Chocolate Fondue Recipe

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This simple and decadent chocolate fondue recipe is made with 6 ingredients in 10 minutes. Serve it as a special dessert with your favorite chocolate fondue dippers!

a strawberry being dipped into Chocolate Fondue


This chocolate fondue recipe is one of our family’s favorite special desserts.

We love making fondue and slowly enjoying it together after a delicious dinner. It’s the perfect treat for a fun family date night (or romantic date night for those without little ones).

This chocolate fondue recipe is easy to make with six ingredients in ten minutes. It also stores and reheats well.

overhead view of a bowl of Chocolate Fondue surrounded by chocolate fondue dippers

Chocolate Fondue Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions

overhead view of the ingredients in this Chocolate Fondue Recipe
  • Whole milk. Technically 2% milk would work in this recipe. However, I recommend using whole milk for the creamiest texture. For a dairy-free version you can use full-fat coconut milk or cream.
  • Heavy cream. Half and half is an acceptable substitute for heavy cream.
  • Granulated sugar. white sugar, organic cane sugar, coconut sugar and honey all work well in this recipe.
  • Semisweet chocolate. I use chocolate chips to make this recipe easy to make. You can chop your favorite chocolate bars, just be sure to use 10 oz. Any chocolate variety works well – milk, semisweet, dark, or even white chocolate!
  • Vanilla extract. vanilla bean paste or the seeds from one vanilla bean are good substitutes.

Note: If you’re looking for a dairy-free, refined-sugar free etc. version try this vegan chocolate fondue, or this chocolate peanut butter fondue!

Best Chocolate for Fondue

High-quality chocolate is a must for this recipe. You can use milk, semisweet, or dark chocolate chips (Ghirardelli is my favorite brand of chips) you can use chocolate discs or chopped chocolate bars as well.

a cookie being dipped into Chocolate Fondue

How to Make Chocolate Fondue

Let’s walk through how to make chocolate fondue step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin by adding milk, cream, sugar and cocoa powder to a medium saucepan.  Whisk thoroughly to combine.

two photos showing How to Make Chocolate Fondue in a saucepan

Then, warm the ingredients over medium heat until it just begins to boil (but does not come to a full boil).

Once the mixture is just beginning to boil, add the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Continue cooking over medium heat until it just begins to boil again.

two photos showing How to Make Chocolate Fondue in a saucepan

Then, remove the fondue from the heat and stir in the vanilla and a pinch of sea salt.

Let it cool slightly before serving (it thickens as it cools).

two photos showing How to Make Chocolate Fondue in a saucepan

Serve

Serve warm with your favorite chocolate fondue dippers. Here are some suggestions:

a bowl of Chocolate Fondue surrounded by fruit, cake, brownies, cookies and pretzels

Chocolate Fondue Dippers

There really is no limit to what you can dip into this recipe. However, to help spur on your creativity, here is a list of my favorite dippers.

  • Fresh fruit: Strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, raspberries, blackberries, etc.
  • Salty dippers: pretzels, potato chips, bacon (gasp).
  • Brownies/cookies. fudgy brownies, cookies (chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, etc.), Oreos, or your favorite store-bought cookies.
  • Cake: angel food cake, pound cake, chocolate cake, vanilla cake, banana cake, etc.
  • Candy. caramel, marshmallows, cinnamon bears, etc.
  • Nuts. peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, etc.
a marshmallow being dipped into a bowl of Chocolate Fondue

Store

Store leftovers in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat until warm and smooth. You may need to add a splash of milk or cream to thin it out as it warms up.

a bowl of Chocolate Fondue surrounded by chocolate fondue dippers like cookies, fruit and cake.

Chocolate Fondue Recipe FAQs

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, absolutely, this recipe is easily doubled.

How do you keep chocolate fondue warm for a crowd?

You can use an electric fondue pot to keep the fondue warm.


What foods are good for chocolate fondue?

Here is a list of foods that are perfect to dip in chocolate fondue:
Fresh fruit: Strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, raspberries, blackberries, etc.
Salty dippers: pretzels, potato chips, bacon (gasp).
Brownies/cookies. fudgy brownies, cookies (chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, etc.), Oreos, or your favorite store-bought cookies.
Cake: angel food cake, pound cake, chocolate cake, vanilla cake, banana cake, etc.
Candy. caramel, marshmallows, cinnamon bears, etc.
Nuts. peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, etc.

What is the best chocolate for fondue?

Use a high-quality chocolate to make the best fondue. You can use milk, semisweet, or dark chocolate chips (Ghirardelli is my favorite brand of chips) you can use chocolate discs or chopped chocolate bars as well.

How do you melt chocolate for fondue?

In this recipe, the chocolate is melted into the heavy cream mixture.

Is Baker’s chocolate good for fondue?

I don’t prefer to use baker’s chocolate because I grab a higher quality variety to make this recipe, but it does work! If you choose the 100% bakers chocolate you will need to add more sugar.

How do you thicken chocolate fondue?

The cooking method thickens this fondue recipe – by allowing the mixture to almost come to a boil twice, it cooks off some of the liquid and thickens the mixture. Plus, the chocolate in the mixture causes it to thicken as it cools slightly.

Can fondue be reheated?

Yes! Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat until warm and smooth. You may need to add a splash of milk or cream to thin it out as it warms up.

a bowl of Chocolate Fondue surrounded by fruit, cake, brownies, cookies and pretzels

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Chocolate Fondue Recipe

Laura
This simple and decadent chocolate fondue recipe is made with 6 ingredients in 10 minutes. Serve it as a special dessert with your favorite chocolate fondue dippers!
5 from 4 votes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 196
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time10 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Add milk, cream, sugar and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan on the stovetop. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
  • Warm over medium heat until it just begins to boil (but does not come to a full boil).
  • Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Then continue cooking over medium heat until it just begins to boil again.
  • Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and a pinch of sea salt.
  • Let cool slightly before serving (it thickens as it cools).

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions
  • Whole milk. Technically 2% milk would work in this recipe. However, I recommend using whole.
  • Heavy cream. Half and half is an acceptable substitute for heavy cream.
  • Granulated sugar. white sugar, organic cane sugar and honey all work well in this chocolate fondue recipe.
  • Semisweet chocolate. I use chocolate chips to make this recipe easy to make. You can chop your favorite chocolate bars, just be sure to use 10 oz. Any chocolate variety works well – milk, semisweet, dark, or even white chocolate!
  • Vanilla extract. vanilla bean paste or the seeds from one vanilla bean are good substitutes.
Chocolate Fondue Dippers.
There really is no limit to what you can dip into this chocolate fondue recipe. However, to help spur on your creativity, here is a list of my favorite chocolate fondue dippers.
  • Fresh fruit: Strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, raspberries, blackberries, etc.
  • Salty dippers: pretzels, potato chips, bacon (gasp).
  • Brownies/cookies. fudgy brownies, cookies (chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, etc.), Oreos, or your favorite store-bought cookies.
  • Cake: angel food cake, pound cake, chocolate cake, vanilla cake, banana cake, etc.
  • Candy. caramel, marshmallows, cinnamon bears, etc.
  • Nuts. peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, etc.
How to store fondue
Store leftovers in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat until warm and smooth. You may need to add a splash of milk or cream to thin it out as it warms up.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 166mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 174IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Can we keep the chocolate fondue warm in a crock pot?

    I am planing to make this recipe to “Father and Daughter” dance at my daughter elementary school. What it will be the quantity of the ingredients (approximate) for 300 strawberries 🍓.

    1. I don’t think so. Those fountains require a significant amount of oil to keep the fondue flowing. I’d stick with the instructions on the fountain packaging.