Easy Dipping Chocolate Recipe

Whether you want to make chocolate covered caramels, cookies stuffed with chocolate, chocolate covered strawberries or a simple chocolate fondue, this is an easy way to the perfect dipping chocolate.

It's no secret that the best chocolate covered candies are made from good quality chocolate bars and couverture chocolate is the recommended type of chocolate since it contains more cocoa butter, making it easier to work with for a dipping chocolate.

There is only one problem... I never have good quality chocolate bars, much less couverture chocolate, lying around when I want to make candy. AND... tempering chocolate, while easy to do, often takes more time than I want to spend melting chocolate. So, I had to come up with a better way to have a melting chocolate that was easy to work with and tasted great. This recipe does just that and only requires 2 ingredients which can be found in most grocery stores!

This recipe for melting chocolate works great for dipping fresh fruit like chocolate-covered strawberries, filling cookies, dipping candy, using as a chocolate sauce, or a fondue type of melted chocolate that you dip anything you want in and enjoy a chocolatey indulgence.

Ingredients & Substitutions

I've tried many combinations of various forms of chocolate over the years to get a good chocolate flavor along with a nice dipping consistency and, although they all work fairly well, I have found that the combination of melting wafers and chocolate chips is the easiest, while still having a great chocolate flavor

Chocolate Chips

You can use any kind of chocolate chips or combination of chocolate chips that you want in this recipe, however, there are some that I highly recommend and some that I don't.

First off, get a decent brand of chocolate chips. Make sure they taste good to you and have a rich chocolate flavor.

My favorite are Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Chips. They are 60% cacao and are the perfect sweetness for me. Especially when paired with the dark chocolate melting wafers, which are a little sweeter, in my opinion.

You can also use a bittersweet chocolate that is 72% cacao and a little less sweet. These chips would be great for dipping fresh fruit in when you want the sweetness of the fruit to be more intense than the chocolate.

Milk Chocolate or Semi Sweet Chocolate are also great choices if you aren't a fan of the darker chocolates.

While you can use chips like peanut butter or butterscotch, they aren't actual chocolate and don't melt as easily. You can melt them over a double boiler while stirring frequently, but you may have trouble getting that smooth consistency for dipping. If you want to use these types of chips, try adding in a little Crisco or even Coconut Oil. This will help get that smooth texture, but also will harden when cooled. Butter has water in it, so I don't recommend using that.

White chocolate is another type of chip that can be challenging to work with when using for melting chocolate. Since white chocolate isn't actually chocolate either, it doesn't have the same properties. What I find the best practice is to skip the chips and use all melting wafers. Make sure to get a good quality, Ghirardelli White Melting Wafers is what I always use and I think they taste better than white chocolate chips.

If you have done any research about melting chocolate, you probably have heard that chocolate chips are made with less cocoa butter than other forms of chocolate so they hold their shape in cookies and other baked goods, like Congo Bars.

While this is true, I have found that you can use them for dipping chocolate as long as you add in something else.

My go-to used to be semisweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips combined with a little Crisco and this does work, but I found it a little finicky and, if the chocolate overheated it would thicken and, if too much Crisco was used, it would not taste the same as straight chocolate.

Coconut Oil can also be used, but it does impart a coconut flavor to the chocolate. My mom used to add paraffin wax, which is completely safe, but let's face it, slightly off putting to think of wax in your chocolate.

What I do now is combine the chocolate chips with chocolate melting wafers and it works perfectly.

Melting Wafers

There are a few important things to know when using this combination of chocolate chips and melting wafers for a dipping chocolate. Quality does matter, so don't grab the dollar store brand of melting wafers. Instead I recommend using a brand like Ghirardelli for both the chips and the melting wafers, but especially the melting wafers. I've tasted quite a few different brands of melting wafers and Ghirardelli are the best I've found.

Pick the flavor of melting wafer based on the flavor of chocolate you are using. Although you can certainly mix and match by using bittersweet chocolate and dark chocolate melting wafers, I usually stick to the same flavors.

In this easy recipe for dipping chocolate, I use dark Ghirardelli chocolate chips and Ghirardelli dark melting wafers. They also come in milk chocolate flavor, so if you prefer a sweeter chocolate those would be great if you are using semi sweet chips or milk chocolate chips.

Tips for Making Dipping Chocolate

• Avoid Moisture

Avoid any drops of moisture. Chocolate and water do not get along and even the slightest bit of water or water-based ingredient will cause the chocolate to seize up and form a hard ball that is difficult to work with and definitely not good for dipping anything in.

• Use Indirect Low Heat

Many people love to melt their chocolate in a microwave and if that works for you, it's perfectly fine. What I find is that it works 50% of the time and the other 50% of the time I overheat it and it becomes a chalky mess or just tastes burnt.

I prefer using a double boiler for consistent results each and every time, but if you want to use the microwave, make sure to set it to a low power to avoid overheating the chocolate.

• Use Oil-Based Flavorings

There is nothing easier than making flavored chocolate bark for that special occasion when you want a beautiful, yet simple dessert. One of my favorites around Christmas is peppermint bark made with dark chocolate, white chocolate flavored with peppermint and topped with candy canes. Dark chocolate almond bark is another great combination.

Flavoring the chocolate itself really boosts the entire eating experience, but you can't simply use flavored extracts, like peppermint extract, or even baking emulsions because they are alcohol and water based and will cause your chocolate to seize up.

Instead, use baking oils that come in many different flavors. I use L'oran oils for all my flavored candies.

How to Create a Double Boiler for Melting Chocolate with a Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot

The best way to melt chocolate is over indirect heat, like when you use a double boiler. High heat and chocolate don't get along and it is very easy to burn chocolate, so make sure the bowl with the chocolate in it is at least 2-3" away from the simmering water below.

If you have an electric pressure cooker like the Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot, you can use your appliance as a double boiler that is perfect for making dipping chocolate. One of the best things is that you can hold the chocolate at the perfect temperature for hours and hours without having to fuss with anything.

First add about 6 cups of water to the inner pot and turn on the sear/sauté on high. Grab a mixing bowl that is glass or metal that fits into the inner pot, but rests on the rim and set it on top. If you have a smaller mixing bowl, you can set it on a rack about the water level and use foil to close in the sides.

Place chocolate chips and the melting wafers into the bowl. Once you start to see steam, turn off the sear/sauté function and switch to the slow cooker function on low. On the Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker and Air Crisper you will only be able to set the time to 6 hours, but there is a workaround. Once you hit start, use your time down button and reduce the time to 15 minutes.

Stir mixture occasionally to evenly melt chocolate chips and chocolate wafers. I like to use a silicone or rubber spatula or my scoop 'n spread from Pampered Chef also works great!

Usually the chocolate is done melting in about 10 minutes. Once the 15 minutes is up, slow cook will revert to the Keep Warm setting and that is the setting you want to hold your dipping chocolate at the correct temperature.

If you aren't in a hurry and your Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot has the ability to go right to the keep warm function, you can absolutely do that and skip the slow cook time. On the OL series with smart lid and a few other Ninja Foodi models, you can also use the buffet function. This function is found by hitting the slow cook function's temperature buttons (or dial) down past the "Lo" setting to where the word, "buffet" displays across the screen.

Stir occasionally as the chocolate melts and once melted it's time to dip all your treats! This chocolate will harden as it sits, so if you wanted to turn your chocolate into a sauce that doesn't harden, whisk in about ½ of a cup of cream and that should keep it from hardening.

So, now that your chocolate is melted and you have a smooth chocolate dipping sauce, get to dipping! This chocolate is also wonderful for using in molds for different shaped chocolate or for pouring over ice cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipes that use Dipping Chocolate

This dipping chocolate is perfect for coating fruit, candy, filling cookies, or putting on ice cream. Here are some of the recipes where I use dipping chocolate.