Strawberries dipped in glossy dark chocolate setting on parchment paper, some with a milk chocolate drizzle, beside a bowl of melted chocolate.

Intermediate · 30 min + 1 h drying + 15 min set · 20 strawberries

How to Make Chocolate-Covered Strawberries (and the Best Chocolate)

Name: How to Make Chocolate-Covered Strawberries (and the Best Chocolate)
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 20 strawberries
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) fresh strawberries, about 20 medium, stems and leaves on; 8 oz (225 g) Dark Chocolate 70% or Dark Chocolate 55%; 2 oz (55 g) Milk Chocolate 43%, for drizzling (optional); Flaky sea salt, chopped toasted nuts or cacao nibs, for finishing (optional)

To make chocolate-covered strawberries, wash and fully dry room-temperature berries, dip them in tempered couverture chocolate and let them set on parchment. Real cocoa butter chocolate gives a thin, glossy shell that snaps. Dip dark chocolate at 88 to 90 °F (31 to 32 °C) and serve the berries the same day.

Ingredients

1 lb (450 g) fresh strawberries, about 20 medium, stems and leaves on
8 oz (225 g) Dark Chocolate 70% or Dark Chocolate 55%
2 oz (55 g) Milk Chocolate 43%, for drizzling (optional)
Flaky sea salt, chopped toasted nuts or cacao nibs, for finishing (optional)

Method

Rinse the strawberries under running water and spread them on clean kitchen towels. Let them air-dry for at least 1 hour, until completely dry, and keep them at room temperature.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Set aside 2 oz (55 g) of the dark chocolate to use as seed. Melt the remaining 6 oz (170 g) in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, or in short microwave bursts, stirring often, until it reaches 113 to 122 °F (45 to 50 °C).
Take the bowl off the heat and add the seed chocolate. Stir steadily until the chocolate cools to 82 to 84 °F (28 to 29 °C).
Rewarm the chocolate gently, a few seconds at a time, to 88 to 90 °F (31 to 32 °C). Lift out any seed pieces that have not melted.
Test the temper: dip the tip of a knife and leave it at cool room temperature. It should set glossy and streak-free within about 5 minutes.
Hold a strawberry by its stem or leaves and dip it about three-quarters of the way in. Lift it, let the excess drip back into the bowl and wipe the bottom gently on the rim.
Set the berry on the parchment and add any toppings right away, before the chocolate sets. Repeat with the rest, rewarming the chocolate briefly if it thickens.
For the drizzle, temper the Milk Chocolate 43% the same way: melt to 104 to 113 °F (40 to 45 °C), cool to 79 to 81 °F (26 to 27 °C) and rewarm to 84 to 86 °F (29 to 30 °C). Drizzle it over the berries with a spoon or piping bag once the dark shell has set.
Let the strawberries set at cool room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve the same day.

Tips

An instant-read or infrared thermometer makes tempering far easier. Once the chocolate is in range, you can dip for 20 to 30 minutes before it needs rewarming.
Franceschi chocolate comes in 4 g pieces, so it melts evenly without chopping and the pieces work as seed straight from the bag.
If the chocolate thickens while you dip, warm it for a few seconds; never add water.
Spread leftover tempered chocolate thin on parchment, let it set and save it for your next batch.

Great chocolate-covered strawberries come down to three things: dry berries, the right chocolate and the right temperature. Use a couverture made with cocoa butter, temper it, and dip berries that are at room temperature and completely dry. The shell sets glossy and crisp in minutes and holds that way through the evening.

What is the best chocolate for chocolate-covered strawberries?

The best chocolate for dipping is a couverture: real chocolate with a generous share of cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is what lets the coating run thin when melted and set with a clean snap and a high shine once it is tempered.

For dark chocolate-covered strawberries, Dark Chocolate 70% is the natural pick. It has the highest fluidity in the Franceschi range, so it drapes each berry in a thin, even coat, and its notes of toasted nuts and dried fruit stand up to the fruit's acidity. Dark Chocolate 55% is a gentler, fruitier option, and Milk Chocolate 43% makes a creamy drizzle. Our enrobing chocolate page matches each chocolate to the job.

Can you use chocolate chips for chocolate-covered strawberries?

You can, but chips are a weaker choice for dipping. Most chocolate chips are formulated to hold their shape in a hot oven, so they melt into a thicker coating that rarely sets with the same shine. If chips are what you have, see our guide to melting chocolate chips, and read couverture vs compound chocolate for the full picture.

Tempered vs untempered chocolate for dipping

When melting chocolate for dipping, you have a choice. Tempering steers cocoa butter into its stable form V crystals, the structure that gives chocolate its gloss and snap. Tempered chocolate sets at room temperature into a crisp, glossy shell that does not smudge the moment you pick up the berry. Untempered chocolate works too, but it has to set in the refrigerator, turns soft and dull as it warms and can streak gray. For a gift box or a party platter, temper. Our step-by-step tempering guide explains the method; these are the working temperatures.

Chocolate	Melt to	Cool to	Dip at
Dark Chocolate 55%, 60% or 70%	113 to 122 °F (45 to 50 °C)	82 to 84 °F (28 to 29 °C)	88 to 90 °F (31 to 32 °C)
Milk Chocolate 43% or Dark Milk Chocolate 49%	104 to 113 °F (40 to 45 °C)	79 to 81 °F (26 to 27 °C)	84 to 86 °F (29 to 30 °C)

How to thin chocolate for dipping

If the coating is too thick, reach for more fluid chocolate, never water: even a few drops make melted chocolate seize.

Check the temperature first. Tempered chocolate thickens as it sits and keeps crystallizing. Warm it by 1 to 2 °F with a few seconds of gentle heat, staying inside the dipping range.
Switch to a more fluid chocolate. A 70% with high fluidity flows more freely than a thicker 60% or a dark milk chocolate.
Add a little melted cocoa butter, a teaspoon at a time, stirring well.

Why strawberries must be dry and at room temperature

A wet berry makes the coating slide off or seize, and water trapped under the shell weeps as the berry sits. Rinse the strawberries under running water, as the FDA advises in its guidance on washing fresh produce, pat them with a clean towel, then let them air-dry for at least an hour.

Cold berries cause their own trouble: fruit straight from the refrigerator chills the chocolate too fast and draws condensation, leaving a dull or gritty surface. Dip them at room temperature.

How long do chocolate-covered strawberries last?

They are best eaten the same day, within a few hours of dipping. Keep them loosely covered in a cool room, out of the sun. To hold them overnight, refrigerate them in a single layer on paper towels and expect a little sweating. Making a Valentine's Day box? Dip the morning you deliver.

Want to compare chocolates before you commit to a 2 lb bag? The Discovery Kit brings four Franceschi products in 4.23 oz (120 g) resealable sachets, so you can dip a few berries with each and find your favorite.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best chocolate for chocolate covered strawberries?

A couverture chocolate made with cocoa butter is the best choice, because it melts fluid, coats thinly and sets with shine and snap once tempered. A dark chocolate between 55% and 70% cacao balances the berry's sweetness and acidity, while a highly fluid dark chocolate gives the thinnest, most even shell.

Can I use chocolate chips for chocolate covered strawberries?

Yes, but expect a thicker, duller coating. Chips are designed to keep their shape while baking, so they flow less when melted and are harder to dip smoothly. Melt them low and slow, stir often and set the dipped berries in the refrigerator. For a glossy shell that holds at room temperature, use tempered couverture.

How do you thin chocolate for dipping strawberries?

Look at the temperature before anything else, since chocolate stiffens as it cools and crystallizes. Rewarm it slightly within its working range, or switch to a more fluid chocolate. A spoonful of melted cocoa butter also loosens it. Never add water or milk, which makes melted chocolate seize into a grainy paste.

Do you have to temper chocolate for strawberries?

No, but tempering changes the result. Tempered chocolate sets at room temperature into a crisp, shiny shell that does not smudge on your fingers. Untempered chocolate needs the refrigerator to set, softens quickly once the berries warm up and can develop gray streaks, so it suits berries eaten straight from the fridge.

How far in advance can you make chocolate covered strawberries?

Plan to serve them the same day, ideally within six to eight hours of dipping. Strawberries release juice as they sit, which softens the shell and can loosen it from the fruit. If you must work ahead, refrigerate them in a single layer on paper towels for up to one day and expect some condensation.

Why does chocolate seize when dipping strawberries?

Seizing almost always means water reached the chocolate, usually from berries that were not fully dry or from steam rising off a double boiler. Even a small amount turns melted chocolate thick and grainy. Dry every berry completely, keep the bowl away from steam and use a clean, dry spatula and bowl.

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