How to Melt Chocolate in a Microwave

Here’s how to melt chocolate in a microwave: the ideal method for easy treats and chocolate dipped goodies!

Need to melt chocolate for an easy treat or chocolate dipped strawberries? Some recipes require tempered chocolate, which involves a food thermometer and double boiler. But if you’re making an easy treat, guess what? You can simply melt chocolate in a microwave! It takes 1 ½ minutes, and makes perfect chocolate for dipping or using in baked recipes. Chocolate can be temperamental (excuse the pun!) but this method could not be simpler.

When to melt chocolate in a microwave

The microwave is not always the best tool for the job when it comes to chocolate. (Just like a microwave sweet potato.) But it’s great for a quick way to melt chocolate for easy treats! This method works to melt chocolate chips or a chopped chocolate bar. Here’s when to microwave chocolate:

• Dipping chocolate for chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate bananas, chocolate almonds, pretzels, and more
• Melted chocolate for a batter, like brownies, cookies, and so forth
• Chocolate coating on simple treats like bars, brownies, etc

When not to melt chocolate in a microwave? Tempered chocolate is required for candy-like treats: it gives a snappy texture and shiny finish to the chocolate. Don’t microwave chocolate chocolate for chocolate bark, peanut butter cups, and other candies.

Read this first! Things to avoid with chocolate

Melting chocolate can be tricky. There are two things that you have to be careful with when you’re microwaving chocolate:

• Don’t let any water touch the chocolate or it will seize. That means your glass measuring cup or bowl must be 100% dry before placing the chocolate chips inside. (Trust us: we know from experience!)
• Don’t overheat the chocolate! Scorched chocolate also seizes up and can become grainy. When you’re microwaving chocolate, it’s easy to get it too hot. So you’ll need to be very careful when you’re microwaving.

How to melt chocolate in a microwave

Did you read the section above? OK, you may proceed. Here are the basic steps for how to melt chocolate in a microwave (or skip to the recipe below!):

1. If you’re using a chocolate bar, chop it into uniform small pieces.
2. Place the chocolate into a dry glass measuring cup, or a small glass cup or bowl. Make sure it’s fully dry or the chocolate can seize up.
3. Microwave on High for 30 seconds, then stir. Cook in two more 30-second bursts, stirring after each. At this point it should be mostly melted with a few chunks: keep stirring until all the chocolate chunks disappear and the chocolate is perfectly smooth.
4. Use in recipes as desired, or for chocolate dipped strawberries!

What if it doesn’t fully melt after 1 ½ minutes? Keep stirring. If you must, you can try another 10 second burst and stir again. But remember, you’ll want to avoid getting the chocolate too hot or can become clumpy and grainy.

Best chocolate for melting

You can use chocolate chips or a chopped chocolate bar for melting. We like semi-sweet chocolate for dipping things like strawberries, bananas, and pretzels. Regular chocolate chips, melting wafers, or baking chips all work, and the larger melting wafers or baking chips make perfectly melted chocolate.

Use a high quality brand chocolate chips like Guittard or Ghirardelli if you can. Our favorite for chocolate dipped strawberries is Guittard Semi Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips.

More chocolate recipes

Are you a choco-holic? Here are a few more chocolate desserts you’ll love:

• Try Chocolate Covered Strawberries or Chocolate Covered Bananas
• Microwave an Ultimate Chocolate Mug Cake
• Opt for Vegan Chocolate Pudding
• Make No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
• Bake a Flourless Chocolate Cake

01

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

02

The Ultimate Mug Cake

03

Chocolate Covered Bananas

04

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

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