Chocolate covered strawberries are quick to prepare, look beautiful and are sure to impress. You only need 3 ingredients to make this delicious dessert. It’s a great idea for busy people to celebrate Valentine’s Day. They can also make a beautiful gift for Mother’s Day!
Ingredients
To make chocolate covered strawberries you will need just 3 basic ingredients:
- Strawberries – winter or summer strawberries, depending on the season, any will work! Frozen strawberries can not be used.
- Chocolate – you can use regular chocolate bars, baking chocolate, chocolate melts or chocolate chips. The advantage of using baking chocolate is that it is already tempered – that means the chocolate has a smooth glossy surface and won’t have a frosted/dull surface after a good couple of hours. In terms of taste, it doesn’t matter. You can use dark, bittersweet, semisweet, milk chocolate or white chocolate – the preparation method is exactly the same. Use good-quality chocolate, the same you would enjoy eating on its own.
- Coconut oil – the addition of oil is optional but very recommended. It makes the chocolate more soft and glossy, it won’t crack after it has set. I like to use extra virgin coconut oil because I like its taste and I think it pairs well with the strawberries and chocolate but feel free to use any neutral-tasting vegetable oil you have on hand.
Additional ingredients:
- Vanilla extract – I like to flavor the chocolate with vanilla. It’s optional.
- Toppings – are optional. You can just use another kind of melted chocolate, favorite chopped nuts or sprinkles. You can also just leave the strawberries plain, without any toppings. More topping ideas are mentioned below.
Step by step instructions
STEP 1: Clean the strawberries (photo 1)
Wash the strawberries and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels (otherwise the chocolate won‘t stick to the strawberries and slide from them). Don‘t remove the leafy ends. I used 14 large strawberries for this recipe.
STEP 2: Melt the chocolate (photos 2+3)
You can melt the chocolate using a double boiler method or melt it in a microwave.
How to melt chocolate using a double-boiler method:
- In a medium pot, bring water to a boil.
- Place a heat-proof bowl over the top (it can be a glass, ceramic, or metal bowl, not plastic). The bowl can‘t touch the water surface.
- Add 2 oz (60g) chopped chocolate, 1 ts of coconut oil and 1 ts of vanilla extract to the bowl.
- Heat the chocolate over the lowest heat, stirring all the time, until the chocolate is melted.
TIP: You need to melt the chocolate using a double-boiler method (or a microwave) and not just melt it in a pot because it could separate.
STEP 3: Dip the strawberries in chocolate (photo 4)
Pick a strawberry by the top leaves and dip it in the melted chocolate, shake gently to remove any excess chocolate. When you have not much chocolate left, you can help yourself with a teaspoon.
Some strawberries have very fragile leaves that will fall off right when you want to pick them. If this is what you’ve got you can stick the strawberries on a fork and pour the chocolate with a teaspoon over the strawberries until they are coated on all sides.
STEP 4: Decorate your strawberries (photos 5+6)
When the strawberries are coated in chocolate, it’s time to decorate! Decorating is not necessary, chocolate covered strawberries are tasty on their own, but decorated look so pretty.
You need to sprinkle the strawberries with toppings when the chocolate is not set yet – that’s the only way they will stick to the chocolate. If you want to drizzle them with melted milk or white chocolate it‘s better to wait until the chocolate coating has set (or is just partially set).
STEP 5: Chill the strawberries until the chocolate is set
Place your strawberries on a tray lined with parchment paper. Leave them on the counter and wait until the chocolate is set or place on a tray in the fridge, to speed up the process (it should take about 15 minutes).
The strawberries taste best at room temperature.
Enjoy!
Topping ideas for chocolate covered strawberries
- you can drizzle them with melted milk or white chocolate
- sprinkle with finely grated chocolate
- shredded unsweetened coconut
- colorful sprinkles
- cookie crumbs (like crushed Oreos, Biscoff cookies, or graham crackers)
- crushed pretzels
- chopped nuts (pistachios, walnuts or pecan would work well)
- finely ground freeze-dried fruits (strawberries or raspberries).
The strawberries on the photos are sprinkled with freeze-dried strawberries that have been ground in a food processor. You can also grate them on a grater, but not too finely (I don‘t recommend a microplane, the pieces clump to each other and it will be hard to sprinkle them). I highly recommend freeze-dried strawberries as a topping – it intensifies the strawberry flavor!
If you dip the strawberries in white chocolate they will look like little spooky ghosts – check out this recipe for strawberry ghosts (white chocolate covered strawberries). It’s a fun idea for kids to make!
Instant Pot chocolate covered strawberries
You can use your Instant Pot or any other pressure cooker to melt the chocolate.
- Press the saute function on your pressure cooker.
- Add some water to your pot.
3. When it’s starting to boil place a heat-proof bowl on the instant pot (it should not touch the water surface) and add the chocolate, oil, and vanilla extract.
4. Stir the chocolate with a spatula until melted.
Storing chocolate covered strawberries
- These chocolate covered strawberries taste best at room temperature. Leave the strawberries on the counter so they can warm up to the room temperature. Cold, straight from the fridge, don‘t taste so good.
- They taste best freshly made – when the chocolate has set.
- They can not be made ahead – they will look good on the outside (especially if you will use baking chocolate to coat them) but the strawberries will release juices and become mushy. I would store them for a maximum of a couple of hours in the fridge in a tightly closed container.
- They can not be frozen.
Gift ideas
These chocolate strawberries make a perfect gift. Here are some ideas:
– You can make a Strawberry ‚Bouquet‘ – Stick bamboo skewers into the leafy ends of the strawberries, you can tie a ribbon around the sticks. Place in a nice vase or cup.
– Make Chocolate Strawberry ‚Lollipops‘ for kids (same as above, you can tie separate ribbons onto each skewer).
FAQ
The best chocolate for chocolate covered strawberries is baking bittersweet chocolate. The advantage of using baking chocolate is that it is already tempered – that means the chocolate has a smooth glossy surface and won’t have a frosted/dull surface after some time. In terms of taste, it doesn’t matter. Use good-quality chocolate, the same you would enjoy eating on its own.
Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds (or 20 seconds if at a high temperature) then take the bowl out and give it a stir. Place the bowl back in the microwave and repeat the process of cooking for 30 seconds, stopping, stirring, and returning to the microwave until the chocolate has melted.
Place them on paper towels in a tightly closed container in the fridge. This method can make them last a little bit longer but I don’t recommend storing them longer than 12-24 hours. Winter strawberries may last longer than ripe and soft summer strawberries. You can also pick firm strawberries and not soft and ripe strawberries (but it will also impair the taste of your dessert).
No, they can not be frozen. The strawberries will be soft and mushy and the chocolate will fall off of them.
Unfortunately there is no good method to do that. To avoid sweating or leaking, it’s best to make chocolate covered strawberries the same day you plan to serve them. You can also avoid picking very ripe and soft strawberries.
No, you don’t have to refrigerate chocolate strawberries. They will last longer in the fridge but they taste better at room temperature.
You need to wash them then pat them dry with paper towels. They need to be very dry before coating them in chocolate or the chocolate won’t stick to them, it can also become grainy.
It keeps the chocolate from being too hard, it has a softer texture and it’s more glossy. It also helps prevent blooming (whitish coating on the chocolate). You can use any neutral-tasting oil instead or omit it. I recommend using it.
More delicious chocolate desserts
- Chocolate lava cake (ready in about 20 minutes!)
- Chocolate crepes with raspberry sauce
- Chocolate orange bundt cake
- Chocolate chip cookie cake with chocolate frosting
- Chocolate chip pecan cookies
- Chocolate chunk peanut butter cookies
- Chocolate peanut butter pretzels
Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!
Chocolate covered strawberries – simple and delicious dessert in 10 minutes
Ingredients
strawberries:
- 14 strawberries
- 2 oz (60g) dark chocolate or milk / white chocolate, good quality!
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or any neutral-tasting vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
for decoration (optional):
- white or milk chocolate, shredded unsweetened coconut, chopped nuts, freeze-dried strawberries, colorful sprinkles
Instructions
- Wash the strawberries and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels (otherwise chocolate won‘t stick to them). Don‘t remove the leafy ends!
- Melt the chocolate using a double-boiler method (for other methods see recipe notes section): In a medium pot bring water to a boil. Place a heat-proof bowl over the top (it can be a glass, ceramic, or metal bowl, not plastic). The bowl can‘t touch the water surface. Add the chopped chocolate, coconut oil, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Heat the chocolate over the lowest heat, stirring all the time, until the chocolate is melted.
- Dip the strawberries in chocolate: Pick a strawberry by the top leaves and dip it in the melted chocolate, shake gently to remove any excess chocolate. When you have not much chocolate left, you can help yourself with a teaspoon. Note: Some strawberries have very fragile leaves that will fall off right when you want to pick them. If this is what you’ve got you can stick the strawberries on a fork and pour the chocolate with a teaspoon over the strawberries until they are coated on all sides.
- Decorate the strawberries: you can sprinkle them with finely chopped chocolate, nuts, ground freeze-dried strawberries, or sprinkles while the chocolate is still not set (that’s the only way they will stick to the chocolate). If you want to drizzle them with milk or white chocolate it‘s better to wait until the chocolate coating is set.
- Place the strawberries on a tray lined with parchment paper.
- Leave the strawberries on the counter and wait until the chocolate is set or place the tray in the fridge, to speed up the process (it should take about 15 minutes or a little longer). The strawberries taste best at room temperature.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Chocolate – you can use regular chocolate bars, baking chocolate, chocolate melts, or chocolate chips. The advantage of using baking chocolate is that it is already tempered – that means the chocolate has a smooth glossy surface and won’t have a frosted/dull surface after a good couple of hours. In terms of taste, it doesn’t matter. You can use dark, bittersweet, semisweet, milk chocolate, or white chocolate – the preparation method is exactly the same. Use good-quality chocolate, the same you would enjoy eating on its own.
- How to melt the chocolate in a pressure cooker: Press the saute function on your pressure cooker. Add some water to your pot. When it’s starting to boil place a heat-proof bowl on the instant pot (it should not touch the water surface) and add the chocolate, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir the chocolate with a spatula until melted.
- How to melt the chocolate in a microwave: Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds (or 20 seconds if at a high temperature) then take the bowl out and give it a stir. Place the bowl back in the microwave and repeat the process of cooking for 30 seconds, stopping, stirring, and returning to the microwave until the chocolate has melted.
- Storing chocolate covered strawberries: they taste best at room temperature. If it’s very warm where you live, keep them in the fridge in a tightly closed container.
- They taste best freshly made – when the chocolate has set.
- They are not great to make ahead – the next day they will look good on the outside (especially if you will use baking chocolate to coat them) but the strawberries will release juices and become mushy. I would store them for a maximum of a couple of hours in the fridge in a tightly closed container. Firm winter strawberries will keep longer than ripe and soft summer strawberries.
- They can not be frozen.
- Strawberries on the photos are sprinkled with freeze-dried strawberries, finely ground in a food processor. You can also grate them on a grater, but not too finely (I don‘t recommend the microplane, the pieces clump to each other and it‘s hard to sprinkle them). I highly recommend freeze-dried strawberries as a topping – it intensifies the strawberry flavor!
- Calories count = 1 strawberry (toppings are not included). This is only an estimate!
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