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Chocolate dipped strawberry on fondue fork.

Perfect Chocolate Fondue

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces (283 g) chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (see note)
  • ⅓ cup milk (preferably not skim milk)
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (see note)
  • Dipping options: strawberries, bananas, small rice krispie squares, vanilla cookies, etc.

Instructions 

  • In a saucepan or stovetop-proof fondue pot, combine the chocolate, milk and cream, and heat on low, stirring often, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is glossy and smooth. Don't let it come to a boil.
  • Once melted, stir in the vanilla extract. The fondue will likely be fairly thick. If a thinner consistency is desired, whisk in heavy cream or milk a little bit at a time until you reach the ideal consistency.
  • Pour the mixture into a fondue pot or small slow cooker to keep warm while serving.
  • Serve with dippers of your choice like: strawberries, bananas, small rice krispie squares, vanilla cookies, etc.
  • Leftover fondue keeps well in the refrigerator. Warm over low heat, stirring often, to reheat.

Notes

Brands of Chocolate: I almost always use Ghirardelli's bittersweet chips for our chocolate fondue - sometimes Ghirardelli's semisweet chips in a pinch, but we like it darker and richer with the bittersweet. I will warn you that I tried Nestle chips once and they didn't melt well (and the taste was off) so choose your chocolate carefully. If you aren't using a higher-end chocolate chip like Ghirardelli's or Guittard, I'd use a baking bar of chocolate (usually above the chocolate chips in the store aisle) since it tends to melt better than chocolate chips.
Chocolate Adjustments: if you aren't a dark chocolate fan and want it rich and chocolatey without being too dark, add 1/2 cup chopped white chocolate (or Guittard white chocolate chips which melt better than other white chocolate chip brands) with the other chocolate for a creamier, lighter version. You'll probably want to add a touch more heavy cream to thin it out a bit if doing that - just play around with amounts and consistency.
Extract: you can vary the flavor with the extract. We usually stick with vanilla but you could try adding orange extract or peppermint for a twist on the chocolate fondue.