How To Thin Melted Chocolate? 4+3 Simple Methods for You

Quick Answer : You can add butter, oil, Paramount Crystals, shortening, milk, and cream to the melted chocolate to thin it out.

For desserts and cakes, melted chocolate is used for decoration and adding richness to cakes.

But how to thin melted chocolate? Handling melted chocolate and the process of melting chocolate can be difficult as they can go wrong in many ways very quickly. Plus, it often goes wrong when chocolate melts but is still too thick for your bake.

However, there are several ways to thin out chocolate for drizzling, decorating, dipping, or using in a chocolate fountain. You don’t even have to start from scratch. 

What Does It Mean to Thin Chocolate?

When you thin chocolate, you can make it even thinner than typical melted chocolate by adding other ingredients such as oil, butter, shortening, and so on. Thinned chocolate is used in various ways, including to encase cake pops, decorate brownies, create a ganache, make hot chocolate, form chocolate bars, and cover pretzels or strawberries.

Depending on the fat level, some chocolates melt thinner than others. Compared to milk chocolate, dark chocolates melt much thinner. While white chocolate, which is mainly cocoa butter, melts the thinnest.

Chocolate quality affects how thin or thick it melts. Candy melts or other lower-end chocolates behave more like white chocolate. In contrast, high-end chocolate mostly contains higher quality fat. And fat helps to melt better.

Candy Melts vs Chocolate Melts

You may think candy melts and chocolate melts are the same. But they are not. Typically, candy melts aren’t chocolate most of the time or have little chocolate in them and are mostly used as a sweet confectionery coating.

On the other hand, chocolate melts have cocoa powder added to them. 

How to Thin Melted Chocolate?

This section will share a few ways to thin your chocolate perfectly. So, keep Scrolling.

1. Use Butter and Oil to Thin Melted Chocolate

Adding fat is the simplest and most effective way to thin your melted chocolate. You can use oil or butter for this purpose.

• To thin the chocolate melt, start with a little butter or oil and add more if needed. 
• If you want to use butter, melt the chocolate first, then add butter to it. Because it has a low smoking point and can burn if cooked very long.
• For oil, coconut and canola oil are the best options as they have a relatively high smoking point and won’t change the taste of your desserts. Also, coconut oil will add a beautiful texture to the melted chocolate.
• If you are using oil, to get the best result, you can add the oil to the chocolate before melting it.

2. Thinning Melted Chocolate Using Shortening

Using shortening yields better results than using butter. However, this is also an easy method for thinning melted chocolate.

• Melt the chocolate first and then add shortening to it.
• Start with a dollop of shortening and then add accordingly. There is no fixed amount because it depends on the amount of chocolate and your desired consistency.
• But you need to add more shortening than butter to make it work and to avoid thick and clumpy chocolate. 

3. Add Paramount Crystals to Thin Chocolate Melts

If you need to melt a lot of chocolate, you can use Paramount Crystals, composed of vegetable oils. Paramount Crystals are professional bakers’ favorite as they are equally easy and effective.

Here also, starting with a small amount and adding more if needed is better. For every cup of chocolate, add about 1 teaspoon of Paramount Crystals.

• Add them after melting your chocolate. It will help you to know whether you need more crystals.
• Keep melting and mixing till your desired consistency is achieved.

4. Thinning Melted Chocolate with Cream or Milk

Pouring in some warm milk to get a creamier textured melted chocolate can be a nice idea, but this method is a little bit challenging to get right on the first try. Because milk has relatively high water content, your chocolate will seize if you use it too much.  

• Start with melting the chocolates first.
• Before adding milk to the chocolate, heat it to about the same temperature as the melted chocolate so that the chocolate doesn’t seize.
• First, pour a cupful of milk. If needed, add more. Also, keep stirring.
• To get the richest result, go for whole milk.
• Using warm cream will also add a rich texture to the chocolate.

How to Avoid Thick Chocolate

Suppose you do the opposite of any of the following suggestions. In that case, it’s only normal for you to wonder why my chocolate isn’t melting. 

1. Melt Your Chocolate Slowly

• Never rush while melting your chocolate because overheating will make the chocolate very thick and difficult to work with.
• Melt the chocolate at medium heat slowly to get the perfect texture. Otherwise, you will be creating a mess.

2. Never Add Water to your Chocolate

• Using water to thin melted chocolate will result in the opposite effect. It will cause chocolate to seize into a lumpy paste. 
• Always use dry bowls and utensils during working with the chocolate.
• Again, never add water while trying to thin out the chocolate.

3. Avoid Using Cold Ingredients

• If you add cold oil or butter, you will have seized chocolate. Because when sugars cool too quickly, they clump together and detach from the fat resulting in a clumpy mess.
• It’s also possible for your chocolate to seize if you chill it too rapidly. So, before placing it in the fridge or freezer, let your chocolate cool to room temperature. Don’t pour it into a cold bowl.

Bonus: 

1. Choose the right chocolate for your melting purpose.
2. Use a stove instead of a bain-marie to melt chocolate perfectly. 

Related Article: How Long Does Chocolate Last?

How to Drizzle Chocolate?

Dip a fork or spoon into the melted chocolate bowl when you are done thinning melted chocolate. Raise the spoon and check that the chocolate flows evenly down the spoon. Now, drizzle the chocolate over the dessert by rapidly moving the spoon back and forth a few inches above it. Cover the dessert’s top, sides, and edges with your chocolate-dipped fork or spoon. You can re-dip if needed.

Or, 

You can pour the melted chocolate into a plastic piping bag and make a small hole for a more controlled drizzle. Then, gently squeeze the piping bag to drizzle the melted chocolate over your desserts. Do this fast to protect hot chocolate from chilling.