February is National Chocolate Lovers month, and a chocolate fondue party is the perfect way to celebrate. It’s a fun Valentine’s Day idea, too!
Fondue started out as a Swiss winter tradition, where families would gather next to a cozy fire and dip bread into a pot of melted cheese. Chocolate fondue is the dessert version. A big pot of melted chocolate served with a variety of dippers (fruits, berries, cubed cake) is a winter tradition everyone can warm up to.
What You’ll Need
- A fondue pot with fondue forks or wooden skewers
- Chocolate Fondue Recipe Ingredients (See my family-friendly Milk Chocolate Fondue Recipe below)
- Dipping Foods (fruits, berries, cubed pound cake, marshmallows)
Before the Fondue Party:
Prepare your dipping foods by cutting them into bite-sized pieces. Most chocolate fondues only take about 10 minutes to prepare, and the fondue pot will keep it warm throughout your party. Once your dipping foods are ready to serve, put them on the table next to the fondue pot. Now everyone can grab a fondue fork and take turns dipping. Be sure to remind everyone that no double dipping in the fondue is allowed. My kids tend to forget that rule, but as long as it’s just our family eating, I try to let it slide.
Everyone loves when it’s time for us to have a Family Fun-due Night! Some of my kids’ favorite fondue dippers are strawberries and bananas. They dip them in the chocolate fondue and end up with chocolatey fondue faces!
The After Party:
Although fondue is fun, it can be a little bit messy. My tip for making clean-up a snap is to use Huggies® Wipes. That’s right, baby wipes — they aren’t just for babies! I keep a box of Huggies® Wipes handy on the table so we can wipe away sticky hands, faces and chocolate drips on the table.
- 1 1/4 cups Heavy Cream
- 1 teaspoons Vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 12 ounces Milk Chocolate (High quality), broken into 1 inch pieces
- Combine all ingredients in a Fondue pot. Heat on the “Warm” setting, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Serve the fondue warm.
If you do not have a fondue pot, you can make do with a saucepan. Use the following directions to make fondue on the stovetop.
Alternate Stovetop Directions:
1. Combine milk, vanilla and butter in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a simmer on medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate pieces until they are completely melted and smooth.
2. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl and serve immediately, while fondue is warm.
Do you want to have your very own Family Fun-due Night? I’m sharing all my tips for how to make fondue and more in my FREE Fondue Party Planner ebook! Click the image below to download your copy.
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