How to Make Thin Dipping Chocolate, and a Trick to Thin It Out if It Hardens

Livestrong.com may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.
Heating couverture chocolate using a bain-marie is ideal for melting chocolate into the thin consistency ideal for dipping foods.
Image Credit: yasuhiroamano/iStock/Getty Images

Dipping fruits, nuts and other foods in chocolate is a tasty way to elevate your snack or dessert. Chocolate-covered strawberries, marshmallows, pretzels, cookies and nuts are fun variations of already delicious treats. They're also great for gifting.

Advertisement

But fun can quickly turn into frustration if you encounter one big snag: dipping chocolate that hardens.

Video of the Day

Video of the Day

So what's the best way to melt chocolate? The answer lies in your technique. When it comes to making excellent dipping chocolate, it's all about the process — and ideally, your method doesn't involve zapping it in the microwave and crossing your fingers everything turns out OK.

Here, Chinelo Awa, a professional cake maker in London and owner of Good Cake Day, explains how to make thin dipping chocolate and tips to thin chocolate that's a bit too viscous.

Things You'll Need

  • 1/2 pound couverture chocolate ($40, Amazon)

  • Medium saucepan

  • Glass or stainless steel bowl

  • Rubber spatula

  • Kitchen towel

  • 1 cup water

  • Thermometer (optional)

  • Fork

1. Choose Your Chocolate

Awa recommends using couverture chocolate for dipping. It's single-origin chocolate that contains a large amount of cocoa butter — it consists of 35 percent cacao and at least 31 percent cocoa butter, according to the Institute of Culinary Education.

Advertisement

This results in a more fluid-like melt and overall thinner consistency that is suitable for dipping.

2. Break Chocolate Into Small Pieces

You will need about a 1/2 pound of chocolate. Some chocolate bars are already cut into small pieces or pellets, but if yours isn't, break it into smaller pieces to encourage faster melting.

Advertisement

3. Simmer Water in a Saucepan

Pour 1 cup of water into a medium saucepan. Place the saucepan over low heat until it reaches a simmer.

4. Create a Bain-Marie

To make dipping chocolate, you'll need to use a double boiler. If you don't have one, you can create a bain-marie with kitchen items you likely already have. The University of Illinois Extension defines a bain-marie as a heated bath that usually involves a custard dish or bowl over a larger dish or saucepan that is surrounded by hot water. The hot water creates steam that melts the contents of the smaller bowl.

Advertisement

Advertisement

In this case, you'll need a glass or stainless steel bowl to place on top of the saucepan. The steam will heat the bowl, which will melt the chocolate.

Tip

When choosing the size of your bowl in relation to the saucepan, Awa recommends that the bowl should sit snuggly on the saucepan to avoid steam escaping from the sides. The bottom of the bowl does not have to touch the water in the saucepan.

5. Place Chocolate in the Bowl to Steam

Once you've created a bain-marie, place the chocolate pieces in the bowl.

6. Allow Chocolate to Melt

Leave the saucepan on low heat. It will take about 1 minute for the chocolate to melt.

Advertisement

7. Stir Chocolate Occasionally

As the chocolate melts, use a spatula to occasionally stir the chocolate until it is completely and uniformly melted. The consistency should be thin. If you're using a thermometer, the chocolate should be at least 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

The chocolate is ready once it's shiny and smooth, per Le Cordon Bleu.

Advertisement

8. Remove the Bowl from the Heat

Once the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the saucepan.

Awa emphasizes that it's important to take extra care to avoid the water in the saucepan getting into the bowl of melted chocolate. When moisture is added to chocolate, it can curdle and become rough and grainy.

Advertisement

Use a kitchen towel to wipe off the water from the sides and bottom of your bowl before placing it on your counter.

9. Dunk Your Food Into the Dipping Chocolate

Use a fork to dip your chosen foods into the thin dipping chocolate.

You can also try incorporating melted dark chocolate into some of our recipes, such as:

How to Make Melted Chocolate Thinner

If you have dipping chocolate that hardens, that likely means that some water entered your bowl by accident during step 8.

To remedy this, add a small amount of fat (such as butter or coconut oil) to thin the chocolate. Use sparingly, though — a little bit goes a long way.

references