Crockpot Chocolate Fondue

Crockpot Chocolate Fondue couldn’t be easier when it’s made in the slow cooker with just two ingredients! Evaporated milk and chocolate chips make a great sauce for fruit and poundcake.

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Chocolate fondue is one of the easiest things in the world to make. And it feels so special and fancy! Throw in the fact that the ingredients are fairly inexpensive, and you’ve got a dessert to please the masses.

How is it easy? I let my small size crockpot do the work. Right before dinner, I toss in the ingredients and let the slow cooker do its magic. By the time, we’ve finished the main meal and cleared the table, the fondue is ready to serve.

How is it fancy? Well, it just is! Chocolate makes anything feel special. When you supply a variety of dippers such as poundcake and fresh fruit, it appears like you put a lot of work into something that is really quite simple.

How is it inexpensive? The fondue itself is composed of chocolate chips and evaporated milk, both ingredients that often go on great sales. In the last year I’ve purchased chocolate chips as low as $.77 a package and I’ve bought the milk for “free” after redeeming a coupon. Finally pair it with seasonal fresh fruit and some sturdy poundcake for a delicious and easy dessert.

Crockpot Chocolate Fondue

Interestingly enough, while cheese fondue is a Swiss creation, chocolate fondue actually originated in the US in the 60s. Typically prepared in a double boiler and kept warm in your traditional fondue pot, the dish is super simple and much more party-friendly to create in a slow cooker.

While we do own a fondue pot, I find that it’s just easier to make Crockpot Chocolate Fondue. 

Ingredients for this crockpot chocolate fondue

• Chocolate chips – You will need a 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips. You can use semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips. Or vegan chocolate chips if needed.
• Evaporated milk – You will need a 12-ounce can of evaporated milk. You can also substitute coconut milk if making a vegan version. There are lots of good uses for evaporated milk.
• Dippers – This is where the fun comes in! I like to cut up pound cake into strips and cut up fresh fruit, such as, strawberries, pineapple, apple slices, and fresh bananas. Madeleines are also good for dipping.

To make this vegan or dairy-free: Use a 12-ounce package of dairy-free chocolate chips (there are lots of brands available these days) as well as a non-dairy milk, such as coconut, almond, or soy.

How do you make this chocolate fondue in your crockpot?

This recipe couldn’t be easier! You can easily make in this just three simple steps:

• Combine the chocolate and milk. Combine the chocolate chips and ⅔ cup evaporated milk in a small crockpot. Set to low and allow to cook for at least 25 minutes on high or up to 1-2 hours on low.
• Stir until the chocolate is well blended. Thin with additional evaporated milk as necessary.
• Enjoy! Serve the melted chocolate sauce with the fruit and cake dippers.

What is the best chocolate to use in this fondue?

I recommend using a semi-sweet or dark chocolate. But milk chocolate is also wonderful. You can also mix up the ratios. Try using half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate if you would like. 

Mix it up!

Want to make a fun variation beyond just chocolate? Try adding any of the following for a fun twist on the classic chocolate fondue during the stirring step.

• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup Nutella
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon 
• ¼ cup Toffee bits
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 tablespoons kirsch, brandy, or cointreau (this is more traditional for chocolate fondue)

What do you like to dip?

We used pound cake and fresh fruit but there are so many other wonderful things you can use to dip into the fondue.

• Potato chips and pretzels – Want something salty? Then potato chips and pretzels would be delicious.
• Marshmallows – Large marshmallows are a wonderful dipper!
• Rice Krispie treats – You can make your own or cut up pre-made squares and dip those into the fondue.
• Bacon – Yes cooked bacon! Here is an easy way to Bake Bacon in the Oven.
• Crackers – Sweet or savory. Graham crackers are fantastic. Ritz crackers are another great salty option for dipping. 
• Cookies – Think chocolate chip cookies, Oreos, peanut butter cookies – whatever your favorite is!
• Brownies – Make homemade cocoa brownies cut into chunks. Chocolate lovers would be in heaven.
• Donut holes – How fun would these be for dipping? Different flavors – powdered sugar, cinnamon, glazed – all wonderful!

Can I make this vegan chocolate fondue?

Absolutely you can! What you see pictured is actually the vegan version so that my daughter could enjoy it with the rest of the family.

Simply swap out the evaporated milk and use coconut milk instead. And be sure to use vegan or dairy-free chocolate chips. You would serve this without the poundcake, but any vegan cookie or cake can be substituted. Serve just the fruit for a simple vegan and gluten-free dessert anyone (vegan or not!) would love.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes you can! In fact, I would recommend doing so. At least at my house. One batch doesn’t feed us all!  If you’ve got a larger-than-average family or company is coming over definitely make a double batch.

But want to indulge this decadent dish all by yourself? Make my Chocolate Fondue for One instead.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

I love being able to make a recipe ahead of time and having it ready for me when the time calls for it! Especially when hosting. So much less stress. Am I right?

You can prepare this in your crockpot, and then let it sit on the warm setting for several hours. Keep in mind that it will thicken the longer it cooks and you will need to add more evaporated milk to thin it.

Or can make this 3-4 days ahead of time and store, covered, in the refrigerator. You will just need to warm it up again before serving.

How do I reheat chocolate fondue?

If you do make it in advance, you can reheat this in the microwave on 50% on power. Microwave in small intervals and stir in between. 

Or you can reheat in your slow cooker on low setting and stirring frequently until warmed through. Once it’s warm, turn your crockpot to the warm setting.

What can I do with leftovers?

You know I’m all about using up my leftovers and not letting food go to waste. Here are a few ideas for you to use up this leftover crockpot chocolate fondue. 

• Ice-cream topping – Try drizzling some over a bowl of ice-cream. You may need to add a little heavy cream to it if it needs to be thinned out.
• Drizzle over a cake. This would make a delicious icing for a cake. 
• Stir into a hot chocolate. Make it yourself with this easy recipe on How to Make Hot Cocoa from Scratch.
• Make truffles! Allow the chocolate to cool. Scoop the mixture into ball shapes and roll in cocoa powder. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

This post was originally published on July 11, 2009. It has been updated for content and clarity.