Chocolate Covered Strawberries

These easy chocolate covered strawberries have a thin, velvety chocolate shell that melts in your mouth instead of shattering when you bite into it. I make them with chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate, a tiny bit of oil, and fresh strawberries-just 3 ingredients and about 15 minutes of hands-on time.

The trick is starting with completely dry, room-temperature strawberries and melting the chocolate gently. Chocolate chips work beautifully here, which makes this an easy microwave recipe without needing a double boiler or tempered chocolate.

Chocolate covered strawberries are especially popular for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, but I also make them for birthdays, date nights, and during strawberry season in late spring and early summer.

My favorite bargain trick: if you're flexible on timing, strawberries are often marked down right after Valentine's Day!

Why This Recipe Works

• The shell stays thin and velvety. A very small amount of oil thins the melted chocolate and keeps the coating softer to bite through instead of creating an overly thick, brittle shell.
• Chocolate chips work. You don't need specialty melting wafers or tempered chocolate for this recipe. I regularly make these with semisweet chocolate chips, and chopped dark chocolate works too.
• Room-temperature berries help the coating stick. Completely drying the strawberries and letting them lose their refrigerator chill reduces surface moisture before dipping.
• The microwave keeps it simple. Heating the chocolate in short intervals and stirring between each one gives you a smooth coating without setting up a double boiler.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This incredibly easy chocolate covered strawberry recipe needs only chocolate chips, a little bit of oil, and fresh ripe strawberries.

Chocolate

I usually use semisweet chocolate chips because they're convenient and work well with this microwave method. Chopped dark or semisweet baking chocolate also works, and I sometimes combine the two for a deeper chocolate flavor.

Some chocolate chips melt thicker than baking chocolate, which is one reason I add a very small amount of oil.

Strawberries

Use fresh, ripe strawberries without bruised or soft spots. Wash them ahead of time, dry them thoroughly, and let refrigerated berries come to room temperature before dipping. I pat them dry again right before I start.

Oil

I add just ¾ teaspoon of a neutral oil to 300 grams of chocolate. It's enough to lightly thin and soften the coating and it remains otherwise indetectable. Avocado or vegetable oil both work.

You can leave the oil out but I recommend trying it if you can, since using pure chocolate can create a tough outer shell that's hard to bite through.

See the recipe card for full quantities.

‼️ Celiac note: Chocolate is naturally gluten-free, but I check ingredients for cross-contact. Flavored chocolate, chocolate chips, sprinkles, and other decorations can vary by brand. If you're baking for someone with celiac disease, check the labels for gluten ingredients and cross-contact.

How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Once you wash and fully dry the strawberries, this recipe only takes 10-15 minutes plus cooling time. It's really that easy!

1. Prepare the strawberries: Rinse and dry the strawberries completely with a towel or paper towel. They need to be at room temperature for dipping, so allow them to warm up (and pat dry a second time) if they were stored in the refrigerator. The chocolate will only stick to the strawberries if they are completely dry.
2. Melt the chocolate: In a microwave safe bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the chocolate and oil. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring well in between, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Use a thermometer if possible to keep the temperature around 100 degrees F or lower to prevent burning.
3. Dip the strawberries: Line a baking sheet or pan with parchment paper or a silicone liner. One at a time, hold the strawberry leaves in a small bundle between your fingers and dip the strawberries into the chocolate. Pull straight out, allow the excess chocolate to drip off briefly, and set on the prepared pan. Leave a little room between the strawberries. Once dipped, drizzle any excess chocolate over the strawberries and allow to cool at room temperature until the chocolate hardens completely.

When you make this recipe, please leave a rating and review below. I always appreciate the feedback! ❤️

📖 Recipe

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Jamie Monkkonen

Easy chocolate covered strawberries with a thin, velvety chocolate shell made with chocolate chips or dark chocolate. Just 3 ingredients and 15 minutes of prep.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cooling time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 18 strawberries

Calories 92 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (300 grams)
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon vegetable oil , avocado oil, or other neutral tasting oil
• ▢ 18-20 medium fresh strawberries

Instructions

 

• Prepare the strawberries: Rinse and dry the strawberries completely with a towel or paper towel. They need to be at room temperature for dipping, so allow them to warm up (and pat dry a second time) if they were stored in the refrigerator. The chocolate will only stick to the strawberries if they are completely dry.
• Melt the chocolate: In a microwave safe bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the chocolate and oil. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring well in between, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Use a thermometer if possible to keep the temperature around 100 degrees F or lower to prevent burning.
• Dip the strawberries: Line a baking sheet or pan with parchment paper or a silicone liner. One at a time, hold the strawberry leaves in a small bundle between your fingers and dip the strawberries into the chocolate. Pull straight out, allow the excess chocolate to drip off briefly, and set on the prepared pan. Leave a little room between the strawberries. Once dipped, drizzle any excess chocolate over the strawberries and allow to cool at room temperature until the chocolate hardens completely.

Notes

Chocolate: Semisweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate both work. I often use chocolate chips for convenience.

Oil: The small amount of neutral oil makes the coating thinner and softer to bite through. You can omit it for a firmer shell.

Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free: Use chocolate that meets your dietary needs and check the label for cross-contact if necessary.

Make Ahead: Chocolate covered strawberries are best the day they're made. They can also be prepared the night before.

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. I like placing paper towels in the container to absorb excess moisture as the strawberries release liquid.

Freezing: I don't recommend freezing chocolate covered strawberries; the berries become soft and watery after thawing and the chocolate can separate from the fruit.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 92kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 2mgPotassium: 103mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 9IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Best topping ideas

Chocolate covered strawberries are excellent without any toppings, but you can certainly make them more festive by adding some! Sprinkle the toppings over the chocolate-dipped part while the chocolate is still wet, so the toppings stay on securely.

Here are some of my favorite toppings:

• crushed nuts- Finely crush your favorite nuts. I like crushed hazelnuts, peanuts, or pistachios with this recipe.
• drizzled white chocolate - Melt white chocolate chips the same way you melted the regular chocolate and drizzle it over the dipped chocolate strawberries.
• flaky sea salt - Add just a little sprinkling of flaky sea salt to the chocolate dipped part of each strawberry. Be careful to avoid the exposed strawberry skin since it can cause the water to leave the strawberry and make that area soggy.
• sprinkles - Use holiday sprinkles or colored ones (great for kids!) to make these a little more fun and family friendly.

More Easy Chocolate Desserts

Dipping treats in chocolate makes them so much more special. Here are more to try: