Valentine Chocolate Fondue with Fresh Fruit (Printable version)
Silky melted chocolate served with an assortment of fresh fruits for dipping—a decadent, romantic dessert perfect for sharing.
# What you need:
→ Chocolate Fondue
01 - 7 oz high-quality dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa), chopped
02 - 3.5 oz milk chocolate, chopped
03 - 6 fl oz heavy cream
04 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
05 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
06 - Pinch of sea salt
→ Fresh Fruit for Dipping
07 - 1 cup strawberries, hulled and halved
08 - 1 cup banana slices
09 - 1 cup pineapple chunks
10 - 1 cup seedless grapes
11 - 1 cup apple slices, tossed in lemon juice
12 - 1 cup kiwi slices
→ Optional Dippers
13 - 8–10 marshmallows
14 - 8–10 cubes of angel food or pound cake
15 - Biscotti or ladyfingers
# How To:
01 - In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the heavy cream and butter. Heat until the butter melts and the mixture is steaming, but not boiling.
02 - Remove from heat and add the chopped dark and milk chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth and completely melted.
03 - Stir in vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a fondue pot or heatproof bowl set over a tea light or gentle heat to keep warm.
04 - Prepare all fruits by washing and cutting as specified. Arrange the prepared fruits and optional dippers on a large serving platter.
05 - Serve immediately. Use fondue forks or skewers to dip fruits and treats into the warm chocolate.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast between the warm, silky chocolate and cool, juicy fruit creates an experience that feels decadent yet somehow lighter than a traditional dessert.
- There's something wonderfully intimate about sharing from the same pot, taking turns selecting fruits and watching chocolate drip from each morsel before it disappears.
02 -
- Overheating chocolate causes it to seize into a grainy mess, a lesson I learned the hard way during an ambitious dinner party attempt.
- Adding a pinch of salt doesn't make the fondue taste salty, but rather awakens the complexity of the chocolate in a way I never understood until I accidentally left it out once and wondered why the flavor fell flat.
03 -
- If your chocolate begins to thicken as the evening progresses, a tablespoon of warm cream gently stirred in will restore that perfect flowing consistency without diluting the flavor.
- Chilling the fruit for about 30 minutes before serving creates that magical temperature contrast that makes fondue so satisfying while helping the chocolate adhere better to each piece.