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The Healthy Chocolate Blog

Melting Chocolate in the Microwave

My first piece of advice would be, Don’t! It is very easy to Burn or over heat the chocolate whether dark, milk, semi-sweet, or white. Be very careful and attentive if you are melting chocolate in the microwave. If using chocolate chips, the chips retain their shape, even though soft and adequately melted. You can’t necessarily tell when they are melted, just by looking at them.

First chop the chocolate into fine bits.

With Butter:

If using melted butter or a liquid with the chocolate, then use the butter or liquid to help melt the chocolate. Avoid putting the chocolate in the microwave if you can.

If melting butter, place the butter in a glass bowl. (butter melts plastic and creates toxic by-products.) Cover with a plate, as butter can explosively splash when it is heated too much. Melt butter by heating for short periods of approximately 1 minute, then 30 seconds then 20 seconds. When melted Add chocolate and stir, until chocolate is just melted. If chocolate doesn’t melt completely, return to microwave for 10 – 15 seconds at a time until melted. It is important to check to see if the chocolate is adequately melted each time, so that the chocolate isn’t “cooked”.

With cream or other liquids:

Chop the chocolate and put in a glass (fats in the food melt plastic and creates toxic by-products.) or microwave safe container. Heat the liquid until no more than 115° F (46° C). Pour the liquid over the chopped chocolate and stir until melted. If chocolate doesn’t melt completely, return to microwave for 10 – 15 seconds at a time until melted. It is important to check to see if the chocolate is adequately melted each time, so that the chocolate isn’t “cooked.”

The temperature is important.  We want to retain as much of the healthful components of chocolate, so we don’t want to over heat it.  Also, we really  still don’t know if any or what subtle changes may occur from microwaving our food.  The jury is still out on that.

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