How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries – Want to know how to make dairy-free chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day so you can save $42 at Godiva? We’ve got you covered! Not only are these Chocolate Covered Strawberries much more affordable than what you’d order online or in store, they’re also more delicious (in our opinion), and MUCH healthier!
Coated in rich and creamy vegan chocolate made from cacao, this superfood rich snack offers numerous health benefits that make enjoying Chocolate Covered Strawberries just as nourishing as it is delicious! Want to learn more? Keep reading!
Pre-Made Chocolate Covered Strawberries
It’s a Valentine’s Day tradition to gift chocolate covered strawberries. However, the vast majority of these chocolate covered strawberries gifted are bought pre-made, and are full of sugar, dairy, and unnecessary, inflammatory ingredients. If you are buying chocolate covered strawberries pre-made, you are definitely getting a less-than healthy chocolate sauce. The strawberries most likely won’t be all that fresh either. And they surely won’t be organic.
Take Godiva for example. Filled with a whopping 11 grams of sugar in a single dark chocolate dipped strawberry, this treat is anything but healthy or anti-inflammatory. And yes, Godiva charges a whopping $42 for six measly chocolate covered strawberries–and they aren’t even organic strawberries!
I got the Godiva strawberry sticker shock when I took my nieces shopping at the mall. Since I was not sure exactly what ingredients Godiva uses for their chocolate, I thought the chocolate covered strawberries would be the healthiest choice since they are mostly fruit.
I asked for 6 chocolate covered strawberries, and didn’t even think to ask the price, since I thought they would be around $2 or $3 each. $42 dollars later I decided next time we should just Google how to make chocolate covered strawberries, and put the $42 towards more clothes.
More often than not, commercial chocolate sauces contain heavy cream and/or partially hydrogenated oils. Although Godiva chocolate does taste amazing, I knew it probably wasn’t one of the “cleaner” chocolate brands. However, I had NO idea until I did my research online that they use super cheap ingredients for their recipe. This list includes ingredients like: refined sugar, butter oil, milk, “natural flavors”, and more! What a rip off that place is!
Thankfully, chocolate covered strawberries do not need to be unhealthy, and they definitely do not need to be that pricey either…..
Healthy Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries taste decadent and always look splashy and fun. It’s a simple classic treat everybody loves, they are beyond easy to make and they can be made healthfully too!
Although you may not think strawberries could pose health risks, I suggest choosing organic with these fruits. This is because strawberries are actually among the “Dirty Dozen” list by the Environmental Working Group. This means when conventionally grown, they test positive for at least 47 different chemicals.
After you clean things up by buying organic strawberries, you can start the fun part—chocolate dipping! But of course the chocolate part is where so many things can go wrong…
Homemade Chocolate Covered Strawberries
If you make your own chocolate covered strawberries, the typical recipe calls for you to simply melt a bar of chocolate. This at least gives you the control of buying the absolute very best, highest quality chocolate. As a reminder, the healthiest chocolate is dark chocolate that contains 75% to 80% cocoa. It also uses cocoa butter rather than milk fat or hydrogenated oils.
By the way, cocoa, a main ingredient in chocolate, is from the beans of the cacao plant. All plant foods are rich in anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and disease-fighting phytonutrients, and the cacao plant is no exception.
However, processing techniques such as roasting, which occur during the manufacturing of a chocolate bar or chocolate candy, can substantially decrease flavanol levels. This is just one of the reasons why making your own chocolate sauce from scratch, from raw cacao powder is a healthier idea.
Cacao vs. Cocoa
Cacao and cocoa are spelled so similarly, that most people wouldn’t even notice a difference at first glance. However, these two types of chocolate are very different in important ways!
While both cacao and cocoa are derivatives of cacao beans, the difference all comes down to the processing of the chocolate.
Cacao
Cacao is the minimally processed product of cacao beans, resulting in a highly nutrient-dense, rich powder. It is particularly rich in flavanols, a class of phytonutrients. These are also present in red wine, tea and certain fruits. To achieve such a high percentage of nutrient retainment, cacao uses a cold-press technique to remove the cacao butter, and roasts at low temperatures.
Navita’s offers an amazing, high-quality cacao powder.
Cocoa
You might have guessed it by now, but cocoa is the highly processed form of cacao. It still maintains some of its original nutrients, but its not nearly as beneficial as its unprocessed counterpart.
Cocoa powder often includes additional ingredients, preservatives, or uses an alkalization process to reduce acidity, once again, reducing the nutrients.
Cocoa is not inherently bad, it’s just simply not as beneficial. However, when choosing this product, it’s vital to ensure you are purchasing from a clean brand with no added ingredients or preservatives. Anthony’s is a great brand for this!
We love cacao so much for it’s benefit and flavor, that we have endless recipes here at Clean Cuisine using this amazing superfood! Indulge guilt-free, knowing you’re doing your body a favor!
Some of Our Favorite Chocolate Recipes
Like mentioned above, we are huge chocolate fans! A dessert-like food that is just as good for you as it is delicious…what can you ask for?!
Recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread: This recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread is better than anywhere else. Not only is it healthy Pumpkin Bread but also gluten free, dairy free and contains no refined sugar. It’s is healthy and deliciously nutritious for anytime of the year!
Recipe for Homemade Fudge: Recipe for homemade fudge is super EASY to make. Plus, it’s loaded with creamy, fudgy flavor. Nutrient-dense and loaded with health benefits.
Donut Holes Recipe: Donut Holes Recipe are moist, delicious and irresistible. These donuts holes are healthy too. No refined oil, refined sugar, dairy or gluten.
The recipe below for hand-dipped chocolate covered organic strawberries uses raw cacao powder, and has zero dairy and no processed/ refined sugar (note: the small amount of pure maple syrup called for in the recipe is also a plant food and although it is certainly not a “superfood”, it does actually have phytonutrients!)
So here is how it’s done…how to make chocolate covered strawberries that are healthy and inexpensive too….
Kitchen Favorites
How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Learn how to make Chocolate Covered Strawberries that are healthy, vegan and paleo for Valentines Day in only a few short minutes!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon coconut milk
- 1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup raw organic cacao powder
- Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
- 12 large organic strawberries – washed and dried very well, stems left on
Instructions
- Line a cooking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, add the lime juice, coconut milk and coconut oil; heat over low heat for about 1 minute, or until oil is melted.
- Slowly stir in the maple syrup, vanilla and cacao powder (sprinkling only a tiny amount at time, and mixing until fully dissolved before adding more). Mix to combine well. Stir in a pinch of unrefined sea salt.
- Take a strawberry, and dip it completely into the chocolate. Twirl it around to completely coat the strawberry.
- Transfer the strawberry to the cookie sheet to cool.
- Repeat until all the strawberries are covered.
- Refrigerate strawberries for 1 hour, or until chocolate hardens.
Notes
Chocolate covered strawberries are best if made no more than 48 hours before serving.
TAMICA says
I want to say kudos on this recipe. I have a few pointers as a pastry chef. 1. Use a whisk it will make it smoother. 2. Use Cacao butter, it is more natural, healthier, and what makes chocolate solid. 3. Make sure you temper your chocolate properly, or it will separate. Too hot will burn and separate when drying. 3. ALWAYS place dipped strawberries in fridge right away! If making 12, do 6 then place in fridge. 4. ALWAYS make sure your strawberries are completely dry before dipping. Water and chocolate do not mix well. Do not get any water in the chocolate.
Aimee Harris Niedosik says
Thank you Tamika — we are going to use this advice and update our recipe — and also work on our chocolate bark recipe with these tips. We really appreciate your insight. If you ever want to collaborate with us — we would LOVE to hear from you!! xoxo, Aimee
Lauren says
Unfortunately the chocolate sauce separated and would not stick to the strawberries. it worked for the first few strawberries and then totally separated. Tried stirring more and nothing seemed to help. while it was not pretty, the flavor was pretty good.
Annie says
Ivy,is there any reason not to use organic cacao butter instead of coconut oil ? I make candy frequently this way since my hisband does not like coconut oil but I am not sure if it is healthy ?
Ivy Larson says
Hi Annie,
Organic cacao butter is absolutely healthy! In fact, it is actually more healthy than the coconut oil because it has more of the “whole” coconut. I’m not sure if the consistency would work right with the chocolate dipped strawberries using it though? But, if you try PLEASE let me know how it turns out. I would love to offer cacao butter as an ingredient alternative.
Ronda says
Wonderfully delicious and easy to make! Perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Ivy Larson says
So glad you liked them Ronda =) Thank you for letting me know. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Misty says
Made these, awesome. I also made another recipe of the sauce and added 1c each of sunflower seeds and craisins…..chocolate bark!. Oh my word. Been really craving some choco……….
★★★★★
Ivy Larson says
oh YUM!!! The chocolate bark sounds amazing Misty =) I have actually been wanting to make choc bark for ages, I had no idea my choc sauce recipe would work for that though! I will have to give it a try. thank you for letting me know!
Donna Gollenberg says
Good, natural and easily prepared recipe. Did not have coconut milk open (Ivy, did you mean canned coconut milk or coconut beverage?), so used a tablespoon of cashew milk that was open. My guests really liked it. Thanks!
★★★★★
Ivy Larson says
Oh GOOD! So happy to hear you liked it Donna =) And I should have specified that I meant canned coconut (that is actually the only coconut milk I use) Thank you for letting me know how it turned out!
Joyce says
Have you updated the recipe as I don’t see coconut milk in the ingredients list?
Do you think I could sub honey for the maple syrup?
Thanks!
Ivy Larson says
Hi Joyce! So sorry I am just now getting back to you. And yes, I updated the recipe recently to make it have fewer ingredients. Coconut milk was in the OLD recipe but I don’t see where it is listed in the revised version? Can you please let me know where it is showing up on your end so I can fix! Thank you for bringing it to my attention too.
As for the honey, hmmmm….I’m not 100% sure if that would work because it might be a bit too sticky. I think the flavor would be great, but I worry it might not have the right consistency. If you try it though please do let me know how it turns out…
J says
This made me laugh, I used to work for Godiva in the UK. The chocolate covered strawberries are sold by weight hence they end up expensive. Just to make you feel worse about them not being organic we were told not to wash them otherwise the chocolate won’t stick. We also took leftovers home for free at night.
Ivy Larson says
Oh my gosh! Thank you so much for sharing Josephine —I think I will most definitely stick to making my own chocolate covered strawberries for sure now 😉
Brett says
Considering making this with a group of students as part of a farm to table meal. If trying to minimize ingredients, could you exclude the coconut milk or does it play a large role in keeping the chocolate solid?
Ivy Larson says
Hi Brett,
I think you could probably get by without it—it just helps to make it a bit less thick without watering it down too much. You could try substituting 1 teaspoon water though and I think that might work!