Chocolate Covered Strawberries

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Chocolate-Covered Strawberries look so elegant, and yet couldn’t be easier to make! These sweet treats are rich and chocolatey with a bright, sweet strawberry center. Decorate the strawberries with an extra chocolate drizzle for an even fancier-looking dessert.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, Vegetarian

Keyword Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Prep Time 20 minutes

Setting Up Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings strawberries

Calories 61kcal

Author Chelsea

Cost $7.80

Ingredients

1-1/3 cups (8 oz.; 226g) melting wafers milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate (Note 1)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
2 pounds (907g) large fresh strawberries (Note 2)
Optional: 2 ounces chocolate (different flavor than used in dipping; we use white) + 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

STRAWBERRY PREP: Wash strawberries very gently in cool water and carefully dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to ensure the strawberries are completely dry and aren't cold. Don't dip strawberries unless they are 100% dry-- otherwise, chocolate will seize and become cloudy or won't stick to the berries.
PREP: Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or wax paper and set aside. If using baking bars, coarsely chop the chocolate. Top tip for beautiful chocolate-covered strawberries: be patient when melting the chocolate and avoid rapid temperature changes. (Don't microwave too long or too many times; stir chocolate often as it is melting, and don't refrigerate/freeze coated strawberries -- let the chocolate harden at room temperature.)
MELT CHOCOLATE: (See Note 3.) Add all EXCEPT 2 tablespoons of the chocolate melting wafers to a large microwave-safe bowl. Add 1 teaspoon oil. Microwave for 15 seconds and then stir vigorously for 15 seconds. Continue to do this until the chocolate is melted. Once the chocolate is melted, add the reserved 2 tablespoons of chocolate and stir until it melts (Note 4). Be patient and resist the urge to microwave unless it isn't melting after stirring for 1 minute. (Then you can microwave in bursts of 5 seconds at a time.)
DIP: Once the chocolate is fully melted and smooth, hold a berry by the stem and it into the melted chocolate. Gently swirl to cover in the chocolate. Carefully slide the bottom of the strawberry against the edge of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate. Place the strawberry on the prepared parchment paper-lined tray. Repeat with remaining strawberries.
If the melted chocolate is getting too hard to dip, heat it in the microwave for another 15 seconds and remix. You may need to add a 1/2 teaspoon or more of oil too.
Optional -- decorate! See next step. Alternatively, if not decorating, do not refrigerate, but set aside at room temperature until chocolate is firm.
OPTIONAL -- DECORATE: To drizzle chocolate on top, melt the 2 ounces white chocolate with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Transfer chocolate to a small plastic bag, seal without air in it, and cut off the very tip with scissors. Drizzle over strawberry. For a more distinct, raised drizzle: add the drizzle after the chocolate has hardened. For a drizzle that "melts" into the strawberry: add the chocolate drizzle right after the strawberry is coated in chocolate. You can also add sprinkles/Oreo crumbs/etc. on top of the chocolate before it has hardened.
STORAGE: Chocolate-Covered Strawberries are best eaten the same day they're made. They last about 8-10 hours in a cool, dry place before they'll begin to break down and start to leak/become sticky.
We don't recommend refrigerating the strawberries, it will create condensation on the outside of the chocolate and cause the chocolate to break apart when you bite into the strawberry.

Video

Notes

Note 1: Chocolate: Chocolate chips have stabilizers that keep them from melting completely smooth. We recommend chocolate made for melting like good quality baking bars (such as Baker's, Lindt, or Ghiradelli) or good quality melting wafers (such as Ghiradelli) for best results. (Both bars and melts are found in the baking aisle of the store; we find the melts are easier to work with). Use any type of chocolate you like -- milk, semi-sweet, dark, or white. We like a mix of dark and milk chocolate with a white chocolate drizzle best!

Note 2: Strawberries: Grab the freshest strawberries you can find! Look for bright red, firm, and plump berries without any soft spots. I like to get a 2 pound container so there are plenty of strawberries to pick through in case not all of them are in tip-top shape. The chocolate coats most of the 2 pounds (we usually coat 25-30), but you might have some leftover strawberries, depending on their size and how much chocolate is used to coat.

Note 3: Microwaving tip: The key to not scorching and ruining the chocolate is to melt in very short bursts and to stir a lot (so much melting happens outside of the microwave). We never want the chocolate to get hot, just warm enough to melt gradually and once it's smoothly melted, it should be room temperature).

Note 4: Why we add more chocolate after melting: Melting the chocolate slowly while stirring often ensures that the chocolate cools and hardens before the cocoa butter (the natural white fat) can rise to the surface and make the strawberries look streaky. Adding unmelted chocolate to the bowl near the end of mixing not only cools down the overall chocolate temperature but "seeds the batch" and encourages the chocolate to set with the right crystals which makes it smooth and hard at room temperature. Heating and cooling chocolate to stabilize it gives the chocolate a smooth, glossy finish, ensures it won't melt easily on fingers, and allows it to set up nicely.

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