Irish Cream Chocolate Fondue Recipe

Chocolate fondue is a truly decadent treat that makes a fun and irresistible addition to any party. While it may sound out of reach for your culinary skills, you can easily make this sweet treat. Here, recipe creator Jessica Morone of Jess Loves Baking has made it ever so simple for you to whip up. Plus, she gives chocolate fondue a sweet Irish twist that's sure to set it above all the other confection bowls out there.

Fondue has a long history as a delicious and filling meal in Switzerland. That helped it gain mainstream popularity stateside in the second half of the 20th century, leading to plenty of restaurants serving fondue in the U.S. Traditionally, cheese was used as the main dipping element, resulting in one of the greatest and gooiest main courses. However, thanks to a savvy agent representing Toblerone chocolate (per The New York Times) and a Swiss chef in NYC (per European Cuisines), the sweet melted treat was created in New York in the 1960s.

And while chocolate undoubtedly makes a sultry snack or dessert, "the addition of the Irish cream to the chocolate gives it a delicious, complex flavor," explains Morone, making it that much more memorable.

Despite how fancy this dessert might appear to be, the ingredients are few and the recipe itself is actually rather brief. You'll need a small carton of heavy cream and a small bottle of Irish cream. "The special ingredient in this is the Irish cream," Morone explains. "And there is a good amount of Irish cream in this recipe so you can really taste the added flavor." 

You'll also need 12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate. Morone shares, "I prefer to use chocolate bars, because they are usually higher quality and just melt better than chocolate chips." However, she says you can use chocolate chips if that's what you have on hand. Finally, you can pick up whatever you want to use for dipping, such as assorted fruit, marshmallows, cake, or pretzels.

Start by combining the heavy cream and Irish cream in a medium saucepan, gently stirring with a spatula. Heat them on medium-low until the mixture starts to simmer. "When the cream mixture starts to simmer you will see a few bubbles rising to the top, but you don't want it to be full boil or anything," advises Morone. 

At this point, remove the pot from the heat. Morone points out, "You really just need the mixture to be hot enough to melt the chocolate."

Add the chocolate to the cream mixture — it should still be warm at this point. However, Morone notes, "If you find that it isn't hot enough or you let it sit too long [...] you can put it back on the stove on low heat to keep it warm."

If you are using chocolate bars, break them up before putting them into the pot. Then, stir until the chocolate is fully melted into the cream. It should only take a few minutes.

Once you have your chocolate and cream melted and combined, you're ready to serve. Transfer the mixture to a fondue pot to keep it warm and serve it with your dipping ingredients. Morone says any fondue pot will do.

"You can dip anything you like in the chocolate. Things like fruit, pound cake, brownies, pretzels, and marshmallows are pretty common. But it tastes good with pretty much anything!" Morone exclaims. Pass out the dipping utensils and enjoy this sweet treat.