Decadent desserts and simple treats are just minutes away when you know how to melt chocolate chips with any of these methods. Once melted, you can dip, drizzle, whip, and spread to make any number of fantastic desserts!
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Perfectly Melted Chocolate Chips
At times, you may find yourself in the mood for a sweet treat or looking to add some richness and flavor to your favorite desserts. In these cases, there is no better ingredient than simple chocolate chips! They're easy to melt and create delicious and indulgent sweets and treats.
Follow along to learn how to melt your chocolate chips in the microwave, on the stove top in a double boiler, or completely hands-free in a slow cooker.
I melt chocolate all the time! I love using melted chocolate to sweeten up something like fabulously ripe strawberries, or dipping cookies into for a sweet coating!
After melting chocolate so many times, there's a few things I've learned that I think you'll appreciate. They're sure to save you some time and hassle! 🙂
Stovetop Method (Double Boiler)
If you're looking to melt your chocolate chips on the stovetop, you can use a commercial double boiler or make a homemade version!
- Heat. Add about 1 inch of water to a pot and place it over medium-high heat.
- Simmer. Bring the water to a simmer.
- Add chips to a bowl. Add your chocolate chips to a heat-safe glass or metal bowl and place the bowl over your pot of simmering water.
- Stir. Vigorously stir the chocolate chips until melted and smooth.
- Finish. Remove from heat just before completely finished melting.
Microwave Method
Alternatively, you can melt your chocolate chips in the microwave! This is an incredibly fast method, but works best with smaller quantities of chocolate chips.
- Add chips to a bowl. Place your chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl (no more than 1 cup at a time).
- Heat. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir.
- Continue. Repeat heating in 10-15 second intervals, stirring in between each heating.
- Finish. Once the chips are almost completely melted, stir them vigorously until smooth.
Slow Cooker or Crock Pot Method
This method works great since you can fit a couple containers into your crockpot! Melt more than one type of chocolate at a time in a snap!
- Add chips to a bowl. Place chocolate chips in a bowl or heat-safe container (a jar works too).
- Hot water. Set the bowl or container into your slow cooker that has about 2 inches of hot water. The water should come up to no more than 2-3 inches high on your container of chocolate chips.
- Melt. Heat on high, uncovered, between 20-30 minutes. Stir and use. Or reduce heat and hold your melted chocolate for up to 2 hours at the warm setting.
Once the chocolate chips are melted, you can use them in a variety of recipes or enjoy them on their own. Drizzle your melted chocolate over ice cream, strawberries, s'mores, and more!
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💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Chocolate chips are ideal for melting, as they are already small and uniform in size.
- You can choose milk chocolate, semi-sweet, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate chips.
- If you only have chocolate bars on hand, chop them into small bits that are close to the same size for easy melting.
- Do not add water (and make sure that your bowl and utensils are completely dry before using). Water can seize the melted chocolate up, making it clump.
- Be patient and melt at the lowest heat possible, removing your chocolate from heat as soon as possible. This also means that once your chips almost completely melted, you should remove from heat and stir vigorously to finish melting any remaining tiny bits.
- Use silicone spatulas when melting chocolate. Wooden utensils can retain water in them (which can cause seizing of the chocolate).
- White chocolate melts at a lower temperature and can burn easily. Use reduced temperatures and a 50% heat setting on your microwave.
Recipes Using Melted Chocolate
- Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispies Treats
- Valentine's Day Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Pink Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Revel Bars
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats
- Chocolate Maraschino Cherry Brownies
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📖 Recipe Card
How to Melt Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate chips (milk chocolate, semi-sweet, dark chocolate, or white chocolate morsels)
- sprinkles (optional, decor)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Double Boiler: Use either a double boiler or a homemade version (make sure your glass bowl is heat-safe) and place it over a small amount of water in a saucepan.Simmer the water in your double boiler or saucepan and heat the chocolate slowly in the top of your double boiler, or in the glass bowl set atop the saucepan.
- Microwave: Use a microwave-safe bowl heat the chocolate in 30-second intervals to start, stir, and continue heating in short intervals of 10-15 seconds.
- (With the double boiler or microwave method) Stir until the chocolate is almost completely melted then remove from heat and stir vigorously until smooth.
- Slow Cooker/Crockpot: Place chocolate chips in a bowl or heat-safe container (a jar works too). Set the bowl or container into your slow cooker that has about 2 inches of hot water. The water should come up to no more than 2-3 inches high on your container of chocolate chips. Heat on high, uncovered, between 20-30 minutes. Stir and use. Or reduce heat and hold your melted chocolate for up to 2 hours at the warm setting.
- Dip, drizzle, and decorate as desired.
Notes
- Chocolate chips are ideal for melting, as they are already small and uniform in size.
- You can cheese milk chocolate, semi-sweet, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate chips.
- If you only have chocolate bars on hand, chop them into small bits that are close to the same size for easy melting.
- Do not add water (and make sure that your bowl and utensils are completely dry before using). Water can seize the melted chocolate up, making it clump.
- Be patient and melt at the lowest heat possible, removing your chocolate from heat as soon as possible. This also means that once your chips almost completely melted, you should remove from heat and stir vigorously to finish melting any remaining tiny bits.
- Use silicone spatulas when melting chocolate. Wooden utensils can retain water in them (which can cause seizing of the chocolate).
Angela says
Would you suggest or think its ok to add butter to the chocolate chips to make them smoother when melted?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
There are two things that I add depending on what I am making. I like coconut oil for a really glossy smooth chocolate, or heavy cream (which will make it a ganache) that can be poured or beaten into a frosting.
If you're adding oil, you won't need much. Start with a teaspoon and add as needed to get a great chocolate sauce. Enjoy!