Snacks and treats over the fire
Desserts and sweet treats cooked straight in the embers – what the kids remember from the campfire.
See the sweet recipesChocolate fondue over an open fire – fruit, marshmallows and warm chocolate
Warm chocolate in a water bath and everything you can dip
- 4 servings
- Time: 10 min + 10 min over the embers
- Difficulty: Easy
- 8 ingredients
- 8 steps
Chocolate fondue over an open fire is one of the cosiest desserts you can make outdoors. A pan of warm chocolate in the middle of the table, skewers of fruit and marshmallows, and kids dipping for as long as there's anything left. It's simple, but there's a trap: chocolate burns easily and can split if it gets too much heat directly from the embers.
The solution is a water bath – a smaller pan inside a larger one with hot water – and taking the pan off the embers as soon as the chocolate has melted. Then the fondue stays glossy and smooth all evening. The fondue is a calmer cousin of s'mores and goes nicely with them.
Method
- Cut the fruit into pieces and thread it onto skewers or put it in a bowl.
- Let the fire burn down to an even, calm bed of embers.
- Fill the larger pan a third full with water and set it on the grate. Let the water get hot but not boil hard.
- Pour the cream into the smaller pan and set it in the water bath. Heat the cream until it steams.
- Break the chocolate into pieces and stir it into the cream. Stir slowly until it has melted completely.
- Season with a pinch of salt and vanilla sugar.
- Lift the water bath from the embers to the edge of the fireplace, where the fondue stays warm without getting too hot.
- Dip fruit, marshmallows and biscuits – and warm the fondue briefly over the embers again if it thickens.
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No spare pan: heat the cream gently in the pan well away from the embers, take it off the heat and stir in the chocolate there.
Tips for a glossy fondue
- Cream first, chocolate second. Warm cream melts the chocolate gently – chocolate placed straight on the heat burns.
- No water in the chocolate. A drop of water can make it seize and turn grainy. Dry the spoon.
- Keep it lukewarm. The fondue should be warm, not boiling. The edge of the fireplace is perfect.
- Getting thick? Stir in a splash of cream and warm it gently again.
Chocolate fondue with kids
Let the kids cut soft fruit with a table knife and thread their own skewers. Warm chocolate can burn, so let the fondue cool for a minute before the youngest start dipping, and place the pan firmly on a table or a stone – not over the embers. More advice on safety around the fire can be found in cooking with children over a fire.
Vary the fondue
- Milk chocolate and coconut: melt milk chocolate with a dollop of coconut cream for a milder fondue the kids love.
- Orange: grate a little orange zest into the cream – perfect with dark chocolate.
- Toffee: stir a few toffees in with the chocolate for a chewy, sweet fondue.
- For adults: a splash of liqueur, for example orange liqueur, is stirred in after the kids have had theirs.
- As a hot drink: pour what's left into hot milk the next day, like hot chocolate after the slopes.
Common mistakes
- The chocolate is placed directly over the embers – it burns and turns grainy.
- Water gets into the chocolate – it seizes and splits.
- The fondue is kept too hot all evening – it burns on the bottom.
- Too little cream – the fondue is too thick to dip in.
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All recipes →Frequently asked questions
Can you make chocolate fondue without cream?
Yes, with milk or oat drink, but the fondue is thinner and splits more easily. Use a little less liquid and heat extra gently.
Which chocolate is best for fondue?
Dark chocolate with 50–70% cocoa gives a rich flavour adults like. Milk chocolate is sweeter and more popular with kids. Feel free to mix both.
How do you keep chocolate fondue warm outdoors?
Leave the pan in the water bath at the edge of the fireplace. It's warm enough there for the fondue to stay runny without burning.
What can you dip in chocolate fondue?
Strawberries, banana, apple and pear are the classics. Marshmallows, biscuits, almond tarts and pieces of freshly baked bread also work well.
Want more sweet things by the fire? Try banana in foil with chocolate, fire-baked cinnamon buns in a pan or browse snacks and treats over the fire.
More guides and recipes to read
More sweet treats by the fire