How to make easy chocolate-dipped strawberries with your Instant Pot

It's no gimmick. You can make chocolate-covered strawberries quickly with your Instant Pot. It's surprisingly easy, fast and they come out looking like magic. 

First, of course, you'll need an Instant Pot. You'll also need a small metal mixing bowl that can rest over the stainless steel inner pot and a spatula. That's it! No double boiler required. The melting happens in the bowl, not the Instant Pot. The Instant Pot simply serves as a steamer. 

Then you need chocolate (I used 72% cacao premium baking dark chocolate chips from Ghirardelli) and strawberries. I garnished mine by rolling them in coconut while they were still a little wet, which made them taste like an Almond Joy.

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Make sure to rest your strawberries on parchment or wax paper after dipping them. I forgot this step and they stuck to the plate. But they were still delicious. 

Here's how to do it. 

Ingredients

Up to two pounds of large strawberries, about 2 dozen

1 (10 ounce) bag of premium dark chocolate chips

Optional garnishes: freeze-dried raspberries, white chocolate shavings, shredded coconut, chopped nuts, etc.

Instructions

Put at least a cup of water in your Instant Pot and then turn on the "saute" function. Hit "adjust" to bring the heat to "less." Do not do this over high heat.

Then, rest your dry metal mixing bowl over the opening of your Instant Pot. Pour into the mixing bowl all but about a quarter cup of chocolate chips. They'll begin melting faster than you think, so don't walk away.

Once the chips begin melting, stir them swiftly with the spatula. Once almost all of the chips are melted, remove the bowl and place it on the table. Add the remainder of the chocolate chips and keep stirring. This will bring the heat of the chocolate down and keep your chocolate from getting grainy. Keep stirring until all chips are melted. 

Then, hold the stem of each strawberry and dip it in the chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off. Then, roll the berry in your garnishes. Place on wax paper. Let cool at room temperature to harden. 

Ideally, you would serve these the same day. Dipped strawberries will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but the chocolate will sweat.

Mackensy Lunsford is the food and culture storyteller for USA TODAY Network's South region and the editor of Southern Kitchen.

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Reach me: mlunsford@southernkitchen.com