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One of the best desserts for special occasions is this easy chocolate fondue recipe. A few simple ingredients are melted into the most heavenly chocolate mixture.
Make this perfect chocolate fondue for Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve, or someone’s birthday, and serve it alongside a variety of dippers (suggestions below). The whole family will love it!
Why I love this recipe
- Perfect dessert – who doesn’t love melted chocolate with a variety of bite-sized dippers
- Fun for special occasions – If you want to go all out, start with cheese fondue, then cook some steak and lobster in a broth fondue, and finish with this delicious fondue recipe!
- Easy to reheat – Leftover chocolate fondue can be stored in the refrigerator. When reheated gently and slowly, it will be as good as when you made it fresh.
Ingredients needed to make chocolate fondue
The base recipe consists of heavy cream, high-quality chocolate, your favorite liqueur, and a pinch of salt.
How to make chocolate fondue
- Heat cream: Add the heavy cream (or cream and whole milk, if using), the liqueur, and the salt to a medium-sized heavy saucepan. Alternatively, a double boiler can be used. Heat the mixture over medium heat just until the edges of the cream start to bubble. remove from heat and immediately add chocolate but do not stir.
- Mix fondue: After the chocolate has had about a minute to sit undisturbed, start to stir the mixture. Continuously stir until completely mixed.
- Serve: Transfer melted chocolate mixture to a fondue set kept warm over a low flame or keep warm on the stove over very low heat. An electric fondue pot or small slow cooker can also be used to keep the mixture warm. Serve with a variety of chocolate fondue dippers.
Best chocolate fondue dippers
The possibilities are endless, but some of my favorite dippers include:
- fresh fruit – this can include a variety of your favorite fruits that taste amazing with chocolate including strawberries, orange segments, apple slices, etc. Just be sure to cut the fruit pieces to bite-sized to avoid double dipping!
- dried fruit – dried apricots are my favorites but dried pineapple and dried banana slices are amazing dipped in the melted chocolate
- graham crackers, wafer cookies, almond cookies – any kind of cookie
- pound cake cubes. sponge cake, chocolate cake, or bite-sized pieces of angel food cake
- potato chips or pretzel rods – something salty
- marshmallows – these just may be my favorite chocolate fondue dipper. If you want to go the extra mile, make some homemade strawberry marshmallows or chocolate marshmallows.
- brownie bites – you can make homemade brownies or just buy a box from the bakery.
Get created with other dessert fondue recipes!
- peanut butter fondue – Use peanut butter chips instead of the chocolate
- white chocolate fondue – Use white chocolate chips instead of regular chocolate
- peanut butter chocolate fondue – a spoonful of peanut butter stirred into the chocolate fondue is the perfect combination
- raspberry or strawberry fondue – pureed raspberry or strawberry is a fantastic addition!
FAQs
You can use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, or any combination thereof. The type of chocolate you choose is based on preference, however, it should always be of high quality.
Chocolate chips are just the right size for melting. If you start with a chocolate bar, be sure to chop it into small, even-sized pieces.
Since you are removing the heavy whipping cream from the heat source before adding the chocolate with this recipe, your chocolate will not burn.
To prevent burning when reheating, be sure to do it slowly with very low heat.
If you are making chocolate fondue to serve in a fountain instead of a fondue pot, it is recommended that you use all or part milk in place of the heavy cream to make a thinner mixture. The dippers for a fountain would be the same.
There are a few methods to reheat chocolate fondue.
First, you can use a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. As soon as the chocolate begins to melt, reduce the heat to low and stir constantly.
Second, you can reheat it in the microwave. You must reheat using low power, 30-40% works best, and heat in 45-second increments. Be sure to stir well each time.
Third, you can place the fondue in a slow cooker or even an Instant Pot and use the warm setting. Again, be sure to stir frequently.
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Equipment
- fondue set or small slow cooker to keep fondue warm
Ingredients
- 8 ounces heavy cream can substitute up to half of the amount with whole milk for a thinner fondue
- 1 tablespoon liqueur Grand Marnier recommended, see note below for other options
- pinch salt
- 12 ounces chocolate can use dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate, try to use good quality, chopped into small pieces
Instructions
- Heat cream: Add the heavy cream (or cream and milk, if using), the liqueur, and the salt to a medium-sized saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat just until the edges of the cream start to bubble. remove from heat and immediately add chocolate but do not stir.
- Mix fondue: After the chocolate has had about a minute to sit undisturbed, start to stir the mixture. Continuously stir until completely mixed.
- Serve: Transfer melted chocolate fondue to a warm fondue set or keep warm on the stove over very low heat. Serve with a variety of chocolate fondue dippers.
Notes
- Chocolate – like Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
- Coffee – like Kahlúa Coffee Liqueur
- Nutty – like Frangelico Liqueur
- Citrus – like Charles Regnier Triple Sec
- Fruity – like Chambord Raspberry Liqueur
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
