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Chocolate curls dress up any dessert and turn it into a showstopper! And they really arenโt hard to make! You just need two ingredients and a few tools and youโll 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 arenโt hard to make and theyโre quick!
- Tasty: Who doesnโt love chocolate? Itโs always going to add something to both the look and the taste of a dessert to add these curls.
The โTrickโ
Itโs 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 youโre using. If itโs 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 itโs the right temperature to work with.
What Youโll Need
- Semi-sweet chocolate: You could use chocolate chips or a baking bar, but Iโd 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: Thereโs 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, youโll 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 itโs 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 doesnโt 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, itโs still too cold. Let it sit for a minute and try again.
- If it seems soft and wonโt roll, itโs 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 theyโd make sense and make a statement.
- French Silk Pie
- Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Chocolate Cheesecake
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Oreo Cheesecake
- Chocolate Layer Cake
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Black Forrest Cheesecake
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
PrintHow to Make Chocolate Curls
- 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 arenโt hard to make! You just need two ingredients and a few tools and youโll be cranking them out in no time!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (85g) semisweet chocolate
- 2 tsp shortening
Instructions
- To make the chocolate, add the chocolate chips and shortening to a bowl and microwave in 15 second increments, stirring between each increment, until itโs melted and smooth.
- Spread the melted chocolate into an even layer onto the back of a half sheet baking pan or large cookie sheet. The chocolate doesnโt need to be real thick, but shouldnโt be super thin either. Put the chocolate in the refrigerator until completely cooled and firm.
- 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, itโs still too cold. If it seems soft and wonโt roll, itโs 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.
- 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
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!
Awesome! So glad it was helpful!
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!
Awesome! Glad it was helpful!
Do you have a recipe for this cake?
Yes, this is my Chocolate Loverโs Cheesecake. ๐
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!
Thank you! Iโm glad you enjoy the site and love to bake!
Thank you so much Sherri! Iโm so glad to hear youโre enjoying everything! ๐
Iโm wondering if youโve ever tried using coconut oil instead of shortening. I think it would probably have the same properties but I thought Iโd ask if youโve tried it. I donโt 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!
Thanks so much Dina! I actually hadnโt tried coconut oil before, but itโd be worth a shot. Iโm not sure that itโs quite as firm at room temperature as shortening, but it might be fine.
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.
Could you use butter instead of shortening? Thanks!
I havenโt tried it, so I canโt 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.
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, Iโm making your chocolate loverโs cheesecake as I write & Iโm so excited to try it tomorrow for my birthday! Thanks so much!
What brand of vegetable shortening do you use for this recipe?
I usually use Crisco.
Merci beaucoup pour ce tuto trรจs claire afin dโapprendre ร rรฉaliser des โcurlsโ au chocolat ! Bisous ! Je suis fidรจle ร ton blog depuis quelques mois, et jโen suis trรจs heureuse car tu mโรฉpates avec tes beaux gรขteaux !
Thank you so much!
Thank you for the video; it looks easy enough to do.
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
Have you ever done this with milk chocolate? Or just dark chocolate? Iโm having trouble and am wondering if itโs because I used milk chocolate morselsโฆ
Iโve 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.
Great videoโฆ.you make it look really easy!!
Hi! I just wanted to say that I really love all your โhow toโ posts! I only found your blog recently, but my cakes are already that much prettier! Canโt wait to read more!
So glad to hear it! Thanks Linda! ๐