Because who can say “no” to the classic chocolate covered strawberries? Easy to prepare, a beautiful centerpiece decorate are an easy and delicious, make-ahead dessert. All you need are two ingredients, fresh strawberries and chocolate – that’s it! Make them for parties, sweet treats, or gifts. And of course, they’re perfect for Valentine’s Day!
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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ingredients
A dessert recipe with only two ingredients and you can make in less than 30 minutes? Here’s what you need to know:
- Strawberries: Go big or go home, right? In all seriousness, large strawberries work great for this, just make sure you buy them fresh and with that deep red color and minimal whites on the tops. These will be the sweetest strawberries. Unlike other fruits, strawberries bought from the store typically won’t continue to ripen and become that deep red before going bad. Avoid using strawberries with bruised or damaged spots, as these won’t allow the chocolate to stick as well either.
- Chocolate: Whether you prefer milk, semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate, any of these will bring the perfect rich flavor to the sweetness of the strawberries. For this recipe, I used regular dark chocolate chips, but chocolate bars or melting chocolates work just as well.
Do Oil and Chocolate Mix?
You may have heard of adding coconut oil to your chocolate when melting and dipping fruits into it. This step is completely up to you. The oil will help to soften the chocolate shell when it dries so it doesn’t break apart into tiny pieces so easily, and it won’t change the taste at all. If you choose to add the oil, a little goes a long way. For this recipe, I would recommend only adding up to a tablespoon when melting your chocolate. Make sure it is evenly mixed into the chocolate so there aren’t any clumps or streams of oil when dipping the strawberries.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Covered Strawberry
- After you’ve rinsed your strawberries, lay them out on a towel or pat to dry completely. Any moisture left on the strawberries won’t allow the chocolate to stick.
- Use room temperature strawberries. If you use strawberries that have been stored in the fridge, two things will happen:
- Naturally they will cool the chocolate down too quickly
- They will begin to condensate and will prohibit the chocolate from sticking
- After you’ve dipped the strawberry in the chocolate, use a spoon to wipe away excess chocolate dripping from the bottom. This will save the strawberries from drying in a pile of chocolate.
- Place the dipped strawberries on a piece of parchment paper to dry to avoid the chocolate sticking to any other surface.
- Let the chocolate cool and dry on the strawberries at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes. Do not put them in the fridge to speed up the process, as this will create the condensation effect again and the chocolate will not stick as well.
- Chocolate covered strawberries are best served at room temperature. The chocolate will be softer and not crumble as much.
Get Creative With Toppings
If you want to add a little something to your strawberries, try adding one of these garnishes before the chocolate has dried on the strawberry:
- Crushed Dried Strawberries
- Chocolate Drizzle: Melt the same or different (if you’re using semi-sweet for the strawerries, try either white or dark chocolate for the drizzle) chocolate and pour it into a plastic piping bag. Then, pipe the melted chocolate over top of the dipped strawberries.
- Chopped Nuts: Almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts are all good options to try.
- Crushed Oreos
- Sprinkles
- Toasted Coconut Flakes
How to Store Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chocolate covered strawberries are best served the day you make them, however they still taste fresh and delicious up to 48 hours if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. For best results, place a paper towel at the bottom of the container to soak up any moisture seeping from the strawberries and place strawberries in a single layer.
More Easy Desserts to Try
Here’s a few more delicious ideas to try for an easy dessert at your next gathering:
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Ingredients
- 16 oz Fresh, ripe strawberries
- 12 oz chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate)
- Toppings if preferred (nuts, coconut flakes, sprinkles, see blog post for more ideas)
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash the strawberries removing any dirt or debris.
- Lay out on a towel to dry (you can pat dry with a paper towel to speed up this process).
- In a small, microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips. Heat the mixture microwave, stopping to stir the melting chips every 20 second (this will help them not to burn). Continue this process until the chocolate is smooth and melted evenly.
- Holding by the leaves, dip the strawberries into the melted chocolate until the chocolate almost reaches the base of the leaves. Slowly spin the strawberry in the chocolate until all sides are evenly covered. Rotate the strawberry to make sure all sides are coated.
- As you remove the strawberry from the chocolate, take a spoon and lightly scrape any excess chocolate from the bottom of the strawberry before gently laying down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Roll in preferred toppings or sprinkle with toppings while the chocolate is still wet.
- Allow the strawberries to dry on the baking sheet at room temperature for 20-30 before eating or placing in an airtight container lined with paper towels to store in fridge.
