On January first I made a half-baked resolution to spend less time on Instagram. It was a fleeting thought with no resolve, and thank goodness for that because it meant I got to see Diane Morissey make the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen on a Reel: potato chips dunked in dark chocolate. I love chocolate-covered anything as much as the next girl, but chocolate-covered potato chips are a dream.
How to Make Chocolate-Covered Potato Chips
The recipe for chocolate-covered potato chips is so simple. You only need two ingredients: baking chocolate and potato chips (preferably the ridged kind, like Ruffles). For an 8.5-ounce bag of potato chips, you’ll need about 10 ounces of chocolate. Melt the chocolate (more on that below), dunk the potato chips in the chocolate until completely coated, and let them cool on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet until the chocolate is set. Transfer the treats into lidded container for storage, but it’s best to eat them within a day. They’ll get soggy over time.
I Recommend Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Chocolate
I cover my potato chips with dark chocolate—bittersweet, semi-sweet, and milk chocolates are too sweet for me. Ever since I discovered Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Chocolate, I stopped buying baking chocolate anywhere else, so that’s what I use (and so does Diane). For $5.99 you can get a giant—one pound and almost two ounces—block of 72 percent cocoa dark chocolate that’s perfect for desserts and snacking. You won’t get quality baking chocolate for that price anywhere else.
I use a serrated knife to chop the chocolate, and try to get the chunks about the same size so that they melt quickly and evenly. Then I wrap any unused chocolate in a zip top bag, and keep it in my pantry where it’s dark, dry, and cool.
How to Melt Chocolate
Diane melts her chocolate on a double boiler—a bowl set over a pot of simmering water—which you can do too. Here’s a handy guide for how to melt chocolate on the stove top. I find it easier and faster to melt the chocolate in the microwave. Plus, you won’t end up with a pot to rinse out.
To melt chocolate in the microwave, place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it in 30-second intervals, stirring it well after each time until the chocolate is smooth and glossy. If your kitchen is really cold, the chocolate might get stiff while you coat the potato chips. When the chocolate starts looking clumpy and feeling thick, stick in back in the microwave for 20 seconds to melt it again.