Chocolate-covered strawberries are striking and romantic confections perfect for Valentine’s Day. While they’re a classic choice for expressing affection, they’re also a thoughtful treat for celebrating an anniversary or birthday. Whether you want to make traditional chocolate-covered strawberries or create a unique confection with exciting colors and flavors, read through our guide! We show you how to make chocolate-covered strawberries in your kitchen with delicious TCHO chocolate.
If you love the taste of our vegan chocolate bars, you’ll like how you can incorporate our plant-based baking chocolate into your chocolate-covered strawberry recipe. Along with teaching you the recipe for making this delicious treat, we’ll give you our best ideas for presenting your confections to a loved one. Let us share our chocolate storage tips to help keep your confections fresh. You’ll make Valentine’s Day or an important celebration more special for someone you care about. Heck, you can even make them for yourself!
What Are Traditional Chocolate-Covered Strawberries?
Almost everyone knows about chocolate-covered strawberries, but what makes a classic recipe? Traditional chocolate strawberries feature fresh strawberries dipped in smooth milk chocolate or a dark chocolate coating. The coating is created by tempering chopped chocolate bars or chocolate discs for baking. It’s also possible to use semisweet chocolate chips.
Simple and delicious, these strawberry confections are easy to create and feature a healthy, wholesome twist. It’s nearly impossible not to love chocolate-covered strawberries, but we have a few tips for making them stand out. First, use high-quality chocolate (like our TCHO chocolate bars or chocolate baking discs) for flavorful, heartfelt treats. Then, incorporate homegrown fruit or fresh produce from your grocery store or farmer’s market. Fresher fruit will help complement craft chocolate’s rich, fudgy flavors.
There are other ways to create tasty chocolate-covered strawberries, including combining different types of chocolate to make your coating. You can also swap milk chocolate or dark chocolate for creamy white chocolate. Finally, create a unique treat with your choice of toppings, such as sprinkles or sanding sugar.
Ingredients for Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Now that you know what goes into classic chocolate-covered strawberries, it’s time to write down the recipe! You’ll like that it’s a short list of ingredients with items you can get from the TCHO store and your kitchen pantry. Here is the ingredients list for creating tasty chocolate-covered strawberries:
- 1 lb. fresh strawberries
- 1 c. TCHO chocolate discs for baking
- Your choice of toppings
That’s it! It really is one of the easiest dessert recipes to put together. It’s even more amazing how impressive they look for such a simple process and straightforward list of ingredients. Since you can gather your chocolate and strawberries in minutes, you’ll have more time to plan a fun night out or a special celebration.
Why You Should Temper Your Chocolate
The first bite into a chocolate-covered strawberry makes these treats so magical. The smooth yet crisp mouthfeel of the strawberry’s tempered chocolate coating is the perfect companion for the firm flesh of the juicy fruit. To make a chocolate covered strawberry, it’s essential to temper your chocolate. But don’t worry; it’s not as complicated to temper chocolate discs as you think!
Tempering is an excellent skill to learn if you like to make recipes with chocolate. Best of all, you can do it with the tools and appliances you have in your kitchen. Confectioners use this trick to make all types of chocolate treats, but you can DIY them at home just as quickly. First, read our guide on how to temper chocolate to go through each step. You can also read through the different methods to decide which is right for you. Chocolatiers often use the seeding method or marble tabletop method to get perfectly tempered chocolate for their strawberries and fresh fruit. You can also temper chocolate baking discs or chopped vegan chocolate bars in the microwave. The microwave method makes it easy to create a crisp chocolate coating in your kitchen. In minutes you’ll make the right chocolate consistency to envelop your fresh strawberries.
Steps for How to Make Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Follow our steps for making chocolate-covered strawberries, and you’ll see just how easy it is to create a gourmet treat at home. This recipe includes the microwave method for tempering your chocolate, but you can also seed your chocolate or use the marble tabletop method for tempering. All you need to do is switch out the chocolate tempering method in Step 2 for the method of your choice. If you desire romantic toppings for your chocolate-dipped strawberries, follow optional Step 4. The other steps of how to make chocolate-covered strawberries will remain the same! To make delicious chocolate-covered strawberries:
Step 1: Prepare the Strawberries
Remove the strawberries from their container and place them in a colander. Rinse the strawberries thoroughly in the sink with fresh water. Drain the colander completely, and then pat the berries dry with a paper towel.
Ensure the strawberries are completely dry, and then set them aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Line your baking sheet with some parchment paper, and then set the baking sheet on your kitchen counter.
Step 2: Temper Your Chocolate
Take 2/3 of your chopped chocolate bars or chocolate discs and place them into a microwave-safe bowl. Set the remaining 1/3 aside, and then put the bowl of the 2/3 chocolate pieces in the microwave. Use the half-power setting to microwave the chocolate in short bursts for up to 10 seconds. Stir the chocolate with a spatula until it is nearly melted.
Mix your melted chocolate with the reserved 1/3 chocolate pieces in your microwave-safe bowl. Then, using the same short microwave bursts, stir the chocolate until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool until it reaches its working temperature. Once it’s cool enough, you’re ready to dip or coat the strawberries in the chocolate!
Step 3: Dip the Strawberries in the Tempered Chocolate
Using a toothpick or a fondue fork, pierce one strawberry near its green stem end. Carefully dip the strawberry into the smooth-tempered chocolate, gently rotating it in the mixture to coat thoroughly. Once fully covered, place the dipped strawberry on your parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat this step with each berry until you coat all pieces of fruit.
Step 4 (Optional): Drizzle Chocolate and/or Sprinkle with Toppings
Once the chocolate sets on the strawberry, drizzle additional chocolate on top. To add toppings, sprinkle them on before the chocolate sets on the strawberry. If you’re not interested in adding toppings to your strawberry, skip Step 4 and move to Step 5.
Step 5: Chill and Enjoy
When you’re done dipping and topping your strawberries, place them in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes to help the chocolate set. Chocolate strawberries are most delicious when fresh, so eat and enjoy!
Best Chocolate for Making Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
The best chocolate for making chocolate-covered strawberries includes milk chocolate and dark chocolate. You can also use semi-sweet chocolate to coat your fruit. Some confectioners use white chocolate to give their strawberries a special twist. It’s also fun to drizzle different types of chocolate after you dip them and the chocolate sets into place. If you’re searching for the best chocolate to create your strawberries, we can help. We have many exciting options for you to try. Our Real Fudgy 70% single-origin dark chocolate offers a rich and classic chocolate taste to coat your juicy berries. For a tart and fruity flavor, our Real Fruity 68% single-origin chocolate makes for a delicious pairing with strawberries and a delightful Valentine’s Day treat. Sweet and Sassy 68% bittersweet dark chocolate is a symphony of nutty, fruity flavors that offer a singing complement to fresh strawberries.
If you have a milk chocolate lover in your life, make them happy with a plant-based treat. You’ll create scrumptious chocolate-covered strawberries with our Oat My Gawd 45% oat milk chocolate that’ll make your dessert creamy. Whether you want to cover your strawberries in white chocolate or drizzle white chocolate on top, our Choco Blanco 35% oat milk white chocolate is a sweet and decadent alternative. No matter which one you choose, you can’t go wrong when it’s quality TCHO chocolate.
Tricks for Making Perfect Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
This recipe is always a favorite, but there are ways you can make this dessert unforgettable. If you’re tempering chocolate in the microwave, do it in small quantities! This helps to create the right consistency and prevent the chocolate discs or pieces from scorching. If you’re making lots of chocolate-covered strawberries, consider tempering the chocolate and coating the strawberries in batches to ensure quality.
Ways to Dip and Decorate Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
There are many ways to make your chocolate strawberry recipe your own! Coat your strawberries in milk or dark chocolate, and then drizzle them with the other flavor for the best of both worlds. You can even add a layer of plant-based oat milk white chocolate.
When it comes to toppings, there is no limit to how delicious you can make your recipe. Some of our favorites include crushed nuts or pistachios. Add sprinkles or colored sugar or coat your chocolate strawberries in shredded coconut. If you’d like, you can include crushed graham cracker pieces or cookie pieces. Red and pink toppings will make your strawberries fit for a special Valentine’s Day treat.
Tips for Storing Chocolate and Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Vegan chocolate bars and baking chocolate can last for many months if you store them properly. On the other hand, chocolate-covered strawberries are best when they are consumed quickly. We recommend you eat them within 48 hours for the freshest berries and the best chocolate taste.
If you can’t finish your chocolate strawberries quickly, you’ll need to store them in the refrigerator. Enjoy them as soon as possible to help preserve freshness and taste. If you don’t already know, the flavor and texture of chocolate will change in the fridge or freezer. The ideal temperature for storing chocolate bars and baking chocolate is approximately 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, so keep it in this range in a cool and dry place with low humidity.
Create an Impressive Treat with Chocolate Strawberries
The flavor combination of strawberries and chocolate is a bright and decadent delight that you or a loved one will appreciate any time of year. Whether you’re making these treats for Valentine’s Day or want to create a beautiful and luscious birthday dessert, you’ll serve something that looks as impressive as it tastes. One of the best parts about these confections is that they look gourmet, yet you can make them yourself at home in a matter of minutes.
When you’re ready to serve your strawberries, place them on a white rectangle plate or a circular cake stand. Your recipe’s colors and textures will stand out against a simple yet elegant backdrop. Leave the strawberry stems on top to preserve the swaths of green and red color. If the berries are for Valentine’s Day, a heart-shaped plate or serving tray will help you showcase your romantic dessert. Finally, offer your strawberries with long stem red roses or a bottle of red wine for the ultimate treat.
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