How adorable are these Easter Chocolate Covered Strawberries that look just like little carrots? They are such a fun little treat all on their own, or you can serve them atop crushed Oreo cookie crumbs and chocolate pudding for a fun Easter dirt cup dessert!
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I'll admit I'm not much of a carrot fan (it's my least-favorite vegetable) but when it comes to chocolate covered strawberry carrots, count me in!
This fun Springtime twist on chocolate covered strawberries has been floating around the internet for years and I don't know who actually came up with the idea. But they are a super quick and easy Easter dessert recipe that takes less than 20 minutes of actual effort to make.
Everybody goes crazy for these fun carrot chocolate covered strawberries and they are perfect for all kinds of spring parties or just a fun afternoon snack for the kiddos and grown-ups alike when Easter is drawing near.
Keep it simple and serve them up on a plate, or go the extra mile with a bed of crushed Oreos for "dirt". Or use them to top individual dirt cups for a special dessert!
You could also use them as cupcake toppers for chocolate cupcakes or even as a fun way to decorate your carrot cake for Easter dinner!
What You'll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Fresh strawberries - Look for large, ripe strawberries with bright green leaves that are in good shape. I like to buy extra strawberries and pick through to use only the best ones for dipping while we eat the rest of them straight out of hand.
- Orange candy melts - Don't bother messing around trying to color white chocolate with orange food coloring (affiliate link). Instead, pick up a bag of orange colored candy melts at a craft store like Hobby Lobby, Michael's, or Jo-Ann's. You can also order them online and sometimes even find them at places like Target or Wal-Mart during certain times of the year.
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Piping bag or Ziplock bag - This is for piping the stripes that help sell the carrot look of these strawberries.
How to Make Carrot Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Prep work. First, wash and dry the strawberries to remove any dirt. Be sure to pat them completely dry with paper towels or the melted chocolate won't stick and can even seize up. Be sure to line a baking sheet with parchment paper so you have a place to lay the strawberries once they have been dipped.
- Melt the orange candy melts. You can do this on the stovetop over low heat while stirring, but my preference is to use the microwave. Heat the candy melts for 20 seconds at a time, stirring between each burst of heat. At first it won't seem like much is happening, but by the second or third interval the candy melts will be perfectly melted and smooth.
- Dip strawberries. Once the candy melts are melted, grasp one strawberry by the leaves, lifting them up so they don't get covered, and dip the strawberry in the melted chocolate to evenly coat it most of the way to the stem. Shake or tap off any excess melted chocolate back into the bowl, then transfer the dipped strawberries to the prepared baking sheet.
- Drizzle. Once all of the strawberries have been dipped, transfer the leftover orange candy melts to a piping bag or Ziplock bag. You might need to warm it up in the microwave for a few seconds first to make sure it is still molten after dipping all the strawberries. Snip off a small corner of the bag, then pipe horizontal stripes back and forth across the strawberry carrots to finish them off.
- Set up. The candy coating will harden fairly quickly at room temperature but you can speed them along by sticking the chocolate covered carrot strawberries in the fridge for 10-20 minutes to do the job a little faster.
Making Easter Dirt Cups
You can definitely enjoy these carrot chocolate covered strawberries all on their own, but they are also so fun to display on a bed of crushed Oreo cookie crumbs. Or whip up a box of chocolate instant pudding and make some fun dirt cups!
Just whisk chocolate pudding mix and cold milk together in a large bowl for 2 minutes. Then add a couple tablespoons of crushed Oreo crumbs to the bottom of clear cups (fancy glass dessert cups are great, but we like to keep it simple with clear plastic cups) and add some of the chocolate pudding on top.
Cover the top of the pudding with some more Oreo cookie crumbs, then place one of the strawberry carrots on top for the cutest, most fun Easter dessert ever!
Recipe FAQ's
No, I don't recommend adding coconut oil or shortening to smooth out the candy melts. Some folks thing it helps them melt more smoothly, but I don't like how it affects the texture because they don't set up quite as snappy afterwards. I'm not a fan of soft chocolate coating for my Easter chocolate covered strawberries.
Absolutely! If you want to use the double boiler approach, place you candy melts in a large glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water. The Instant Pot also works well for this! Stir the candy melts occasionally until completely melted. Just be careful not to let any water get into the melting candy wafers or it can cause it to seize up.
I always find that chocolate covered strawberries are best within a day of making them, but they will last for 2-3 days in the fridge if the strawberries are really fresh to begin with. I don't recommend freezing these.
Tips for Success
- Don't overheat the chocolate. The biggest problem most people encounter when melting chocolate is overheating it, which can cause it to seize up. If your microwave has a "melt chocolate" function, I recommend using that. You can also set the microwave to cook on half power if you have had trouble in the past.
- Make sure the strawberries are completely dry. You want to avoid water coming into contact with the melted chocolate, which can cause it to seize or not cling to the strawberries like it is supposed to.
How to Store Easter Chocolate Covered Strawberries
It's actually best to keep chocolate covered strawberries at room temperature for about a day. Not only will this result in the best flavor, but it also helps prevent condensation.
If you need to refrigerate the strawberries, I recommend placing them on a plate with paper towels in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Pull them out 30 minutes before serving for best results.
More Easter Dessert Recipes
- Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs
- Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Lemon Meringue Pie Bars
- Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Easter Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipe
Ingredients
Strawberry Carrots
- 12 large strawberries
- 1 ½ cups orange candy melts (available online or at craft stores like Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and Jo-Ann's)
For Pudding Cups
- Crushed Oreo cookie crumbs
- 1 large box instant chocolate pudding mix
- 3 cups cold milk
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Gently wash and thoroughly dry strawberries with paper towels so they are clean. Set aside.
- Melt candy melts in a microwave safe bowl by heating for 20 seconds at a time in the microwave, stirring between each burst of heat, until melted and smooth.
- Carefully pull back the strawberry leaves and dip each strawberry into the melted orange candy melts one at a time. Tap or shake off the excess melted chocolate so it doesn't puddle underneath the strawberries, then arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Transfer leftover melted chocolate to a piping bag and snip a small hole in the end of the piping bag. Pipe horizontal lines of melted chocolate back and forth over the strawberries to finish the strawberry carrots.
- Let the candy melts set up before serving. This will happen in less than half an hour at room temperature, but you can speed up the process by sticking the strawberry carrots in the fridge, although they have their best flavor at room temperature and can be stored on the counter for 1 day.
- While the carrot strawberries set up, vigorously whisk the chocolate pudding mix and milk in a large bowl for 2 minutes.
- Fill individual clear cups with 2 tablespoons Oreo crumbs, then divide the chocolate pudding between them and sprinkle with more Oreo crumbs on top. The same thing can be done family style in a pie plate (affiliate link), trifle dish, or other baking dish to create a dirt pudding. Arrange the set strawberry carrots on top of the Oreo "dirt". Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Storage: Keep any uneaten chocolate covered strawberries covered on the counter for up to 1 day or in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Homemade Pudding: I used a box mix for the sake of simplicity here, but you can make a from scratch dirt cake version using my Halloween Dirt Cake Recipe instead.
- Mousse Version: For a lighter, more mousse-like version, fold the chocolate pudding into 2 cups of homemade whipped cream or one thawed 8-ounce tub of Cool Whip.
- Nutrition: The nutritional information was calculated using an online nutrition calculator tool for only the Easter chocolate covered strawberries without the dirt cups. It will vary based on the size of the strawberries and amount of chocolate used.
