Chilled Strawberries and Caramel
About this Chilled Strawberries and Caramel Recipe
This dreamy little dessert is my copycat version of something I was obsessed with in the mid-2000s at Rose Angelis in Chicago. It’s so simple—fresh chilled strawberries arranged over a shallow layer of homemade caramel, then drizzled with white and dark chocolate that hardens into the best chewy-crunchy shell. It tastes like a fancy chocolate-covered strawberry, but BETTER. The textures together? Unreal. The caramel? Life-changing.
It’s an easy make-ahead dessert that looks elegant, tastes incredible, and will absolutely blow people away.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
A dessert that feels fancy but is extremely simple.
Homemade caramel = unmatched flavor and texture.
Minimal ingredients, huge payoff.
Can be prepped in advance (caramel)
Perfect for Valentine’s Day, dinner parties, or honestly just Tuesday.
A fun twist on classic chocolate-covered strawberries.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Granulated sugar
Salted butter
Heavy cream
Fresh strawberries
White chocolate
Dark or milk chocolate
Coconut oil (optional, for smooth drizzling)
How to Make It
You’ll melt sugar into a deep amber caramel, whisk in butter and cream, then pour it into small bowls to chill until thick and chewy. Once cold, top with sliced strawberries. Melt white and dark chocolate separately, transfer to piping bags (or zip bags), drizzle over the strawberries, and chill until the chocolate hardens. Serve immediately for the perfect bite of chewy caramel, crisp chocolate, and juicy fruit.
Tips for Success
Don’t stop stirring the sugar—it can burn quickly.
Use a wooden spoon for the caramel (silicone may melt).
Let the caramel chill fully so the chocolate sets properly.
Add a touch of coconut oil to the chocolate for smoother drizzling.
Assemble right before serving so the strawberry juices don’t thin the caramel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the caramel ahead of time?
Yes! You can make the caramel 1–3 days ahead and keep it chilled until serving.
Can I use store-bought caramel?
You can, but the homemade version is much thicker + more delicious.
Do I have to use both chocolates?
No — you can use only dark, only white, or even milk chocolate.
How long will it keep?
Assembled desserts should be eaten immediately. Caramel by itself keeps 1–2 weeks in the fridge.
Can I serve this as one large dish instead of individual bowls?
Yes! Use a shallow pie plate or 8×8 dish and scoop like a dip.
What to Serve With This Dessert
Fresh whipped cream
Espresso or cappuccino
Chocolate-dipped pretzels
A scoop of vanilla or strawberry ice cream
More Recipes You’ll Love
Chilled Strawberries and Caramel Recipe
Ingredients
4-6 servings (depending on how much caramel you want per person)
2 cups granulated sugar
12 tablespoons salted butter
1 cup heavy cream
16-32 oz Fresh strawberries, cleaned, stems cut off, and sliced in half or into quarters
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1/3 white chocolate chips
2 teaspoons coconut oil
Instructions
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, add granulated sugar. Stir sugar constantly using a wooden spoon (I’ve used a heat resistant rubber spoon before and it melted). Eventually the sugar will start to get crumbly and then get a little juicy and start to melt. You’re just going to keep stirring until it’s completely melted and is an amber-brown color. Don’t let it burn!
Once you’ve got that nice amber-brown color and everything is melted (no clumps at all, just smooth sugar) then VERY CAREFULLY whisk in the butter. Once you do this, it’s going to be pretty reactive and bubbly, so be careful and keep whisking. Once the butter and sugar are totally combined and melted, remove from heat.
Slowly stir in the heavy cream while whisking constantly. The mixture is going to bubble aggressively again, so be careful. Return to low heat and continue stirring until everything is mixed together and smooth. Once everything is completely combined and you have a nice sauce, set aside to cool for 15 minutes and then pour into 4-6 shallow bowls. If you want more caramel per serving, pour into 4 bowls/ramekins. If you want a more reasonable amount of caramel per serving, divide it into 6 bowls/ramekins. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours (until cold).
Once the caramel is chilled, remove the ramekins/bowls from the fridge.
Take 2 small bowls and pour the white chocolate into one and the regular chocolate into the other. Microwave each bowl for 20-30 second increments, stirring in between. You can add a teaspoon of coconut oil to each bowl prior to microwaving, that helps it to become more pourable. Make sure you don’t overcook it. Pour each bowl into a ziplock bag and set aside.
Take your strawberries and place them in the bowl, stem-side down in an organized (or unorganized if that’s what you’re into) pattern. Then take the bags of chocolate and snip the tiniest little hole in the corner of one of the bags and drizzle over strawberries. Then repeat with the other bag. Place in fridge for 10-20 minutes then enjoy!
NOTE: This dish should only be put together right before you are going to eat it. You can prep the caramel multiple days in advance. But the strawberries shouldn’t be combined with the caramel until close to when you’re going to eat it because the juices will start to mix with the caramel and ruin all of the textures.
