How to Make Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Chocolate-covered strawberries are a perennial favorite for holiday treats, romantic gifts, or just as a way to let someone know they're special. These decadent sweets are much easier to make than they look: just a dip and a drizzle, and you're done. Follow the step-by-step instructions to learn how to make chocolate-covered strawberries in your favorite combination! (Want to kick it up a notch? Check out how to make How to Make Chocolate-Covered Prosecco Strawberries here.)

Because chocolate-covered strawberries are best when served fresh, you don't have to temper the chocolate for a long-lasting glossy sheen. This slightly finicky method of melting chocolate is great for chocolate candies, but it's not necessary here. While chocolate chips can be used for melting and dipping, the chips contain stabilizers that help them keep their shape when heated. Chopping a bar of high-quality chocolate will give you a better consistency of melted chocolate. You can use bittersweet, milk or white chocolate for dipping, with a contrasting chocolate flavor to drizzle over your dipped strawberries for a decorative finishing touch. (Love chocolate-covered strawberries? Check out more Healthy Chocolate-Dipped Fruit Recipes.)

Chocolate can seize up or burn if it is exposed to too much heat. Here are two easy ways to melt chocolate perfectly for dipping:

Roughly chop chocolate into small pieces. (To safely chop chocolate, place a damp kitchen towel under your cutting board to keep it in place.) Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. You will need about 1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate per pint of strawberries.

Microwave on Medium for 1 minute, then stir. Continue to microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring well after each one, until the chocolate is almost completely melted with just a few small pea-size pieces of chocolate remaining. Stir until fully melted.

Fill a small saucepan halfway with water and bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat. Place a heatproof metal bowl over the pot. The bowl should fit snugly, but its bottom should not touch the simmering water. You've just made a double boiler!

Add the chopped chocolate to the bowl. Stir constantly until the chocolate is almost completely melted with just a few small pea-size pieces of chocolate remaining. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir until fully melted.

Rinse the strawberries and pat each berry completely dry—chocolate will not stick to wet strawberries. Line a large baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. (You can do this before you melt the chocolate, so they're ready to go once the chocolate is melted.) Holding a strawberry by its stem, dip it into the melted chocolate, twirling to cover the berry.

Allow any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl, then place the chocolate-covered strawberry onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining strawberries. Let the chocolate-covered strawberries stand for at least 1 hour at room temperature to allow the chocolate to harden.

Melt a contrasting flavor or color of chocolate as instructed above. (For drizzling, you will only need about one-fourth the amount of chocolate you used for dipping.) Note that if you choose white chocolate, its consistency can be thick when melted. To help loosen it up, add 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable shortening or coconut oil to the bowl per 1/2 cup white chocolate. Fill a piping bag fitted with a small tip or a quart-size zip-top freezer bag with the melted chocolate. If using a freezer bag, snip a very small portion of a corner off the filled bag to create a tiny hole. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the strawberries. (Check out these 4 Legit Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate.)

Chocolate-covered strawberries are best when eaten within 1 day of making them. Refrigerate the strawberries until ready to serve to keep them from sweating.

Follow the instructions above and impress your friends and family with your sweet new skills!