The Trick For Getting The Shiniest Chocolate Coating

If you're not much of a baker, or simply don't have a lot of time on your hands, you may constantly be on the hunt for quick and easy recipes you can serve up if you need a sweet treat for a gathering (or simply something to indulge your own sweet tooth after a long day). Often, the easiest solution is chocolate. More specifically, a chocolate coating. You can level up just about anything and create something that looks homemade by dipping it in chocolate, even if all you did was dip a pre-made item.

For example, as per OMG Chocolate Desserts, there are countless no-bake truffle recipes that require just a little mixing and a quick dip at the end. For something even easier, as Carlsbad Cravings outlines, a dunk in chocolate transforms strawberries into an elevated, elegant treat (bonus points if you manage to master an artful drizzle with a contrasting chocolate).

However, the last thing you want is for your chocolate coating to be dull and unappealing. If not done well, a chocolate coating can quickly turn tasty morsels into unappetizing brown lumps on your plate. Sure, it may still taste delicious without that signature chocolate sheen, but it won't have the same aesthetic effect. If you've ever faced this issue, there's one secret ingredient you absolutely need to know about. It's a simple addition that will give you professional-looking results, no matter what you're coating or what kind of chocolate you're using.

In order to get a fantastic sheen on your chocolate coating, you don't need to master any particular techniques or get any fancy equipment. Instead, as Southern Living recommends, just add in some coconut oil at a ratio of about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil per cup of melted chocolate. Since coconut oil becomes solid at room temperature, you'll want to melt it before combining it with chocolate to best incorporate it. 

The oil will instantly deliver a bit of sheen to your chocolate as it hardens, creating a much more appealing final product. As Coach Sweet Tooth explains, adding oil to your chocolate also gives the chocolate a more smooth, silky texture. Plus, it makes the chocolate a little easier to work with — just like the added sheen, this means your chocolate-dipped products will look absolutely flawless.

However, there's one other hidden benefit of incorporating coconut oil into your chocolate dipping mixture — it also helps the chocolate solidify much more quickly. If you're trying to whip up a sweet treat and you're pressed for time, this is a definite bonus. In fact, coconut oil is actually one of the secret ingredients in Magic Shell coating, the chocolate sauce that creates a nearly instant shell coating the moment it's poured over ice cream. The mere addition of some coconut oil to your chocolate mixture will create a homemade version of the kid-friendly product, as Minimalist Baker outlines.