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These chocolate covered strawberry penguins make the cutest holiday snack! You can whip them together in 20 minutes and then leave them to dry for a delicious and festive bite to eat!
Chocolate covered strawberry penguins
How cute are these chocolate covered strawberry penguins?! My kids thought these little guys were such a hoot! When all lined up, they look like a singing choir of penguins, all with their own unique shapes, sizes and personalities.
The best part is, they’re not only super easy to make, but a lot of fun to eat as well! A great edible holiday craft and snack all in one!
chocolate penguins
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Why We Love These Chocolate Strawberry Penguins
- Healthier treat: With these chocolate penguins, you get a dose of fiber and vitamin C from the strawberries and a kick of antioxidants from the dark chocolate .
- Festive fun: These penguins are the perfect choice to make over the Christmas holidays or during the winter season, but they can be made any time of year! The kids will love dipping, decorating these little guys using their own creative take!
- Only 5 simple ingredients: Holiday snacks don’t get much easier than this! Most of the ingredients are shelf-stable, so you can whip these guys up at the last minute whenever you’re looking for a fun activity to do with the kids.
Required Supplies
The following supplies are what you’ll need to make this snack. They’re not absolutely required, but will make the process a lot easier!
Ingredient Notes
- Strawberries: Look for fresh strawberries that are ripe and free of blemishes. These will act as the base for the penguin’s body. The shape of the berries will change up the penguin’s look!
- Chocolate chips: We typically use 50% dark chocolate chips, but you can use whatever kind of chocolate chips you have on hand, like milk chocolate. Alternatively, you can chop up bar of chocolate as well.
- Coconut oil: Melted together with the chocolate to help the chocolate coat the strawberries more smoothly.
- Candy eyeballs: These add a fun twist to these strawberry penguins. You can often find candy eyes in your local grocery store, or in Walmart or online.
- Dried apricot: When cut in small triangles, dried apricot makes the perfect beak for the penguins!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Wash and Dry the Strawberries
- Rinse the strawberries under water and then allow them to completely dry. You can pat them with paper towel to speed up the process.
Step 2: Melt the Chocolate
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the dark chocolate chips and coconut oil. Melt in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each time increment until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
Step 3: Dip the Strawberry into the Chocolate
- Poke a skewer into the stem-side of a strawberry. Dip the strawberry diagonally into the melted chocolate so that the top part is covered.
- Rotate the strawberry diagonally on the left side to coat it in chocolate, and then roll it in the melted chocolate on a diagonal to coat the right side. Make sure the backside of the strawberry is fully coated in chocolate while still leaving a triangle portion exposed in the front for the penguin’s belly.
Step 4: Decorate with Penguin Accessories
- While the chocolate is still wet, add the candy eyeballs side by side, just above the exposed part of the strawberry. Then add a dried apricot triangle just below the eyes but still above the exposed part of the strawberry to make a beak. Repeat with the remaining strawberries.
Step 5: Allow Chocolate to Set
- Place the skewers in an upright position to allow them to dry. It will take 20 to 30 minutes for the chocolate to completely set if you leave the chocolate penguins at room temperature and shorter if you place them in the fridge.
- Once the chocolate firms up, you can serve and enjoy!
Placing the wooden skewers into a floral foam block is the easiest way to dry these chocolate penguins and allow them to set with a smooth finish. You can just poke the skewers right in and they’ll stand upright!
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
RECIPE TIPS
- Thoroughly dry the strawberries before dipping them in the melted chocolate, otherwise the melted chocolate won’t adhere properly.
- When melting the chocolate, don’t use a bowl that’s too deep or it will be hard to angle and coat the strawberries in the melted chocolate.
- If the melted chocolate starts to thicken and is not coating the strawberries as well, pop it back into the microwave for 20-30 more seconds to make it smooth again.
- These chocolate penguins are best served fresh since the eyeballs start to bleed a bit if left in the fridge for a few days. It’s not a big deal, but they have a better presentation when served fresh.
- A foam floral foam block works perfectly when allowing the chocolate on the strawberries to set, but you can also use a cake pop stand. You can find a foam floral block at your local craft store or on Amazon. If you don’t own these supplies, you can line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the penguins on there to dry instead.
Recipe FAQs
No, unfortunately, frozen strawberries won’t work since the chocolate won’t stick properly. Stick to fresh for best results!
No, in fact, it’s better if they’re at room temperature! Otherwise condensation might form between the chocolate layer and the berries, which can impact the overall presentation.
These penguin strawberries are best eaten the day of making them since the eyeballs start to bleed and the chocolate starts to separate from the strawberries when left in the fridge for more than a few hours. If you do make them ahead of time, try storing them in a cold place, rather than the refrigerator.
if you want to make your chocolate-covered strawberries last longer, you can store them in the freezer. They’ll stay good for up to three months. Just lay them out on a parchment-lined tray, giving them some room so they don’t stick together. Place them in the freezer for about three hours until they’re rock solid. Once they’re frozen, place them in a container or bag for storage.
When you’re ready to serve, either thaw them in the fridge for an hour or go ahead and munch on them frozen. But don’t let them defrost completely, or they might turn into a mushy mess
Storage Guidelines
- These chocolate penguins can be stored at room temperature for up to four hours.
- Beyond that, you can keep them in the fridge in an airtight container on a piece of paper towel for up to 24 hours, but the candy eyeballs may start to run, so they don’t always look as good the next day.
Serving Suggestions
Once the chocolate has completely firmed up, you can take out the skewers and place the chocolate covered strawberry penguins on a festive serving plate or cake stand. Or you can serve them as they are if you’d prefer to leave them on the skewers.
They make a great little snack or treat all on their own, or you can pair them with any of the following for a more balanced snack or fun holiday spread!
- Strawberry banana smoothie without yogurt
- Fruit dip (try this 4-ingredient peanut butter dip)
- Yogurt
- Trail mix
- Glass of milk
Recipe Variations
- Accessorize: For even more penguin cuteness, stick on half a green grape or a raspberry for a penguin hat or a little bow tie.
- Add white chocolate: Pipe a bit of melted white chocolate onto the belly once the dark chocolate has dried to add to the penguin look.
- To make dairy-free: Be sure to check the label and use dairy-free chocolate chips.
More Holiday Snacks & Ideas
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Chocolate Covered Strawberry Penguins
Ingredients
- 15 fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 30 candy eyeballs
- 1 dried apricot, cut into small triangle wedges
- wooden skewers
Instructions
- Rinse the strawberries under water and then allow them to completely dry. You can pat them with paper towel to speed up the process.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the dark chocolate chips and coconut oil. Melt in the microwave in thirty-second increments, stirring between each time interval until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Poke a skewer into the stem-side of a strawberry. Dip the strawberry diagonally into the melted chocolate so that the top part is covered.
- Rotate the strawberry diagonally on the left side to coat it in chocolate, and then roll it in the melted chocolate on a diagonal to coat the right side. Make sure the backside of the strawberry is fully coated in chocolate while still leaving a triangle portion exposed in the front for the penguin's belly.
- While the chocolate is still wet, add the candy eyeballs side by side, just above the exposed part of the strawberry. Then add a dried apricot triangle just below the eyes but still above the exposed part of the strawberry to make a beak. Repeat with the remaining strawberries.
- Place the skewers in an upright position to allow them to dry. We like to use a foam floral block since you can simply poke the skewers in. It will take 20 to 30 minutes for the chocolate to completely set if you leave the chocolate penguins at room temperature and shorter if you place them in the fridge.
- Once the chocolate firms up, you can serve and enjoy!
