Dairy-Free Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Dairy-Free Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries are a quick, delicious, easy-to-make Valentine’s Day or special occasion treat! They are made with allergen-friendly “milk” and white chocolates, and tips and tricks are included so you get the right chocolate consistency! {VG + GF}

Spiriteds, grab a mug of something yummo to drink and settle in. Because if you’re big on Valentine’s Day but without all the pomp and circumstance, then, YES, let’s talk about this. We are doing Valentine’s Day family-style this year. And it was Mom who inspired it. Admittedly, she and I did not chow down on these Dairy-Free Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries, but we DID dine at Long John Silvers (LJS for short). Because nothing says I love you quite like fast food fish, hush puppies, and dishing on old boyfriends.

It all started in sixth grade on the way to LJS for a mother-daughter Valentine’s Day dinner. I asked Mom if she was okay going out with me that night instead of someone she loved. That’s when she turned to me and said, “But I AM celebrating with someone I love. You.”

And then, because I had absolutely no filter, I proceeded to ask more questions like, “Did you ever love anyone before you got married? Or was Dad your first love, and that’s how you knew to get married?”

Spiriteds, take a sip of your drink and brace yourselves BECAUSE MOM LAUNCHED INTO THE STORIES OF EVERY BOY SHE DATED, from her own sixth grade romance to what was then present day. For once, I barely said a word, meandering down memory lane with her. Eventually, it was time to end the reverie, put our containers in the trash, and head home. Also, I think she ran out of boyfriends. She’d covered them all. Finally I asked, “So that would be a YES?”

YOU GUYS! The LOOK she gave when she realized too late, like so many parents before her, I had only expected a YES or NO answer. The horror on her face. The grin on mine.

Best Valentine’s Day ever. Celebrating with your mom (or a significant other or your kids) is actually pretty cool. Because love in all forms is worth celebrating. And these Dairy-Free Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries are how the girls like to celebrate in our family. In fact, they ask for these sweet treats nearly every Valentine’s Day, on the dot.

If you’d like to make a batch, too, then dig in and let’s do this!

Dairy-Free Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries are

• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Vegan
• Soy-free
• Easy to make

Dairy-Free Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries ingredients

• Fresh strawberries. Rinsed, dried, and left out at room temperature while the other ingredients are prepared.
• Allergen-friendly chocolate chips. “Milk” chocolate – I’ve used Chatfield’s, Enjoy Life, and Nestle allergen-friendly chocolate chips. If you have a brand you like, there’s a good chance it will work here.
• Coconut oil. A small amount to thin out the chocolate and make it easier to coat the strawberries.
• Allergen-friendly white chocolate chips. Ideal if you want to create the white piping design. This type of dairy-free chocolate chip is harder to find where I live, but I’ve had success with Enjoy Life.
• Sea salt. Optional garnish.

How to make Dairy-Free Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

1. Line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Rinse the strawberries in cool water and then lay them on a thin cloth towel or a row of paper towels. Pat them dry as well as you can. Set them aside to continue air drying.
2. Combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and melt according to package instructions. Make sure to stir at least a few timings during the melting process so the chocolate doesn’t clump and the coconut oil has a chance to blend with the chocolate pieces. Remove from the microwave to cool.
3. Check on the strawberries and pat dry any remaining water. At this stage, you can begin dipping the strawberries into the chocolate, using the microwave-safe bowl. Or if you find the bowl is too wide and it’s difficult to get the strawberries evenly coated, then transfer the melted chocolate to a heat-proof mug or small glass measuring cup and dip the strawberries in the chocolate that way. Quickly place each strawberry on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. If you’d like to add white chocolate piping, then melt the white chocolate according to package instructions. Transfer the melted white chocolate to a small baggie. Then smush the chocolate into one corner of the baggie and cut a tiny snippet to allow the chocolate to flow out. Gently squeeze the white chocolate out of the baggie, like a pastry piping bag, and, using a pendulum motion, sway the baggie over the strawberries, allowing the icing to drizzle over the fruit. Let the chocolate set for a few minutes before serving.
5. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired, or enjoy as is. Refrigerate leftover strawberries in an airtight container for 1-2 days.

Should strawberries be cold before dipping in chocolate?

If the strawberries are too warm before they are dipped, you run the risk of them getting mushy. If they are too cold, the chocolate might not adhere. So you want the temperature somewhere in the middle.

And the best way I find to do this, without making the process harder for myself, is to rinse the strawberries in cool water and then lay them on a thin towel (or row of paper towels). Pat them dry as well as you can. Then let them continue to air dry and come to room temperature while you work on melting the chocolate.

How do you get chocolate to stick to strawberries?

Use strawberries that are rinsed, dried, and left at room temperature for a handful of minutes. If the strawberries are still wet, the chocolate may become too thin and not adhere properly. If the strawberries are too cold, the chocolate and coconut oil may harder too quickly before adhering to the fruit. 

In addition to the temperature of the strawberries, another way to get the chocolate to adhere to them is to use coconut oil. Melt it with the chocolate chips in the microwave. As the coconut oil-chocolate mixture cools on the strawberries, the coconut oil will act like a solidifying agent.

How do you drizzle the white chocolate piping?

Melt the white chocolate chips according to package instructions. I don’t worry about adding coconut oil to this batch because I want the drizzle to be a little thick or it will run everywhere. Once you’ve melted the white chocolate, then pour it into a baggie and smush it down into one corner. Carefully cut a VERY TINY snippet of the corner. Be ready – the white chocolate might start flowing out. 

Then in a pendulum motion, sway the baggie back and forth so the piping comes out in a drizzle. Raise the baggie higher over the strawberries for a thin piping and closer to the strawberries for a thicker piping.

Side note: To prevent the drizzle from glopping all in one spot on the strawberries, start the pendulum motion with the baggie of icing to the left or right of the strawberry. The quick rush of icing will blotch on the parchment instead of on the strawberry. 

Be my Valentine!

Here are more Valentine’s Day treats to share with the ones you love!

Main Dishes

• Seared Garlic Scallops
• Gluten-Free Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
• Sautéed Shrimp Appetizer Skewers

Desserts

• Delectable Dairy-Free Chocolate Tart
• Chocolate Almond Butter Brownies
• Paleo Chocolate Mug Cake

Drinks

• Simple Sorbet au Champagne
• Wine-Flavored Fruit Ice Cubes
• 3-Ingredient Pineapple Fresca Mocktail

Spiriteds, however you spend Valentine’s Day and other special occasions, I hope you are well. And I’m glad you’re here. ❤️❤️❤️

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