Delicious and fun chocolate covered treats are so easy to make using your crockpot! Create the perfect homemade gifts and holiday goodies with minimal effort.
There is nothing better to give than a homemade gift - except, of course, for a homemade gift that is covered in chocolate! The day this chocoholic realized that slow cookers are the perfect way to melt dipping chocolate was certainly a happy one!
How It Works
To make chocolate covered gifts and treats, you first have to melt chocolate! Slow cookers are ideal for this. Not only can they melt chocolate, their relatively low cooking temps are ideal for keeping it melted throughout the duration of your project.
Smaller slow cookers work really well for this purpose as do mini dipper slow cookers. The later most often have just one heat setting and are used for warming items such as sauces and dips. I have had great experiences using them to melt chocolate as well.
To melt multiple flavors/colors of chocolate at the same time, divide a larger slow cooker, such as the casserole Crockpot, into different sections using small slow cooker liners (see picture below). This turns your slow cooker into a fun dipping station. Of course, a multi-pot slow cooker, would work perfectly here as well.
Dipping can be messy business! And, while tons of fun, younger will need extra help and supervision as the chocolate and the slow cooker will be hot to the touch.
What Materials Do You Need?
- Chocolate! There are different kinds of chocolate out there that can be melted. Chocolate bark and chocolate chips will work for this. However, dipping and decorating is easiest using melting wafers which are specifically made for coating. They are sold in many markets, craft stores and all purpose stores (like Target). Click here for a variety of chocolate options.
- Fun stuff to dip in chocolate! The possibilities are endless, so get creative here! Pretzels, marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, graham crackers and caramels are a good place to start, but the sky's the limit! If you dip something cool and yummy, please share in the comments below!
- Chocolate molds If you just want to make various shapes or bites out of chocolate, you can also use your melted chocolate right in molds specifically made for this purpose. As an example, here are my favorite Halloween molds.
- Toppings and candy decorations. Sprinkles, crushed candy, crushed nuts, candy googly eyes, gummy candy and candy corn will all work well for starters.
- Mixing spoons or rubber spatulas (you will need one for each color of candy coating).
- Parchment or wax paper to rest your creations on to allow them to cool.
Looking for other slow cooker make-your-own gift ideas?
Lazy Chocolate Covered Gifts and Treats
Equipment
- slow cooker or slow cooker mini dipper
- rubber spatula or a wooden spoon
- wax or parchment paper
- small slow cooker liners (if you want to make a multi-colored dipping station as outlined above)
Ingredients
- melting chocolate The amount you use will depend on the size of your slow cooker. In the casserole cooker shown, I was able to fit 2 - 12 ounce bags in each section . In the lil dipper, I only used about 6 ounces.
- fun items to dip such as pretzels, marshmallows, strawberries, cookies, you name it!
- sprinkles, candy pieces, crumbles, etc... for decorating
Instructions
- Place melting chocolate into slow cooker
- Carefully dip each treat (pretzel, etc) in melted chocolate and place on parchment or wax paper to cool. If you plan to decorate with additional candy this needs to be done before the chocolate has a chance to cool and re-harden.
- Remember to have fun! Thoughtfulness counts more than professional looking products when it comes to homemade gifts!
- If you are dipping fruits such as strawberries or grapes, make sure they are washed and VERY well dried before dipping to ensure the chocolate sticks well.
- Be sure to stir chocolate occasionally during the dipping process to make sure it remains evenly heated. If it gets too hot and starts to bubble or burn, turn slow cooker off for a few minutes to cool and resume on a “warm” rather than “low” setting. If the chocolate starts to harden or get lumpy, stir to bring back creamy consistency.
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admin says
These are my favorite! I can’t wait to make more.
Ellen M says
Wow. Must try this. You do beautiful work. Love the photos.