store Bought vs. Homemade Fudge Rounds:
Although nostalgic, store-bought Fudge Rounds are much too sweet and artificial tasting for me nowadays. When you’re making them from scratch, you can get extra generous with the amount of filling. See what I mean in the photo below with homemade on the left and store-bought on the right:
Ingredients for Copycat Fudge Round Cookies:
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter in baking if you’re able to, this way you can control the amount of salt used in the recipe.
- Granulated sugar – Sweetens and moistens the cookies.
- 1 egg – helps bind the cookie dough together.
- Light corn syrup – Corn syrup is an invert sugar, which means it is liquid at room temperature. Invert sugars prevent grains of sugar from recrystallizing as the cookie cools. Essentially, that little bit of corn syrup in this recipe is creating a texture that’s bendy and chewy, giving us the soft, fudgy texture we want with a Fudge Round! I don’t recommend skipping it for this reason. You can use the same amount of golden syrup as a simple swap if needed.
- Vanilla – just a teaspoon of vanilla provides the perfect vanilla flavor and aroma.
- All-purpose flour – Make sure to measure your flour accurately with a digital scale so you don’t end up with dry or dense cookies.
- Unsweetened natural cocoa powder – the star ingredient of our Homemade Fudge Rounds! More on this ingredient just below.
- Cornstarch – Although cornstarch is typically used as a thickening agent, that’s not all it does in cookies. In this recipe, cornstarch is used to aid structure, and give the cookies a wonderful soft, chewy texture.
- Baking soda – Not interchangeable with baking powder! Learn more about the differences between Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder in this article.
- Fine salt – To balance out the sweetness a bit.
Which Cocoa Powder for Homemade Fudge Rounds?
Anyone who has been following me for a bit will know I’m passionate about high-quality cocoa powder. High-fat cocoa powder really elevates any chocolate recipe, and these Fudge Rounds are no exception. Read more about my experiments with cocoa powder in my Most Important Thing to Know About Cocoa Powder article.
If you can’t get your hands on the really high-end natural/unsweetened cocoa powder, I recommend seeking out Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder for these Fudge Rounds and the filling. It’s available at most supermarkets or even Target, and it gives a really delicious, smooth chocolaty flavor without breaking the bank. I don’t recommend using Dutch-process cocoa powder in this recipe as we are using baking soda as the leavener here. You can read more about the differences between Natural and Dutch-Process Cocoa Powders here, if you wish!
Fudge Round Filling Ingredients:
- Butter – Again, always use unsalted butter!
- Cocoa powder – More natural cocoa powder. Make sure to sift your cocoa powder so you have a creamy, smooth filling.
- Powdered sugar – This also must be sifted so you don’t end up with a clumpy filling in your Fudge Rounds.
- Warm water – Helps recreate that characteristic filling texture.
- Vanilla extract – The vanilla pairs wonderfully with the cocoa powder for a perfectly flavored chocolate filling.
How to Make Fudge Rounds:
- Make the cookies. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, corn syrup, and vanilla. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Gradually combine the wet and dry ingredients just until combined.
- Bake the cookies. Using a spring-loaded cookie scoop, drop balls of dough on baking sheets and bake until the cookies are slightly puffed up and the edges are set. Remove baking sheets to cooling racks and remove cookies after a few minutes to continue cooling.
- Decorate the cookies. For the chocolate drizzle, microwave milk chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Drizzle or pipe on top of each cookie. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.
- Make the filling. Cream butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add in the warm water and vanilla, and beat on medium high until light and fluffy.
- Assemble the cookie sandwiches. Pipe or spread filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Gently press another cookie on top of the filling. Enjoy with a glass of milk!
Can Fudge Rounds be made ahead of time?
Yes! You can make the fudge rounds ahead of time and fill and serve the following day – but they keep beautifully in the fridge, assembled, for several days! They even freeze well – more information on that below.
How long do these Fudge Rounds last?
Store assembled Fudge Rounds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 5 days (they’re even more delicious chilled!).
Pro tip: the colder the Fudge Rounds are when serving, the more fudgy they’ll be!
Can you freeze Homemade Fudge Rounds?
Yes, and they taste amazing frozen! Freeze assembled Fudge Rounds in an airtight container, wrapped individually in plastic wrap, for up to 1 month! Simply thaw overnight in the fridge before enjoying.
More Copycat Recipes You’ll Love:
For the cookies:
-
10
tablespoons
(142 grams) unsalted butter,
at cool room temperature
-
3/4
cup
(150 grams) granulated sugar
-
1
large egg,
at cool room temperature
-
1
tablespoon
light corn syrup
-
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
1 1/4
cups
(159 grams) all-purpose flour
-
6
tablespoons
(32 grams) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
-
1
teaspoon
cornstarch
-
1/2
teaspoon
baking soda
-
1/4
teaspoon
fine salt
For the chocolate drizzle:
-
1/2
cup
(85 grams) milk chocolate chips
-
1
teaspoon
vegetable oil
For the filling:
-
1
stick (113 grams) unsalted butter,
at cool room temperature
-
2
tablespoons
(11 grams) unsweetened natural cocoa powder,
sifted
-
1 1/2
cups
(188 grams) powdered sugar,
sifted
-
2
tablespoons
warm water (about 100°F)
-
1/2
teaspoon
vanilla
Make the cookies:
-
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple times, until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, corn syrup, and vanilla. Scrape down the bowl.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients. Beat on low until combined. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
-
Using a 1 ½-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, drop balls of dough on baking sheets and bake until the cookies are slightly puffed up and the edges are set, about 8 to 9 minutes. Remove baking sheets to cooling racks and remove cookies after a few minutes to continue cooling. Cookies will flatten as they cool.
Decorate the cookies:
-
For the chocolate drizzle, microwave milk chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 15 seconds until smooth. Drizzle or pipe on top of each cookie. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, at least a half hour.
Make the filling:
-
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sifted cocoa powder and powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the warm water and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
-
Pipe or spread filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Gently press another cookie on top of the filling.
-
Serve or store assembled Fudge Rounds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. The colder the Fudge Rounds are when serving, the more fudgy they’ll be!
This post was originally published in 2015 and updated in 2022 with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.
We loved them. My husband was amazed at how good they were. The filling was so light and creamy, perfect filling.
So do I use different cocoa powders? Is the one for the filling sweetened cocoa powder?
Hi Amanda! Sorry for the confusion – I have updated the recipe to reflect. Unsweetened natural cocoa powder can be used for both. I hope that helps! Let us know what you think of these delicious Fudge Rounds once you have given them a try 🙂
These are amazing!!! I made a few tweaks, since we are a gluten-free household. However, they came out perfectly! They were decadent little treats, that were 1000 times better than the store- bought version. I cannot wait to make another batch!
This recipe is on point! These taste just like the fudge rounds in the store today. That being said, the only problem with that is the sugar content! These are so sugary, and I saw a review that said so, but I also like to try the recipe the way that it is written first. I will try it with a reduced sugar amount because they were super good, just too sweet for me. I may just increase other ingredients while leaving the sugar amount alone… I will have to see. The filling was great! I would not change that, the only change would be the cookies. I used a mixture of sweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate blocks for the decoration on top because I did not have milk chocolate chocolate chips. I am happy that you shared this recipe! It definitely gives me a great foundation for homemade fudge rounds, I just prefer a less sugary cookie .
Nice to have this recipe!
Added to the weekend todos.
Yay! Let us know what you think once you’ve given these a try!! 🙂
These are amazing! Ny husband said these are the best thing I’ve made!
Haha my husband said the same thing, Mykala! So glad you both enjoyed this recipe so much 🙂
Absolutely love this recipe and so did my boyfriend! I found this recipe when looking for a recipe to make fudge round cake for his birthday. I kept asking him what kind of cake he wanted me to make for his birthday. He jokingly said a fudge round cake. I Googled and told him I should be able to make that happen. He was amazed by how the fudge rounds turned out. He said he likes them better than the ones I buy at the store. The cake turned out great!! To make the cake I ended up using two 9 inch round pans and making a batch of cookie mix for each layer. I cooked each one for 13 minutes and then kept checking it. I believe it ended up being about 18 to 20 minutes.
YUM, that sounds amazing, Tammy! Thanks so much for sharing with us your creation, so happy your boyfriend loved it! 🙂
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I made these last year and they were delicious! My daughter requested that they be added to my Christmas baking list. Thanks for a great recipe!
Can I make the cookie dough and the filling and refrigerate for a few days before baking and assembling the cookies?
Hi Kathy! We haven’t tried that, but it should be ok! I wouldn’t recommend chilling the dough for longer than 48 hours. When ready to bake, set the mass of dough at room temperature until it’s just soft enough to scoop, then follow the instructions to bake. You’ll want to take your filling out a couple hours in advance, depending on the humidity/climate where you live, and re-whip until light and fluffy. Let us know what you think of this recipe!
My husband’s favourite. Mine is Oatmeal Cream Pies. I could eat the whole box, Ha. Will you PLEASE, please make those next?
Hi Mary! Be sure to check out this month’s baking challenge page linked here! August’s baking challenge is Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, and we include a creme filling in the customization ideas! I can’t wait for you to give it a try!
Hi! My name is jayjay and I love the fudge round recipe!! So I have this goal that by my birthday this year I want to be able to make a fudge round birthday cake that can feed a few ppl! So pretty much your recipe but with enough ingredients to make a fudge round cake. Can you please help me??
Oh how fun!! I honestly haven’t tried making these cookies into a cake, but I have had success taking other cookie recipes and making them into bars (like in a 9×13 pan). What size cookie cake are you looking to make? You’ll definitely want to experiment with this ahead of time, but I’m almost wondering if you’d be able to just take this cookie recipe and make it in cake pans instead? You’ll for sure have to add time to the bake. Let me know how it goes!
Mine are nowhere near the picture. The only thing I did differently is double the recipe for a larger batch. The spread is to much and causes the edges to crisp up into basically bread. I’m going to have to use another recipe with a better cookie/cake base.
Hi Wesley, I’m sorry your fudge rounds didn’t turn out! Is it possible your butter was too warm? Cookies that spread too much are usually due to the butter being too warm.
Hi Tessa my butter was 63F at it’s core and was softened at 20% power in the microwave
Fun and delicious! They were easy to make and a childhood nostalgia!
So glad to hear that!
So I had the cookies in the oven for the 7-9 mins and when I took them out they looked really under done so I let them bake for a few more mins but now that the cookies are cooling they seem harder especially around the edges. Any suggestions? Are the cookies supposed to be doughy looking when you take them out after the 7-9 mins? Thankfully the recipe isn’t very difficult to make so I can remake the cookie portion if I need to! Thank you so much!
I made this for our dessert option for the biggest pro football game of the year. My brother’s comment was “These are stupid good!”. Since then, everyone that I share them with can’t stop asking for more. They are quite sweet, but oh my! Thanks for the great recipe.
These are better than store bought! They came out so delicious.
i fuckin’ luv you
Beautiful cookies, came out exactly as described. Only thing i would suggest is cutting sugar in either the filling or the cookies. It was a strong blast of sugar that went right to our heads, which i feel took away from the 3 unique flavors of the fudgy cookies, light buttery filling, and milk chocolate drizzle. Kind of merged into one strong laser beam of sweetness
I made these for my husband’s birthday this past weekend and OH MY GOODNESS THEY ARE AMAZING! He has to eat gluten free, so I used Pamela’s gluten free flour blend as the flour. Additionally, I used raw cacao as the cocoa powder and maple syrup instead of corn syrup. THANK YOU for this recipe – I’m pretty sure we all heard angels singing as we ate them. 😉
So glad you were able to make this recipe work!
Hi Tessa,
Could you tell me which corn syrup did you use? Light one ordark one? Or it doesn’t matter which one. Thank you
Two questions:
1. Can I use coconut oil instead of butter? I need to bake non-dairy, and because of other food intolerances, Crisco, margarine, and Earth Balance are all no longer options.
2. Instead of the filling you use, can I use ganache? I need to make ganache for another recipe, but will almost surely have too much of it leftover. It seems like it would make a good filling for a sandwich cookie, but I want to be sure.
Thanks!
You use cocoa powder and unsweetened cocoa powder. I didn’t know there were different kinds. Will it say that on the container?
I have a big family, can I double the recipe? Do I just double everything including the cornstarch, corn syrup, baking soda, etc., wouldn’t it affect the final product? Thanks.
I live in a higher altitude area and when I made your double round cookies I decrease like I’m supposed to and they went completely flat any suggestions
Never mind I see my mistake!
Hi! I was very excited to find this recipe and immediately went out and purchased the ‘corn syrup’ mentioned in the ingredients. As I went to make them today I noticed the directions say ‘cornstarch’. Which one is real ingredient? Lol thank you in advance for this recipe!
I just made these for a bake-off hosted by a fraternity at my university, and I won first place! Thank you for the delicious recipe. I know I can always count on your recipes!
Awesome, Lexi! So thrilled to hear it 🙂
lookie here
Hi!! Thank you so much for this recipe, I just made this and it tastes diviiiiine!!!!! After trying your recipe for these fudge rounds, I am dying to try a recipe you come up with for oatmeal cookies or swiss rolls!!
Your homemade Fudge Rounds look EXACTLY like the real deal!! When I first saw the photo I thought it was a packaged one but then quickly said to myself, no way she is one of the best blogger/baker/cook out there, no way she would do that!!! ? I can’t wait to makes these this weekend! Husband and 2 teen boys LOVE fudge rounds but I only purchase once in a great while because of all the junk in them!!! Thanks! I would love to see a homemade version of Zebra Cakes, my favorite treat!
Haha! Thank you so much, Sarah! Will add Zebra Cakes to the list 🙂
Is there a substitution that could be used for the egg? A friend’s little boy loves fudge rounds but just discovered is allergic to egg..
Hi Kris! I’m sorry but I have yet to discover a good sub for egg in cookies like this 🙁
Oh wow! I used to love Nutter Butters, Nutty Bars, and Nutty Buddies. Hmmm… I’m sensing a theme here. Also, Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars and the cookies called Fudge Fancies that they don’t make anymore! Oh, so good!
Hahaha 🙂
*pictures
Those brand names don’t say anything to me (not from US), but those peactures are saying a lot, “please eat me now” being one of them. These treats look awesome!
Haha! Glad to hear it 🙂
Sorry – with the 1/2 tsp vanilla – is this extract or bean?
Hi Tessa – do you know what granulated sugar is called in Australia please – normal white sugar or caster sugar (finer) which is usually used in baking? Thanks.
I believe that granulated sugar is normal white sugar. Caster sugar sounds to me like what one would call confectioner’s sugar in the USA.
Good luck!
Homemade versions of childhood faves is my jam. Do you remember those Little Debbie pumpkin delights? The fall season is just around the corner, so i would LOVE if tried to recreate those.
Ooh! I’ve never had those! I’ll have to give them a try and see what I can come up with 🙂
Isn’t it scary all the ingredients we can’t pronounce in processed snacks?! love your recreations
The filling looks so amazing and fluffy!