
Just in the nick of time, I ended up thinking of a few things to make for my get together on Saturday. I worked hard all afternoon and of course made a complete disaster of the place. Is it ever possible not to make a disaster just before hosting a party? Don’t think so. Not to mention the mirror backsplash in this kitchen seems to double the mess. I need a kitchen sign that reads: Objects in mirror are less messy than they appear…I swear!

Sadly, the incredible one-bite pizzas weren’t one of my ideas on Saturday, but they will be making a comeback for future get togethers, this I know.
I’ve been dying to make chocolate covered strawberries from scratch for a while now. I made traditional ones on our second wedding anniversary in 2010 using melted chocolate chips and a touch of coconut oil, but this time I made them without chocolate chips. You can check out this anniversary post for a wedding recap and a couple recipes – “love butter” strawberry muffins and the original chocolate covered strawberries!
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with homemade chocolate. I’ve made recipes using cocoa butter, coconut oil, cocoa powder, raw cacao powder, vanilla, natural sugars, and nut butter, using all kinds of variations and methods. I have this habit of testing out a million and one variations before I am happy with these types of recipes. I annoy myself so much, but the outcome is usually worth it!
When the chocolate ingredients are heated together, it creates a rich chocolate sauce that you can pour on just about anything. Or you can dip strawberries into it which is what I’ve done here. Instantly, you have yourself a classy party food, with barely any effort at all.

It gets better! When the chocolate sauce is chilled in the fridge it firms up, but not too firm. The chocolate doesn’t get super hard and break off the strawberry like with regular chocolate covered strawberries; it remains bendy and easy to bite into! Always an unexpected bonus. My friends commented that these were the best chocolate covered strawberries they’ve had and loved that the chocolate wasn’t really hard. I like to call it “bendy chocolate”. :) You could also use this on sliced bananas too.


Chocolate Covered Strawberries From Scratch

Yield
24-28
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder or raw cacao powder, sifted
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or agave)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (no subs)
- 1 tbsp all-natural nut butter (I used cashew butter)*
- 1/4 scant tsp fine grain sea salt, or to taste
- Unsweetened shredded coconut, to garnish
- Optional pink glaze: 1/2 cup icing (confectioner’s) sugar, 1 large strawberry, 1/2-1 tbsp strawberry jam, processed in a mini blender (makes enough to glaze about 8-10)
Directions
- Wash and pat the strawberries dry. Set aside.
- In a small pot, whisk together the maple syrup, coconut oil, nut butter, and cocoa powder over low to medium heat. Whisk for a couple minutes until all the coconut oil is melted and remove from heat.
- Dip strawberries into the chocolate mixture, coating most of the strawberry. Place onto a plate lined with parchment paper or on a wire rack. Repeat for the rest and sprinkle with coconut. Chill in the fridge to set.
- If making the pink frosting: with a mini food processor, combine the icing sugar, strawberry, and jam until smooth. You may need to add a bit more icing sugar depending on the consistency of your jam. If you don’t have a mini processor I suggest not using the whole strawberry and just mixing in a bit more jam into the icing sugar until the right consistency is achieved.
- Spoon the frosting into a baggie and snip off the end. Pipe frosting onto the strawberries and place back in the fridge until firm.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)Here I am guarding my strawberries with my life!


In other news, today is my 29th birthday! Well, tomorrow if you are reading this Tuesday night. As my family jokingly tells me – it’s my first of very many 29th birthdays. hah. Time goes by faster every year I tell you..it’s a bit scary. I feel so blessed to be alive and healthy, even if it’s something I sometimes take for granted in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
It’s hard to believe that 29 years ago, I was just a wee baby with no idea of what my life would hold!

Word to my loving mama and big sis.
Well, my partner in crime is treating me to a fun-filled birthday, so I’ll be back with the recap soon!
Yay first comment! And I loveeee choc-covered strawberries. I am lazy and just melt dark choc but I like the sound of yours way better!
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Yay! Happy Birthday! Your life has made so many of ours even more wonderful! Hope the recipe suggestions on Fbook helped and didn’t just make you indecisive! There were quite a lot of yummy things on there! Hope you have a good time!
Happy Birthday! Those strawberries sound great – what a great idea for a party! I love dunking fruit in chocolate, but never thought to make my own.
Hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow!! :D
MMM those look devine! Thanks for going to so much trouble and sharing this recipe with us, well along with all you others– they are fantastic!!! Happy belated Birthday, may this year be filled many blessings!
So fun! Love this idea!
Yummmmmm! These look amazing. And I love the thought of making my own chocolate! Have a wonderful birthday. I hope you spend it with the people you love! :)
Happy happy happy birthday, Angela! I hope you have a very good one.
Happy Birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you have a great day tomorrow. Those chocolate strawberries look amazing!
Those strawberries look amazing!
Are you going to give us the recipe for those cupcakes?
Sure, I will try to do this in my bday recap :)
Happy Birthday Angela! Thank you for bringing us joy through your blog. 29 is a great age, but trust me, 30’s are soooo much better! (But you can be 29 as many times as you want…I know I was!) Have a great day!
Jen
I`ve heard that from many people! The twenties are a time of self discovery I think…maybe the 30`s are just enjoying oneself more.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Those look amazing. I would love to see some recipes using the cacao butter!! I don’t really know where to start with the bag I have :S
I’m so excited that I have all of those ingredients, and we’re growing strawberries in our garden!
Happy, happy birthday. You are such an inspiration to me on a daily basis and I love your blog and all that you do. <3
Oooh, so pretty! I’ve always wanted to make chocolate “from scratch” like this, but I always figured it would be too much work. Can’t wait to try this on strawberries and some other fruit. Yummy!
Happy birthday!
Happy almost birthday, fellow Taurus!
Happy Birthday, Angela! You’re truly an inspiration.
HAPPY (almost…) BIRTHDAY!!! Enjoy it and celebrate you!!!
yesterday was our 11th wedding anniversary and yes…time is just flying! Happy 21st :) bday to you!
And your kitchen…now THAT is the kitchen of someone who actually cooks in it and uses every inch to it’s fullest potential. LOVE those pics!
yes it`s well used ;)
Happy 11th anniversary Averie!
nothin’ wrong with a little bendy chocolate ;)
Happy Birthdayyyy! Those strawberries look delicious.
Those look amazing, Angela! I hope you have a wonderful birthday!
Those look so yummy and Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday, Angela:)
Happy Birthday, Angela!! Enjoy your get-together & chocolate covered strawberries :D your kitchen looks like mine when I bake, haha.
I hope you are having a wonderful birthday!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday! (tomorrow) :) Last year when I turned 29, my mom took a picture of me blowing out birthday candles and labeled it “29 forever” So true. I refuse to believe (or admit) I’m a month into being 30 already. Haha
that`s cute :) You just gotta tell yourself that someday 30 will seem very young…it`s all perspective.
Happy Birthday!!!! I love the idea for making chocolate from scratch :)
Happy Birthday, friend! That mirrored backsplash would drive me insaaaaaaaane. Chocolate looks delicious!! :)
hah yea it drives me pretty crazy, especially because it never stays clean!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY :D I hope you hav a fab day!!
Happy birthday!
yum! you can’t go wrong with chocolate covered strawberries! i’ve never even THOUGHT of making them from scratch… i need to do that! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! enjoy your special day. :)
These sound amazing!
Your blog is a breath of fresh air-so warm and welcoming. I’ve recently returned to my vegan lifestyle and your blog was one of the first places I went.
I’ve been experimenting with chocolate recipes myself and although I love all the variations, I have yet to find the perfect blend. Your recipe looks like perfection and I’m off to the kitchen to find out :)
Thank you for this amazing recipe and happy birthday-
xo
Kate
Thank you Kate! I hope you enjoy it.
Happy Birthday!
Hi
Happy Birthday! My birthday is the 16th too! However I am in my fabulous 40’s.
Here’s a secret- once you are out of your 30’s, 29 doesn’t have the same appeal anymore.
There is truth to the saying “you get wiser with age” and you will appreciate having that wisdom!
Happy Birthday and keep those chocolate recipes coming.
Love that! Thanks for sharing. :) Happy Birthday to you to Kelly!
Hi again,
Forgot to mention: your mom looks amazing for just having a baby and you look just like your mom.
Happy Birthday! It’s my husband’s birthday too. You are in good company, and so is he. He would like a chocolate covered strawberry please. :-)
Happy Birthday, Angela! The strawberries look delicious- and pretty. :)
Happy birthday! The yellow tail and the strawberries both look great – enjoy!
I wish you a happy birthday, 1 day too late. What an exquisite dessert these strawberries (and other fruits) dipped in chocolate. I keep that recipe in mind for future invitation. Excuse the mistakes I could make, I’m french speaking from Québec.
happiest of birthdays, Angela! hope this year is a fantastic one!
Do you ever take a bad photo? Seriously, you look amazing in all your photos. Maybe you get it from your Mom. There she is, a day or so after birth I take it, and looking radiant. Maybe it’s the smile.
And, for what it’s worth, I found 29 better than 28, and 30 better than 29, and — well, you get the picture. It just gets better!!! Happy Birthday!
hah yes, but thank you! I agree my mom does look great after childbirth…what`s her secret… Maybe she will share. ;)
So many people say it gets better each year which is fun to think about. I would have to agree its a gradual upward swing, give or take some `hard`years or common ups and downs in life.
Thanks everyone for all your birthday wishes!
Happy birthday! I just had my 4th 29th birthday. My how time flies. Next year I will celebrate with chocolate covered strawberries and wine. Or maybe I’ll have to celebrate my birthday again at the end of the month. These look fantastic!
heheh happy 4th! ;)
What an awesome recipe! I would so love to try some of them. They look so good!
Happy Birthday!
happy birthday lovely lady!
Happy birthday!!! Those chocolate covered strawberries look awesome! That takes me back to my wedding shower a few years ago…I absolutely love chocolate and fruit together!!
Happiest of birthdays to you! I turn 29 this year too. Doesn’t it blow your mind to think you’re almost 30!? i feel like I’m still 20! :)
Yes it does…and I expect I will feel the same way when I turn 30, 40, 50 etc. Its a good thing to feel younger than you are though!
Happy Birthday, Angela!
Gorgeous looking strawberries – yum!