Easy Dipping Chocolate – Better Than Fondue!

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Need something similar to a chocolate fondue without the hassle? Try this amazing (and easy!). Dipping Chocolate Recipe. It’s a decadent recipe perfect for Chocolate-Covered Strawberries for Valentine’s Day or whenever you’re looking for a special treat. So easy to make ahead and warm up when you’re craving something sweet. This milk chocolate sauce recipe is delicious served with fresh fruit, brownies or rice krispie treats!

woman's hand dipping a strawberry into a bowl of chocolate.

Chocolate Dipping Sauce | Easier Than Fondue!

If you’re looking for a fun, sweet, EASY recipe for Valentine’s Day or a special occasion, look no further! This Dipping Chocolate is just as good as a chocolate fondue without all the fuss. Made in about 10 minutes with good quality chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, a little corn syrup and milk, this can easily be made ahead and stored in the fridge. Heat it up when you’re ready to serve!

While I’m a strong believer that anything dipped in chocolate tastes good, I’m partial to chocolate-dipped strawberries, bananas, brownies and rice krispies treats! So, go forth and enjoy this dipping chocolate!

Main Ingredients Needed

You only need 6 ingredients to make Dipping Chocolate and maybe 20 minutes to throw it all together. Win-win! Here’s what you’ll need:

Semi-Sweet Chocolate – the best chocolate for this recipe! Any type of chocolate will do here, (white chocolate chips or even dark chocolate) but I like to use semi-sweet for a classic flavor. You can also use semisweet chocolate chips, but they may require additional tempering due to their different formulation.
Sweetened Condensed Milk – this helps sweeten even more and helps keep the chocolate from solidifying as it cools.
Corn Syrup – adds shine to the finished dip. Real maple syrup can also be substituted.
Salt – used to bring out the chocolate flavor and balance the sweet.
Milk – this loosens the dip up even more and let’s you control the consistency.
Vanilla Extract – for flavor!

Favorite Things to Dip

And to go along with this Dipping Chocolate are things to dip! Here are some great options to get you started:

strawberries (or other berries)
apples
pears
grapes
bananas
rice krispie treats
brownies
cookies
pretzels (this recipe would make a great chocolate drizzle for these too!)
potato
angel food cake cubes

Pro Tip: The easiest way to dip most of these treats is to place them on the end of a cocktail or a fondue instrument. Strawberries can be held by their top leaves, but most other things will need some type of utensil to you can ensure they are fully dipped and you don’t drop them in the pool!

woman's hands chopping chocolate bar with blue kife.

How to Make Dipping Chocolate

The recommended method for making this recipe is on the stove, however, I also include microwave directions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Either will work just fine! Here are step-by-step instructions on how to make dipping chocolate:

Step 1: Melt Chocolate

Break the chocolate bars into pieces and place into the bottom of a small saucepan. Place over low heat and consistently stir with a rubber spatula to melt. You want your burner at the lowest possible setting. Alternately, you can do this over a double boiler if you’re worried about scorching the chocolate.

Add in sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup, and salt. Stir until it has a completely smooth consistency and is shiny.

sweetened condensed milk pouring into melted chocolate in a pot.

woman's hand stirring dipping chocolate ingredients in sauce pot.

Step 2: Determine Consistency

Slowly stream in milk to thin out the dipping chocolate to the desired consistency. As the dipping chocolate cools, it will get thicker, so depending on if you’d like to serve this warm, at room temperature or cold will determine how much milk you’ll want to add. I only added 1/4 cup, but you can add more or less.

dipping chocolate being poured into a bowl

Step 3: Remove from Heat and Serve

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into a bowl and serve with strawberries, cookies, bananas, brownies, rice krispie treats, etc.. Your guests can simply dip their treats into the chocolate and allow excess chocolate to drip off, give it a twirl and place on serving plate (or baking sheet lined with parchment paper it you’re going through the dipping process and making enough for a crowd ahead of time). Chocolate lovers unite!

dipping chocolate on a tablescape with dipping items.

Making Ahead and Consistency

Lucky for you, this Dipping Chocolate recipe can last for a couple of days in the fridge, making it a perfect make-ahead dessert.

Simply make as directed then store chocolate in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

If you are serving this cold, you are going to want to add more milk when making the recipe. This ensures that it will still be a dip-able chocolate once it is chilled. (It will thicken as it cools.)

If you are serving this warm, you’ll want to microwave in a microwave-safe bowl until warm and add a little milk to get it to the consistency you want. When you are ready to serve, heat in the microwave until warm, stirring every 30 seconds to ensure it heats evenly. Pour into a bowl and serve.

If your chocolate looks dull and you want to give it a bit more luster, stir in a bit of coconut oil and it will shine it up.

What is the difference between chocolate and couverture?

Couverture chocolate is like a fancy version of chocolate. It’s what professional chocolatiers and pastry chefs use. It has more cocoa butter in it, which makes it smoother and easier to work with. So, while regular chocolate is for everyday use, couverture is the go-to choice when you want to create something extra special.

What is the best chocolate for dipping?

The best chocolate for dipping is typically high-quality chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70%. You can use dark, milk, or white chocolate, depending on your preference.

Yes, you can add flavorings to dipping chocolate to enhance the flavor. Things like vanilla extract, almond extract, or liqueurs would be amazing.

More Sweet Treats to Try!

I hope you try out this simple dessert option this Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays or just any day of the week! It’s the best melting chocolate ever!

The printable recipe card is down below, enjoy 🙂

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.