Treat someone special to these Chocolate Covered Strawberries ... they're beautiful and delicious, and no one has to know that they're so easy to make!
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Some things just go together ... like chocolate and strawberries! Can you think of a more classic combo?
Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I couldn't resist making a big batch of Chocolate Covered Strawberries. And they turned out quite lovely, if I do say so myself. Ha!
You'd never know it from looking at these gorgeous chocolate dipped berries, but they're so easy and fast to make. No fancy candy-making skills are required. Just follow my simple step-by-step tutorial.
And there's no need to limit these chocolate covered treats solely to Valentine's Day ... they're perfect for Mother's Day, birthdays, weddings, baby showers, and so much more!
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
These beautiful strawberries are a fun way to wow your guests for practically any occasion. And they're so much more affordable than store bought berries.
They're beautiful, delicious, and so fun and easy to make that a child could do it (seriously). No one has to know that but you though!
Ready to start dipping? I'm going to walk you through this simple recipe step-by-step. You'll learn how to make classic Chocolate Covered Strawberries, as well as gourmet decorated berries.
And by the way, this method works for any kind of chocolate dipped fruit. So feel free to get creative!
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries Ingredients
The best thing about these dipped strawberries is that the ingredient list is so minimal!
- Strawberries
- Chocolate
- White Chocolate, optional
- Sprinkles, Chopped Nuts, etc., optional
- Microwave or Double Boiler
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Sheets (at least two)
For the most classic berries, you really only need chocolate and strawberries. Look for small, deep red berries ... they will be sweetest. I'd also recommend covering your baking sheets with parchment paper (or foil) for easy cleanup. And of course, if you want to decorate your berries, you'll need sprinkles.
By the way, these chocolate dipped berries are vegan as long as you choose dairy free chocolate (and sprinkles/toppings). Here's a good guide to vegan chocolate.
Other items you might need: toothpicks (for making marbled strawberries) and a pastry bag with a small round tip (for drizzled or marbled strawberries). Instead of a pastry bag, I use a silicone frosting bulb. I purchased it on a whim, but I love it ... it's so easy to handle and clean, plus it's reusable!
Best Chocolate for Covering Strawberries
You can use any kind of chocolate—from milk to dark to white—for this recipe. It's really up to you.
Since this recipe is so simple though, make sure to choose something high quality. This is not the time to use generic chocolate ... select a bar you'd enjoy eating on its own. Ghiradelli, Scharffen Berger, Lindt, and Valrhona are all good brands that you can find in many grocery stores.
When picking chocolate, look for the cacao percentage on the packaging. The higher the percentage of cacao, the darker and less sweet your chocolate will be. I used a Ghiradelli bittersweet bar with 60% cacao (which was still pretty sweet). For decorating, I used a Baker's White Chocolate Baking Bar.
And by the way, I used regular chocolate for my strawberries, but you could dip your berries in white chocolate or even candy melts instead. The candy melts won't taste quite as good as pure chocolate, but they'll give you tons of colorful options!
How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Let's get started! These chocolate dipped berries really are simple to make, and I'm going to break it down for you step-by-step.
Along the way, I'll hopefully answer all your questions (let me know if you have more). Plus, I've got a bunch of easy decorating ideas that will take your strawberries from basic to (almost) too pretty to eat!
Preparing the Strawberries
Before doing any dipping, you'll need to wash and completely dry your strawberries. Chocolate will not stick to wet berries ... you've been warned!
You'll want to use room temperature berries, so take them out of the fridge about an hour before starting. Rinse the berries, lightly pat them dry, then place them on paper towels to dry completely. If you're in a hurry, blot the berries really well before beginning.
Melting the Chocolate
Chop your chocolate, then place it in a small microwave-friendly bowl.
Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds, then mix well.Microwave the chocolate for 15 seconds more and stir again. Continue heating the chocolate at 15 second intervals, mixing really well in between, until smooth. Do not overcook your chocolate, or it will seize up.
If you don't have a microwave, use a double boiler instead.
Dipping the Strawberries
Next, you're going to dip the berries.
If you need to, transfer the melted chocolate to a small, deep bowl (or even a coffee cup). If your bowl is too shallow, you won't be able to coat the berries evenly.
Grasp the strawberry by its stem or leaves, then dip it into the melted chocolate. Swirl the strawberry in the chocolate to coat it evenly.
Let the excess chocolate drip off, then place the berry on a parchment covered baking sheet.
Repeat this process with the remaining berries.
The chocolate will set as it cools. If you live in a warm climate, you can refrigerate the berries for about 30 minutes to harden the chocolate coating.
If you'd like to make gourmet chocolate coated strawberries, keep reading for decorating ideas below.
Tips for Making Perfect Chocolate Strawberries
Making perfect Chocolate Covered Strawberries takes a little practice, but it's not that difficult.
Here are few tips for improving your technique:
- First of all, use high quality chocolate and the sweetest berries you can find. That way, even if your berries have a few imperfections, they'll still taste amazing!
- Make sure your strawberries are completely dry before dipping them. Chocolate will not stick to wet berries.
- Use room temperature berries. If you use cold berries, they'll start to sweat as they warm up.
- Do not overcook the chocolate. If it seizes up, you'll need to start from scratch.
- To avoid chocolate pooling around your strawberries (like below), let as much chocolate drip off your berries as possible. If there's still excess chocolate, carefully remove it on the bowl's edge.
- If you get pools of chocolate anyway, let the dipped berries cool a few minutes. Then, grasping the berry by its stem/leaves, move it to a fresh sheet of parchment. The excess chocolate will remain in place.
- If your chocolate gets cold and starts to thicken, pop it back in the microwave for a few seconds. Again, do not overheat.
- Most importantly, remember that perfect is in the eye of the beholder! You'll probably be the only one to notice any imperfections.
How to Store Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Strawberries are notorious for going bad quickly. So for best results, serve your berries on the same day that you dip them.
If that's just not possible, let the chocolate set completely, then store the berries in an airtight container in your refrigerator. I like to add parchment paper between layers of berries. The parchment will keep the berries looking their best, as well as help them avoid sticking together.
Just be aware that refrigerated chocolate may turn chalky looking. And as the berries warm up before serving, condensation can cause further issues. They'll still taste great though!
How Long Do Chocolate Covered Strawberries Last?
Chocolate dipped strawberries are best served on the day they are made. However, if you need to make them ahead of time, they can be stored for up to two days in the refrigerator.
After cooling, your berries should look similar to this.
How to Decorate Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Plain dipped strawberries are gorgeous (and totally classic) as is, but why not add a little extra pizazz to your berries?
A few well chosen decorations will look stunning, plus it's an easy way to customize your berries for special occasions!
I had so much fun decorating these berries, and they really turned out cute! I'm sharing a few ways to decorate Chocolate Covered Strawberries below, plus tons of extra ideas, as well.
Strawberries with Sprinkles
Decorating strawberries with sprinkles is the easiest way to make your chocolate covered treats pop. And bonus, sprinkles will hide all those minor imperfections!
For traditional sprinkles (jimmies and non pareils), simply pore the sprinkles over your berries shortly after dipping. Slightly rotate the berry as you do so, to ensure the top and sides get covered completely. You don't need to cover the bottom of the berry.
Make sure to do your sprinkling over a bowl ... that way you can reuse any sprinkles that do not stick.
For larger, heavier sprinkles (like the hearts below), let the chocolate set slightly. Then press the shapes on individually. The partially set chocolate prevents heavier shapes from sliding off.
There are sooo many different types of sprinkles available, especially if you shop online ... and they are all sooo cute!
Look for: traditional sprinkles (also called jimmies), which have an enlongated shape (like the chocolate sprinkles above); non pareils, which are round (like the red and white ones above); colored sugar crystals; or shaped sprinkles (like the hearts above). You could even use mini chocolate chips!
I've rounded up some of my favorite sprinkles below, too.
Top Row:
- Gold Edible Sprinkles - These come in hearts and stars, and they are so sweet. I actually have the hearts, but couldn't find them when decorating my berries (sad face).
- Micro Heart Sprinkle Mix - How adorable are these mini hearts? I couldn't find the exact hearts that I used to decorate my strawberries, but these look similar.
- Pecan Chips - Minced nuts are a great way to decorate your berries, and these Pecan Chips are the perfect size (no chopping required).
Bottom Row:
- Rainbow Sprinkles - Dip your strawberries in white chocolate, these add these Rainbow Jimmies for a fun, colorful effect!
- Chocolate Sprinkles - I love the tone-on-tone look of chocolate dipped berries covered with Chocolate Sprinkles. The more chocolate, the better in my book!
- Unicorn Sprinkles - It doesn't get much cuter than this adorable Unicorn Sprinkle Mix! Use them on white chocolate dipped strawberries for the best effect.
- Valentine's Non Pareils - For sweet Valentine's Day strawberries, sprinkle your berries with these fun Red, White, and Pink Non Pareils.
Of course, that's just the tip of the iceberg as far as sprinkles go. You can find tons of other sprinkles options here!
Strawberries Drizzled with White Chocolate
I love berries drizzled with white chocolate ... the technique is super easy, but the strawberries look very fancy. Plus, this method also has the added benefit of drawing the eye away from little mistakes!
Start by dipping the berries in regular chocolate. Once the chocolate sets, melt the white chocolate and transfer it to a pastry bag with a small tip or a silicone frosting bulb (which I find much easier to handle). Starting off the berry, drizzle the white chocolate back and forth over the berries, using quick, fluid motions.
Don't be afraid of going off the berries as you're drizzling (like I did below) ... you'll get cleaner lines. I find that the more controlled I try to be, the bigger chance my lines look shaky.
This method can be done with any type of chocolate or candy melt. Start with white chocolate and drizzle with regular chocolate. Or drizzle regular chocolate over berries dipped in regular chocolate (or do white on white). The sky's the limit!
Marbled Strawberries
These marbled Chocolate Covered Strawberries ended up being my favorite, and the technique is surprisingly easy. My berries aren't perfect, but I love how they turned out ... they will wow your guests, for sure!
You can marble any kind of strawberry, but I found that wide, flat berries worked best. Here's how to do it:
- Start by dipping your berry in regular chocolate.
- While the chocolate is still wet, draw parallel lines on the berry with the white chocolate.
- Starting at the top of the berry, pull a toothpick through the layers of chocolate perpendicular to the white lines.
- Then, beginning at the bottom of the berry, pull the toothpick toward the top, going in between those lines you just created.
To keep things neat, I cleaned off the toothpick between lines. Also, if the bottom of your berries get messy (like mine did below), move them to a clean piece of parchment paper when you're done. The mess will stay behind.
You could try this method on white chocolate-dipped berries, using regular chocolate or candy melts for the lines, as well.
Other Ideas for Decorating Strawberries
There are many other ways to decorate strawberries, and I can't wait to try them all!
Here are a few ideas to get you brainstorming:
- Colorful - Instead of using chocolate, dip or decorate your berries with candy melts, which come in tons of colors!
- Rainbow - Dip your berries in white chocolate. Let set, then drizzle them with different colors of candy melts.
- Criss-Cross - This technique is similar to the drizzled berries above, but with a twist. Drizzle your berries on a diagonal, then drizzle them on the diagonal in the opposite direction so the lines cross.
- Birthday - Dip the berries in pastel-colored candy melts, then sprinkle them lightly with multi-color sprinkles.
- Football - Cover the berries with regular chocolate; let set. Use white choc to draw a stitching pattern on the front of the berries. Add a single line across the top and bottom, if you wish.
- Baseball - Dip the berries in white chocolate and let set. Add curved red stitching (using red candy melts) on either side.
- Salted Chocolate - Add a light sprinkle of flaked salt to your berries to enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Salted Caramel - Dip your berries in salted caramel candy melts. Once caramel is set, dip or drizzle with regular chocolate. Add a sprinkle of flaked salt as the finishing touch.
- Light & Dark - Coat berries in white chocolate; let set. Then dip part of the berry in regular chocolate ... either straight on or at an angle. You could also do this with regular chocolate as the base and white chocolate on top.
- Tuxedo - Dip the berry in white chocolate and let set. At an angle, dip each side of the berry in regular chocolate, leaving a v-shaped white "shirt" in the middle. Once the chocolate sets, fill a silicone frosting bulb or pastry bag with regular chocolate. Using a small round tip, add a bow tie and buttons to the white "shirt".
I hope you're feeling inspired to make these chocolate dipped strawberries ... they really are so fun and easy to prepare!
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Ingredients
- 2 pounds strawberries
- 16 ounces chocolate
- 4 ounces white chocolate, optional
- sprinkles, non pareils, chopped nuts, etc., optional
Instructions
- Wash strawberries well, then blot dry. Place berries on a few layers of paper towels to dry completely and warm to room temperature.
- Line at least 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or foil). Set aside.
- When berries are completely dry, chop chocolate.
- Place chocolate in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds; then mix well. Continue microwaving at 15 second intervals, stirring very well in between, until chocolate is completely melted. Do not overcook. (If you don't have a microwave, use a double boiler.)
- Grasp strawberry by stem or leaves, then dip into chocolate, swirling as necessary to coat berry evenly.
- Let excess chocolate drip off, then transfer dipped berry to parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining strawberries.
- Decorate berries with melted white chocolate and sprinkles / other toppings, if desired.
- Let chocolate harden at room temperature (or in fridge for about 30 minutes) before eating.
- Serve strawberries the day they are made OR store for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Love these Chocolate Covered Berries?
If you enjoyed this yummy treat, you'll like these recipes, too:
- Strawberry Dark Chocolate Bark
- Chocolate Strawberry Parfait
- Mixed Berry Compote
- Strawberry Ice Cream Cake
- Mini Strawberry Shortcakes
- Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
- Strawberries and Cream Crepes with Chocolate Sauce
Have you ever made anything chocolate-covered? How did it turn out?
Can I use chocolate bark for these instead of a chocolate bar?
Hi, Maria! Yes, chocolate bark would work, too. Hope you enjoy the berries!