Chocolate-covered strawberries are a delicious dessert treat that are easy to make. I’m always surprised to learn how many people have never made them or think they’re too difficult to make at home, and for those people, this post is for you.
Begin with the most beautiful firm, bright red strawberries you can find. Check for ripeness by making sure they smell like strawberries.
Use any chocolate that you like. You can use plain old chocolate chips, or get fancy with fair trade chocolate, 85% cacao dark chocolate, or single estate chocolate made from cocoa beans picked from a single tree by a single person. But don’t overthink it — I use Hershey’s bars, and they work just fine and taste great. Whatever you do, don’t use candy melts (also known as confectionery coating) — it’s not fair to the strawberries.
Make sure everything you’re using is dry and free from water drops, including the strawberries and the cooking equipment. Otherwise, your chocolate may seize up, and then the party’s over.
The secret to a smooth chocolate coating on your berries is a tablespoon of shortening. (I had a friend that used paraffin, but I don’t consider that a food, so I wouldn’t recommend it.) Crisco works great (which I also don’t really consider a food). Simply melt the chocolate and shortening together in a small saucepan — no tempering, no water bath (which you are free to do, but your berries will not taste any better and you’ll just be in the kitchen longer and make a bigger mess).
You can dress up your berries with sprinkles, nuts, or toffee bits, although they look just as tempting plain. You can also drizzle them with white chocolate, or paint them with luster dust. If you’re really in it to win it, you can use a syringe to inject them with Grand Marnier.
Have some fun and get dipping!
- 8-9 ounces of chocolate (chocolate chips, Hershey's bars, dark chocolate -- your pick)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
- 1 pound strawberries, cleaned and thoroughly dried
- Line a large baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper.
- Place the chocolate and shortening in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. (If using candy bars, coarsely chop chocolate before adding to saucepan.). Remove from heat.
- Holding 1 strawberry by its green top, dip ¾ of the berry into the melted chocolate (tip pan slightly to make it easier to dip). Let excess chocolate drip into pan. Place on prepared baking sheet. (If desired, can sprinkle with jimmies or nuts at this point.) Repeat with remaining berries. Refrigerate until chocolate coating is firm, approximately 1 hour. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Hershey’s bars and Crisco — easy!
Stir together until melted
Pretty smooth, huh?
Time to get dippin’
Nothing says “party” like a few sprinkles
Ta-da!
For my loves
I’ve seen recipes that use oil, but I wouldn’t use canola oil — sometimes it has an almost fishy taste. I’d use vegetable oil instead.
Can I use canola oil instead of shortening??
You can certainly decrease the amount of chocolate and proportionately decrease the amount of shortening. It all depends on how much you’re dipping. You can always throw some pretzels, dried fruit, and/or nuts into any leftover chocolate — I promise no one will complain!
Thanks for stopping by. 😊
This is a super easy and good recipe just feel as 8-9 ounces is too much chocolate
Do you mean milk chocolate? My favorite!
I used milk and came out perfect
No, butter is not solid enough at room temperature. You can omit the shortening, they just won’t be as smooth.
What about butter instead of shortening? Will that work?
Coconut oil is a great idea — and I consider that a food!
A classic, and one of my favorites–totally agree about paraffin. I use a tablespoon of coconut oil and it works well.