Chocolate Strawberry Bouquet

Skip the roses this Valentine’s Day. Surprise loved ones with a chocolate strawberry bouquet!

This post was made in partnership with Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. Thank you for supporting our brand partners! As always, all opinions stated here are entirely my own.

Chocolate Strawberry Bouquet

There’s something so special about handmade gifts.

Yes, flowers are a staple for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and anniversaries.

A bouquet of flowers are pretty to look at, but that’s where it stops.

Why not gift something that’s thoughtful, pretty, and also edible!

A chocolate strawberry bouquet is something you can share and enjoy together. It’s perfect for all ages. Following Ghirardelli’s motto, let’s “make life a bite better!” with dipped strawberries.

Thanks to the pleasant weather of California and Florida, we can enjoy farm fresh strawberries from January through autumn.

As we hit the peak strawberry season in spring, it’s the perfect time to take advantage of these beautiful red berries.

How to prep strawberries for chocolate dip

Look for large plump strawberries, probably with stems still attached. Rinse the strawberries clean and pat dry.

Ensure that the strawberries and leaves are completely dry.

Water is the enemy of chocolate. Wet strawberries may cause the melted dipping mixture to seize.

Ghirardelli White & Dark Melting Wafers

When it comes to dipped strawberries (bananas, cookies, cakes, etc), the most common annoyance is tempering chocolate.

In order for melted chocolate to set up shiny, it needs to be tempered.

Out of temper melted chocolate will harden with a dull surface or pale white streaks (bloom). No one wants that.

The Ghirardelli melting wafers alleviates your melting chocolate woes. These melting wafters (available in white and dark) require no tempering!

Simply melt the wafers gently over a double boiler or in the microwave. In no time, you can start dipping all your favorite treats.

Best of all, the melting wafers produce that nice shiny gloss and iconic snap when you bite into the dipped strawberries.

Gently pierce a paper lollipop stick (cake pop stick) through the stem of each strawberry.

Dip the strawberries into the melted wafer mixture.

Stick the dipped strawberries inverted on a styrofoam cake dummy or floral styrofoam to set (as photographed above). This will ensure a smooth coating around the entire fruit.

Otherwise, allow place dipped strawberries on wax paper lined plate. However, with this method, one part of the strawberry will have a flat surface.

Leave dipped strawberries out at room temperature to set. Alternatively, let dipped strawberries chill in the fridge for 10-15 until hard. (I prefer to simply let the chocolate harden at room temperature.)

Arranging the chocolate strawberry bouquet:

Use a vase, pot, or vessel of choice. Line vase with a styrofoam cake dummy or floral styrofoam.

Pierce strawberry sticks through styrofoam and arrange as desired.

For the finishing touch, cover the styrofoam with Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Caramel Duet Hearts!

The gold wrappers with the pink heart designs gives the chocolate strawberry bouquet a festive Valentine’s Day touch!

This is such a fun project to do with kids of all ages.

Set up a dipping station with sprinkles and treats for young ones. Or arrange a dipping station for adults with wine, cheese, and additional chocolates!

These chocolate strawberries are best eaten the day they are dipped.

Want more chocolate strawberry desserts? Try these favorite strawberry recipes:

• Chocolate dipped strawberry cheesecakes: mini cheesecakes topped with chocolate strawberry
• Ruby chocolate strawberry ice cream bars: no churn strawberry swirl ice cream bars dipped in ruby chocolate magic shell
• Chocolate strawberry muffins: dairy free muffins are made with coconut oil and almond milk and studded with chocolate chunks and chopped strawberries