These Halloween strawberries are mummy chocolate covered strawberries: 20 fresh berries dipped in dark chocolate, given two candy eyes each, and wrapped in thin lines of white chocolate. They take about 30 minutes, including 10 minutes to set. You need 1 cup of dark or semisweet chips, 1 cup of white chips and 40 candy eyes.
Bone-dry berries are the whole trick. Even a drop of water on the skin can make melted chocolate seize, or slide off in streaks.
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Try the Recipe Converter →What a Batch of 20 Mummy Berries Takes
- Strawberries: 20, washed, completely dry, ideally at room temperature
- Base coat: 1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips or melting wafers
- Bandages: 1 cup white chocolate chips or melting wafers
- Eyes: 40 candy eyes, two per berry
- Optional: 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening for smoother chocolate
- Time: 20 minutes hands-on, about 10 minutes to set
Getting the Berries Ready to Dip
Wash the strawberries with the green tops still on, then pat each one dry with paper towels. I leave them on the counter a little longer to air-dry, because the shoulders around the leaves hold water you cannot see. Run a finger over that spot before dipping. Firm, medium to large berries are easiest: there is something to hold, and more room for the bandages.
Dip them at room temperature if you can. Berries straight from the fridge make the chocolate set fast, which seems handy. As they warm up, though, they sweat, and beads of moisture form under the shell and can crack it.
Chocolate Chips or Melting Wafers?
I have used both for these. Melting wafers are made for coating, so they flow thinner, set a little faster and dry smooth and shiny, which helps with a big batch. Chocolate chips taste more like real chocolate, but they contain stabilizers to keep their shape in cookies, so they melt thicker. Stir the teaspoon of coconut oil or shortening into melted chips and you get a thinner, glossier coat with a softer snap.
Melt either one in the microwave in 20 to 30 second bursts, stirring after each. Stop heating while a few pieces are still whole and let the stirring finish the job. Overheated chocolate goes thick and grainy. White chocolate scorches sooner than dark, so watch it more closely.
Dipping the Berries and Setting the Eyes
Hold each berry by its leaves and dip it about three quarters of the way up. Lift it, give it a gentle shake, and scrape the bottom against the rim of the bowl so no puddle of chocolate spreads around it on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Press two candy eyes on right away. They need wet chocolate to grip, so dip four or five berries, add their eyes, then dip the next few instead of coating all 20 first. If an eye falls off after the shell has set, dab the back with a little melted chocolate and press it on again. Let the dark chocolate set completely before you start the bandages.
Piping the Mummy Bandages
Melt the white chocolate in a clean, dry bowl and spoon it into a piping bag, or a zip-top bag with a small corner snipped off. Give it a minute or two to cool first. Slightly cooled white chocolate falls in a thicker line that holds its shape, while hot chocolate spreads into a blur.
Drizzle back and forth across each berry in quick strokes, running past the edges, and leave the eyes peeking through. That little stare is what turns a dipped strawberry into a mummy. Let them set at room temperature, or chill them for about 10 minutes, until the chocolate is firm to the touch.
When to Dip Them and How Long They Keep
These are at their best the day you make them, so dip them a few hours before the party and keep them somewhere cool. If they need the fridge, store them in a single layer in an airtight container lined with parchment, for a few hours at most. Any longer and condensation dulls the chocolate while the berries start to weep. Freezing does not work either; thawed strawberries turn soft and watery.
A dark plate makes the white bandages stand out. Tell me in the comments whether your mummies came out with a serious stare or a cheeky grin.
More Spooky Strawberry Ideas
The same dip works for other looks. Ghost strawberries go fully into white chocolate and get two candy eyes or dark chocolate dots. Pumpkin patch strawberries turn orange with a green stem. For a plain version, see my chocolate covered strawberries, and the pink chocolate strawberries use the same method in a softer color.
On a party table they sit well next to Halloween dirt cups, tucked onto a Halloween charcuterie board or a Halloween fruit platter, or around a spooky Halloween chocolate cake.
Mummy Strawberry Questions
Can you make Halloween strawberries the day before?
Not well. Overnight in the fridge they collect condensation and the berries soften, so dip them no more than a few hours ahead.
Why did my chocolate seize?
A little water got into it, usually from a berry that was not fully dry or a damp bowl or spoon. Seized chocolate turns stiff and grainy and will not coat smoothly, so start with a fresh, dry batch.
Halloween Strawberries Recipe
These Halloween strawberries are mummy chocolate covered strawberries made with fresh strawberries, dark or semisweet chocolate, white chocolate and candy eyes. The recipe makes 20 spooky strawberries in about 30 minutes, each with a crisp dark chocolate shell, two candy eyes and thin white chocolate bandages piped across. The key is bone-dry, room temperature berries, because a drop of water makes melted chocolate seize and cold berries sweat under the shell. Serve these Halloween chocolate covered strawberries on a Halloween dessert table, a party platter or a Halloween charcuterie board. Dip them fully in white chocolate for ghost strawberries, and make them the day you serve them, keeping them in the fridge for a few hours at most.
Ingredients
- 20 fresh strawberries, washed and thoroughly dried
- 1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips (or melting wafers)
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (or melting wafers)
- 40 candy eyes
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening (optional, for smoother melting)
Instructions
PREPARE THE STRAWBERRIES: Wash the strawberries and pat them completely dry. Make sure no moisture remains, as even a small amount can cause the chocolate to seize.
MELT THE DARK CHOCOLATE: Place the dark chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20–30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is smooth. Stir in the coconut oil if a silkier texture is desired.
DIP THE STRAWBERRIES: Hold each strawberry by the green leaves and dip it into the melted dark chocolate, covering about three-quarters of the berry. Gently shake off the excess and place each dipped strawberry on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
ADD THE EYES: While the chocolate is still wet, gently press two candy eyes onto each strawberry. Allow the chocolate to set completely before moving to the next step.
MELT THE WHITE CHOCOLATE: In a clean microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate using the same method as the dark chocolate, stirring until smooth.
CREATE THE MUMMY WRAPS: Transfer the melted white chocolate into a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a small corner cut off. Drizzle the chocolate back and forth across the strawberries to create the look of mummy bandages, taking care not to cover the eyes.
SET AND SERVE: Allow the strawberries to sit at room temperature until the chocolate hardens, or place them in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to speed up the process. Serve once the chocolate is firm.
Notes
For best results, prepare the strawberries on the day they will be served, as condensation can affect the chocolate coating if stored for too long. Make sure the berries are completely dry and at room temperature before dipping. Stop microwaving the chocolate while a few pieces are still whole and stir until smooth; white chocolate scorches faster than dark. Dip a few berries at a time and add the candy eyes while the chocolate is still wet. Let the white chocolate cool for a minute or two before piping so the bandage lines hold their shape.
Nutrition Information
Yield
20Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 148Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 2mgSodium 13mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 1gSugar 18gProtein 1g
