Homemade Chocolate Covered Strawberries

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Homemade Chocolate Covered Strawberries are one of the popular desserts to have on Valentine’s Day. Especially for those celebrating their anniversaries. I love them simply because they’re delicious and I can make them every day. Let me show you how to make these scrumptious treats and look pretty too!

why we love chocolate-covered strawberries

For one, I love berries and strawberries are one of my favorite fruits. Especially when they’re in season, and they’re so fresh, have bright red color, and are so juicy. Combined with chocolate, it’s perfect! 

ingredients notes

CHOCOLATE CHIPS (Amazon Affiliate)

MILK CHOCOLATE (Amazon Affiliate)

DARK CHOCOLATE (Amazon Affiliate)

• CHOCOLATE – If you’re using chocolate morsels, or higher cocoa content, add a little butter for a smooth texture and shiny finish. I usually start by adding a tablespoon of unsalted butter first. Then I add more as I go but don’t add more than it needs to. You decided if you want dark or milk chocolate. 
• STRAWBERRIES – It doesn’t have to be long stems and are super expensive, but it’s nice to have fresh and no bruises around your berries. Avoid washing them when dipping them in chocolate. Use a paper towel to wipe any dirt around the berries. The moisture prevents the chocolate from coating the strawberries. Instead, it’ll droop down and your strawberries will not be covered with chocolate at all.  If you’re worried about pesticides, then buy the organic. 
• CHOCOLATE BAR – I use a vegetable peeler to create chocolate shavings for the topping of any dessert I make. This is also good to have on top of your chocolate-covered strawberries. 
• SPRINKLES – I love sprinkles, it gives a nice accent to your beautiful treats. If you’re health conscious, you can use coconut flakes, chopped nuts, or just drizzle more chocolate. 

how to make chocolate-covered strawberries

MELT THE CHOCOLATE:

1. Line a baking pan or a large platter with parchment paper (to prevent from sticking to the pan or platter). Wipe the strawberries and lay them on the pan. Leave the leaves for easy handling when ready to dip into chocolate. 
2. If you’re using chocolate chips, place 2 cups in a heatproof container and microwave for 30 seconds, then remove from the microwave and continue heating for another 10-20 seconds or until it becomes easier to stir. Then, heat it up between 10 seconds increments. 
3. Constantly stirring in between increments. If the chocolate looks dull add a tablespoon of butter and continue mixing until smooth. 

DIP THE STRAWBERRIES:

1. Hold the top of the strawberries (by the leaves), and start dipping them in the melted chocolate. Lay them on a prepared pan, and start decorating with your favorite sprinkles or chocolate shavings. Or use a decorating bag and drizzle some chocolate on top. 

2. For the chocolate shavings/curls – use a vegetable peeler. Hold the chocolate bar with one hand and shave the side with the peeler (just like peeling a vegetable). The chocolate will be shaved off and curled. Try not to touch them, let them just freely drop on the surface or small bowl. Set aside until ready to use. 

DECORATE AND SERVE:

1. Don’t let the chocolate dry up, use the sprinkles as soon as you’re done dipping the strawberries in chocolate. Otherwise, they won’t stick. 
2. Let the chocolate-covered strawberries dry up at room temperature before placing them in the fridge for later use. If you’re using them on the same day, then no need to refrigerate them. When the chocolate is left in the fridge for a long time, it develops moisture and can ruin your beautiful treats. 

tips

• WHAT KIND OF CHOCOLATE: I always get Ghirardelli chocolate whether it’s chocolate chips or a bar. I like the way it melts and it tastes smooth and delicious. If you’re getting a chocolate bar, use a knife and cut them into chunks so it can easily melt. But if you prefer to use candy melts, they coat well too. However, I’m not a big fan, it tastes too sweet for me, and I like real chocolate. 

a. Dark Chocolate: My choice is always dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate. If you love chocolate, it just makes sense to buy chocolate with higher cocoa content. A little bit of butter when melting helps with a shiny finish. Milk chocolate is the same way of heating. 

b. White Chocolate: I add a teaspoon of neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil per 8 oz. of chocolate before melting (it helps smooth the texture). White chocolate is very temperamental, make sure to keep an eye on the chocolate and give it 10 seconds increments every minute of heating time. Stir well until smooth. 

HOW TO KEEP THE STRAWBERRIES FRESH

• STRAWBERRIES: It’s different when you’re using berries to add to your cereal or oatmeal but when you’re dipping the strawberries in chocolate, moisture is a menace. I just wipe them with a paper towel to remove any dirt or I buy organic to make sure they’re not packed with pesticides. But the most important thing to remember is to keep your strawberries very very dry. And don’t keep them in the fridge for too long ( 1-2 days max). As much as possible, make them the day you need them (so you don’t need to refrigerate them). But I quite understand if you have leftovers. 
• DOUBLE BOILER OR MICROWAVE: Both heating techniques work well for me. You can also buy an Electric Melting Pot that keeps the chocolate warm so you don’t need to keep putting them in the microwave when it starts cooling. 

recommended recipes

Homemade Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Jen Paleracio

Fresh strawberries dipped in dark or semi-sweet chocolate. Decorated with different types of sprinkles or drizzle with more chocolate. Ready for a romantic Valentine's Day!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Equipment

• Baking pan or wide platter
• Heat proof bowls
• Spatula
• Microwave oven
• Double boiler
• Option: Electric Chocolate Melting Pot

Ingredients

  

• 2 pounds fresh strawberries
• 16 oz. dark or semi-sweet chocolate morsels (chips)
• 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter,
• 16 oz. white chocolate chips
• 1-2 teaspoons neutral oil, canola oil or vegetable oil

FOR TOPPINGS

• Sprinkles
• Chocolate curls/shavings
• Chopped nuts
• Coconut flakes
• Chocolate drizzle

Instructions

 

• Line a baking pan with parchment paper or use a wide platter for your strawberries.
• Use a paper towel to wipe the dirt off the strawberries. If you're worried about pesticides, I'll suggest buying organic. Strawberries have already a lot of moisture, so washing them can retain more water (see NOTE #1).
• Leave the leaves attached and lay them on a prepared baking pan or platter while melting the chocolate.
• For dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate: place them on a heatproof container, and add a tablespoon of butter per cup. Place in a microwave on high for 30 seconds, then check. If the chocolate is still firm, place it back in the microwave for another 30-40 seconds, then remove and stir.
• Place back in the microwave for another 1-2 minutes with an increment of 10 seconds every minute. Constantly stirring until melted and smooth.
• For the white chocolate: the same process but you're going to add canola or vegetable oil (1 teaspoon per cup of chocolate). Continue stirring until smooth. If you're coloring the white chocolate make sure to use an oil base food coloring for chocolate (see NOTE #2).
• When the chocolates are melted and ready for dipping, take the strawberries one at a time. Hold it on top of the leaves and carefully dip it halfway into the melted chocolate.
• Place them back on the pan. If you're decorating them with sprinkles, don't wait until they dry out. Sprinkle right away so it properly sticks to the chocolate. Then let it dry.
• You can also use a spoon to drizzle melted chocolate on top of your chocolate-covered strawberries but I find that using a decorating bag is much easier and it looks neater (see NOTE #3).
• Serve while the strawberries are still fresh.

Video

Notes

NOTE #1: Never use frozen strawberries (as if you already don’t know that haha). Moisture is a menace when it comes to chocolate. When your strawberries are still wet and not properly dried, the melted chocolate doesn’t stick, instead, it droops down. This is the reason I don’t wash my strawberries, I just wipe them with a paper towel. I don’t even wet the paper towel. Remember, water and chocolate is a “NO NO”.

NOTE #2: If you’re coloring your white chocolate use oil base food coloring. You can find them online or at any craft store like Michael’s. Regular food coloring will alter the consistency of your chocolate and ruin it altogether. 

NOTE #3: I like using a decorating bag when piping or drizzling chocolate on top of my chocolate-covered strawberries. Snip a very small opening at the tip of the decorating bag first. You can always cut it bigger but you cannot make it smaller. You can also buy decorating bags from any craft store or use a ziplock bag. Scoop the melted chocolate in the bag and tie up the end or if using a ziplock seal it up. Don’t overfill the bag, it’s hard to control the bag when it’s too full. Scoop about 1/4 cup of melted chocolate into the bag. You can always put the bag in the microwave when it starts to cool and the chocolate hardened. 

 

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Keyword chocolate, chocolate chips, chocolate covered strawberries, dessert, melted chocolate, strawberries, sweet treats, valentine’s day, white chocolate

equipment

ELECTRIC MELTING POT

MICROWAVE

DOUBLE BOILER

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Hi there! Nice to meet you. My name is Jen.

I’m a mom and a wife, and just like you, I love to cook too. Let’s make something delicious but let’s not make ourselves run around like a chicken without a head. The recipes I share are inspired by my grandma, and she was very aware of her time and money. I grew up in a household where home-cooked meals are part of our day-to-day life. Cooking is not a chore but a way of living and connecting with each other. I created these recipes to help everyday cooking simple and flavorful…

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