How to Thin Out Chocolate: 6 Methods for Melted Chocolate

Thinning chocolate means bringing melted chocolate to a state even thinner than regular melted chocolate by adding another liquid ingredient. Chefs and home cooks use thinned chocolate in various ways, such as to enhance brownies, encase cake pops, form chocolate bars, create a ganache, make hot chocolate, and cover strawberries or pretzels.

Some chocolates melt thinner than others, depending on their fat content. Dark chocolate melts much thinner than milk chocolate, and white chocolate melts the thinnest since it’s mostly cocoa butter. Semisweet chocolate falls somewhere in between. The quality of chocolate also impacts how thick or thin the chocolate melts. High-end chocolate sometimes contains more fat (although often higher-quality fats). In contrast, lower-end types of chocolate, such as candy melts, behave more similarly to white chocolate than to true chocolate.

The process for melting chocolate is more intricate than just microwaving a bowl of chocolate. Proper melting requires you to temper chocolate so that it becomes glossy and more stable for use in your recipes. Here’s how to melt chocolate:

1. 1. Don’t over-melt the chocolate. Chocolate thickens the hotter it becomes. Melt the chocolate slowly, over low heat, to ensure the chocolate doesn’t get too hot and stays nice and thin. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate in ten-second increments and remove it when there are just a few lumps left. Let the residual heat melt the remaining lumps as you stir the chocolate.
2. 2. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl. Glass holds heat, so it keeps the chocolate melted for longer. Also, glass makes it easier for you to see when the chocolate is starting to melt. However, if the chocolate overheats, it takes a long time to cool down in a glass bowl.
3. 3. Use the double-boiler method. A double boiler is a bowl set inside a pot above a small amount of simmering water or boiling water. This method is a good way to melt chocolate because it’s a slow process and runs a low risk of overheating the chocolate. However, take great care not to wet the chocolate, as water destroys its characteristics.

You can thin out chocolate by stirring in more fat with a clean and dry rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Here are several different methods for thinning out chocolate:

• Add canola oil to chopped chocolate before you melt it. The amount of oil depends on your desired consistency of the chocolate. For drizzling, add more canola oil. For dipping, add a little less.
• Add coconut oil to chocolate pieces before you melt them. If the flavor of coconut will benefit your recipes, you can use coconut oil to thin chocolate. Otherwise, opt for a more neutral-tasting oil.
• Add paramount crystals to a large amount of chocolate. Paramount crystals are chips of a few different types of oils that professional bakers use to thin melted chocolate for desserts. For every one cup of chocolate, add one teaspoon of paramount crystals to the melted chocolate.
• Grate solid cocoa butter into the melted chocolate. Once only a few lumps remain, mix in grated cocoa butter one tablespoon at a time, stirring between additions, until the chocolate is thin enough.
• Stir vegetable oil into melted chocolate. Vegetable oil is a neutral-tasting oil you can use to thin chocolate for drizzling or chocolate candy or to use as dipping chocolate.
• Stir vegetable shortening into melted chocolate. Make sure the shortening is first at room temperature, then incorporate a little shortening at a time so it melts evenly into the chocolate.

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