Fresh strawberries and chocolate are a classic pairing. Why not make Chocolate-Covered Strawberries for a special occasion like Valentine‘s Day, Mother‘s Day, and holiday parties? With just two ingredients, you can create these beautiful treats in about 30 minutes.
Whether it’s for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, a baby shower, or a birthday party, these Chocolate-Covered Strawberries will be a wonderful treat for everyone! Made with simple ingredients—just fruits and chocolate, they are a healthier alternative to typical desserts. Plus, they look so pretty and elegant.
If you’re looking for a quick dessert that adds brightness to the table, give these a try! They also make for a great edible gift during the holidays.
Why Make These Chocolate Covered Strawberries
I enjoy making these beautiful treats, and I hope you will too! Here are the reasons why you’ll love this recipe:
- Super easy! This is one of the simplest dessert recipes on the website. My children have been making this since they were young! It’s a fun cooking project to do with little ones.
- Quick to make—under 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Just 2 ingredients! The basic recipe requires strawberries and chocolate.
- I’ll show you how to temper chocolate so your chocolate-covered strawberries will have a more professional look!
- A much healthier treat for anyone who wishes to watch their sugar intake.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Strawberries – Get large, organic strawberries that are plump and firm. Whenever I find those, I always make this recipe.
- Chocolate – It’s crucial to get high-quality chocolate baking bars or wafers. I’ll cover this topic below.
Optionally, you can decorate with other ingredients such as white chocolate, chopped nuts, or sprinkles. In my recipe below, I’ve included a white chocolate drizzle.
The Best Chocolate for Dipping Strawberries
There are so many chocolate brands and types available at the grocery store. Which one is good for this recipe? To temper chocolate successfully, it must contain cocoa butter in the ingredients. Here are my recommendations:
- High-quality chocolate bars for baking (you’ll need to finely chop)
- Couverture chocolate wafers
- Avoid using chocolate chips. They’re made with less cocoa butter and have added ingredients that help them maintain their chip shape when baking. Consequently, they will not melt smoothly for tempering. Instead, opt for couverture chocolate wafers.
What is Tempering Chocolate?
Instead of simply “melting” chocolate, I highly recommend “tempering” chocolate. When you make chocolate-covered strawberries with tempered chocolate, they will look more professional, akin to chocolates found in a candy store!
Tempering—involving the heating and cooling of chocolate to stabilize it for making candies and confections—gives the chocolate a smooth and glossy finish. It prevents it from easily melting on your fingers and provides a snappy texture when you bite into it! The chocolate stays hard even at cooler room temperatures.
What if we don’t temper chocolate? Melted chocolate looks dull, streaky, and possibly greyish, and it remains soft without that desired snappy texture. Additionally, it will melt easily, requiring refrigeration.
How to Temper (Melt) Chocolate
This step is very easy, especially when using a cooking thermometer, which helps with tempering chocolate by eliminating guesswork and ensuring success.
Tempering Chocolate on the Stove
For this process, use a double boiler, which I will discuss in the next section.
- Melt two-thirds (⅔) of the chocolate in a double boiler. Heat the chocolate until it reaches 110°F (43°C). Use an instant-read thermometer for an accurate reading.
- Remove the chocolate from the heat and add the remaining one-third (⅓).
- Gradually bring down the chocolate temperature to 90°F (32°C) by mixing the chocolate.
Tempering Chocolate by Microwave
You can use the microwave, but you must be extra cautious as it can burn the chocolate.
- Put two-thirds (⅔) of the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave for 30 seconds, then take it out and stir.
- Repeat this process: microwave for another 30 seconds, take it out, and stir.
- Continue microwaving in 15-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Ensure that the chocolate reaches only around 110°F (43°C).
- Add the remaining one-third (⅓) in small amounts while stirring (this is called “seeding”). Ensure that each piece is completely melted before adding more. The chocolate will thicken and become shiny and smooth as you continue stirring. Once the chocolate temperature reaches 90°F (32°C), it’s done and ready for dipping.
What to Watch Out For
- Do not heat chocolate above the following temperature.
- Semisweet or bittersweet – Never above 120°F (49°C)
- Milk or white chocolate – Never above 110°F (43°C)
- Never expose melted chocolate to water. Any water (steam, condensation, or moisture attached to the heatproof bowl or utensil) will cause the chocolate to seize and become lumpy and dry. If your chocolate is seized, check out this video.
What is a Double Boiler?
A double boiler is a type of cookware, which typically consists of two pots, one placed over the other, or a bowl set over a saucepan. It utilizes steam as a heat source to gently melt or cook food.
All you need is a heatproof bowl (metal or glass) set over a saucepan filled with about an inch of simmering water. Make sure the bowl is not touching the water.
How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Wash and dry the strawberries. Be careful not to tear the green leaves. Pull back the leaves while drying so you can use them as handles when dipping later.
- Temper (melt) chocolate: Melt two-thirds (⅔) of the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring with a silicone spatula. Heat the chocolate until it reaches 110°F (43°C), using an instant-read thermometer for accuracy. Remove from the heat and add the remaining one-third (⅓) of the chocolate. Bring the chocolate temperature down to 90°F (32°C) by mixing it.
- Dip the strawberries. Dip and roll strawberries in the tempered chocolate until fully coated. Then, scrape off any excess with the silicone spatula. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. To create a nice tip, push the leaves forward a little bit.
- Optionally, you can decorate them with a white chocolate drizzle.
- Let them sit on the counter until hardened and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Here are a few things to keep in mind while making these chocolate-covered strawberries:
- Pick good strawberries. Choose large, firm, ripe strawberries without bruises. If possible, opt for strawberries that are bright red all the way up to the stem for the best appearance!
- Dry the strawberries thoroughly. After washing, make sure to dry the strawberries completely, as water can prevent the chocolate from sticking. Strawberries should be at room temperature.
- Use a cooking thermometer to eliminate guesswork. I frequently use it in various recipes, such as for steak, salmon, deep-fried food, desserts, etc., to ensure precise cooking. It’s truly one of the must-have tools in the kitchen.
- Prevent chocolate pooling. As soon as you place the strawberries on parchment paper, push them forward to prevent chocolate from pooling.
- Decorate chocolate-covered strawberries. Use another chocolate to drizzle or add toppings to give them a gourmet look.
- Reheat cooled chocolate. If the chocolate cools, place the bowl of chocolate back over the double boiler, stirring continuously. Warm the chocolate back to 90˚F (32°C) and then remove it from the heat.
How to Store
Enjoy your chocolate-covered strawberries within 1 to 2 days. Keep them uncovered at room temperature for the first day and refrigerate uncovered overnight.
Other Chocolate Recipes
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Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Fresh strawberries and chocolate are a classic pairing. Why not make Chocolate-Covered Strawberries for a special occasion like Valentine‘s Day, Mother‘s Day, and holiday parties? With just two ingredients, you can create these beautiful treats in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
For Decoration (optional)
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
Gather all the ingredients. Thoroughly dry all the cooking utensils. Any moisture from the double boiler, bowl, or tools will cause the chocolate to seize and become lumpy. Tip: It‘s much easier to coat large strawberries with plenty of chocolate, so I recommend using more (8 oz, 227 g) rather than less (6 oz, 170 g). With the leftover chocolate, I made frozen chocolate-covered bananas (optional); see instructions below.
To Prepare the Ingredients
Gently wash 1 lb strawberries well, especially the leaf area. Dry them completely with a paper towel. While drying, pull back the green leaves to prepare them for dipping. Transfer the dried strawberries to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Prepare a double boiler to gently melt the chocolate using steam. Set a heatproof bowl (metal or glass) to rest on the opening of a saucepan filled with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of simmering water. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water. To temper chocolate by microwave, see the Notes below. Next, divide 6–8 oz good-quality semisweet chocolate into two bowls: Two-thirds in one bowl and one-third in another. If using chocolate baking bars, chop them into smaller pieces. Tip: Please read the blog post on the best chocolate to use for this recipe. I do not recommend chocolate chips; they do not melt well since they contain less cocoa butter and include ingredients to maintain their chip shape.
To Melt and Temper the Chocolate
- Add two-thirds of the chocolate to the double boiler bowl, stirring continuously with a silicone spatula. Heat the chocolate to 110°F (43°C). Use an instant-read cooking thermometer for an accurate reading. Do not overheat. Tip: Never heat semisweet or bittersweet chocolate higher than 120°F (49°C) because the flavor may suffer or it could scorch. You can substitute white or milk chocolate, but never heat them higher than 110°F (43°C).
- When the chocolate reaches 110°F (43°C), remove the bowl from the double boiler. Tip: Be careful not to expose the melted chocolate to water or steam. If your chocolate seizes, check out this video.
Add the remaining one-third of the chocolate. Stir continuously to melt it and reduce the overall temperature of the melted chocolate.
Bring down the chocolate temperature to 90°F (32°C). Now, it‘s ready to use.
To Dip the Strawberries
Gently pick up each strawberry by the green leaves. Then, dip and roll the strawberry in the tempered chocolate until you‘ve coated it about three-quarters of the way to the top. Scrape off any excess with the silicone spatula.
Place it on a tray lined with parchment paper. Push the strawberry forward a little bit as soon as you set it down to keep the chocolate from pooling. This also creates a nice tip shape. The chocolate will solidify as it cools. Repeat with the remaining strawberries.
What To Do with the Leftover Chocolate (optional)
It‘s hard to coat strawberries if there‘s only a little chocolate left in the bowl. With the remaining chocolate, I made frozen chocolate-covered banana (optional). I dipped 1-inch (2.5 cm) banana slices in the chocolate and transferred them with a fork to a tray lined with parchment paper. If the dipping chocolate cools, place the bowl back over the double boiler and stir continuously. Melt it to 90°F (32°C), remove from the heat, and continue dipping the banana slices. Store in the freezer and enjoy them as a frozen treat.
To Decorate with White Chocolate (optional)
Put 4 oz good quality white chocolate baking chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Take it out and stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds. Take it out and stir again. Continue heating at 15-second intervals, stirring between each interval. When the chocolate is mostly melted and only some solid pieces remain, stop microwaving. Stir to melt the rest with the residual heat.
Put the melted white chocolate in a small plastic bag (I use a sandwich bag) and snip one tip with a pair of scissors.
Drizzle the white chocolate in a zigzag pattern onto the chocolate-covered strawberries (and bananas, if using). The chocolate will harden as it cools.
Notes
- Put two-thirds of the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave for 30 seconds. Take it out and stir.
- Microwave for another 30 seconds. Take it out and stir.
- Microwave for 15-second intervals, stirring between each interval until the chocolate is melted and smooth. The chocolate temperature should be around 110°F (43°C).
- Add the remaining one-third of the chocolate in small amounts while stirring (this is called “seeding”). Be sure that the pieces are completely melted before adding more. The chocolate will thicken and become shiny and smooth as you continue stirring. When the chocolate temperature has reached 90°F (32°C), it’s done and ready for dipping.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on February 9, 2012. The post was republished with a revised recipe, new images, and more helpful content on February 7, 2024.
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