How to Make Chocolate Curls

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Chocolate curls dress up any dessert and turn it into a showstopper! And they really arenโ€™t hard to make! You just need two ingredients and a few tools and youโ€™ll be cranking them out in no time!

What I Love About Chocolate Curls

  • Beautiful: Chocolate curls are a great way to impress and elevate your desserts. Even the imperfect ones add texture and beauty!
  • Easy to make: Even though chocolate curls can seem intimidating, they really arenโ€™t hard to make and theyโ€™re quick!
  • Tasty: Who doesnโ€™t love chocolate? Itโ€™s always going to add something to both the look and the taste of a dessert to add these curls.

The โ€œTrickโ€

Itโ€™s quite simple really โ€“ the key to chocolate curls is having the chocolate at the right temperature. If the chocolate is too warm, it will just get pushed onto the scraper tool youโ€™re using. If itโ€™s too cold, it will flake or break into pieces. To be successful you have to be patient with it and take it in and out of the fridge as needed so that itโ€™s the right temperature to work with.

chocolate curls on a speckled plate

What Youโ€™ll Need

  • Semi-sweet chocolate: You could use chocolate chips or a baking bar, but Iโ€™d stick with semi-sweet chocolate for the amount of shortening used. Other chocolate types will be more or less firm, so the ratio of shortening will be off and so will your chocolate texture.
  • Shortening: Thereโ€™s only a little bit added to make the chocolate more curl-able. I prefer this over butter, since it stays firmer but still soft at room temperature.

How to Make Chocolate Curls

With a little time and patience, youโ€™ll have beautiful chocolate curls in no time! Refer to the recipe card below for the full instructions.

  • Melt the chocolate: Add the chocolate chips (or a chopped chocolate baking bar) and shortening to a bowl and microwave in 15 second increments, stirring between each increment, until itโ€™s melted and smooth.
  • Spread onto baking sheet: Spread the melted chocolate into a thin, even layer onto the back of a half sheet baking pan or large cookie sheet. The chocolate doesnโ€™t need to be real thick. Put the chocolate in the refrigerator until completely cooled and firm.
  • Create your curls: Once firm, remove the cookie sheet from the fridge and set it on the counter. Use a bench scraper (you could also use a metal spatula) to push forward on the chocolate and create a curl. You may have to test the chocolate every minute or two by trying to make a chocolate curl, until the temperature is right.
    • If the chocolate is flakey, itโ€™s still too cold. Let it sit for a minute and try again.
    • If it seems soft and wonโ€™t roll, itโ€™s too warm and needs to go back in the refrigerator. It should only be about 3-5 minutes before the chocolate is the right temperature again.

Desserts To Use Chocolate Curls For

While you can add chocolate curls to just about anything, here are a few desserts where theyโ€™d make sense and make a statement.

chocolate curls on top of triple chocolate mousse cake

How To Store Chocolate Curls

Once the chocolate curls are made, store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator to keep them cool and firm until ready to use. You can also freeze them, then thaw them in the fridge before using. Once they are on your dessert, they are fine at room temperature while the dessert is served.

Watch How To Make Them

Read Transcript

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chocolate curls on a speckled plate
Recipe

How to Make Chocolate Curls

  • Author: Lindsay Conchar
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 minute
  • Total Time: 11 minutes
  • Yield: About 1 cup of chocolate curls
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Microwave
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Chocolate curls dress up any dessert and turn it into a showstopper! And they really arenโ€™t hard to make! You just need two ingredients and a few tools and youโ€™ll be cranking them out in no time!


Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (85g) semisweet chocolate
  • 2 tsp shortening

Instructions

  1. To make the chocolate, add the chocolate chips and shortening to a bowl and microwave in 15 second increments, stirring between each increment, until itโ€™s melted and smooth.
  2. Spread the melted chocolate into an even layer onto the back of a half sheet baking pan or large cookie sheet. The chocolate doesnโ€™t need to be real thick, but shouldnโ€™t be super thin either. Put the chocolate in the refrigerator until completely cooled and firm.
  3. Once firm, remove the cookie sheet from the fridge and set it on the counter. Use a bench scraper (you could also use a metal spatula) to push forward on the chocolate and create a curl. Press the bench scraper forward at a 45 degree angle. You may have to test the chocolate every minute or two by trying to make a chocolate curl, until the temperature is right. If the chocolate is flakey, itโ€™s still too cold. If it seems soft and wonโ€™t roll, itโ€™s too warm and needs to go back in the refrigerator. It should only be about 3-5 minutes before the chocolate is the right temperature.
  4. Once the chocolate curls are made, store them in an air-tight container the refrigerator to keep them cool and firm until ready to use. Once they are on your dessert, they are fine at room temperature while the dessert is served.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 636
  • Sugar: 64 g
  • Sodium: 0.3 mg
  • Fat: 40.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 72 g
  • Protein: 8 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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26 Comments
  1. Donna

    I just wanted to thank you so much for this tutorial! I have tried to make curls so many times and finally I had success by following what you did. Yay!

  2. Cindy

    Great recipe, great tutorial with clear instructions- it was easy and fun! I used dark chocolate chips with 60% cacao and added pure orange extract for a great chocolate/orange flavor. It will be the perfect addition to my chocolate cake with orange frosting! Thank you Lindsay!

  3. Sherri Coldewe

    I am simply in love with your site. Spending WAY to much time here.
    You are unbelievably talented and should run a bakery school and of course, I wish you were in my town! Thank you for these beautiful picture and super great ideas! I just want to BAKE, BAKE AND BAKE!

  4. Dina

    Iโ€™m wondering if youโ€™ve ever tried using coconut oil instead of shortening. I think it would probably have the same properties but I thought Iโ€™d ask if youโ€™ve tried it. I donโ€™t usually have shortening on hand but I do have coconut oil. Thank you for such a beautiful website and such amazing recipes. You are so talented and inspiring!

    1. Lindsay

      Thanks so much Dina! I actually hadnโ€™t tried coconut oil before, but itโ€™d be worth a shot. Iโ€™m not sure that itโ€™s quite as firm at room temperature as shortening, but it might be fine.

    2. Lauren MaidenAery

      I HAVE mixed NON-DAIRY chocolate chips with coconut oil and made decorations before, the trouble is that as soon as they become room temperature, they start to melt. They are helpful for little people with constipation problems though.

    1. Lindsay

      I havenโ€™t tried it, so I canโ€™t say from personal experience. I think some people do use it, but it has a softer consistency at room temperature than shortening, so the curls might be a little more temperamental to work with.

      1. Brittany

        Perhaps lard might be a better alternative than butter in this case, then. I actually have some on hand after making tamales! What luck!
        By the way, Iโ€™m making your chocolate loverโ€™s cheesecake as I write & Iโ€™m so excited to try it tomorrow for my birthday! Thanks so much!

  5. Miss Pat'

    Merci beaucoup pour ce tuto trรจs claire afin dโ€™apprendre ร  rรฉaliser des โ€œcurlsโ€ au chocolat ! Bisous ! Je suis fidรจle ร  ton blog depuis quelques mois, et jโ€™en suis trรจs heureuse car tu mโ€™รฉpates avec tes beaux gรขteaux !

  6. Hinh Anh Dep

    I loved the chocolate it looks nice i fill like i what to eat it i made one of them on Sunday it was nice๏ปฟ

    1. Amanda K Bass

      Have you ever done this with milk chocolate? Or just dark chocolate? Iโ€™m having trouble and am wondering if itโ€™s because I used milk chocolate morselsโ€ฆ

      1. Lindsay

        Iโ€™ve only used semi sweet chocolate. The milk chocolate would definitely present a problem, as it has different amounts of milk fats, which make it creamier/softer.

  7. Linda

    Hi! I just wanted to say that I really love all your โ€˜how toโ€™ posts! I only found your blog recently, but my cakes are already that much prettier! Canโ€™t wait to read more!

Lindsay
About Lindsay

Iโ€™m the baker, recipe developer and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love sharing trusted recipes with helpful tips to give you great results.

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