Valentine’s Day Chocolate Covered Strawberries
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Why this recipe works
Love is in the air, and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! What better way to show someone you care than with sweet treats like Valentine’s Day chocolate covered strawberries?
Not only do these indulgent strawberries look as delicious as they taste, but making them yourself shows your loved one how much thought you’ve put into creating something special.
Plus, it’s so much easier than it sounds – all you need are some simple ingredients and a few easy steps to make an impressive result that no store bought gift could beat!
These Valentine’s Day chocolate covered strawberries are dipped in white chocolate or dark chocolate and decorated with red and pink sprinkles. They’re so festive and easy to make for Valentine’s Day!
You’ll love this recipe because:
Here’s what you’ll need:
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Ingredient Notes
- Fresh strawberries – For chocolate covered strawberries, you want them to be medium to large in size. Smaller strawberries are normally my favorite for strawberry recipes since they have more flavor, but you want strawberries to be a bit bigger for this. Look for strawberries that are firm, without any blemishes. If they have any rotting bits, they will go bad faster. I also like to look for strawberries that are uniform in size for that classic look.
- Candy melts – I used candy melts to dip into my strawberries because they are really easy to melt and will harden quickly at room temperature. I don’t like to place my strawberries in the refrigerator if I can help it because then the chocolate will get some condensation on it. I used both white chocolate candy melts and dark chocolate candy melts for this recipe. You can use chocolate chips if you prefer. Just add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to it to help it melt smoothly and to help it harden at room temperature.
- Sprinkles – You can use special Valentine’s Day sprinkles or just use a combination of red, pink and white sprinkles like I did! Heart-shaped sprinkles would also be adorable on these chocolate covered strawberries.
Step-by-step instructions
My Valentine’s Day chocolate covered strawberries recipe is SO delicious and the perfect gift for your loved ones this holiday. The steps below with matching photos are meant to help you see the recipe at various stages so that you can make these Valentine’s Day strawberries perfectly every time.
For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe and additional notes, please scroll down to the recipe card.
Expert Tips
FAQs
I used candy melts for this recipe because they melt really easily and can harden at room temperature. You can really use any chocolate though for this recipe. Use the best quality chocolate that you can because it will only enhance the taste of the strawberries. You will also want to temper the chocolate if you are using something other than candy melts so that the chocolate can harden at room temperature and remains shiny, instead of dull and gray when hardened.
Your strawberries should be room temperature before dipping them in melted chocolate. Cold strawberries will cause condensation to form on the chocolate and will also cause the chocolate to harden too quickly.
Yes, you should always wash your berries. However, a common mistake that people make is to wash their berries and expect to be able to dip them in melted chocolate right away. Your berries need to be completely dry before dipping in chocolate otherwise the chocolate will not adhere to the strawberries properly.
I find that chocolate covered strawberries will last up to 2 days, but are best consumed within the first 24 hours.
Storage Instructions
- Room temperature storage: If you are serving the chocolate covered strawberries the same day, I prefer to not put them in the refrigerator and instead store them in a cool, dark place. If you need the strawberries to last more than 12 hours, I’d recommend you refrigerate them. They are best eaten within 24 hours.
- Refrigerated storage: Refrigerated strawberries will get condensation on the chocolate which is still tasty, just not as pretty. Place the chocolate covered strawberries in the refrigerator uncovered on a plate or small baking sheet. They will last 1-2 days with this method. The longer they sit, the strawberries will start to break down and lose some structure and the chocolate will pull away from the strawberry.
- Freezer option: Chocolate covered strawberries do not freeze well so I do not recommend doing so. They will get mushy as they thaw and not have good texture.
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Valentine’s Day Chocoalte Covered Strawberries
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh strawberries, stems attached (about 12 medium-large strawberries)
- 4 oz white candy melts
- 4 oz dark chocolate candy melts
- 2 tbsp pink and red sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper and set aside.
- Wash the strawberries and dry with a towel. Let air dry completely before proceeding.
- Place the white candy melts and dark chocolate candy melts into separate microwave-safe bowls.
- Microwave each bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the candy melts are just about melted. Stir to completely melt .
- Insert a wooden skewer into the stem of a strawberry. Dip into either the white candy melts or the chocolate candy melts. Swirl to coat the strawberry and let any excess chocolate drip off the strawberry. You don’t want too much chocolate on the strawberry because it will pool on the bottom once you place it on the wax paper to dry.
- Carefully place the strawberry on the parchment lined baking sheet and remove the skewer. Immediately decorate with the pink and red sprinkles.
- Repeat with the remaining strawberries.
- If you’d like to decorate the strawberries a bit more, you can place some leftover melted candy melts in a pastry bag and snip the tip off. Drizzle the chocolate over the strawberries to create a zig zag design. I like to do this to create some contrast using both types of chocolate on one strawberry.
- Let the chocolate-dipped strawberries dry completely at room temperature until the chocolate hardens. Store in a cool dark place before serving.
Notes
- The number of servings will depend on how big your strawberries are. For chocolate covered strawberries, I like medium to large strawberries that feel like a treat. Small strawberries are typically more flavorful, but not right for this recipe. Normally I get about 12 large strawberries from 1 lb of strawberries.
- Look for strawberries that are regularly shaped, firm, and red all the way to the stem. Strawberries that have blemishes will go bad quicker.
- Sometimes, if I’m looking for 12 strawberries, I’ll grab 2 lbs of strawberries from the store and sort them to find the best ones. The rest get diced up and frozen for smoothies.
- I microwaved my candy melts in the microwave, but you can also use a double boiler over the stove top if you prefer.