How To Ensure Every Single Chocolate-Covered Strawberry You Make Is Gorgeous

Chocolate-covered strawberries are absolutely delicious, customizable, and fun to make in the comfort of your own kitchen. If you've ever tried to make them on your own, however, you likely know that it can be a little trying to figure out how to get them to look anything like the professional versions you see at your favorite chocolate shop. To learn how we can get our homemade chocolate-covered strawberries to come out looking gorgeous, Chowhound talked to Nicole Patel, founder of Delysia Chocolatier. Patel was also named 2025's Best Chocolatier in the Americas with the highest honor, Six Star Award: Grand Master Chocolatier, which is a long way of saying she knows a thing or two when it comes to creating anything that involves chocolate.

Getting the process right starts with preparation, according to Patel. "Chocolate doesn't stay in temper for long, so have all your tools and ingredients ready before you begin." In addition to laying out your tools in advance, prep your strawberries before you start warming the chocolate. "Make sure the strawberries are completely dry," Patel says, noting that, "Any moisture can cause the chocolate to seize. Wash and dry them thoroughly ahead of time." 

Once you've chosen the best chocolate for chocolate-covered strawberries and prepared it, it's time to dip. Using your fingers to do so can leave smudges on the glossy chocolate, so Patel's advice is to "Use the stem if it's intact, or insert a toothpick or skewer for more control and a cleaner dip. After dipping, gently swirl off any excess chocolate." Lay your dipped strawberries on parchment paper to help them set and keep them from sticking together.

The type of chocolate you use matters, and couverture is best, says Nicole Patel. She explains, "Strawberries deserve the good stuff. They're juicy, delicate, and begging for the best. Couverture chocolate is high in cocoa butter, which means it melts beautifully, coats evenly, and sets with that irresistible glossy finish." 

Patel also says that it's imperative to properly temper chocolate (which is not the same as melting) if you want to get professional-looking chocolate-covered strawberries. "Melting chocolate without tempering changes the molecular structure of the cocoa butter, making it unstable, which is why it never goes back to that nice hard consistency," Patel says. That's where tempering comes in: "Tempering the chocolate stabilizes the cocoa butter crystals, allowing the chocolate to cool back into a smooth, shiny, and snappy quality." While you could use coating chocolate which typically doesn't require tempering, couverture gives the best flavor and texture, so it's worth picking that and tempering it.

In addition to carefully choosing your chocolate, you'll want to use care when selecting your strawberries at the store. Patel says to look for medium to large berries that are uniformly sized to create a professional-looking final product. Consider ripeness as well. "Choose strawberries with a firm texture and vibrant red color. Ideally, they should have minimal whiteness near the stem and retain their fresh green tops. This not only enhances the visual appeal but also provides a convenient grip for dipping," she explains. The award-winning chocolatier also recommends staying away from overly ripe strawberries, as they can become mushy after dipping. The bottom line: Use the highest-quality chocolate and berries you have available to create chocolate-covered strawberries similar to what you'd pick up at your favorite candy store.

While topping your chocolate-covered strawberries can add fun flavors and textures to an already-delicious dessert, it's totally fine if you prefer to just serve and enjoy them as-is. "Personally, I love the look of a luscious red strawberry covered in a silky-smooth, glossy layer of hardened chocolate. It's pure, simple, and elegant," says Nicole Patel. 

If you'd like to dress up your chocolate-covered strawberries though, her advice is that it's important to do so with intention. "The goal is to enhance the flavor and presentation without overwhelming the natural beauty of the strawberry or the richness of the chocolate. It's all about balance, not distraction," she says.

Patel often draws inspiration from the flavors she uses in her chocolate barks to come up with combinations that are a good fit for chocolate-covered strawberries. Nuts are an obvious pairing. "Finely chopped pistachios for example, add a nice texture and complement the fruit without being too much," Patel says. 

If you're looking for something a bit whimsical, she recommends making a play on a classic childhood treat — the PB&J. Top your chocolate-covered strawberries with a drizzle of smooth peanut butter or sprinkle bits of crushed roasted peanuts for a textural crunch. Both will give your sweet berries a salty contrast. And if you're covering the strawberries in white chocolate, dusting on some fine ground coffee can provide a bitter edge while making the fruits look even more gorgeous