These easy instructions for tempering chocolate will help you melt chocolate the ideal way, so that it dries quickly, with a perfectly shiny finish and snappy texture. There’s no need to deal with the hassle of a double boiler either; you can temper chocolate in the microwave in just a few short minutes!
If you’ve ever made truffles or a chocolate-dipped dessert, there’s a good chance you’ve come across the term “tempered chocolate”. But how do you temper chocolate, and why is it necessary? It all comes down to the science behind melting chocolate.
What is Tempered Chocolate?
Chocolate is made of cocoa butter, with can crystallize into one of 6 different formations when heated and cooled. Cocoa butter molecules that have stacked into form V crystals (also known as beta crystals) give chocolate its glossy finish and signature snap when you bite into it.
Tempering chocolate is the process of heating and cooling it in such a way as to encourage the creation of these form V crystals. When chocolate has been melted but not tempered, it tends to stay fairly soft at room temperature and dry with a dull, sometimes streaky appearance.
Jump to:
- What is Tempered Chocolate?
- The Difference Between Melting Chocolate and Tempering Chocolate
- What You’ll Need
- How to Temper Chocolate in the Microwave
- Troubleshooting
- Alternative Tempering Method
- Storing Tempered Chocolate
- Temperatures for Tempering Chocolate
- FAQs
- Recipes That Use Tempered Chocolate
- Recipe Card
- 💬 Comments and Reviews
The Difference Between Melting Chocolate and Tempering Chocolate
Tempering chocolate involves melting chocolate, but takes it a step further. When you heat chocolate beyond a certain temperature, the existing crystalline structure is destroyed. Bringing the chocolate back in temper requires cooling it down enough for the cocoa butter crystals to reform, all while keeping the chocolate in a melted state. We’ll do this using a process called the seeding method.
The trick behind this method is that already tempered chocolate can act as a “seed” for creating those form V crystals. By adding a small amount of tempered chocolate to the melted chocolate as it cools, you can actually promote the correct crystal structure.
What You’ll Need
First things first; you’ll need the right kind of chocolate. Any good quality chocolate bar should do, assuming it’s been stored properly and hasn’t bloomed (which is when you start to see lighter-colored streaks across the surface). I tend to use Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Chocolate. If you want to use milk or white chocolate, you can, but keep in mind that they require different temperatures for melting and cooling.
Couverture chocolate could be considered the best chocolate for tempering since it contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter. Stay away from chocolate candy melts - which are made with vegetable oils and aren’t real chocolate - and chocolate chips, which contain additional ingredients to help them hold their shape when exposed to heat.
In my experience, the microwave method is the easy way to temper chocolate. It’s less messy than other methods and tends to have a pretty high success rate. In addition to a microwave, you’ll need a serrated knife (for chopping the chocolate into small pieces), a microwave-safe bowl, a rubber spatula, and a good thermometer. A basic candy thermometer will work, although I like to use an all-purpose digital thermometer for simplicity’s sake.
How to Temper Chocolate in the Microwave
To start, you’ll need to finely chop your chocolate. I recommend working with at least 12 ounces, since it can be difficult to get the right temperature when using a smaller amount.
Add about two-thirds of the chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir with the spatula and continue to microwave for additional 15-20 second bursts, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted and reached a temperature somewhere between 114ºF and 120ºF. I like to decrease my microwave time to 5-10 second spurts as the temperature of the chocolate nears this range to avoid overheating it.
Chocolate Melting Tip!
When melting chocolate (in the microwave or otherwise!), always be careful to keep it away from any and all moisture. Even a drop of water can cause melted chocolate to seize, turning it thick and clumpy instead of silky-smooth.
Now that the chocolate has melted and the existing crystals have broken down, we need to reintroduce new crystals - specifically, form V crystals. To do this, add some of the remaining chocolate a small amount at a time, stirring it in until it’s melted.
Continue in this manner, adding more seed chocolate, stirring continuously, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go, until the chocolate has cooled to 88ºF-90ºF. At this point, the chocolate should be in temper and ready to use.
A good way to test this is to drizzle or smear a small amount of the melted chocolate onto a piece of parchment paper. If it sets within a few minutes and has a subtle sheen, you’ve tempered the chocolate successfully!
To keep the chocolate at working temperature, you can set the bowl on top of a heating pad set on low heat while you work with it. This can be helpful if you’re using the chocolate for dipping. If the chocolate drops below working temperature, reheat it in the microwave in very small increments until it reaches 88ºF- 90ºF once again.
Troubleshooting
If you’ve followed the steps above and your chocolate still doesn’t appear to be in temper, don’t give up! Keep stirring it until the chocolate cools to 84ºF; at this point, enough form V crystals should have formed.
You can then carefully reheat the chocolate back up to working temperature (88ºF-90ºF), making sure it doesn’t exceed 90ºF.
Alternative Tempering Method
If you’re starting with chocolate that’s already in temper, another option is to melt it very carefully so as to avoid taking it out of temper in the first place. In order to do this, you must avoid letting the chocolate go over 90ºF, which means you’ll need to heat it in very short increments, stirring and checking the temperature consistently.
If you can manage to melt it smoothly while keeping the temperature under 91ºF, your chocolate should still be in temper.
Storing Tempered Chocolate
If you temper more chocolate than you need for a recipe, you can easily save the extra for later by pouring it into a mold or spreading it out in a thin layer across a sheet of parchment paper. Once the chocolate has set, place it in an airtight, zip-top bag and store it in a cool, dry place. You can use it again for any recipe that calls for pure chocolate!
Temperatures for Tempering Chocolate
The temperatures mentioned above are specifically for tempering dark chocolate. To temper milk or white chocolate, refer to the temperature chart below:
| Type of Chocolate | Melting Temperature | Crystallization Temperature | Working Temperature |
| Dark Chocolate | 114ºF - 120ºF | 80ºF - 84ºF | 88ºF - 90ºF |
| Milk Chocolate | 104ºF - 113ºF | 79ºF - 80ºF | 84ºF - 86°F |
| White Chocolate | 100ºF - 110ºF | 77ºF - 78ºF | 82ºF - 84°F |
FAQs
Chocolate tempering is generally required (or at least highly encouraged) when you’re using it for things like dipping biscotti, drizzling on florentines , or candy-making, including any instance where you’re using a chocolate mold. These are all applications where you need the chocolate to set firmly, stay solid at room temperature, and maintain a sleek, shiny appearance.
You don’t need to temper chocolate to use it in a batter, frosting, pudding, mousse, or chocolate ganache.
A microwave-safe ceramic or glass bowl will work best for this method. I do not recommend using a plastic bowl.
Tempered chocolate sets within a few minutes, has a glossy, streak-free finish, and breaks with a clean snap. Chocolate that’s out of temper can look dull, streaky, or mottled, melts easily when touched, and doesn’t hold its shape well at room temperature.
Chocolate should be stored in a cool, dry place - not the refrigerator! - ideally between 65ºF-68ºF. Storing it at a higher temperature or exposing it to moisture can cause it to bloom, which is when you’ll see white or light brown streaks across the surface.
While there isn’t a substitute for tempering chocolate, there are a few ways to maintain chocolate’s shine once it's melted. One option is to add a small amount of coconut oil to your chocolate before you melt it - about 1 teaspoon per 6 ounces of chocolate is a good place to start. If you’re making a chocolate glaze, try adding 1 tablespoon of corn syrup for each cup of chocolate.
Recipes That Use Tempered Chocolate
Here are a few of my favorite recipes that use tempered chocolate for dipping or drizzling.
Recipe Card
How to Temper Chocolate in the Microwave
Learn how to temper chocolate the easy way, in the microwave! Tempered chocolate dries in minutes with a shiny finish and snappy texture, making it perfect for dipping, drizzling, and candy making!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 ounces tempered chocolate 1x
- Category: how-to
- Method: microwave
Ingredients
- 12+ ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions
- Place about ⅔ of the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, setting aside the remaining ⅓ to use as seed.
- Warm the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and continue to melt another 15-20 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted and reached a temperature between 114ºF-120ºF. As the chocolate nears this temperature, it helps to decrease the microwave time to shorter bursts (5-10 seconds).
- Add the reserved seed chocolate a bit at a time, stirring vigorously until all of the seed has melted before adding more, wiping down the sides of bowl often as you stir. Continue until the chocolate has cooled to 88ºF- 90ºF. At this point, the chocolate should be in temper and ready to use. A good way to test this is to drizzle it on a piece of parchment; it should set within a few minutes and have a shiny finish.
- To keep the chocolate at working temperature, you can set the bowl on top of a heating pad at low heat while you work. If the chocolate drops below 88ºF, reheat in the microwave in very small increments until it reaches 88ºF- 9oºF again.
Notes
Best Chocolate to Use for Tempering:
- Use good quality chocolate for tempering, not chocolate chips or candy coating. If using chocolate that has bloomed (white or light-colored streaks will have formed across the surface), you must cool the chocolate to 84ºF before raising it back up to working temperature. See "Troubleshooting" below for more information.
- Tempering temperatures differ for white and milk chocolate. See the temperature chart in the post above for details.
Storing Tempered Chocolate:
- If you temper more chocolate than you need, pour the remainder into a chocolate mold or spread it out in a thin layer across a sheet of parchment paper. Once set, place it in an airtight, zip-top bag and store in a cool, dry place.
Troubleshooting:
- If you've followed the instructions above and your chocolate does not appear to be tempered, continue to stir it until it cools to 84ºF. Then, reheat it in the microwave in very short increments to bring it back up to working temperature (88ºF - 90ºF). Lowering the temperature in this manner will increase the formation of good beta crystals that keep chocolate in temper.
Have you made this recipe?
If so, I'd love to hear your feedback; you can leave a rating and review in the comments section below! It's also so helpful if you help spread the word by sharing this post on your favorite social media channel. If you happen to snap a photo of what you've baked, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me (@brighteyedbaker) so I can give you a shoutout!
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Pauline
I always have a hard time measuring the temperature of the goodies I bake (or cook). Most of the time, I just guess (based on my own instincts lol) the temperature.
Megan Filzen
I would love to make carmel!
Melissa Stover
I would use this for making home made Christmas candy, Caramels, and even for my Meats :) Thanks
kyl neusch
use for meat
Salman K
Really need for make sure my meat is cooked already :)
Debbie Shirley
Every Christmas I make chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge and candies to give as gifts; and each year I break at least one candy thermometer, which requires me to throw out a whole batch. I would love to avoid waste and complete my tasty goodies more effieciently with a Therapen!
alexandra
Haha after my first candy thermometer started failing on me I switched to the Thermapen. Best decision ever :)