Delicious and simple-to-make chocolate fondue with lots of fun dipping ideas!

The Best Chocolate Fondue

One of my mom’s go-to desserts growing up was chocolate fondue. With a family as large as ours (9 total!), fondue was an easy treat that brought the whole family together. That, and my mom, was a self proclaimed chocolate addict. ๐Ÿ™‚

Although my mom has always been a bit of a minimalist in the kitchen (very few gadgets/cookware), the one exception to that rule is her big fondue fountain. So when my boys had a night over with their grandparents and the fountain came out, they immediately fell in love with it. Once they came home they both kept asking incessantly that we get a chocolate fountain like their Grandma has.

While we don’t have fancy dipping tools or a cool 3-tiered fondue fountain, I have been able to please the boys with a simpler chocolate fondue and it’s now becoming a fun tradition in our home. It’s fun to take a longer time to eat a dessert and talk/laugh through the process of dipping and sampling. It’s also a little very messy in my home, but you win some and you lose some I suppose.

Speaking from experience, the recipe for this fondue is definitely kid-approved. Most fondue recipes use a lot of bittersweet and dark chocolate which I do love, but the kids? Not so much. This recipe is a mixture of semi-sweet and milk chocolate. It IS sweet, but not sickly so.

And the great news is, if you aren’t serving this to kids and like a darker chocolate fondue mixture, the quantities in this recipe will work with whatever chocolate you decide to use! I like using two varieties of chocolate as it yields a richer and deeper final flavor.

Quick Tips

  • Use REAL, high quality chocolate bars. Simply put, the better the chocolate you use, the better your fondue will end up. Unfortunately chocolate chips do not work great in fondue — the flavor isn’t quite right and they harden a lot quicker. Chocolate chips aren’t pure chocolate either, and that’s essential for a good fondue.
  • Make sure the fondue fountain, and any other dishes the chocolate comes in contact with are completely dry and free of any water. Water will cause the chocolate to seize and ruin the fondue.
  • Experiment! You can add a lot of fun variety to a fondue by experimenting with new chocolate flavors and types.

Favorite Things To Dip In Fondue

A better question, what can you NOT dip in chocolate fondue? ๐Ÿ™‚ I’m of the opinion that everything tastes better with chocolate on it, so get creative here! Here are some of our favorites:

  • Fresh fruit: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, bananas
  • Storebought cookies: Oreos, nutter butters, pirouettes (my favorite!), Milanos, girl scout cookies
  • Homemade cookies: these toffee pecan cookies are our favorite!
  • Other treats: poundcake (store-bought or homemade), Rice Krispies treats (our favorite recipe here; just leave off the white chocolate and sprinkles), brownie bites, large marshmallows

Author dipping strawberry into a bowl of chocolate fondue

More Dessert Recipes:

5 from 35 votes

Easy Chocolate Fondue

Delicious and simple-to-make chocolate fondue with lots of fun dipping ideas!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 -12 servings

Ingredients 
 

  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
  • 4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces
  • 1/2- 3/4 cup whole milk (depending on thickness preference, I use 1/2 cup)
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional (see note)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Flaky sea salt, for topping, optional

Dipping Ideas

  • Fresh fruit: such as bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, clementines, etc.
  • Cookies: oreos, piroette cookies, milanos,

Instructions 

  • Start by preparing all of the ingredients/treats you will be dipping in the fondue. The preparation of the fondue goes quickly so you want to have all the treats and skewers (if using) ready!
  • To make the fondue, in a small bowl, combine the chocolate, 1/2 cup milk or cream, and butter* and melt gently in a barely simmering water bath or microwave on Medium (50 percent) power for about 2 minutes.
  • Stir until completely smooth.
  • Add more milk if desired. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
  • Serve this warm fondue immediately with whatever you've chosen to serve it with ๐Ÿ™‚
  • If the fondue gets too thick (or starts to harden), reheat in the microwave in bursts of 15 seconds stirring in between each burst for 10 seconds until melted and smooth again.

Video

Recipe Notes

Butter results in a more mellow chocolate flavor. For a more intense chocolate fondue, leave out the butter.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 18.8g | Protein: 2.5g | Fat: 9.8g | Cholesterol: 4.8mg | Sodium: 5.4mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16.8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Finished chocolate fondue coating a strawberry

The ultimate BEST EVER Chocolate Foundue! A super easy and quick ONE DISH dessert that is completely kid friendly! via chelseasmessyapron.com #fondue #chocolate #easy #quick #dessert #treat #party #event

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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5 from 35 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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112 Comments

  1. Valentina says:

    5 stars
    The best chocolate fondue recipe!

  2. Sharon Gore says:

    Wow. Inspired. Canโ€™t wait to make this!

  3. William says:

    Does this work in a fondue machine because Iโ€™m throwing a classroom party and I ordered a fondue machine for the class. Would it work with that?

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      It should work great!

  4. Venice Chong says:

    5 stars
    Tried this during our family gathering and everyone loves it! Definitely an all-time favourite!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      So happy to hear that! ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks so much for the comment Venice ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Helena Orstem says:

    5 stars
    Just made this tonight for my husband and 4 daughters. They absolutely loved it!
    Great, easy recipe!! I used the Ghirardellis semi-sweet chocolate. Thank you!!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Yay!! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment! ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Teresa says:

    After you dip anything in your fondue, does the cocolate harden, forming a crispy shell? I was hoping to get a recipe like that, because the last one I tried on my chocolate fountain the chocolate did not harden after a while and people werer eating and dripping chocolate all over their plates and also the place.

    Thanks for sharing this recipe. Also, nice pictures.

    1. Eli says:

      Yes, it does.

  7. Misty Oโ€™Donnell says:

    This looks so good. Could I keep it in little crock pot sauce warmer after it was prepared?

    1. Annette says:

      5 stars
      Fantastic and easy to make! We put it in a small dip sized crockpot and kept it on warm- it was perfect!

      1. Chelsea Lords says:

        So glad to hear it! Thanks Annette ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Emily Faith Walker says:

    Would this work alright in a fondue pot too?

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Absolutely!! I hope you enjoy! ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Sophie says:

        Can this recipe be reheated once hardened?

        1. Chelsea Lords says:

          Yes ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Mateo Pedersen says:

    5 stars
    This is perfect! Just yesterday I was searching your website for a chocolate fondue recipe. You read my mind! I found a random one I was going to use, but I always trust your recipes more than anyone elses! Thanks for posting it just in time for some Valentines fun!

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Awe thanks Mateo! ๐Ÿ™‚ Glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes here!

      1. Seana says:

        Can you reccomend a chocolate brand. You say use high quality chocolate bars. Should I go to a sweet shop or is the most expensive kind at New Seasons OK?

        1. Chelsea Lords says:

          Yes that will be great ๐Ÿ™‚ Just not a cheap/waxy chocolate! Enjoy!

  10. Brittany Audra says:

    I’ve never tried homemade fondue before…can’t wait to try! So decadent yet simple ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. chelseamessyapron says:

      Yay! I hope you enjoy! ๐Ÿ™‚