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Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries the easy way: dry, melt, dip, set. About 15 minutes of hands-on time for two dozen perfect, shiny berries, with simple microwave or double-boiler directions. Crowd-pleasing, kid-approved, and perfect for holidays – from Valentine’s Day to anniversaries and beyond.
Table of Contents
- Why My Recipe Works
- Ingredient Notes
- How To Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Equipment You Will Need
- What are Chocolate Covered Strawberries?
- Kellie’s Tips for Perfect Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
- How To Store Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- How to Decorate Strawberries
- More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipe
Why My Recipe Works
- Dry berries ensure chocolate sticks, not slips. We air-dry and pat dry so chocolate actually clings.
- No-scorch melt. Quick 30-second microwave bursts (or gentle double boiler) for silky, workable chocolate.
- Shine without fuss. Cool, dry set with a glossy finish; tempering note included if you want extra snap.
- The forward push. Slide each berry after dipping to prevent chocolate puddles, game changer.
- Use the right chocolate. Finely chopped bar chocolate melts evenly; I note swaps for chips/wafers.
I used to be a romantic, one of those people that LIVED for Valentine’s Day and couldn’t wait to surprise my “valentine” with gifts of love. Food gifts, obviously.
One year when I made a Beef Stew that was supposed to rest overnight for best results, we ate it that night anyway. Or the other time I made creme brûlée from scratch but something went terribly wrong and it didn’t set properly leaving us with a vanilla soup with blueberries floating around the bottom.
My husband later told me that he would have been totally happy with my go-to for Sunday night, spaghetti and meatballs. It seems, I had been trying too hard.
I’ve given up on trying to be romantic. Which isn’t so bad because now I can make what I want, so Valentine’s Day has become more of a “love yourself first” day. And since I LOVE Chocolate-Covered Strawberries, they’re almost always on the menu for every special occasion.
Ingredient Notes
- Use real chocolate (with cocoa butter). It melts smoother and sets with a pretty snap and shine.
- Chocolate chips? They contain stabilizers that fight melting. If that’s what you have on hand, add 1 tsp neutral oil per cup to keep them smooth after melting.
- Percentage of cacao matters. Dark chocolate (60–70%) gives deeper flavor and firmer set; milk chocolate is sweeter and softer; mix to taste.
- Couverture vs. melting wafers. Couverture, which has higher cocoa butter, gives the glossiest finish; melting wafers/candy melts are super easy but a touch less chocolate-y in flavor.
- White chocolate for drizzle. Choose real white chocolate (cocoa butter listed) for best themelt; go slow and low, white scorches more quickly. Candy coating works in a pinch for clean stripes.
How To Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chocolate covered strawberries are so easy to make with a few helpful tips to keep the whole project from going sideways on you.
- Rinse and drain your strawberries patting them dry with a clean kitchen towel. In order for your chocolate to stick, your berries must be dry. Like super dry, like rinse them and pat them dry with a paper towel and then let them air dry for a bit before you dip. (If there is any residual moisture left on the berries it could cause the chocolate to seize and become grainy when you dip. The chocolate, also, won’t have a chance to adhere to the berries resulting in strawberries with the chocolate slipping off.)
- Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals stirring between each until smooth being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl and sides of the bowl.
- Dip the berries by holding the strawberries by the green leaves or insert a skewer into the to end of the berry. Twirl the strawberry around in the chocolate to coat and then allow the excess chocolate to drip off.
- Place the dipped berries on a baking sheet or sheet pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper and push the berry forward about 1/2 inch, this will help eliminate that chocolate puddle that forms at the base of the berry. Pretty genius, huh?!?
- Drizzle with white chocolate once the chocolate has set, if desired. You may need to transfer your chocolate covered strawberries to the refrigerator to set for about 10-15 minutes but once the chocolate has hardened you can remove them.
Equipment You Will Need
Here’s all you really need:
- A fork or skewer to keep fingers clean while dipping
- A sheet pan lined with parchment (silicone mat works, too)
- A microwave-safe bowl or a double boiler
- A zip-top bag (snip the corner) or piping bag for drizzle
- Plenty of paper towels to dry those berries
What are Chocolate Covered Strawberries?
I’m sure you’ve seen a chocolate dipped strawberry by now but if you haven’t, you’re in for a real treat. There’s no better combination of flavors than a strawberry covered in delicious chocolate and they’re super inexpensive to make at home in just a few minutes.
Save yourself some money this year and make a batch at home, with just two ingredients, fresh strawberries and chocolate wafers.
Over the years I taught myself exactly HOW to make Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries with a few trial and error lessons, like strawberries with the chocolate slipping off or seeping strawberries.
And I found the BEST Chocolate for chocolate covered strawberries to make things easier, I love these easy Melting Wafers or candy melts because they melt perfectly in the microwave in a small bowl and hardly ever seize up. You can use milk chocolate, dark chocolate or even semisweet chocolate and you can easily find them in the baking aisle of your local grocery store.
If you have a favorite chocolate then you can definitely use that but try to steer clear of chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers that won’t allow the chocolate to harden once it’s set unless you mix in a bit of oil.
The melting wafers are awesome and I use them in sooooo many recipes now that I always have a couple bags in the pantry to use for everything like these Dark Chocolate Truffles.
Kellie’s Tips for Perfect Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Set cool, serve cozy. Let them set in a cool, dry spot, then serve at room temp for the glossiest finish and best bite.
Dry time is non-negotiable. Let washed berries air-dry 10–15 minutes, then pat them bone-dry so chocolate actually sticks.
Melt smart. Go in 30-second microwave bursts, stirring each time (or use a gentle double boiler) for silky, scorch-free chocolate.
Do the little slide. After dipping, push the berry forward about ½″ on the parchment – no chocolate puddles around the bottom.
How To Store Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Lost their shine? Let them rest in a cool room for a few minutes. (Never re-warm in the oven or microwave.)
- Same-day is best. Keep at room temp up to 6 hours in a cool, dry spot.
- Need to store longer? Refrigerate up to 24 hours in a single layer on a paper towel–lined pan and loosely tent with parchment.
- Serve like a pro. Pull from the fridge 30 minutes before serving so the chocolate softens to the perfect bite.
- Do not freeze. Freezing causes weeping and bloom (that dull, streaky looking chocolate).
How to Decorate Strawberries
While your chocolate dipped strawberries are still wet, you can sprinkle them with all kinds of fun toppings. Here are a few of our favorites.
- Colored Sprinkles
- Chopped Nuts
- Finely chopped cookies, like Snickerdoodles or Oreos
- Toasted Cake Crumbs
- Shredded Coconut
- Colored Melted White Chocolate
- Or make these easy Easter Strawberries
Use your own imagination here, there are so many ideas that I could just go on and on all day.
And as much as I like to keep these Chocolate Covered Strawberries all for myself, they also make an excellent gift for teachers, family, hostess gifts or, I guess, your Valentine. 🙂
More Easy Dessert Recipes
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Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipe
Equipment
- baking sheet
- parchment
- measuring cup
- spoon
Ingredients
- 24 whole strawberries, rinsed and dried thoroughly
- 10 ounces good quality chocolate (Dark chocolate or Milk chocolate), finely chop bar chocolate, if using
- 5 ounces good quality white chocolate, if desired
Instructions
- Rinse berries in cool water and dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Arrange in a single layer on a towel and allow to air dry for 10-15 minutes (or until completely dry.)
- Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat at high power for 30 seconds. Stir and heat in 30 second increments until liquid ,melted and smooth. The melted chocolate should feel warm, not hot.
- Dip the strawberries, one at a time, in the chocolate turning to coat. Allow the excess to drip off the strawberry and place on the baking sheet lined with parchment.
- Push the strawberry forward 1/2 inch to help avoid the chocolate puddle from forming at the tip of the berry. Repeat with the remaining berries until all are coated.
- Transfer the baking sheet to a cool, dry place to allow the chocolate to set. Avoid humidity as it will cause the chocolate to sweat and increases condensation.
- If desired, melt white chocolate in 30 second increments then transfer the melted chocolate to a zip top bag.
- Snip off a corner and drizzle over the strawberry. Allow the chocolate to set.
- Serve the strawberries immediately or transfer to an airtight container lined with a paper towel (to absorb moisture) and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Video
Notes
- Wash, then air-dry 10-15 min and pat until completely dry, moisture is the enemy.
- Melt in 30-sec bursts, stirring each time (or use a double boiler).
- Finely chop bar chocolate for even melting; using chocolate chips? Add 1 tsp neutral oil per cup.
- After dipping, push berry forward about ½ an inch on parchment to prevent puddles.
- Let set in a cool, dry spot; serve at room temp for best shine and bite.
- Storage: room temp for 6 hours; refrigerator 24 hours in a single layer on paper towels. Do not freeze.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Your berries, likely, weren’t dry. Wash, then air-dry 10–15 minutes and pat until bone-dry. Don’t dip cold, wet fruit.
Let berries set in a cool, dry spot. Skip the fridge unless you must, then pull them out 30 minutes before serving.
Real bar or couverture for flavor and shine (I love 60–70% dark). Melting wafers are the easiest. Chocolate chips are stubborn to melt, add 1 tsp neutral oil per cup if that’s what you have on hand.
Totally optional. For extra snap/shine, melt about ⅔ of the chocolate, then stir in the remaining finely chopped chocolate to seed until smooth (roughly 88–90°F dark, 84–86°F milk chocolate or white chocolate).
Same day is best. Room temperature up to 6 hours; fridge up to 24 hours in a single layer on paper towels. Don’t freeze.
If it’s just thick, stir in ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon neutral oil per cup. If it seized (water got in), there’s no rescue, start fresh and keep moisture away.
Good ideas for gifts, Everybody loves CCS.
Thank you! I agree!
OMG! these chocolate covered strawberries look insane good and oh so beautiful! your images are truly incredible…thank you for all the great tips to make these beauties 🙂
You’re very welcome! Thanks so much!
These strawberries look so pretty and perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Thank you so much!