You don't need a special occasion to make these chocolate covered strawberries! While they make a wonderful Valentine's Day dessert, they're quick and easy enough to make whenever the craving strikes.
Wash the strawberries. Place your strawberries in a colander and rinse under a spray of cold running water for 15-20 seconds, giving them a little shake occasionally. Gently pat dry with a clean dishtowel or paper towels.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper and set aside.
Place the chocolate in a small heat-proof mixing bowl heat in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is almost completely melted. At that point, the residual heat will melt the rest while you give it a good stir.
Holding each strawberry by the leaves/stem, dip into the melted chocolate, rotating it until it's covered up to just below the stem area. Gently slide or tap the edge of the strawberry against the side of the mixing bowl to let the excess chocolate drip off, then place it on the prepared baking sheet to set.
If you're going to add any sprinkles or other toppings, be sure to decorate the strawberry just after dipping in the chocolate before the chocolate hardens.
Store on the counter, loosely covered, until serving. Best served the same day they've been prepared (but see below for more notes about storage). Serve and enjoy!
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Notes
Tips:
Make sure the strawberries are dry. If they’re not dry after you’ve washed them, the chocolate isn’t going to stick. I’m not saying you should blow dry your strawberries – just make sure you’ve given them a thorough pat-down with a dry cloth.
Thin out your chocolate. To make the dipping process easier, add 1 teaspoon coconut oil to your chocolate (even if you’re using melting wafers) to help thin out the chocolate and provide a smoother coating.
Double dip! This is the one time double dipping isn’t going to be frowned upon. I like to have as much chocolate on my strawberries as possible (surprise, surprise), so after the first coating of chocolate has dried, give it another dip in the melted chocolate. If I plan on double dipping a pint of strawberries, I find 10 ounces of chocolate enough to do the job.
Decoration/topping ideas:
Sprinkles
White chocolate drizzle
Finely shredded coconut
Sparkling sugar
Crushed nuts
Crushed toffee bits
Crushed graham crackers
Crushed Oreos
Rice Krispies
Chia seeds
Crushed pretzels
Storage:
If you’re going to eat them the same day you’ve made them, you can loosely cover them on a counter at room temperature.
But if you’re not going to be enjoying them until the next day, the best way to store them is in a loosely covered container between payers of wax paper or parchment paper in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Even better, line the bottom of that container with a couple paper towels to help absorb any of the “sweating” that might occur.