Winter is the time when chocolate fondue shines, and we are here for it. New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day are the occasions when everyone says, "Oh yeah, I have a fondue pot! I should use it!" It's romantic and celebratory, plus who wouldn't want to dip anything and everything in a chocolate waterfall? It also elicits good conversation, like "You have chocolate in your teeth" and "Can you pass me another marshmallow?" Really moving stuff. Ahead, find out how to make our easy chocolate fondue recipe so you can go from thinking "A fondue pot? I will never use this" to breaking it out mid-workday for a sugary pick-me-up.
How to make chocolate fondue
Chocolate fondue can seem intimidating, messy, overly fancy, and not something for the average home cook. But that really couldn't be further from the truth. For starters, our go-to chocolate fondue recipe calls for only two ingredients: chopped high-quality chocolate or chocolate chips and heavy cream (plus a little bit of salt). You can use dark, milk, or white chocolate, though ideally not all three together. Oh, and you don't even need a fondue pot to make it! You absolutely can use one, especially because it lends itself to easy dipping, but a saucepan will work just as well.
To make chocolate fondue, place the chocolate in a serving vessel (whether a fondue pot, saucepan, or bowl). In a separate saucepan, heat the cream and salt over medium heat. Once it's steaming and has tiny bubbles (this should take about 3 minutes), pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for about 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth. It's not chocolate ganache, but it's not not ganache. Keep the fondue warm while you serve with these skewered snacks for dipping:
What to dip in chocolate fondue
Use store-bought pound cake for easy entertaining or make your own! Cut the cake into 2-inch cubes for dipping; no frosting or decorating needed! Spear the pieces onto fondue forks or skewers (it sounds more violent than it is), and let the fondue flow.
Fresh or Dried Fruit
Fruit is probably one of the most popular items to dip in chocolate fondue. For some reason, chocolate-dipped strawberries are always seen as the most romantic treat, but blackberries or raspberries also work great (I'd generally just avoid using teeny tiny blueberries). Or go for tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, and papaya, which are sweet and juicy; if you're serving fondue in the middle of winter (which, let's face it, you probably are), it's a much-needed dose of warm-weather-inspired snacking.
Buttery shortbread cookies are easy enough to stock up on from the store or bake yourself for chocolate fondue. Half the time the store-bought versions already come dipped in semisweet chocolate, but it's so much more fun to do it in a waterfall of chocolate.
Pretzels and Potato Chips
Contrast the velvety sweet flavor of melted chocolate with the crunchy texture of salty pretzels and potato chips. These are great fondue dippers because they're sturdy enough to handle the pressure of chocolate fondue without breaking; go for pretzel rods and wavy chips, both of which are heavy-duty.
Dunk jumbo marshmallows in chocolate fondue and eat it as is, or smoosh one between graham crackers for makeshift s'mores—no campfire needed.
If you don't have much of a sweet tooth, or really just have a hankering for salty-meets-sweet flavors, it truly doesn't get much better than candied bacon dipped in chocolate.
Graham Crackers
Honey, chocolate, or cinnamon graham crackers are an easy snack for dipping in chocolate fondue. Break them into smaller pieces for a bite-size treat.
Make your own Rice Krispies Treats (a great project for the kiddos to help out with), then once they're cool, slice them into dippable pieces for chocolate fondue.
Sliced Cheesecake
We saved possibly the best idea for last (even though they all are pretty great): dipping slices or cubes of cheesecake into chocolate fondue. This is one of the most delicate dippables here, so be sure that it doesn't break as you're swirling and twirling.
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Recipe: Chocolate Fondue
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) finely chopped high-quality chocolate (dark, milk, and/or white)
- 6 ounces (3/4 cup) heavy cream
- 1 pinch salt, plus more to taste
Directions
- Place the chocolate in a small fondue pot or saucepan. Heat the cream and salt in another small saucepan set over medium heat, until very steamy, with tiny bubbles forming around the perimeter, about 3 minutes. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let sit for 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Keep fondue warm, while you serve with skewered dippables.
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