If you’re anything like me, when you think of the top five things you’d want to have inside your dream mansion, a chocolate fountain definitely comes to mind. Imagine having unlimited access to warm, free-flowing chocolate to coat anything you want in sweet cacao-y goodness, 24/7. From fruit to marshmallows, from candy to cakes, all you’d have to do is pick up a fork, and you could easily choclify whatever you want.
But, if you’re like me and you’re still a ways away from that dream mansion, there’s a solution to fulfill all your chocolaty needs in the meantime: chocolate fondue! The desserty alternative to classic cheese fondue, warm chocolate for dipping is the perfect lowkey chocolate fountain substitute.
Want to make it from scratch? It helps to have a fondue pot, but if you missed the 60s and 70s fondue fad, you can still melt chocolate in the microwave or over simmering water on the stovetop.
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What You’ll Need
- 10 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. You can use chocolate chips or a full bar chopped up into little cubes. You want small pieces so it melts quickly and easily.
- 1/2 cup of milk (for a more intense chocolate flavor) OR a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream, depending on how thick you want your fondue.
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (for a lighter, more mellow flavor)
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/4 tablespoon of cinnamon
- Sea salt to taste (don’t put too much, you don’t want to overpower the chocolate flavor)
- your choice of assorted fruits (fresh or dried), chunks of cake and cookies, wafers, marshmallows, pretzels, etc.
Step #1
Combine 10 ounces of chopped chocolate and a 1/2 cup of milk or cream (and butter) in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave for about 2 minutes, or simmer above water until melted.
Step #2
Stir together until smooth and blended.
Step #3
Add more milk or cream if your chocolate sauce appears too thick for your tastes.
Step #4
Incorporate a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, the cinnamon and the sea salt to taste.
Step #5
Mix ingredients together until well-blended. Transfer to serving vessel and serve immediately with assorted fresh or dried fruits, cubes of cake, cookies, marshmallows, pretzels, etc. If you feel like being really wild, try cooking up some strips of bacon and when they’ve cooled a bit, dip them in the fondue! As fondue thickens or hardens at room temperature, reheat for 1 minute in a microwave-safe bowl.
