There are indeed chocolate chips made with strawberry flavoring that can be used for baking cookies, cakes, muffins, and more. These chocolate chips deliver the taste of strawberries blended with creamy, smooth chocolate in every bite. They provide an unique way to incorporate fruity flavor into chocolate desserts and treats.
What are Strawberry Chocolate Chips?
Strawberry chocolate chips, also sometimes called strawberries and cream chocolate chips or strawberry flavored chocolate chips, are chocolate morsels that have been infused with natural and/or artificial strawberry flavor. This gives them a sweet, fruity taste reminiscent of fresh strawberries combined with rich chocolate.
They are made from the same ingredients as regular semi-sweet chocolate chips – cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, sugar, milk ingredients, etc. – but with strawberry flavor added. The strawberry taste often comes from dehydrated strawberry powder or an artificial strawberry flavor compound. The intensity of the strawberry flavor can range from mild to robust depending on the brand.
You can find strawberry chocolate chips sold in bags alongside regular chocolate chips in the baking aisle of many grocery stores. Popular national brands that make them include Nestle, Hershey’s, and Guittard. They may also be available from gourmet chocolate companies. The chips usually have a pinkish hue and may be colored naturally with berry powder or artificially with food dye.
How Are Strawberry Chocolate Chips Used?
Strawberry chocolate chips can be used as a substitute for regular chocolate chips in any recipe. The most common ways to use them are:
- Cookies – Add them to chocolate chip cookie dough for strawberry chocolate chip cookies.
- Muffins – Fold them into muffin batter for fruit-flavored chocolate muffins.
- Cakes – Add to cake batter and frosting to make strawberry chocolate layer cakes and cupcakes.
- Bread – Use them in sweet breads like banana bread, zucchini bread, etc.
- Trail Mix – Mix with dried fruit and nuts for a sweet and crunchy snack.
- Ice Cream – Mix into homemade or store-bought ice cream for strawberry chocolate chip ice cream.
- Dip – Melt and drizzle over fruit like strawberries and bananas.
- Fudge – Make strawberry chocolate fudge by melting the chips with cream and sugar.
Strawberry chocolate chips are a quick and easy way to infuse the flavor of fresh strawberries into baked goods and other treats. They add extra depth, fruitiness, and fun color to whatever you’re making. You can use them by themselves or combine them with regular chocolate chips. Be sure to store any unused strawberry chocolate chips sealed in an airtight container to preserve freshness.
What Brands Make Strawberry Chocolate Chips?
Here are some of the major brands that produce strawberry flavored chocolate chips:
| Brand | Details |
|---|---|
| Nestle Tollhouse | Make classic Morsels size strawberry chips. Sold in 10-12 oz bags. |
| Hershey’s | Offer Kisses size Strawberries & Creme chips. Available in 11 oz bags. |
| Ghirardelli | Produce premium baking chips in strawberry. Sold in 10 oz bags. |
| Guittard | Make gourmet Strawberry Alpine Style chips. Available in 11 oz bags. |
There are also store brand and smaller specialty chocolate companies that offer strawberry flavored chips. The selection may vary by geographic area and retailer. Your local grocery store likely carries at least one mainstream brand option like Nestle or Hershey’s.
Pros and Cons of Strawberry Chocolate Chips
Here is a quick overview of some of the key pros and cons to consider when using strawberry chocolate chips:
Pros:
- Fun, unique flavor combination of strawberry and chocolate
- Easy to swap into recipes in place of regular chocolate chips
- Can add fruitiness and color to baked goods
- Convenient pre-made ingredient for baking
- Allow you to make strawberry flavored treats without using fresh fruit
Cons:
- Artificial strawberry flavor may have chemical aftertaste
- May be more expensive than regular chocolate chips
- Not always easy to find; limited availability in some areas
- Chocolate may overpower subtle strawberry flavor
- Color can fade and bleed in some recipes
Overall strawberry chocolate chips add a fun twist to traditional chocolate chip treats. Just keep in mind they work best when you want just a light fruit essence. In recipes where you really want the strawberry to shine, using real berry puree is a better option.
Ingredient Spotlight: Dehydrated Strawberry Powder
One of the key ingredients used to naturally flavor strawberry chocolate chips is dehydrated strawberry powder. This is made by taking fresh, ripe strawberries, pureeing them, and then dehydrating the puree into a fine pink or red powder.
Dehydrated strawberry powder condenses the taste of real berries into an easy to use concentrated form. Just a small amount mixed into chocolate provides vibrant, authentic strawberry flavor. Using fruit powders helps keep strawberry chocolate chips free from artificial flavors and synthetic chemical dyes.
Some benefits of dehydrated strawberry powder include:
- Made from real fruit – provides natural flavor
- Long shelf life and easy to store
- Adds color along with flavor
- More convenient than fresh strawberries
- Can be blended to adjust flavor strength
Look for strawberry chocolate chips that list dried or dehydrated strawberry powder in the ingredients for the most natural and true fruit taste. Powders maintain more flavor than strawberry juice concentrates which can taste artificial.
How to Make Your Own Strawberry Chocolate Chips
It’s possible to easily make DIY strawberry chocolate chips at home with just a few ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 12 oz white chocolate chips
- 2 Tbsp dried strawberry powder
- Pink food coloring (optional)
Instructions:
- Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring between each until smooth.
- Stir in strawberry powder until fully incorporated.
- Add a drop or two of pink food coloring if you want a more vibrant hue.
- Pour mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Freeze for 30-60 minutes until hardened.
- Break into pieces and enjoy in baking recipes.
You can adjust the amount of strawberry powder to your desired taste. Use more for intense flavor or less for just a light fruity essence. For best results, look for freeze dried strawberry powder which dissolves easier than dehydrated forms.
Conclusion
Strawberry chocolate chips are a fun twist on traditional chocolate morsels. They incorporate the sweet tanginess of ripe strawberries into creamy chocolate for a unique flavor combination. Major brands like Nestle, Hershey’s, and Guittard all produce versions that you can swap into cookies, cakes, muffins, and more. Or try your hand at whipping up homemade strawberry chips using dried berry powder. Either way, they deliver a delicious fruity flavor that puts a new spin on classic chocolate chip treats.