Chocolate Covered Strawberries

How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Learning how to make chocolate covered strawberries is easy with our tips and tricks. The difficult part will be resisting eating them all:

Rinse and Dry

Start with fresh strawberries that don’t have any blemishes and have bright green tops. For the best-looking, similar sized berries, you may wish to buy more than one pint of them, picking those that are perfect. Rinse them gently to avoid bruising and dry them with paper towels. They must be completely dry for the chocolate to adhere well.

Prep Your Pan

Get ready for dipping by lining a cookie sheet with waxed or parchment paper. The covered berries will come off either option easier than if placed on an unlined cookie sheet.

Melt the Chocolate

We used chocolate chips, so all the chocolate pieces are the same size and melt evenly. Just add a little shortening or vegetable or canola oil to the chocolate to help create the right consistency for covering the berries. It should be smooth, not too thick or thin, it should be flowly. Low and slow is the name of the game when melting the chocolate chips to prevent them from seizing (clumping up) when heated.

Dip the Strawberries

One at a time, hold the berry by the green stem. Dip it into the chocolate and let any excess drip back into the pan. Place the chocolate-covered berry on the lined cookie sheet. Don’t get distracted—the chocolate will quickly cool off and thicken if the berries aren’t dipped quickly.

Set the Chocolate

Place the cookie sheet of covered berries into the fridge uncovered. Chocolate-covered strawberries made with shortening will set up more firmly than those made with oil. If you like a harder chocolate shell, use shortening when melting the chocolate, if you like a softer chocolate shell, use oil.

How to Melt Chocolate

There are a few ways you can melt chocolate, but we love the control you get when melting the chocolate on the stovetop. It’s really easy to watch, to know just when it’s completely melted.

Stove Top Melting: In a 1-quart pan and over low heat, you’ll be successful in melting it into a luscious thick liquid that coats the berries beautifully.

Here are other methods that also work for melting chocolate:

Microwave Melting: You can place the chocolate chips and shortening in a small microwavable bowl. Microwave uncovered on Medium (50%) 1 to 1 1/2 minutes in total, but be sure to stir every 30 seconds, until it is melted and smooth.

Double-Boiler Melting: You can make a double boiler by heating a small pan to boiling and placing a small bowl on top. Do not let the bottom of the smaller bowl touch the water. Place the chocolate chips and shortening in the smaller bowl; stir until the chips are melted and smooth.

Choosing the Right Kind of Chocolate

While there are oodles of choices for chocolate you could use—including white chocolate, milk or dark chocolate, we decided to start with semisweet or white vanilla baking chips because no chopping is required. And since chocolate chips are small and all the same size, they melt evenly and quickly. Choose a premium brand of chocolate chips for the best chocolate flavor and melting ease.

Toppings for Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Customize your chocolate-covered strawberries by adding a topping, or two, after you dip each one.  Have small bowls of toppings ready to go, so that once you’ve dipped a strawberry, you’re ready to add the topping before placing it on the waxed paper. Here is a list of our favorite chocolate-covered strawberry toppings:

A Decadent Drizzle: Melt additional chocolate and drizzle over the dipped berries using a small spoon. Use melted white vanilla baking chips on berries dipped with semisweet chocolate and melted semisweet chocolate on white chocolate covered strawberries.

Coconut Your Way: Flaked coconut, either straight out of the bag or toasted would be a delicious topping for the dipped berries.

Seasonal Sprinkles: Choose sprinkles that represent the season, holiday, or occasion to sprinkle on the strawberries after they are dipped.

Crushed is King: Finely crush or chop candies, cookies, or cereal to sprinkle over the just-dipped strawberries. We like hard candies like peppermint or toffee bits. And crushed cookies or cereals like Oreos™ or Cinnamon Toast Crunch™ also are a sweet topping treat.

Storing Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Refrigerate chocolate-covered strawberries in a tightly-covered food storage container lined with waxed or food parchment paper. The berries won’t stick to the paper, making them easier to serve when you’re ready, and the refrigeration will keep the chocolate firm. The berries, if not overly ripe when they were coated, should stay fresh up to 3 days before the moisture from the chocolate begins to make them soft. Remove them from the refrigerator about 10 to 15 minutes before serving if you don’t want to serve them cold.

More Easy Dessert Recipes

Looking for more dessert recipes to sweeten the pot on Valentine’s Day? Our Valentine's Day recipe collection gives you multiple ways to say, “I love you” with a sweet treat. Or check out this list of top dessert recipes to try next time your sweet tooth hollers:

Impossibly Easy Cheesecake: Comes together in minutes because it makes its own crust as it bakes.

Chocolate Mousse: This light and airy make-ahead dessert is decadent and easy to make.

The Ultimate Brownie: Moist and fudgy yet cake-like, these treats with walnuts will quickly disappear.

Strawberry Poke Cake: Another crazy-good option for a strawberry dessert. This quick-to-make dessert features white cake infused with strawberry flavor.