This post includes everything you need to know for how to make homemade chocolate covered strawberries. They're shockingly easy to DIY, require just 3 ingredients (plus toppings), and are sure to impress! This recipe is packed with tips for making picture-perfect chocolate-dipped strawberries. I opted for a dark chocolate coating with white chocolate drizzle, but the options for decorating are endless, and they're the perfect gift for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day.
I don't think I'm alone in admitting that chocolate covered strawberries are my kryptonite. The combination of rich chocolate and fresh, juicy berries is entirely irresistible. So imagine my amazement the first time that I made them at home and discovered how easy they are to make.
Chocolate covered strawberries command top dollar at candy stores, especially around Valentine's Day, but they're easy to make at home for a small fraction of the price. You'll need just 3 ingredients (plus toppings) and about 30 minutes to make these chocolate-dipped berries, and below I'm sharing my recipe and tips for how to make picture-perfect homemade chocolate covered strawberries.
How to Make
You may be surprised just how easy it is to make chocolate covered strawberries at home, but there are some important things you need to know in order for them to be perfect:
- Choose strawberries that are perfectly ripe. Avoid strawberries with lots of white, as they'll be less juicy and flavorful. Avoid overripe strawberries, which will be mushy.
- Your berries need to be room temperature before you begin. Cold berries will give off moisture as they come to room temperature, and moisture doesn't mix well with chocolate.
- Similarly, it's CRUCIAL that you dry your berries really well after rinsing them (see step 2 in the recipe). Any moisture from the berries will cause the chocolate to seize when the berries are dipped, and you'll lose the glossy, smooth look of your chocolate.
- Use a narrow, tall bowl rather than a wide, shallow bowl for melting the chocolate. The pool of melted chocolate will be deeper, which makes for easier dipping.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave or use a double boiler. If using the microwave, be careful not to overheat the chocolate; microwave in short increments on 50% power, stirring between each stint in the microwave.
- Dip strawberries into chocolate, place onto a lined baking sheet, and let chocolate set at room temperature. Once the chocolate sets, go ahead and drizzle with more chocolate!
What Chocolate to Use
Since the chocolate is the star of the show, use quality chocolate. Avoid using chocolate chips, as they include additional ingredients and won't melt to such a beautifully smooth consistency. I recommend using a chocolate baking bar (I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate baking bar (60% cacao) for dark chocolate covered strawberries).
If you're planning to drizzle more chocolate on top of the dipped berries, as I did, you can use a baking bar of any chocolate variety you prefer (bittersweet (dark), semi-sweet, milk, etc.). If you'd like a white chocolate drizzle, you can use a white chocolate baking bar or use white melting wafers. White chocolate can be particularly finicky when melting, so I like to use melting wafers (I used Ghirardelli white melting wafers). Note that if you use melting wafers, you do not need to add oil when melting the chocolate (see recipe for details).
Ideas for Decorating
- Drizzle them with chocolate (dark, milk, white... any kind you like!)
- Coat them with any of the following immediately after dipping, when the chocolate is still sticky:
- Crushed cookie crumbs (Oreos, speculoos, etc.)
- Mini chocolate chips
- Chopped nuts (pecans, peanuts, pistachios, etc.)
- Sprinkles
- Crushed chocolate/candy bars (Crunch, Health, etc.)
Storage Instructions
Chocolate covered strawberries are best the day they're made, so I recommend making them a few hours before you plan to serve them. Once dipped, store the berries at room temperature until ready to serve. Do not store chocolate covered strawberries in the fridge.
Recipe
Homemade Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Ingredients
Chocolate Covered Strawberries:
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, room temperature
- 8 ounces chocolate baking bar*, (bittersweet, semi-sweet, milk, or white) chopped
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil, (vegetable or canola oil)
White Chocolate Drizzle (optional):
- 2 ounces white chocolate baking bar or white melting wafers
- ½ teaspoon neutral oil, (vegetable or canola oil (not needed if using melting wafers))
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment. Set aside. (Note: If you're planning to dip the chocolate covered strawberries into additional toppings, prep the toppings at this time.)
- Rinse strawberries and dry them thoroughly. It's CRUCIAL that the berries not be wet when dipping them.
- Add the chopped chocolate and oil to a microwave-safe bowl (a narrow and deep bowl is best). Microwave on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring between each stint in the microwave, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. (Alternatively, you can heat the chocolate and oil in a double boiler and stir until smooth.)
- Holding the strawberries by the stem, dip each berry one at a time into the melted chocolate. Gently scrape the excess chocolate from the bottom of the berry along the rim of the bowl and place the berries on the prepared baking sheet. (If you are dipping your berries into additional toppings, do so just after dipping into the chocolate before placing them on the baking sheet.) Leave the chocolate-dipped berries to set at room temperature.
- Once the chocolate has set, melt the chocolate for drizzling along with the oil (if using) using the same method as you did for the dipping chocolate and stir until smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a small piping bag (or a plastic bag with a tiny corner snipped off or use a spoon) and drizzle the chocolate over the berries. Again leave the berries and chocolate to set at room temperature.
- Once the chocolate is set, serve and enjoy (ideally within a few hours).
Notes
Nutrition
Elizabeth
I missed the part about the piping bag and started thinking mid-drizzle, "this would probably work better with a piping bag instead of a spoon," but my tips for the drizzle: I scooted the chocolate-covered berries closer together so I wouldn't lose too much white chocolate to the paper. But also I scraped off the paper and reheated the bigger drops and re-used that chocolate. And, lastly, I had prettier results after I got frustrated and just started flailing the spoon around instead of trying to get a thin stream of white chocolate to flow from my spoon! But it all tasted great!
Allison Ferraro
Love these tips for using a spoon to drizzle the chocolate... thanks for sharing them, Elizabeth! I totally agree that perfection is overrated and a bit of extra splatter can be so pretty! Plus it's all about the taste anyway. 😉
- Allison