Spiced White Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Yum

Honestly, I’ve never met a strawberry I didn’t like, but when it came to desserts, white chocolate covered strawberries never seemed as exciting to me as milk chocolate. When I discovered that I had a food sensitivity to cocoa, I was devastated, obviously, and then I was resigned to making non-cocoa desert options taste as flavorful and exciting as possible, et, voila—spiced white chocolate strawberries were born. The spiced coating almost reminds me of a mix between creamy horchata and Mexican hot chocolate, and when combined with the fruity sweetness of a juicy strawberry—to die for. I tested this on some hard-core chocolate lovers, and can confidently say this recipe is a crowd pleaser, no matter your chocolate affinity.

Why you should make White Chocolate Covered Strawberries

This is another one of those recipes that’s fast and fool proof, but somehow still feels like you put in a lot of effort. As long as you have access to strawberries, white chocolate chips, and few standard spices, you can make these. Also, the spice mixture makes these strawberries taste extremely decadent. It’s basically like you’re eating fruit salad for dessert, right? Right. Win-win!

Additionally, the heavy cream makes for a creamier almost ganache-like coating that hardens like regular chocolate-covered strawberries, but doesn’t shatter when you bite into it (meaning you’re not left with a naked strawberry after your first bite).

These strawberries are perfect for those social distancing picnics we’re likely all going to this summer (because, especially if you live in a big coastal city, the majority of your normal gathering places are still closed). Because these are finger foods, you don’t need to worry about bringing special plates or utensils to eat these, so you can live out your environmentally conscious dreams, plus, when you’re done, just throw the leaves in the trash—no crazy clean up!

How to Pick Strawberries for White Chocolate Covered Strawberries

When buying your strawberries, be sure to pick large, ripe ones. No matter how much white chocolate you use, no amount is going to cover up a hard, tart strawberry.

 

How to Wash Strawberries for White Chocolate Covered Strawberries

When washing your strawberries, be mindful that strawberries soak up a lot of water very easily, so instead of rinsing them directly under a faucet, a better way to wash your strawberries is individually with a wet paper towel.

Before working with your strawberries, be sure that they are dried completely.

What White Chocolate Is Best to Use for White Chocolate Covered Strawberries?

The best white chocolate to use for strawberries is high-quality baking chocolate, or white chocolate chips. Because this recipe is so reliant on the chocolate, it will be immediately evident if the quality isn’t very good.

 

How to Spice White Chocolate for Strawberries

The spice mixture in this recipe can be altered however you like, meaning if you don’t like nutmeg, or you’re not a fan of chili powder, feel free to omit it. That said, the chili powder. I used was not spicy, and served more as a savory element to balance the sweetness of the strawberry and white chocolate. The only word of caution would be to add additional spices beyond the measurement below in pinches (especially the clove which can be particularly strong), as you’re working with such a small batch of white chocolate that it is easy to completely alter the flavor with just a small amount of seasoning.

How to Store Spiced White Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Strawberries should be stored in the fridge up until you are ready to serve them to keep the coating from melting or becoming sticky. Because strawberries don’t last very long, and the sugar from the coating will bring out the liquid from the strawberry, they should be eaten within 24 hours from making them, though ideally same day.