Cooking Time Journal may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. This comes at no additional cost to you, and all the prices and availability are accurate at the time of publishing.
If you’re like many people, the concept of chocolate sends you into a frenzy.
It’s understandable, too, since chocolate is delicious, decadent, and adds a sweet touch to the end of your day (or the beginning).
Many people purchase chocolate fountains for home use.
This is the best way to get your chocolate fix and wow your friends in the process.
For that, you are going to need the highest-quality chocolate as well as the best things to dip in chocolate fountain.
Table of Contents
How the Machine Works
A chocolate fountain is an amazing contraption.
You see tons of melted chocolate that just cascades down into a pool of more melted chocolate.
It then gets recycled and continues the flow until you shut off the machine.
Those for home use are between two and four feet high and usually have three or four tiers.
Chocolate fountains resemble a water fountain, but they serve your fondue.
The mechanism used is the same as those in water fountains.
The chocolate gets pulled into a vertical cylinder (in the center) and is then moved to the top of the fountain.
That way, the chocolate flows down into each tier from the top, completing the cascading effect.
Your goal now is to dip various food items into the fountain so that they can be covered with chocolate.
Of course, you have the classics, but there are other items you may not have considered.
Things to Dip in Chocolate Fountain
In the past, melted chocolate used to be served in a bowl or another container.
Guests then dipped their items into the chocolate.
The first chocolate fountain was created in 1991.
Design & Realisation was a popular equipment manufacturer for pastries and chocolate.
It made the design that allowed chocolate fondue to be served much easier.
Since then, this device became highly popular for restaurants, parties, and even weddings.
Now, you can buy chocolate fountains for home use and have a chocolate fountain party anytime you desire.
While you could just fill a bowl and drink liquid chocolate (no one is going to judge you), most people want the full experience.
Usually, there are many items served with your chocolate.
They can include fruits, baked goods, nuts, and various sweets.
We have compiled an extensive list to help you decide what to include with your fountain of melted goodness.
The Classics
When arranging your dippers (the items to dip in the chocolate), there are quite a few foods that are considered the best.
They have better flavor once they are dipped in the chocolate.
- Caramelized apples
- Breakfast bars
- Biscotti
- Rice crispy treats
- Peanut brittle
- Cream puffs
- Pretzel sticks
- Marshmallows
- Macaroons
- Granola bars
Fruits
Fruit and chocolate make a wonderful pairing, and it is quite popular.
Some fruits are rather expensive, though, making it a decadent and almost luxury dessert.
Various fruits blend well into dips and sauces.
For example, the fruit salad is a classic because it combines milk, yogurt, and multiple fruit items.
Therefore, you can imagine how pairing fruits with chocolate can bring out the fruit’s flavor and natural sweetness.
Popular options include:
- Cherries
- Cantaloupe
- Blueberries
- Casaba
- Blackberries
- Bananas
- Apples
- Mango
- Kiwi
- Honeydew
- Mandarin orange pieces
- Regular orange pieces
- Strawberries
- Grapes (seedless)
- Raspberries
- Pears
- Papaya
- Pineapple
Of those mentioned, strawberries are, by far, the most popular.
Still, if you like the fruit by itself, you are going to enjoy it even more when it is dipped in chocolate.
Dried Fruit and Nuts
Many people enjoy the taste of nuts and chocolate together.
It can be an acquired taste, though, so you may decide you dislike it.
Nevertheless, your guests may want to try crispy nuts with a different flavor.
Dried fruit is another option.
If it’s out of season and you can’t find fresh fruit, consider serving dried fruits.
They’re a bit chewier, and the chocolate on top makes them a treat for the ages.
Options can include:
- Walnut halves
- Pistachios
- Pecans
- Raisins
- Macadamia nuts
- Figs
- Peanuts
- Dates
- Brazil nuts
- Cranberries
- Cashews
- Almond clusters
- Any dried fruit
Sweets
Though your first thought might be not to pair very sweet items with chocolate, it can make your treat have a new and unique flavor.
Consider a variety of candies and licorice if your sweet tooth goes to the extreme.
You aren’t going to be disappointed.
Here are some of our favorites:
- Twizzlers
- Licorice
- Mint sticks
- Graham crackers
- Frozen or regular Twinkies
- Gummy bears
- Cinnamon sticks
- Animal crackers
- Various candy
Cookies and Cakes
Do you love the taste of soft, spongy cake?
If so, consider adding melted chocolate to it.
You can find a variety of baked goods, including bread, cakes, and cookies, that can be used as a dipper.
- Gingerbread cookies
- Chocolate cookies
- Fortune cookies
- Coconut macaroons
- Waffles
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Brownies
- Donuts
- Cheesecake squares
- Ladyfingers
- Milano cookies
- Meringues
- Mini muffins
- Nutter Butters
- Oreo cookies
- Oatmeal raisin cookies
- Pirouette cookies
- Peanut butter cookies
- Tea biscuits
- Snickerdoodles
- Shortbread cookies
- Vanilla wafers
- Sugar wafers
Bread
Sweetbreads are excellent vessels for chocolate.
Consider these popular options for your next chocolate fondue party:
- Zucchini
- Date nut
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin
- Banana
- Cinnamon roll
- Carrot
Just make sure that you cube the bread pieces so that they are the perfect size for dipping.
Dippers should be bite-sized because it is easier to eat and safer for your furniture and flooring (fewer messes).
Interesting Dippers
Of course, you may be bold and like to try new things.
If so, you might want to consider “odd” things to dip.
For example, chocolate and cheese can pair well together.
You’ve probably seen cheese plates with bits of chocolate here and there.
It adds a new dimension to the palette.
Consider cheeses that are creamy and mellow with a slightly sweet flavor.
These can pair well with dark chocolate.
Many times, such cheeses are labeled as dessert cheeses.
Examples include sweet goat cheese, gouda, stracchino, and stilton.
Roquefort and camembert are also excellent choices.
Savory items are also a hit with a lot of people.
Consider different potato chip flavors, corn chips, cheese puffs, beef jerky sticks, or bagel chips.
Anything salty can make for a sweet-and-salty mix, but you can also choose something with a caramel flavor for the chocolate-and-caramel mix.
Though you may want to gag, insects are another thing you can add to the dipper tray.
You can find many edible insects, such as fried crickets, that offer a nutty flavor.
Plus, they have vitamins and protein.
Many times, you can buy them already fried and ready to eat, but you can choose to do the work yourself.
Be aware, however, that many people are going to feel a little uncomfortable trying something so “radical.”
Other Tools You May Want
Though many of the items on this list can be held by the fingers, you can use various household things to grip the food.
If you are worried about sanitation and multiple fingers touching the chocolate, ask your guests to use something other than their hands.
Consider small forks or skewers to stab “softer” foods.
Things like strawberries, marshmallows, and larger items work well with skewers and forks.
However, for items like nuts, it might be better to add them to a bowl and cover them with chocolate, creating a nut cluster.
You could also ask your guests to fill a small container with melted chocolate and dip the nuts into that bowl.
When it comes to sanitation, you may want toothpicks or skewers that can be thrown away.
That way, you can ask your guests to “stab” one item, dip it in the chocolate, eat it, and throw the stick away.
They can always get another one when it is time to go back for seconds and thirds (or sevenths).
Also, you can have everything already skewered before the guests arrive, ensuring that you protect your chocolate and the health of your guests.
All they have to do is grab it, dip it, and devour it!
Conclusion
If you own a chocolate fountain, you probably find any excuse to use it daily.
When you’ve got company, though, especially when hosting a chocolate fondue party, you’d want to serve different things to dip in chocolate fountain.
That way, you can impress your friends and have an excellent, special treat for everyone.
Leave a Reply