Your Guide to Making a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bouquet
Want to make a chocolate covered strawberry bouquet for your sweetheart? This gift is beautifully elegant and completely edible! You can mix and match a dozen of your favorite colors to gift your favorite Valentine. Fell free to wrap one, a few, or even a dozen. Making chocolate covered strawberries is a fun, kid-friendly, holiday activity that the whole family can enjoy. Follow our instructions to learn how to make these colorful, candy shop quality treats.
Dipped in chocolate melting wafers, drizzled in chocolate, and sprinkled with fun decorations, strawberry bouquets are super easy to make. We love that there is no stove required; all that is needed is a few simple turns in the microwave. It’s the perfect gift-giving idea that everyone loves, as chocolate covered strawberries are a memorable, delicious treat.
Supplies you will need:
- 12 inches by 12 inches wooden dowels
- A square of Styrofoam or parchment paper for drying the strawberries
- Clear plastic wrap (for under-wrapping the bouquet together)
- Clear cellophane wrap for the inner bouquet
- Assorted colors of tissue (red, pink, and white) or other colors for other holidays
- Ribbon or twine
For the berries you will need:
- 2 pounds of fresh strawberries with stems. Do not remove the stems and choose berries of the same size so they look uniform in the bouquet.
- 16 ounces of white chocolate melting wafers (or extra melts for creating multiple colors). Add a drop or two of vanilla extract for flavor.
- 12 ounces of dark chocolate melting wafers
- Extra melting chocolate for drizzling (use multiple zippered bags for different colors)
- Food coloring or gel (red, pink, orange, blue, green depending on the occasion)
- Assorted sprinkles, jimmies, edible glitter, nonpareils, and even finely chopped dried fruits like cranberries, dates and strawberries are colorful looks on chocolate-covered strawberries.
How to Make a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Bouquet
First, make sure to rinse the strawberries and pat them dry. Leave the stems on as long as they are bright green and unblemished or torn. Keep in mind that the strawberries must be very dry in order for the chocolate to stick to the berries.
Next, place chocolate wafers in separate containers in the microwave for 90 seconds. Stir after every 30 seconds until the chocolate is smooth. A tip to keep in mind is making sure no water gets into the melted chocolate wafers or else the chocolate with break and become grainy.
Then, insert a wooden dowel through the top of each strawberry and push it about halfway through the berry. In this order, dip a strawberry into the chosen color of melted chocolate and swirl the berry in the chocolate to cover it up almost to the stem. You can then tap the dowel onto the side of the bowl to let the extra chocolate drip back into the bowl and poke the berry topped dowel into the Styrofoam block so it can harden (or lay on parchment paper). Tint the remaining white chocolate with a preferred color, spoon it into a small sandwich bag, and snip off one end. Now it is time to drizzle colored chocolate across the strawberries. You can also sprinkle the fruit with decorations while the chocolate is still soft.
You can repeat this process with the remaining strawberries. Place each one in the Styrofoam or on the parchment paper to harden.
How to Assemble the Bouquet
Assembling the bouquet may seem difficult and you want it to look perfect, but do not worry. With these directions you will create a masterpiece.
Start by pulling a strip of plastic wrap, about 18 inches, and use it to wrap three or four of the finished chocolate strawberries together from about 3 inches down from the top. This keeps the strawberries together while the bouquet is being made.
For a bouquet of a dozen, take the pre-wrapped bundles and wrap them with one piece of plastic wrap and then place them in the middle of colored cellophane and tissue paper. Wrap it like a floral bouquet and secure the fruit with a ribbon, some twine, or some jute.
You can store the chocolate-covered strawberries in a cool place away from direct heat with a plastic bag loosely covering the top. Do not put them in the refrigerator because they will get moisture (“sweat”) on them and the chocolate will become soft.
Fun Variations
Different colors of chocolate can be used, like white, milk, dark, and even pink or red-tinted white chocolate. Using liquid or gel food coloring is also an option to make a more creative bouquet. For decorations, we like sprinkles, nonpareils, coconut, crushed peanuts, crushed cinnamon candies, and even crushed cookie crumbs like Oreos, Pecan Sandies, or peanut butter cookies!
Year-Round Strawberry Bouquets
While making a chocolate covered strawberry bouquet is fitting for the holidays, especially Valentine’s Day, the chocolate covered fruit does not have to stop there.
You can make red, white, and blue chocolate covered strawberries for the fourth of July, or light green dipped with clear sugar sprinkles for St. Patrick’s Day. As long as there are strawberries available, chocolate dipped strawberries can be made for any colorful occasion. They are even fun for party favors, wedding favors, and takeaway gifts for guests.