This vegan chocolate covered strawberries recipe is the perfect dessert to make for Valentine's Day, or a great edible gift to make for a special occasion. It's one of the quickest and easiest desserts to make, and so delicious too!
This sweet treat is made with simple ingredients- you only need strawberries and vegan chocolate. Chocolate covered strawberries are so much fun to make too, and could be a fun family activity to do on the weekend!
What you'll need to make this vegan chocolate covered strawberries recipe
- large fresh strawberries
- vegan dark chocolate chips
- vegan white chocolate chips
Tools you'll need
- toothpicks
- paper towels
- piping bag or ziplock bag (optional)
The full ratios are listed at the bottom of the blog post in the recipe card. If you try and like this recipe, please consider leaving a review as it really helps out my work 🙂
Picking the right strawberries
The best strawberries to use when making chocolate strawberries are large, red, fully ripe strawberries. Try and choose the ripest strawberries that you can find- the ones that don't have large white spots at the top of the berry. I also recommend opening the box of strawberries at the store and looking around to make sure there aren't any rotting strawberries on the bottom that can cause the rest of the batch to spoil more quickly.
Feel free to use organic strawberries if you so wish. I just used regular ones because strawberries are not in season for me at the moment, so organic was a little too expensive.
Choosing the right vegan chocolate
They key to making amazing vegan chocolate-covered strawberries is getting the best vegan chocolate. While there are a ton of great options, I will share my favorite brands that I have experimented with.
Please keep in mind that I live in the USA, and all the brands I will be talking about are available at US grocery stores. I'm not familiar with brands all over the world, so I won't be able to share my opinion on vegan chocolate in other countries.
Let's start with vegan dark chocolate. There is no lack of delicious vegan chocolate brands when it comes to dark chocolate. Some of my favorite brands are
- Endangered Species: they offer both vegan chocolate chips and vegan chocolate bars. You can use either in this recipe.
- Enjoy Life Foods: one of the first brands to offer vegan chocolate. They also have great allergy friendly options.
- Lindt: an iconic brand that makes amazing chocolate, and they now have plant-based milk chocolate! Their dark chocolate bars with 70% dark chocolate and up are also vegan.
- Alter Eco
- Beyond Good
There are many more dairy-free chocolate brands but these are some of the ones that I have tried and loved.
There is no shortage of delicious vegan chocolate, but unfortunately, it's a little tricker with vegan white chocolate. In the last few years, a few brands have come out with much better options.
There are three brands that have vegan white chocolate that melts great and really mocks the texture of regular white chocolate, but the taste still leaves much to be desired. I have also found a brand that has the best-tasting vegan white chocolate that I have tried but isn't as easy to work with when melting and covering baked goods.
Here are the best vegan white chocolate brands to bake with:
Even though I think these brands have a long way to go to really imitate the taste of nonvegan white chocolate, I am so happy to have these options available because they at least are great for melting and covering treats with.
Most other brands of vegan white chocolate that I have worked with do not work well to cover the baked goods with a thick layer of chocolate and once they have been melted once, they do not solidify and harden well. The brands listed above also have the added benefit that they are allergy friendly.
The brand Evolved Chocolate has vegan white chocolate bars that are the best-tasting vegan white chocolate that I have tried. The bars are also made with awesome ingredients that are pretty healthy too! It's not as ideal for baking, but it does work.
Keep in mind that these are my opinions, and I have not tried every single vegan white chocolate brand out there, but I have definitely tried to get my hands on every brand that's available in the US. I also consider myself a white chocolate snob (it was my favorite kind of chocolate before going vegan), so this could be why I'm so picky about the taste.
Ways to melt the chocolate for dipping the strawberries in
There are two easy ways to melt chocolate for the chocolate covered strawberries- the double boiler method and the microwave method.
Melting chocolate in the microwave
The easiest way, in my opinion, is to melt the chocolate in the microwave.
To do this, place the non-dairy chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl (use a tall container for easier dipping).
Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds. Then take the chocolate out of the microwave and stir the chips around with a fork. Place back in the microwave for another 30 seconds, then stir again.
Repeat this until all of the chocolate chips have melted. The reason that you don't want to microwave the chocolate for more than 30 seconds at a time is that overheating the chocolate burns it and can ruin the whole batch.
Once the chocolate has fully melted, dip the strawberries into it.
Melting chocolate using the double-boiler method
The second method you can use is the double-boiler method.
To melt the chocolate this way, boil some water in a small pot over medium heat. Place a glass bowl that is larger than the pot itself, on top of the pot. Pour the chocolate chips into the heatproof bowl and begin stirring consistently with a fork or spatula.
Do this until all of the chocolate chips have melted. Don't leave the chocolate on for too long, and don't stop stirrings, to prevent the chocolate from seizing.
How to make vegan chocolate covered strawberries
Start by washing the strawberries.
Leave the wet berries on a paper towel to dry for 20-30 minutes, then pat them dry with paper towels or kitchen towels.
Stick two toothpicks into the top of each strawberry.
Take two separate small bowls or tall cups. Fill one with dark chocolate chips and one with white chocolate chips.
One at a time, place each cup with chocolate chips in the microwave for 30-second increments. Take out the cup after 30 seconds, stir with a fork, then microwave for 30 more seconds.
Do this until all of the chips have melted.
Note: if you find that the chocolate you are using is really thick, you can add a little coconut oil to each bowl of chocolate, to create a looser consistency.
Line a plate or baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dry strawberries on top.
Take every other strawberry and dip it fully into the dark melted chocolate.
Hold the strawberry by the toothpicks and dunk it as deep as you can get, to get as much of the red part covered in chocolate as you can.
Lay the dark chocolate-dipped strawberries back on the baking tray to dry.
Once every other strawberry has a dark chocolate coating, cover the rest with white chocolate.
Place the strawberries in the fridge until the chocolate fully hardens (about 30 mins).
Place the leftover chocolate into two separate piping bags- one with the white chocolate and one with the dark.
Once the chocolate-covered strawberries have hardened, take them out of the fridge and drizzle each strawberry with the excess chocolate. I like to drizzle the berries with the opposite color of their chocolate coating. For example, drizzle the melted dark chocolate on top of the white chocolate covered strawberry and the white chocolate drizzle on the dark chocolate covered berry.
Place the strawberries back on the baking tray once they all have a chocolate drizzle, then refrigerate them again until the drizzle hardens, and enjoy!
Once the strawberries have fully dried, you can transfer them to a container and store the strawberries in the fridge.
See storage notes in the FAQ section for how to store the strawberries without making them sweat.
Video
For other easy, no-bake vegan desserts, try these delicious sweet treats:
Vegan Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipe
Equipment
- toothpicks
- paper towels
- piping bag (optional)
Ingredients
- 12 large fresh strawberries
- 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup vegan white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Start by washing and drying the strawberries. Leave them on a paper towel to dry for 20-30 minutes, then pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Stick two toothpicks into the top of each strawberry.
- Take two separate small but deep cups. Fill one with vegan dark chocolate chips and one with vegan white chocolate chips.
- One at a time, place each cup with chocolate chips in the microwave for 30-second increments. Take out the cup after 30 seconds, stir with a fork, then microwave for 30 more seconds.
- Do this until all of the chips have melted.
- Line a plate or baking tray with parchment paper and place the strawberries on top.
- Take every other strawberry and dip it fully into the dark chocolate.
- Hold the strawberry by the toothpick and dunk it as deep as you can get, to get as much of the red part covered in chocolate as you can.
- Once every other strawberry has been covered with dark chocolate, cover the rest with white chocolate.
- Place the strawberries in the fridge until the chocolate fully hardens (about 30 minutes).
- Place the remaining white and dark chocolate into two separate piping bags.
- Once the chocolate-covered strawberries have hardened, take them out of the fridge and drizzle each strawberry with the opposite colored chocolate.
- Place them back on the baking tray once they all have a chocolate drizzle, then refrigerate them again until the drizzle hardens, and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Chocolate covered strawberries can be a healthy dessert option that's also delicious! If you use high-quality dark chocolate that's not high in sugar, combined with fresh strawberries, you can have an indulgent dessert that's also high in vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, iron, magnesium, zinc, and other vitamins and minerals.
To store chocolate covered strawberries, line the bottom of a container with two layers of paper towels. This is to absorb excess moisture. You can even sprinkle some baking soda in between the layers of the paper towel to further absorb extra moisture. If you have two layers of berries, place some wax paper in between them. Lightly place a lid on top of the container, but don't seal it tightly. You want the strawberries to have just a little bit of air flowing in.
A simple and easy way to package chocolate covered strawberries is to place each berry on a mini cupcake liner. Purchase a simple cupcake box and line the bottom of the box with crinkle-cut shred tissue. Then place the berries in the cupcake liners on top.
Here is an example from Pinterest. You can find a ton of packaging inspiration there.
By the way, all of these supplies can be found at Michael's stores if you live in the US.
There are a few different methods you can use to make pink chocolate covered strawberries.
The easiest method is to buy pink candy melts. The brand Candy Melts by Wilton makes really great quality pink baking chocolate. You can melt the pink candy melts, then dip the strawberries in it.
Alternatively, you can buy white chocolate, then add pink pitaya powder to the white chocolate to turn it pink. Then you can dunk the strawberries in the pink mixture.
You cannot add red liquid food dye to white chocolate because this will seize the chocolate and ruin the whole batch.
Unfortunately, Candy Melts are not vegan. Therefore, if you wanted to make vegan pink chocolate, you will have to mix vegan white chocolate and pink pitaya powder (you can get some from Amazon).
If you are looking for a healthier pink chocolate option, the brand Chocolove is known for its Ruby chocolate which is a healthier option. Their chocolate, however, is not vegan.
The key to preventing chocolate covered strawberries from sweating is in how you store them and take them out of the fridge.
The reason that strawberries sweat when taken out of the fridge is because of the difference in temperature that results in condensation.
To prevent chocolate covered strawberries from sweating, you need to store them in a container that you've lined with two layers of paper towel, with baking powder sprinkled in the middle. Gently cover the berries with a lid and then place them in the fridge.
When you are ready to eat the berries, take them out of the fridge WITHOUT opening the lid of the container. Leave the chocolate covered strawberries covered at room temperature for about 30 minutes before removing the lid. This allows them to adjust to the difference in temperature without creating condensation and making the strawberries sweat.
An even easier method to prevent chocolate covered strawberries from sweating is to not refrigerate them in the first place. This, however, only works if you are planning on eating them that same day.
To make the drizzle on top of chocolate covered strawberries, you can either use a piping bag or a small spoon.
You can transfer the chocolate to a piping bag, then snip off the end of the bag. Then drizzle the chocolate on top of each strawberry.
Alternatively, you can use a small spoon and dip it in the chocolate, then gently drip it over the strawberries and drizzle the excess chocolate on top of each berry.
There are many ways to decorate chocolate covered strawberries.
The easiest way is to first cover the berries in a layer of chocolate and wait for it to harden, then drizzle extra chocolate on top.
You can make the chocolate drizzle the same color as the base layer of chocolate, or switch it up to white chocolate, dark chocolate, or even colorful chocolate.
Another really easy and fun way to decorate chocolate covered strawberries is to use sprinkles. You can use regular colorful sprinkles, or sprinkles that match the holiday you are making the berries for (for example, heart-shaped sprinkles for Valentine's Day).
You can even buy edible glitter and sprinkle that on top of the berries as well, or add some coconut flakes for extra flavor.
Yes, you can and should store chocolate covered strawberries in the fridge. The best way to store chocolate covered strawberries is to place them in a container lined with paper towels on the bottom and store them in the fridge for 2-3 days (however, I recommend eating them within 1-2 days)
Chocolate covered strawberries last 2-3 days in the fridge.
Yes, you can freeze chocolate-covered strawberries!
Make sure to place them in an airtight container lined with paper towels before freezing them. To thaw them, leave them at room temperature for about an hour, or in the fridge overnight.
Freezing the strawberries allows them to stay fresh for an extended period of time (about 1 month). This is a great option if you have leftover chocolate-covered strawberries that you're not going to finish right away.
However, I really think that chocolate-covered strawberries taste much better when eaten within a few days of making, and without having been frozen, as thawing them can sometimes make them mushy.
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