Easiest Gourmet Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Not to be confused with my Easiest Chocolate Dipping Sauce Ever, this chocolate dipping sauce is almost as easy and definitely takes the flavor to another level.

The key, not surprisingly, is the chocolate.

For the Easiest Chocolate Dipping Sauce Ever, you just need some chocolate chips. But to gourmet-ify the sauce, you need a high-quality chocolate.

It can be difficult to source fair trade chocolate, but it's worth the trouble and expense because most chocolate is produced by forced child labor. Whole Foods and Trader Joe's both carry fair-trade chocolate bars, and many mainstream supermarkets do too - at Ralphs, my Kroger affiliate, I find them in the tiny natural foods snack section. (It's a tiny section because they've incorporated most of the organic and natural foods into the rest of the store, so I'm not sure why the fair-trade chocolate gets treated differently, but it does.)


I've called for 60% cacao chocolate, which falls into the semi-sweet category, but you should adjust your dipping sauce based on how intense you like your chocolate - go for a higher percentage for a darker, more intense sauce, and a lower percentage for a sweeter version.

Once you've got your chocolate, all you need is a recipe:

Easiest Gourmet Chocolate Dipping Sauce
Makes approximately 3/4 cup

4 oz 60% cacao chocolate, chopped (approximately 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk
1 tablespoon butter

Combine chocolate and cream or milk in a microwave safe bowl (I use a glass measuring cup). Microwave on high for 45 seconds. Remove and whisk to melt as much chocolate as possible. If necessary, microwave on high for an additional 15 seconds, then remove and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the butter until the butter has melted and thoroughly incorporated. Transfer to a serving bowl.

The sauce will remain pourable at room temperature, but don't leave it out for more than a couple of hours for safety reasons.