Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries

These dark chocolate covered strawberries make a simple, scrumptious dessert. They take just a few minutes to make, and the combination of fresh strawberries and good dark chocolate is even healthy. Who would have thought something so delicious could be good for you?

There's nothing better than a bowl of English strawberries in season. Unless, of course, you dip them in a layer of rich dark chocolate:)

Dark chocolate covered strawberries is so simple that it's hardly a recipe, but there are a few do's and don't when it comes to melting chocolate. If you follow a few basic instructions, it is incredibly easy.

My dark chocolate covered strawberries are quite rustic looking, but if you want you could drizzle yours with a contrasting white or milk chocolate, or add some chopped nuts. Crushed pistachios would look very pretty!

Are dark chocolate covered strawberries healthy??

In order to reap the health benefits from chocolate, you need to use a good quality dark chocolate. Chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa solids (70%) is lower in sugar and fat than other types of chocolate.

Cocoa is the healthy ingredient in chocolate, rich in anti inflammatory flavanols. If you want to learn more about the potential health benefits of chocolate, see here.

Good quality dark chocolate is usually dairy-free and vegan, but if that's essential check the packaging carefully.

Of course, strawberries are full of goodness. Berries are one of the healthiest fruits that you can eat, as they are low in sugar and packed with fibre.

Strawberries are a great source of vitamin C, and they are also a good source of folic acid and potassium.

Ingredients

I used a bar of dark chocolate for this recipe, but if you prefer, you could use chocolate chips which will melt slightly more quickly.

And you'll need fresh strawberries. Frozen strawberries have a completely different texture, and would go mushy if you tried to coat them in chocolate. Make sure your strawberries are clean and completely dry. Leave the hull (the green part) on the strawberries, as you'll need this to hold them, and they'll also look prettier.

How to melt chocolate

There are 3 key 'rules' to remember when melting chocolate:

1. Never place chocolate in direct contact with heat. So you can't just pop it in a pan on the stove. Direct heat will spoil both the flavour and the texture of chocolate.
2. Use the least amount of heat to melt chocolate. Once it warms up, it will melt quickly, so keep an eye on it. (Don't get distracted on your phone whilst it's melting!)
3. Ensure that moisture can't get into the chocolate. So use a dry bowl, and ensure no splashes of water or steam can get into the chocolate. Water or overheating will make the chocolate 'seize' which is when it turns into a clumpy dull mass. (Sometimes you can rescue seized chocolate with a little bit of oil or cream, but it's definitely better to avoid going there!)

Using a double boiler

The best way to melt chocolate is in a heatproof bowl resting on top of a pan of hot water. This method ensures that the chocolate doesn't overheat.

Although you can buy a special pan called a double boiler, it's very common to use this DIY version, which is ideal when you want gentle heat.

There should be a gap between the bottom of the bowl and the hot water, and you'll need 2-3 cms of water to ensure the pan won't boil dry. So you might want to experiment to find which bowl fits well on your pan.

Break the chocolate into pieces, and place it in the dry bowl. Then place the bowl over a pan of just simmering water.

The chocolate will take about 2-3 minutes to melt. Once it is half melted, turn off the heat, and give it a stir with a spatula until smooth.

How to dip strawberries in dark chocolate

Simply hold each strawberry in turn by the stalk, and dip it into the melted chocolate, turning it as you go to get an even coating all the way around.

As you get towards the last of the chocolate, you'll need to use a spoon to help coat the strawberries. Inevitably those ones might not look quite as neat, but they'll still taste delicious;)

Place the dark chocolate coated strawberries onto baking parchment to set.

Chocolate should ideally be left to set at room temperature, but I like to put these dark chocolate dipped strawberries in the fridge for a short while. I think they are particularly delicious when the chocolate has a cold crisp shell which contrasts with the juicy strawberry.

Dark chocolate covered strawberries are nicest on the day that they are made. You can't freeze them unfortunately, but they'll probably disappear too quickly anyway!

Frequently asked questions

Other healthy chocolate treats you might enjoy

You might also like to try some of these other healthy chocolate treats. They are all easy to make, and there's no baking required.

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Recipe

Please note nutritional information is for guidance only.