New York Cheesecake Fudge
This recipe was inspired by the cream cheese half of my Red Velvet Fudge. Every time I make my red velvet fudge, I can’t help but think how much I really enjoy the cream cheese portion of the fudge. Sometimes, I will actually hunt for pieces that have a greater ratio of white swirls to red swirls. Then, a thought struck me – what if I made a full batch of just the cream cheese fudge?

I had recently come across Hershey’s Cream Cheese Baking Chips which I thought would result in more of a true cream cheese flavor rather than the white chocolate cream cheese flavor from the red velvet fudge, so I was pretty excited to give this little experiment a try. I was a little concerned that the fudge might be overwhelmingly one-note so I wanted to include something to help balance and round out the flavor while still letting the cream cheese shine. You know what other sweet treat does that really well? Cheesecake!
Using cheesecake as the flavor profile inspiration also gave me the opportunity to include a textural element in the fudge. A classic graham cracker crust, baked separately to crispy-crumbly perfection, and layered throughout, was exactly what this fudge needed. Every bite gives you a beautiful contrast of silky, smooth cheesecake fudge with buttery, crispy, crumbly crust. If you love fudge and you love cheesecake, this is definitely the treat for you.

New York Cheesecake Fudge
Equipment
- kitchen scale
- foil non-stick
- baking sheet small (1/4 size)
- Food processor
- Baking pan 9"x13"
- sauce pan large
- candy thermometer
- hand mixer
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 9 graham crackers
- 6 tablespoon sugar
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
Cheesecake Fudge:
- 4 ½ cup sugar
- 10 ounce mini marshmallows
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 27 ounce cream cheese baking chips
- 4 ounce cream cheese softened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cream cheese emulsion
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350° F, line a small, rimmed baking sheet with non stick foil.
- In a food processor, blend the graham crackers, sugar, cornstarch and salt until fine crumbs.9 graham crackers, 6 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Add in the butter and pulse until combined and holds its shape when pressed together.6 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Turn out on the prepared baking sheet and press into an even layer about 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick – make sure the edges are the same thickness as the center.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and set aside to cool.
- Once cool, break or chop into small chunks.
For the Cheesecake Fudge
- Line a 13”x9” pan with non-stick foil; set aside.
- In a large, heavy saucepan, combine sugar, marshmallows, butter, heavy cream and salt.4 ½ cup sugar, 2 sticks unsalted butter, 1 cup heavy cream, 10 ounce mini marshmallows, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Attach a candy thermometer and cook to 240° F, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat and immediately add the cream cheese baking chips, cream cheese, vanilla, cream cheese emulsion and cream of tartar.27 ounce cream cheese baking chips, 4 ounce cream cheese, 2 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon cream cheese emulsion, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Using an electric hand mixer, mix on high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Pour about 1/2 of the fudge into the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the chunks of graham cracker crust over the fudge, reserving the finer crumbs for later use.
- Pour the remaining fudge over the graham cracker crust, quickly and carefully spread the fudge to completely cover the chunks of graham cracker crust.
- Sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the top of the fudge, press lightly to ensure the crumbs adhere to the fudge.
- Drop pan from a few inches above counter a couple times to remove any air pockets. (It may be necessary to use a toothpick or a small knife to pop larger bubbles that rise to the surface).
- Allow to cool completely and set before cutting into squares. Place in the refrigerator to accelerate the cooling/setting and to get cleaner cuts.