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As I’m preparing for a little Galentine’s Day party one of my teen girls is hosting tomorrow, I thought how I should share my simple way to make Chocolate Covered Strawberries. I’ve been seeing postings in my area where chocolate covered strawberries are being sold for $4 each. I don’t begrudge these people making money selling this treat, but I would prefer making them myself at those prices.
I make these throughout the year, but it is a must at Valentines. My husband and kids might hold a revolt if we skip this beloved treat. I actually made them a few weeks ago to celebrate one of my kids’ achievements. We love chocolate-covered strawberries so much that to avoid the arguments of who got the biggest or most strawberries, I volunteered to eat all the small ones (my favorite) and we held a draft-style sorting of all the medium and large strawberries. Seriously, being a mom is hilarious. Those are definitely the moments I never pictured. 😂
I cannot figure out how to make that picture show up smaller, which is cracking up. You’re welcome for the enormous picture of chocolate! 🤦♀️
The Chocolate
You can definitely do this recipe with chocolate chips, but if you want to up the flavor, I recommend using a high quality chocolate. This is my favorite chocolate. I started using this for some of my homemade Christmas candies two years ago and now I use it anytime chocolate needs to be melted for any treat throughout the year.
This is the link to the Callebaut Chocolate, which is amazing.
Once you’ve got this easy method of melting chocolate down, you’re going to start wanting to dip everything in chocolate. I’ve seen it happen before… beware!
Chocolate Covered Strawberries (Easy and Gluten Free!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups Belgium chocolate callets
- 2 Tbsp. shortening
- 2 lbs. strawberries
- 1/2 cup white chocolate, butterscotch, sprinkles OPTIONAL
Instructions
- Wash and dry your strawberries. Dry well, because you do not want a wet spot on the strawberry messing up the way the chocolate attaches! As you dry each strawberry, gently pull up the greens into a bunch. Set each clean and dry strawberry down on a clean surface.
- Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a glass dish, add 2 cups of chocolate callets and 2 tablespoons of shortening. Warm the chocolate in the microwave carefully. For the first round in the microwave, set the microwave at 50% power and 90 seconds. Stir well, then heat again with the microwave at 50% power and 30 seconds. Repeat a few more times if necessary, stirring in between each round in the microwave. The chocolate is done when it is smooth when stirring. If a few tiny chocolate lumps are all that's left, don't heat again, but stir until the heat from the other chocolate gently melts these lumps and the chocolate is completely smooth.
- One at a time, grab a strawberry by the green bunch at the top and carefully dip into the chocolate (leave small area near green bunch chocolate-free). Set each strawberry down on the parchment paper, separated slightly from other strawberries so they don't attach together. Repeat until all the strawberries are covered in chocolate.
- If desired, you can add embellishments like sprinkles, white chocolate, or butterscotch. For white chocolate or butterscotch drizzles, melt a small amount of these accent chocolates 30 seconds at a time at 50% power (like when melting the Belgium chocolate above, but start with less time). Dip a spoon in the chocolate and drizzle over the strawberries in any desired pattern.
- Pop cookie sheet into the fridge for about 15 minutes, or until chocolate is set and hardened.
- Serve and enjoy!
Easy Variations
Once you have this simple chocolate melting method down, it’s easy to make fun variations. A few weekends ago, one of my teens decided to dip gluten-free pretzel rods in chocolate. She drizzled them with white chocolate and butterscotch. Oh my goodness, they were amazing!!!
There you go, I hope you make yourself some chocolate covered strawberries today … or at least soon!
From my home to yours,
Mary
by shortening you mean Crisco, and what does this do? Would anything else work in its place? I have palm shortening, butter, coconut oil (the solid kind). Thanks, and happy V Day!!
Sorry, by shortening I do mean vegetable shortening like Crisco. It makes the chocolate more pliable, helps the chocolate not want to crack, and helps the overall look be more shiny. You could use any of those things, but if you choose butter, I’d only use clarified butter, but butter would be my last choice. I’d start with palm shortening or solid coconut oil.