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How to Make Edible Chocolate Leaves with a Video Tutorial

Follow these easy steps to make edible chocolate leaves that can garnish any autumn dessert. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine Baking
Keyword chocolate, chocolate leaves, fall desserts
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Materials Needed to Make Edible Chocolate Leaves

  • chocolate candy melts
  • leaves cleaned and dried - not dried in the sense of dead and brittle - just no longer wet. I used dahlia leaves.
  • edible shimmer luster dust - I used gold orange, yellow and brown.
  • clean brush
  • parchment paper or silicone baking mat
  • jelly roll pan or baking sheet

Instructions

How do you make decorative chocolate leaves?

  • Brace yourselves for the ease of this. There is a video tutorial at the end of this post for all of you visual learners.
  • Go on a walk. You can have some alone time or take your kids with you so they can join in on the fun.
  • Pick off some tree leaves that look interesting for the dessert design you have in mind. You are probably looking for tips to find the perfect leaves. I chose dahlia leaves because I loved the serrated look of the edges. You want leaves that have a lot of vein variation on the back. Look for leaves that are not too thin or brittle. Durability is important. The leaf will need to hold shape under the chocolate. Glossy leaves with great veins are great!
  • Once you have chosen your leaves, go wash them in soapy water. Dry them completely, but do not let them dry out or become brittle. It is important that no water remains on that as water and chocolate are bitter enemies.
  • Put a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. This is only for easy transfer and clean up. Once dry, place leaves upside down on parchment paper.
  • Time to melt your chocolate candy melts. Follow the bag instructions. Basically, you put them in the microwave for one minute at 50% power. Stir. Continue this process in 30 second increments until totally melted. I always stop when I see only a few chunks remaining. I then stir to incorporate those. You do not want to over-heat chocolate.
  • For the amount of leaves you see on my parchment sheet I heated up half a bag of candy melts and didn't need that much at all.
  • Time to paint a generous amount of chocolate on each leaf with a clean brush. Paint to the edge and cover the leaf completely. You don't want the chocolate crazy thick, but you don't want it too thin either because it will break.
  • Once all the leaves are all painted, put the chocolates leaves in the refrigerator for a short time. It doesn't take long at all to get them to set.
  • Once chilled carefully pull the leaf away from the chocolate for your wow moment.
  • The next step is to apply some edible shimmer luster dust. I used orange, yellow, brown and gold to complete the look.