Old Danish Fudge Kitchen

The fudge is amazing and is one of my favorite treats ever. I’m not that big of a sweets person, just a chocoholic, but even the vanilla fudge is great! Glad this place is only a short walk away from where I live.

This place is on hit. In a town with nearly as many candy shops as tasting rooms, this place stands tall (as locals will tell you). The fudge is the highlight for me. I got a slice of the walnut fudge and it was delectable. Of course, there are many varieties of fudge to satisfy your sweet tooth, as well as candied apples, and homemade giant pretzels that put the big brands to shame. The customer service is excellent and clearly emanates from the ownership. If you want a treat as you roll around Solvang, look no further.

Update 5÷23÷2016
This is an update to my 1-​star review of Old Danish Fudge Kitchen from 5÷15÷2016. I’ve since been able to try the *other* two types of fudge that I hadn’t purchased on my original visit (the chocolate and the dark chocolate), and they were both very delicious (my personal preference was for the dark chocolate). They were also packaged in boxes rather than the bag that my original purchase was in, which I’m thinking kept them from melting into a blob. Definitely improved my mood not to have to pick bits of fudge off wax paper.
How my experience really stood out, however, was that the owner contacted me straight away, very concerned about my negative experience. He really believes in his business and getting things right. He understood my desire to sample before committing to a full slab, and we discussed ways that could happen without being too time-​consuming for the business, or without being over-​run by those who have no interest in making a purchase after sampling 12 flavors.
Anyway, the superior customer service and tasty «second-​chance» fudge that was more suited to my palate than the original flavor I chose have prompted me to re-​rate Old Danish Fudge Kitchen and recommend that you give them a try.
Update 5÷15÷16 PM timeframe:
One of the owners, Don, very quickly responded with concern about my negative experience and offered a solution. I’ll update the rating once it’s resolved.
Original review:
Hugely disappointed! I should have read the reviews before coming in and gone with the pretzels instead of the fudge. But fudge is what I was craving. The first problem is that they only sell in slabs. I wanted to get a bit of three kinds, but at ~$ 7/​slab, I wasn’t going to go with all three. I selected the orange chocolate, which was very heavy on the orange with practically no cocoa flavor.
If regret wasn’t pouring over me at my little nibble-​without-​fudge-​taste, it sure was when I walked from the Amtrak bus (that I took from Solvang to Santa Barbara) onto the train in Santa Barbara. The fudge had been in the shop’s bag and placed on top of my large handbag, which was on the empty seat next to me on the bus. The temperature on the bus was around 70 deg, so not hot, and the bag wasn’t in the sun at all. The fudge melted into a blob that stuck to the wax paper and the bag. Huh, hadn’t the shop hung signs all over the place stating that their fudge wouldn’t melt? Then what was the sticky mess adhered to the bag? What a waste of $ 7!
Anyway, fool me once, blah, blah, blah. I definitely won’t patronize Old Danish Fudge Kitchen again!

The pretzel was buttery and not too salty. It was soft and very yummy. This location also has great free fudge samples. The staff was friendly and welcoming.

So I was Walking by this little shop when I spotted a fresh made caramel apple. Instantly I stopped in my tracks to see what else was made here. Caramels and fudge and cookies… Super yum! My heart was set on a Caramel apple, I love a good caramel apple.
This place is pretty simple, they offer 3 kinds of apples: plain caramel, caramel and peanuts and caramel and almonds. I love caramel apples with almonds! How could I go wrong? Oh my! The caramel was delicious! It Has a very homemade taste to it. It was thick and creamy but not overly milky. It was tasty.
Also, I bought a pretzel. That was delicious too! The pretzel was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. It wasn’t over salted either! Just the right sprinkle. It comes with a side of cheese. Some kind of homemade cheese spread. It was kind of like cheese whiz but better!
What a great little shop. I’m glad I dropped in. Worth a try!

So since I went there & didn’t have the best experience I was very impressed how management handled it & shocked how much he went above & beyond to make sure I was satisfied (not that I was expecting it one bit) I had a new batch sent to me & have to say it was way better the second time around not to mention the customer service that was given from the Owner. Its very apparent he takes pride in his company & will strive to make sure you have a great experience with them. Next time I’m there I will personally introduce myself & shake his hand for being such a great business owner!

If you’re in Solvang, GET the fudge here, some of the best I’ve ever had. Everyone is super nice and friendly and will give you recommendations on which flavor to get. There’s an array of options from vanilla to Oreo to chocolate with pecans to dark chocolate orange to rocky road!

Have you ever craved a homemade pretzel but couldn’t find one to satisfy you hunger? Well in the city of Solvang, there are several options available. The problem is that most of the pretzels at various locations did not come across as visually appealing. Luckily, we discovered The Old Danish Fudge Kitchen right when we were about to abandon our search for the almighty pretzel!
The shop is located on the corner or Copenhagen Drive and Alisal Road. It is a small business that seems to become very busy due to it’s prime location.
What draws people to this location is their homemade fudge offerings. They have a wide assortment of chocolates that are a bit larger than what you’re used to seeing. Each portion is thick like a small slice of cake, maybe an inch to an inch and a half wide. That’s a hefty serving size!
However we came to The Old Danish Fudge Kitchen for one thing, a large homemade pretzel! Placed in a plastic case, they are easy on the eyes and tempting to your tummy. They are golden brown with a buttery coat on top. Each one has a moderate amount of salt that compliments the taste and texture of each bite. Their pretzels are slightly crispy on the outside and as you squeeze down to pull off a piece to eat, it becomes soft and squishy. This was my kind of pretzel! After taking my first bite, I couldn’t believe that I had discovered the best pretzel ever!!! Yes, these put other pretzels to shame! Amusement park pretzels, mall pretzels, and frozen store-​bought pretzels do not pose any competition to these ones! They are amazing!!!
One may wonder why I chose a 3 star rating for a place that has the most delicious pretzels around. Unfortunately, I did not sample any of their sweet delights so I really can’t vouch for the quality of their chocolates. Once I return to Solvang to indulge in some of their fudge creations, I will update my review. Anyway, if you are in search of a great soft pretzel, you need to stop by The Old Danish Fudge Kitchen to see what all of the fuss is about!

The most delicious Vanilla Pecan fudge ever! It’s almost like a heavenly slice of nougat but fudge! I am already scoping out how to order online. I’m officially hooked!

While vacationing in Solvang, I went on a quest to find a good soft pretzel. I found them at Old Danish Food Farm. In fact, I went two days in a row to get one. Okay, truth be told, I got two each time. :-)
As of this review, they are $ 3.25 each and come with a small cup of sharp cheddar spread if desired.
Note: the shop opens at 9 a.m., but the pretzels aren’t usually ready until about 10 a.m., per the baker I spoke with.
The shop does have a wide variety of other homemade sweets, including fudge, cookies, brownies, candies, etc. I didn’t try anything but the pretzels. The shop is also very conveniently located on the corner of Alisal and Copenhagen; it’s easy to stop in without having to delve into the busier parts of the village. There are also a few tables outside to enjoy your goodies.
Happy to have found Old Danish Food Farm. A stop here for a soft pretzel (or two) will be a new tradition while visiting Solvang.

Got an ice cream in here. Bought some fudge too. Kind of typical touristy atmosphere but that’s not a bad thing. Good for kids.

Price was a little high, but BF wanted fudge. I’m used to being able to get samples, and the sample I got was mediocre. May have bought more, but I think it was late enough in the day they were ready to go home. BF bought one slab/​slice and it was around $ 7. It’s a big piece. Would have preferred smaller cuts and would have bought a few then. That one big piece will hold us for a while. Wish they offered a sampler to buy. Didn’t see one.

I absolutely love this place cause they make the best chocolate fudge brownies that I ever ate. I’m sure there’s a lot more place to go to, but the gooey and melt in your mouth feeling is so addicting that you want to finish the whole batch in a sitting. I’m just impressed that their fudge doesn’t melt easily and hard as a rock until you bite into it. I definitely recommend this when you visit Solvang.

Didn’t try the fudge here but I did try the pretzel and it was outstanding! So yummy!

A great selection of fudge and really smooth to the taste. I tried the chocolate peppermint and penuche pieces and they were both chewy in the middle, but solid on the outside — really good. A nice little candy shop.

Cute novelty shop, lots of fudge varieties. The prices are high but the fudge is yummy. I stick to milk chocolate fudge as the others are way too sweet for me. They also see cookies and candied apples and such.

Pleasantly surprised, the candy apple with nuts was a refreshing treat! A sour apple with a sweet gooey caramel and saltiness of the crushed nuts.
They sell all kinds of fudge too. It was just a tad bit too sweet.

This fudge is perfect. Slightly «caramelized» texture on the outside, soft inside that doesn’t melt all over your hand or on the wax paper. Rich but not overwhelming– loved it!
We sampled the Oreo and the Dark Chocolate, and opted for the dark chocolate. Would have loved to try the rocky road too!
Note: they only serve by the «slice» which is approximately a ½ pound (not exactly a bad thing :))

Walked in after a pit stop in Solvang on our drive from Morro Bay to Los Angeles.
The weather was perfect the day we walked in as it was warm and sunny (perfect ice cream weather).
When you see your son’s face light up with happiness after taking his first bite of his ice cream from Old Danish Food Farm’s, you’re in for a good review! :)
The chocolate ice cream and cookies and cream ice creams were nice and creamy. Tasted homemade is the key here. The prices were affordable for Solvang and the service was good. Good experience, good ice cream right across from the big windmill!

This was our last food stop before leaving Solvang for the day.
The Old Danish Food Farm Inc. was established in 1961 and they serve a Mackinac Island style fudge as well as Caramel Apples, Peanut Brittle, Soft Pretzels with Cheese, Salt Water Taffy and Danish Butter Cookies. You can order from their website year round. The reason for this is two fold: First, they use heavy cream instead of butter. Second, they slice the fudge while it is still warm so that each slice cools to form a harder, protective shell. These two steps prevent melting as long as you keep the full slice together.
Their recipes have been passed down from generation to generation since the late 1800s. Their «creaming» process helps to cool the fudge and breaks down the sugars in the fudge giving it a creamy texture. Once the fudge has thickened, they use a spatula to form it into loaves and slice the loaves into about ½ pound quantities.
Believe it or not, chocolate fudge by most accounts in an American invention. The first mention of fudge is found in a letter written by Emelyn Battersby Hartridge. She wrote that a Vassar schoolmate’s cousin had made fudge in Baltimore, Maryland in 1886 and was selling it for 40 cents per pound. Hartridge acquired the recipe and in 1888, sold 30 pounds of fudge at the Vassar College Senior Auction. The recipe would be popular at Vassar for years to come. At approximately the same time, shops on Mackinac Island in Michigan began selling a very similar product to summer tourist, some of these original shops still exist and sell fudge on Mackinac Island to this very day. The popularity of fudge in this area has caused locals to nickname tourist «Fudgies» referring to the vast quantity of fudge purchased by tourist. I grew up about an hour and a half (including the ferry ride) from Mackinac Island and was always amazed when you could identify the tourist by the boxes of fudge they were carrying around with them.
Rohlinism: Nicknames aren’t always flattering, but they are usually accurate.
This shop has the following flavors:
Chocolate
Chocolate Pecan
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Chocolate Raspberry
Chocolate Walnut
Dark Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Walnut
Maple Pecan
Oreo Cookie
Peanut Butter
Penuche
Rocky Road
Vanilla Pecan
Pumpkin (Seasonal)
Chocolate Mint
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The selection was about average for a fudge shop (I have seen some places on Mackinac Island do over 20 flavors) and there was some samples of the seasonal pumpkin on the counter for everyone to try. The sample was decent, the texture wasn’t grainy, I just felt it was missing some flavor. There wasn’t a line per se, so you are more on the honor system about who is next. I ordered one slice of the Chocolate Pecan when it was my turn and the better half and I headed for home.
As advertised, there was no sign of melting when we arrived home and Laina and I dug in. Laina said the fudge was good, but I don’t remember her experiencing the «Wow!» factor she had when I introduced her to Mackinac Island fudge a number of years ago. I was also disappointed nothing was being prepared when I was purchasing my fudge. Part of the experience on Mackinac Island was watching the shops make fudge, brittle or some other item fresh as you decided on your purchases. The aroma from whatever was being cooked up was strong enough to draw you in off the street. The price is around $ 6 per ½ pound, which is surprisingly low compared to the fudge shops on Mackinac Island.
I would say for most people, this is some really good fudge, but for someone that grew up near the World’s capital for fudge, this was only A-​Ok.