Learn How to Melt Chocolate Chips for baking, dripping, drizzling, and coating, with no special equipment required. Following these expert tips, your chocolate will be smooth and glossy rather than charred and lumpy (yes, you can burn chocolate!).
For more expert tutorials, check out my guides to melting any type of chocolate and making boxed brownies better.
Jump to:
- What to know before melting chocolate
- What are the best chocolate chips to use?
- Ingredients
- How to melt chocolate chips: step-by-step instructions
- Microwave Method
- Double Boiler (Stovetop Method)
- Instant Pot Method
- Equipment
- How to thin melted chocolate
- How to use melted chocolate in recipes
- Storage
- Expert chocolate melting tips
- Frequently asked questions
- Chocolate Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Chocolate chips are no longer just a treat from childhood, but a necessity for baking and a staple in most pantries. These delicious treats add a burst of chocolatey goodness to all sorts of baked goods, but they can also be melted and used as a dip, drizzled onto desserts, or folded into a mousse.
In a pinch, you can even substitute chocolate chips for whatever chocolate is called for in your recipe. Because unlike a regular chocolate bar, chocolate chips are the perfect size for melting, as they break down more evenly, whether you use regular or mini chocolate chips.
What to know before melting chocolate
Watch for Water: above all, be mindful of moisture when melting chocolate chips, as even a tiny bit of water can cause chocolate to seize up, resulting in a lumpy and grainy texture. To avoid this, consider the tips below.
- Make sure your bowls and utensils are completely dry.
- Avoid using a wooden spoon, as it can retain moisture; silicone tools are best.
- Be careful when using the double boiler method, as steam can introduce moisture.
Chocolate DOES Burn: scorching is another concern when melting chocolate chips. To prevent chocolate from scorching, always use low heat, stir the chocolate frequently to ensure it melts evenly, and consider just using a microwave at 50% power.
What are the best chocolate chips to use?
The best chocolate chips to use for melting are ones with a high cocoa butter percentage. This means that they have a higher proportion of fat and will melt more easily, and stay thinner and easier to work with once melted.
Make sure you also buy real chocolate, not a compound chocolate made with oil and cocoa powder rather than real cacao and a bit of cocoa butter. Some reliable brands include Valrhona Chocolate, EnjoyLife Chips, and Guittard Chocolate Chips (but not their white choc-au-lait chips).
Ingredients
Chocolate Chips: that's it! You can use these methods to melt chocolate chips of any type, from dark to milk chocolate and from white to ruby chocolate. I like using higher-quality chocolate chips for recipes, especially when dipping things, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
How to melt chocolate chips: step-by-step instructions
Chocolate chips are specifically designed to hold their shape during baking, so they have a lower cocoa butter content than other types of chocolate. As a result, they can be more challenging to melt, and the consistency of your final chocolate may be thicker.
You may even want to combine them with a chocolate that has a higher cocoa butter content, to achieve a smoother consistency when melted. That said, here are my expert picks for the best ways to melt chocolate chips.
Microwave Method
Microwaving is probably the quickest, most convenient, and arguably the easiest way to melt chocolate chips. This method is particularly quick because it eliminates waiting for the water to boil, as the direct heat is more efficient for faster melting.
The only possible downsides are helicopter baking (you have to watch over it like a hawk) and the need for constant stirring. Here's a little bit of science trivia for you: once you blast the chocolate chips inside the microwave, the waves bounce around inside, causing the food molecules to vibrate.
This 'oscillation' of molecules causes friction, which generates heat, in turn heating the food. This nifty piece of machinery means your chocolate chips will melt in a jiffy. Although a microwave can still provide an uneven chocolate chip melting and possible burn issues due to the direct heat, it's still an efficient and fast chocolate chip melting method.
For best results, I recommend using a microwave oven for melting chocolate chips only in small quantities while using a heat-proof glass measuring cup.
How To Melt Chocolate Chips in Microwave:
Step 1. Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl or heat-proof measuring cup, ideally glass or ceramic.
Step 2. Place the container of chocolate chips in the microwave. You'll be heating the chocolate in two or three 30-second increments at 50% power, stirring between each increment, until thoroughly melted. After the first 30 seconds, take the bowl out of the microwave and stir the chocolate.
Step 3. Pop the bowl back in the microwave for another 30 seconds on 50% power.
Step 4. After 30 seconds, remove the bowl and stir the chocolate once more. It takes just over one minute for a half cup of chips to completely melt.
Step 5. Finish heating when most, but not all, of the chocolate is melted. There should still be a few visible chunks you can simply stir, as they will continue to melt in the rest of the hot chocolate thanks to residual heat.
Step 6. If it's beyond a minute and you're still left with a handful of chips that have not melted, blast them again in the microwave, this time in 15-second intervals, still on 50% power. Continue stirring in between until the chocolate is smooth and totally melted.
Tips for Microwaving Chocolate Chips
- Pay close attention to the time when melting chocolate chips in the microwave or any other high-heat method, like an air fryer. When blasting in intervals, never do it for longer than 30 seconds at a time. If you overheat chocolate, it may seize up and result in a charred lump, so to keep your chocolate shiny and smooth, keep a close eye on it.
- Ensure that you have all the equipment you need before starting, because chocolate chips melt fast.
- Choose a silicone spatula to stir rather than metal or wood.
- Use kitchen gloves for taking out the hot bowl.
- Use a glass measuring cup instead of a glass bowl because the handles stay cool during heating.
- Make use of the turntable attachment in your microwave. There are "hot" and "cold" patches in the microwave, which the turntable attachment negates to foster even heating.
- Stir the chocolate every 30 seconds to ensure even melting. The total microwave healting time for chocolate chips may vary depending on your microwave’s efficiency and wattage.
- The secret to this approach is to go low and slow. Microwave the chocolate at 50% power (about a 5 in your microwave settings), and never microwave chocolate chips on high power.
Double Boiler (Stovetop Method)
The double boiler method is a classic chocolate melting technique that uses a double boiler to steam the chocolate chips by indirectly applying heat.
This method works best for melting large quantities of chocolate chips, as it minimizes the possibility of scorching the chocolate or creating fat bloom. If you don't have a double boiler already, you can easily use a few kitchen tools that you have at home.
Start by choosing two saucepans of similar sizes or a deep saucepan or pot along with a shallow heat-proof bowl (like glass or ceramic). The actual process of how this homemade double boiler melts the chocolate is pretty straightforward.
When water added to the bottom saucepan is directly heated by the stove, steam from the lower pan's simmering water applies indirect heat to the chocolate chips in the top saucepan or mixing bowl, causing them to melt.
How to Melt Chocolate Chips on Stovetop:
We’re using a saucepan here as reference, but all is still applicable to the double boiler.
Step 1. Place a pot or saucepan on the stovetop and fill it with a couple inches of water. Then put the second saucepan or heat-proof bowl on top.
Step 2. Lift the bowl up and check the bottom to ensure it's dry before returning it to the pan to ensure the water in the pan isn't touching the bottom of the bowl.
Step 3. Pour the chocolate into the mixing bowl and fill only halfway to ensure you have room to stir the melted chocolate.
Step 4. Set the stove to medium heat, and as the water begins to simmer and emit steam, it will heat the chocolate and cause it to melt.
Step 5. Turn off the heat once you only have a few remaining pieces of chocolate left to melt. Continue stirring using a heat-safe silicone spatula until the chocolate has completely melted. It takes about 4 to 8 minutes for chocolate chips to completely melt, depending on how many you’ve put in.
Instant Pot Method
Don't want to be bothered by constantly checking in and stirring your melting chocolate chips in the microwave? Or don't have a double boiler around? This last method requires using the infamous instant pot as a faux double boiler.
It's the most hands-free, convenient, and easiest method for the busy home baker. And best of all, you only need to clean one piece of kitchen equipment after!
How To Melt Chocolate Chips in Instant Pot:
Step 1. Pour 2 cups of water into the Instant Pot, hit the sauté mode on normal, and allow the water to simmer. Make sure to not do this step at a high-heat setting.
Step 2. Once the water is simmering, you'll see steam coming out. Once this happens, place the heat-proof mixing bowl on top.
Lift the bowl up and check the bottom to ensure it's dry before returning it to the pan to ensure the water in the pan isn't touching the bottom of the bowl. Wipe the inside of the bowl to make sure it's completely dry before continuing.
Step 3. Pour the chocolate into the bowl no higher than midway to ensure you have room to stir the chocolate. After, hit cancel on the saute mode and switch to 'keep warm' mode. This function keeps the water as warm as needed since the top bowl is sealed, trapping the water inside and allowing residual heat to be transferred to the top bowl.
Step 4. Stir until the chocolate melts almost fully. If the bowl gets too hot, you can proceed to the next step even before the chocolate is almost melted, but put down a dry towel or potholder before going to step 5.
Step 5. Remove the bowl from the Instant Pot and stir continuously until it's smooth, shiny, and completely melted OR keep the "keep warm" mode on for a more convenient way of having warm chocolate dipping sauce on hand.
Tips for Melting Chocolate Chips on the Stovetop or Instant Pot
- If you’re using a homemade double boiler (bain marie), make sure the top saucepan or bowl fits the outer edge of the bottom saucepan (or hit the upper rims of the saucepan) to create a "sealing" effect that'll trap the steam within.
- Keep several inches of space between the bottom of a double boiler's first pot and the bottom of its top so that water added inside doesn’t touch it.
- When melting chocolate chips for baking, use a silicone spatula to stir the chocolate, and keep the spatula on a dry surface away from the boiling water.
Equipment
While most people have a microwave and stovetop at home, depending on which chocolate melting method you use, you'll need access to one or more of the following pieces of equipment.
- Double Boiler
- Instant Pot
- Large Metal Pot
- Glass Bowl
- Silicone Spatula
- Microwave-Safe Silicone Bowls
How to thin melted chocolate
To make melted chocolate thinner, generally you need to add a source of high-quality, neutral-tasting fat. Some options include:
- vegetable oil
- ghee or butter
- heavy cream
- coconut cream
- food-grade cocoa butter
Any of these can help to thin it out and make it easier to work with, but it's very important that you don't add water. Adding water-based liquids such as milk or can cause chocolate to seize and become unusable.
Make sure you add your thinning agent of choice in small amounts and stir it in thoroughly before adding any more. Overheating the chocolate chips can also cause the chocolate to become too thick, so melt them slowly over low heat to keep your chocolate warm and easy to work with.
How to use melted chocolate in recipes
When you want to add a rich and delicious touch to your recipes, melted chocolate is the way to go. Here are some tips on how to seamlessly incorporate melted chocolate into your favorite dishes, with examples for some of the most common confections.
First, make sure you have the proper equipment ready. You'll need your device of choice (microwave, instant pot, etc.), a heat-resistant glass bowl, a pot (possibly filled with a few inches of water), and a rubber spatula for stirring.
Once your chocolate is melted, these are a few ways to incorporate it into your recipe:
- Into Cake: Gently mix your melted chocolate into the cake batter, ensuring a uniform distribution before mixing it more vigorously to get an even consistency. Baking with melted chocolate will result in a perfectly moist and rich cake.
- With Milk: Feeling indulgent? Make yourself a luxurious homemade hot chocolate by stirring your melted chocolate into a pot of warm milk. Adjust the proportions according to your desired sweetness level, ideally by using different types of chocolate.
- In Frosting: Enhance your frosting by adding melted chocolate to your base mixture, such as buttercream or cream cheese frosting. This creates a beautifully smooth and velvety chocolate frosting ideal for cupcakes or layer cakes. Just make sure to 'temper' the chocolate with a bit of the frosting mixture before adding the rest, as adding melted chocolate directly to the frosting will cause it to start to harden and clump up.
Storage
Unfortunately, chocolate chips will only stay melted for as long as the leftovers are kept at the right temperature (80-85°F or 26-28°C). After being melted, the mass will also most likely be out of temper, meaning that it will develop a light grey or white coating (but still be perfectly safe to eat).
However if you want to keep the rest of your melted chocolate once you're done with it, the key to long-term chocolate storage boils down to just two things: heat & water. While chocolate can't go bad, for the most part, it can taste markedly less good if stored inproperly.
First, scrape everything into an air-tight container and put on the lid. Don't store leftover chocolate in the fridge, but rather store chocolate at ambient temperatures between 58-70°F (15-21°C) with a humidity level of 70% or less.
Expert chocolate melting tips
Keep it Dry: when working with melted or melting chocolate, always be cautious about adding water to your mixture. Any contact between the chocolate and even a tiny drop of water can cause it to seize and become grainy, so always make sure your equipment is dry before starting.
Use Residual Heat: the heat that remains after removing the heat source can also play a role in melting chocolate and keeping it melted. To make use of residual heat, consider these tips.
- Remove chocolate from heat just before it's fully melted.
- Continue stirring until it's completely smooth and melted.
You May Need to Temper: once your chocolate melts, if you want to use it to dip or cover anything, you may need to temper it to achieve a glossy sheen and smooth texture in your final product.
Tempering chocolate involves a specific process of heating and cooling, which can be quite tricky. However, it's crucial for recipes that call for a shiny finish or require the chocolate to set at room temperature, even if starting from tempered chocolate chips.
If you'd like to learn how to temper chocolate, check out our guide to tempering chocolate at home.
Frequently asked questions
The best way to melt white chocolate of any kind is either in the microwave or on the stovetop, as these methods will get you the most even melt the most quickly. The main consideration is that white chocolate melts at an even lower temperature and can start to caramelize and thicken if overheated.
The stovetop is a better way to melt chocolate chips than in the microwave because it ensures a more even melt, though it requires more cleanup and more attention.
You can add oil when melting chocolate, but it's not necessary if you're using a high-quality chocolate and are heating it evenly. Adding oil can also make it harder to use melted chocolate in recipes.
The key to keeping melted chocolate chips liquid is a consistent heat source, applied evenly. One good example is a chocolate fondue setup, which generally uses a tea light to keep the melted chocolate warm, and people regularly dip things in the chocolate to keep the heat evenly applied to the melted chocolate.
To make melted chocolate chips thinner, you need to add a liquid that's warm and that remains thin at room temperature. The best options are to warm and then very slowly add either cream or a neutral oil, such as refined coconut oil.
Chocolate chips get hard and lumpy when melting if they get burned or if they get exposed to water and seize up.
If your melted chocolate is lumpy, it either needs more heat to melt fully, or it may have been exposed to water and seized or even burned. You can't do anything about burned chocolate, and unmelted chocolate just needs more time and heat, but for seized chocolate you'll need to add a teaspoon of boiling water at a time until the chocolate smooths out.
Chocolate Recipes
If you find the recipe helpful, please leave a comment or 5 star review!
📖 Recipe
How to Melt Chocolate Chips (3 Ways)
Ingredients
- chocolate chips
Instructions
How to Melt Chocolate Chips on Stovetop or Double Boiler:
- We’re using a saucepan here as reference, but all is still applicable to the double boiler.
- Place a pot or saucepan on the stovetop and fill it with a couple inches of water. Then put the second saucepan or heat-proof bowl on top.
- Lift the bowl up and check the bottom to ensure it's dry before returning it to the pan to ensure the water in the pan isn't touching the bottom of the bowl.
- Pour the chocolate into the mixing bowl and fill only halfway to ensure you have room to stir the melted chocolate.
- Set the stove to medium heat, and as the water begins to simmer and emit steam, it will heat the chocolate and cause it to melt.
- Turn off the heat once you only have a few remaining pieces of chocolate left to melt. Continue stirring using a heat-safe silicone spatula until the chocolate has completely melted. It takes about 4 to 8 minutes for chocolate chips to completely melt, depending on how many you’ve put in.
How To Melt Chocolate Chips in Microwave:
- Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl or heat-proof measuring cup, ideally glass or ceramic.
- Place the container of chocolate chips in the microwave. You'll be heating the chocolate in two or three 30-second increments at 50% power, stirring between each increment, until thoroughly melted. After the first 30 seconds, take the bowl out of the microwave and stir the chocolate.
- Pop the bowl back in the microwave for another 30 seconds on 50% power.
- After 30 seconds, remove the bowl and stir the chocolate once more. It takes just over one minute for a half cup of chips to completely melt.
- Finish heating when most, but not all, of the chocolate is melted. There should still be a few visible chunks you can simply stir, as they will continue to melt in the rest of the hot chocolate thanks to residual heat.
- If it's beyond a minute and you're still left with a handful of chips that have not melted, blast them again in the microwave, this time in 15-second intervals, still on 50% power. Continue stirring in between until the chocolate is smooth and totally melted.
How To Melt Chocolate Chips in Instant Pot:
- Pour 2 cups of water into the Instant Pot, hit the sauté mode on normal, and allow the water to simmer. Make sure to not do this step at a high-heat setting.
- Once the water is simmering, you'll see steam coming out. Once this happens, place the heat-proof mixing bowl on top. Lift the bowl up and check the bottom to ensure it's dry before returning it to the pan to ensure the water in the pan isn't touching the bottom of the bowl. Wipe the inside of the bowl to make sure it's completely dry before continuing.
- Pour the chocolate into the bowl no higher than midway to ensure you have room to stir the chocolate. After, hit cancel on the saute mode and switch to 'keep warm' mode. This function keeps the water as warm as needed since the top bowl is sealed, trapping the water inside and allowing residual heat to be transferred to the top bowl.
- Stir until the chocolate melts almost fully. If the bowl gets too hot, you can proceed to the next step even before the chocolate is almost melted, but put down a dry towel or potholder before going to step 5.
- Remove the bowl from the Instant Pot and stir continuously until it's smooth, shiny, and completely melted OR keep the "keep warm" mode on for a more convenient way of having warm chocolate dipping sauce on hand.
Notes
- Avoid any moisture coming into contact with your chocolate as it melts, to prevent chocolate from seizing (clumping up).
- Pay close attention to the time when melting chocolate chips in the microwave or any other high-heat method, like an air fryer. When blasting in intervals, never do it for longer than 30 seconds at a time. If you overheat chocolate, it may seize up and result in a charred lump, so to keep your chocolate shiny and smooth, keep a close eye on it.
- Ensure that you have all the equipment you need before starting, because chocolate chips melt fast.
- Use kitchen gloves for taking out a hot bowl, and when possible opt for a glass measuring cup instead of a glass bowl, because the handles stay cool during heating.
- Stir the chocolate every 30 seconds to ensure even melting. The total microwave healting time for chocolate chips may vary depending on your microwave’s efficiency and wattage.
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