Bolivian Chocolate Dipped Strawberries: Dessert Recipes

Chocolate dipped strawberries are a popular food gift item in Bolivia, where there are numerous artisan chocolate companies and factories. Chocolate is made from a large fruit called the cacao, which grows in the hot, humid tropics, such as the Amazon region of Bolivia, so chocolate of all types is plentifully available.

The cacao fruit (which you can see in photos 2, 3 and 4 above) is also used for juice. Inside the white fruity portion of the cacao are large seeds which are toasted and ground into a powder, and this is what is used to make chocolate. White chocolate is not made from cacao solids. Instead, it is made using cacao butter.

Here's an interesting fact: the fruit is called cacao (ka-KA-oh) but once the seeds have been toasted and ground into a fine powder, we call it cocoa (ko-KO-ah). In English we pronounce it ko-ko.

It is not uncommon to find many other types of chocolate dipped fruits as well, including dried fruit, so don't be afraid to try this recipe with your favorites.

Ingredients:

12 ounces of semi sweet or white chocolate
10-12 large, firm, sweet strawberries
1 cup of shredded coconut

Instructions:

Melt the chocolate in a bowl. Put it into your microwave for 30 seconds, take it out and stir, microwave another 30 seconds, and stir again. Continue in this way until your chocolate is smooth and melty.

Add the coconut shreds (available in the baking isle of your local grocery store) to the chocolate and stir.

Dip the strawberries into the chocolate and coconut mixture, then set them on a plate or pan to let the chocolate harden. You can cover your pan or plate with waxed paper first to make it easier to remove the strawberries once the chocolate has hardened.

Now you have chocolate dipped strawberries with coconut. You can try this recipe with other types of fruit, or add other ingredients you enjoy (such as chopped nuts) to the chocolate before dipping.

Alternative:

Place your shredded coconut into a bowl. Dip your strawberries into the chocolate, allow any extra chocolate to drip off, then roll in the coconut. In this case, your coconut will not be mixed into the chocolate, it will cover it. Your strawberries will look just as pretty!

This recipe was adapted from a recipe originally posted by one of our website visitors. If you tried this recipe, let us know or share your own recipes by clicking below.