Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
It's so easy to make this fast-and-fancy treat at home — no candy-making skills required!
Makesabout 16
I love everything about chocolate-covered strawberries. I love the crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth shell and the cool, sweet strawberry beneath. I love giving them as homemade food gifts, and I love receiving them equally as much (especially for Valentine’s Day dessert!).
But what I love most is how easy they are to make at home. It’s an afternoon fun cooking project with a result that looks fancy no matter your candy-making skills (or lack thereof)!
The Key to the Best Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
The key to making chocolate-covered strawberries is that the strawberries must be very, very dry. If you have any water left from rinsing or any sticky bruised areas, the coating doesn’t “stick” to the strawberry as well. Drops of water can also make your chocolate seize up and become grainy as you dip.
After rinsing the strawberries, I recommend patting them dry and then laying them out on a clean dish towel until they are completely dry.
Ingredients for Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
With a project as simple as this — “take strawberry, dip in chocolate” — the quality of the ingredients are key.
- Dark chocolate: You can certainly do this with your average bag of chocolate chips (and in fact, that’s a great idea for a rainy day project with kids). But if you really want to up the ante, spring for good-quality dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate.
- Strawberries: A pint of grocery store strawberries are totally ok to use, but if possible, pick up some super-ripe farmers market strawberries. The flavor will really make a difference.
- White chocolate (optional): Show off your decorating skills with a drizzle of white chocolate. For the best flavor and consistency when melting, use good-quality white chocolate.
How to Melt Chocolate
To melt chocolate, you can use a double-boiler or a heatproof bowl and saucepan. A double-boiler consists of two pots: a large one that looks like a regular saucepan, which is filled with an inch or tow of water, and a smaller pan that nestles inside. If you don’t have a double-boiler, you can make a DIY version using a heatproof bowl and saucepan. Here are the steps:
- Fill the bottom pan with water. Fill the bottom of the double-boiler or medium saucepan with an inch or two of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Place the chocolate in the upper pan or bowl. Transfer all the chocolate into the top of the double-boiler or a heatproof bowl and set this over the simmering water.
- Melt the chocolate. Let the chocolate melt, stirring occasionally, until no more lumps remain. Remove the bowl with the chocolate from heat.
If you’re feeling really fancy, we have tips on how to temper chocolate without a thermometer.
How to Store Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Chocolate-dipped strawberries look their best and are their snappiest the day they are made. You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Lining the bottom of the container with a clean paper towel will help wick away moisture for storage. Don’t expect stored chocolate strawberries to look as shiny as freshly dipped and set berries.
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries Recipe
It's so easy to make this fast-and-fancy treat at home — no candy-making skills required!
Makes about 16
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 pint
fresh strawberries (about 1 pound)
- 2 cups
dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (12 ounces)
- 1/2 cup
chopped white chocolate (3 ounces), for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
Rinse 1 pint fresh strawberries under cool running water and gently pat dry. The strawberries need to be completely dry before dipping, so spread them out and let them air-dry if necessary.
Fill the bottom of the double-boiler or medium saucepan with an inch or two of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Transfer 2 cups dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate into the top of the double-boiler or a heatproof bowl and set this over the simmering water. Let the chocolate melt, stirring occasionally, until no more lumps remain. Remove the bowl with the chocolate from heat.
Working with one strawberry at a time, pick up a strawberry by the top leaves and dip it into the chocolate. Turn or swirl the strawberry as needed to completely coat it in chocolate.
Lift the strawberry out and shake gently to remove any excess chocolate.
Carefully lay the dipped strawberry on its side on the baking sheet. Repeat with dipping the remaining strawberries. Let the strawberries sit until the chocolate coating is set and dry to the touch. You can put the baking sheet in the refrigerate to speed this along.
When the strawberries are ready, melt 1/2 cup chopped white chocolate just as you did the dark chocolate. (Alternatively for this small amount of chocolate, melt it in 15-second bursts in microwave, stirring between each burst.) Transfer the melted white chocolate to a small ziplock bag. Push the melted white chocolate to one corner of the bag, then snip a small corner off the bag. Squeezing the bag gently and quickly drizzle the white chocolate over the strawberries, using big, sweeping motions over the whole baking sheet.
Let the white chocolate drizzle set (or place the baking sheet in the refrigerator again for few minutes), then serve.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Dipped strawberries can be kept for a few hours at room temperature. They can also be refrigerated for a few days, though they don't look as pretty.