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This chocolate fondue recipe is one of the easiest desserts you can make—and it never fails to impress. Plus, February 5th is National Fondue Day, which feels like the perfect excuse (not that we ever need one). It’s also ideal for Valentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day celebrations because nothing says love quite like warm, melty chocolate.

If fondue feels intimidating, I promise it’s not. Like all of my boards and recipes, the goal here is versatility. And it doesn’t get more versatile than a chocolate dip. You can tailor your chocolate fondue dippers to a festive theme or simply focus on your guests’ favorite treats. Either way, it’s a total crowd-pleaser.

For more sweet ideas, check out my Oven S’Mores Dip, Whipped Cream Cheese Dip, Cheesecake Toppings Board, and Easy Dessert Board.

For Valentine’s Day celebrations, pair this fondue recipe with my Galentine’s Day Dessert Board, Fresh Fruit Platter, and Girl Scout Cookies Board.

Best Chocolate For a Fondue

Since chocolate is the star of the show, quality really matters here. I love Guittard, Choceur, and Ghirardelli. For the best results, opt for semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (or a combination of the two). These offer a lower sugar content and a higher percentage of cacao, which makes for an ultra-rich and balanced fondue, especially because in my recipe, the caramel and vanilla add sweetness.

Both semisweet and bittersweet chocolate are types of dark chocolate. Semisweet has between 50% and 65% cocoa, whereas bittersweet has 70% or more cocoa, making it less sweet and giving it a stronger chocolate flavor. 

For a sweeter fondue, you can use milk chocolate–for an even sweeter fondue, you can opt for white chocolate. In both of those cases, I would skip the caramel so it’s not too sweet.

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What To Dip in Chocolate Fondue

One of the best things about chocolate fondue is just how much you can dip in it! Dark chocolate, in particular, pairs beautifully with both sweet and savory bites.

Fresh Fruit

• Bananas
• Pineapple
• Apple slices
• Pear slices
• Orange segments
• Blackberries
• Cherries (pitted)

Soft Sweets

• Brownie bites
• Rice Krispies Treats
• Cheesecake bites
• Pound cake
• Marshmallows (classic and/or flavored)
• Madeleines
• Doughnuts
• Macarons
• Mochi
• Candied ginger
• Croissant pieces

Crunchy Treats

• Biscotti
• Graham crackers 
• Pirouline Rolled Wafers
• Shortbread cookies
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Girl Scout Cookies
• Oreos
• Nilla Wafers
• Quadratini Wafer Cookies
• Biscoff Cookies

Savory Bites

• Pretzels
• Potato chips
• Popcorn clusters
• Ritz Crackers
• Cheez-Its
• Candied bacon
• Aged Cheddar
• Aged Gouda
• Brie

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Chocolate Fondue Recipe

I had my friend Ryan from Salt Worth Creative, who develops all my recipes for my cheese board decks, share his favorite fondue recipe for this board!

Fondue

• 12 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped (preferably at least 60% cocoa)
• 4 tablespoons caramel sauce
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 vanilla bean or about ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Dippers

• Angel food cake cubes
• Apple slices
• Shortbread cookies
• Marshmallows
• Pretzels
• Banana slices
• Sliced pineapple
• Nilla wafers
• Potato chips
• Strawberries

Note: if any of your guests are gluten-free, make sure you have a separate fondue for them or only serve gluten-free treats to avoid cross-contamination! 

How To Make a Chocolate Fondue Board

1. Add the chocolate and caramel to a fondue pot or a large bowl.
2. Add the cream to a small pot. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the cream, then add the pod. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
3. Once simmering, immediately pour the vanilla cream over the chocolate and let stand for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the salt and stir gently until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
4. Remove the vanilla pod and serve immediately.
5. Place the fondue pot on a serving platter. Arrange the cake, apples, shortbread, marshmallows, and pretzels around the fondue pot. Then add the bananas, pineapple, Nilla Wafers, potato chips, and strawberries.
6. Serve with wooden skewers or fondue forks.

Note: If using vanilla extract instead of a pod, add it after stirring in the salt.

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How to Make Chocolate Fondue Vegan

Dark chocolate is often dairy-free, but you should always check the labels as some brands do use dairy. Guittard makes an excellent dairy-free chocolate. 

Caramel contains dairy, so you can swap it for maple syrup or a dairy-free caramel.

The cream is going to be the toughest part. Full-fat coconut milk is the best option in terms of texture, but it will have a coconut-y flavor. Oat milk and almond milk are good options for flavor, but they tend to be quite thin. If you opt for oat or almond, just be sure to add it to the chocolate slowly so you can control the thickness! You may need less liquid. 

How to Reheat Chocolate Fondue

If the fondue stays out for long enough that it cools, all you have to do is warm it back up! But in my experience, it gets devoured pretty fast. Microwave on low power for 15–30 seconds at a time, stirring between intervals, until warm. You can also heat it over a pot of boiling water, double-boiler style.

If you want to keep the fondue warm while you serve it, the best option is a traditional fondue pot that sits over a tealight candle, an electric fondue pot, or a slow cooker. 

To make chocolate fondue in a slow cooker, you would add all the ingredients to the pot at the same time and heat it on low, stirring occasionally, until melted. Then keep it on warm while you serve!
If you have an electric fondue pot, first you would bring the cream and vanilla to a simmer first and then add the remaining ingredients, whisking, until melted. Then also keep it on warm while you serve.

FAQs

Show Me Your Chocolate Fondue 

I hope this post inspires you to make chocolate fondue for your next party. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the sweets & treats you create from my tips. If you make something inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttooproudtomeg so I can see and share! 

And, if you liked these recipe ideas, please rate and review.