Easy Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Recipe

Chocolate-covered strawberries are one of those decadent treats that only seem to make an appearance a few times each year. And let's face it, they can seem a little pricey. But we're here to change that.

Certainly, these chocolate-dipped strawberry treats make their debut around Valentine's Day as an indulgent gift. But what about any other time of year? Chocolate-covered strawberries are a delicious, sweet snack, and you can easily make them on your own at home.

The plump, juiciness of strawberries pairs wonderfully with luscious chocolate, and you only need two ingredients to pull it off. By selecting beautiful strawberries from the grocery store, along with a few blocks of chocolate, you'll have a big plate of chocolate-covered strawberries to enjoy (or perhaps share with a loved one) in a matter of minutes. And with so many options for fun and delicious toppings, these will be the perfect treat to make for any occasion.

The process of making chocolate-covered strawberries goes quite quickly. It's a simple recipe, utilizing only two ingredients. But it's important to be sure your ingredients are ready on hand before you begin to avoid any chocolate-dipping pitfalls.

To make chocolate-covered strawberries, you'll, of course, need strawberries. Find the best fresh strawberries you can. Typically, the larger the strawberry, the better. Larger strawberries will be easier to dip and generally are juicier and more flavorful.

You'll also need chocolate. For this recipe, we opted for simple blocks of baker's chocolate. We used three blocks of semi-sweet baker's chocolate, but you could opt for another option. Choosing dark baker's chocolate will produce chocolate-covered strawberries with great depth, or you could switch it up entirely and use white chocolate. When gathering your ingredients, you may also want to include a few additional toppings for your chocolate-covered strawberries including crushed nuts, Oreo crumbs, or even sprinkles.

The first step to making beautiful (and delicious!) chocolate-covered strawberries is to be sure your fruit is prepped and ready for the job.

First, start by washing your strawberries thoroughly. Once washed, dry the strawberries on a dish towel or with a paper towel. It's best to leave them on a towel to really allow the moisture to dry out. 

Dipping wet strawberries, or strawberries with any moisture left on them, ultimately won't result in delicious chocolate-covered strawberries. Too much moisture on the exterior of the berries can make it difficult to dip the strawberries and tough for the chocolate to adhere to the fruit. Plus, with moisture captured inside the chocolate shell, it will cause the strawberry to lose its great texture and become mushy over time. Be sure the berries are well washed and completely dried before you begin the next step of melting your chocolate.

The next step is to melt the chocolate for your chocolate-covered strawberries. Be sure not to start melting your chocolate until the rest of your set-up is ready.

When you're ready to melt the chocolate, break it up into small chunks and melt the baker's chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. It's best to follow the instructions on the package here. Start melting the chocolate by warming it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir the chocolate, which will still be in chunks at this point, and then microwave it again in ten-second intervals. Stir the chocolate in between each heating as the chocolate becomes softer. Heat and stir until the chocolate is completely smooth and fully melted.

If you prefer not to use the microwave for this step, you can use a double-boiler on the stove top. Be sure you're not putting chocolate directly into a pot on the stove to melt it. Put two inches of water in a pot, and then add the chocolate into a bowl on top. Turn the stove on and allow the water to heat up while you stir the chocolate. The warmth will begin to melt the chocolate. Stir the chocolate until fully melted.

Before you begin dipping your strawberries, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can certainly use a plate or a flat tray for this step as well. Just be sure it's lined with parchment paper to allow the chocolate-covered strawberries to set without sticking to the surface.

Dip each strawberry individually to avoid a big mess. Hold the end of a strawberry carefully, and dip the fruit into the chocolate. Be careful not to pull the stem and leaves off. Once the strawberry has been dipped, allow the excess chocolate to drip off of it. Use a spatula to remove some of the excess chocolate, or gently scrape the bottom of the strawberry against the bowl. This will keep the excess chocolate from gathering on the bottom of the strawberry while setting.

Dip each strawberry, one by one, and place each on the prepared baking sheet to harden. Let the chocolate-covered strawberries set for at least one hour at room temperature.

If desired, you can decorate your chocolate-covered strawberries with a variety of toppings. After all, you're typically making these sweet berries for a special occasion, right? Why not dress them up?

Depending on the topping, you'll want to add it either right after dipping when the chocolate is still wet on the strawberry or after it has set and hardened. Chopped pecans or walnuts, as well as Oreo crumbs, make for beautiful and tasty toppings to chocolate-covered strawberries. Little nonpareil sprinkles can make a fun addition for a splash of color as well. Sprinkle the strawberries with these toppings when the chocolate is still wet.

To add a design to the top of your strawberries with white chocolate, do this once the chocolate on the strawberry has completely hardened. Melt white almond bark or white chocolate and drizzle it over top of the chocolate-covered strawberries. You can use a spoon for this step or utilize a plastic piping bag with the tip cut off.

If you've ever tried to take a bite out of a chocolate-covered strawberry that was as cold as can be, you know it's not terribly pleasant. It can be difficult to eat and terribly chilly on your teeth. Luckily, you can skip all of that.

Chocolate-covered strawberries don't necessarily need to be refrigerated if you're planning on eating them the same day. Simply make the chocolate berries, let the chocolate set, and then enjoy this treat the same day.

If you're hoping to make these chocolate-covered strawberries ahead of time, you definitely can make them and keep them in the fridge. Keep them for up to two days in the fridge loosely covered. Putting chocolate-covered strawberries in the fridge can cause them to sweat, but if you only cover them loosely with a bit of tin foil, your berries should be fine to come back to after a day or two.