How to Melt Chocolate in the Microwave or on the Hob: A UK Guide
How do you melt chocolate? Chop it into even pieces and melt it gently in a dry bowl: in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between each, or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water. Stop while a few lumps remain and stir until smooth. Keep water out, and aim for about 40–45°C; that's how to melt chocolate without burning it.
At a glance
- 40–45°Cthe ideal range for melting chocolate
- ~34°Cwhen the stable crystals in set chocolate melt
- 20–30 secmicrowave bursts, with a stir after each one
- ½ tspof water was enough to seize 57g of chocolate in King Arthur's test
On this page
Melted chocolate turns up in half our bakes, from brownie batters to bark and ganache. It goes wrong in two ways: too much heat and it scorches into a thick, dull paste; a splash of water and it seizes into grainy lumps. Here's how to avoid both, and when you actually need to temper.
How to melt chocolate: the quick method
Every method works on the same principle: gentle, even heat and a completely dry bowl. Chocolate is mostly cocoa butter, cocoa solids and sugar (or a sweetener). Cocoa butter starts to soften at around 32°C and melts fully a few degrees above that, so you need surprisingly little heat. Wikipedia's chocolate chip article puts the sweet spot for melting at 40–45°C.
- Chop it evenly. Break bars into small, similar-sized pieces so they melt at the same rate. BBC Good Food notes that chefs often prefer small, uniform chocolate drops for exactly this reason.
- Use a dry, heatproof bowl and spoon. Any water, even steam, can make chocolate seize.
- Heat gently and stir often. Use short microwave bursts or a bowl over barely simmering water.
- Stop early. Take it off the heat while a few small lumps remain, then stir; the warmth in the bowl melts the rest.
| Method | Time* | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Microwave | About 1½ min | Hot spots; stir every burst |
| Bowl over water | 5–6 min | Steam and splashes |
| Pan on low heat | 2½–3½ min | Scorching on the base |
*King Arthur Baking's test times for 85g (3oz) of chopped dark chocolate; BBC Good Food gives 4–5 minutes over water. Larger amounts take longer.
How to melt chocolate in the microwave
Can you melt chocolate in the microwave? Yes, and it's often the quickest, tidiest option. In King Arthur Baking's side-by-side test of five methods, the microwave came out top: smooth, even chocolate in about 90 seconds and only one bowl to wash.
- Put the chopped chocolate in a dry, microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat for 20–30 seconds, then take it out and stir, even if it hardly looks melted. Chocolate can hold its shape while the inside is already soft.
- Carry on in shorter bursts. BBC Good Food drops to 5-second bursts once it starts to melt, checking and stirring each time.
- Stop when it's mostly melted with a few small lumps, and stir until smooth.
Microwaves heat unevenly and vary in power, so stirring matters more than timing. Use shorter bursts throughout for milk and white chocolate.
How to melt chocolate on the hob
The traditional method is a bain-marie (also called a double boiler): a heatproof bowl set over a pan of hot water. If a US recipe tells you how to melt chocolate on the stove, this is usually what it means. BBC Good Food finds it the most reliable and controlled option.
- Pour about 4cm of water into a medium saucepan and bring it to a very gentle simmer.
- Sit a heatproof bowl on top so it fits snugly but doesn't touch the water.
- Turn the heat down low, add the chopped chocolate and stir regularly for 4–5 minutes as it melts.
- Lift the bowl off carefully, wipe the base dry so no drips fall into the chocolate, and let it cool a little before using.
Keep the water at a bare simmer: boiling water overheats the edges and makes more steam. You can also melt chocolate in a dry pan over the lowest heat, stirring constantly. King Arthur's tester found this works but scorches more easily, so keep it for dark chocolate.
If a recipe melts chocolate with butter, cream or milk, put them in the bowl together from the start. With enough liquid in the mix from the beginning, chocolate won't seize; it's a small splash added later that causes trouble.
Melting dark, milk and white chocolate
All chocolate melts the same way, but not at the same pace. BBC Good Food explains that white chocolate melts fastest, then milk, then dark. Milk and white chocolate contain milk solids and more sugar, so they catch and burn more easily and need near-constant stirring. Dark chocolate is the most forgiving and melts to a glossy, flowing texture.
| Type | Keep below | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Dark | 49°C | Most forgiving |
| Milk | 46°C | Shorter bursts |
| White | 46°C | Lowest heat; stir often |
Upper limits from Wikipedia's chocolate chip article; treat them as guides. A digital probe thermometer takes out the guesswork.
How to melt dark chocolate: either main method works well. It tolerates a little more heat, so it's the easiest to start with.
How to melt white chocolate: chop it finely, use the shortest microwave bursts (10–15 seconds), or melt it over hot water with the heat turned off. White chocolate has no cocoa mass or cocoa powder, just cocoa butter, milk and sugar or a sweetener, so it can turn thick and lumpy quickly if it overheats. If that happens, take it off the heat at once and stir.
Why chocolate seizes or burns, and how to rescue it
Seizing is when smooth melted chocolate suddenly turns stiff, dull and grainy. Melted chocolate contains almost no water. America's Test Kitchen explains that a little moisture combines with the sugar into a syrup that the cocoa particles cling to, creating clumps. King Arthur Baking's test kitchen found that a few drops of water just thickened the chocolate, but around ½ teaspoon in 57g was enough to make it seize. Common culprits are steam, a wet spoon, a drip from the bowl and cold liquid flavourings stirred in at the end.
To rescue seized chocolate, add more liquid, not less. America's Test Kitchen adds boiling water a teaspoon at a time, stirring hard after each addition, until the chocolate is smooth again. It won't behave like plain melted chocolate any more, but it's perfect for a chocolate sauce, a drizzle or a hot chocolate. King Arthur Baking calls this a "water ganache" and uses it for fillings and icings.
Burnt chocolate turns thick and matt and won't loosen with stirring. If only part has caught, scoop the smooth chocolate into a clean bowl; fully burnt chocolate is best started again with lower heat.
How to temper chocolate at home
Melted chocolate that's simply left to set often turns dull and streaky, with a soft snap. That's because the cocoa butter sets into a mix of crystal types. Tempering encourages just one type (known as form V), which melts at about 34°C and gives a glossy, snappy finish. Tempered chocolate also resists bloom, the pale, dusty marks you sometimes see on old bars.
Most home bakes don't need it. King Arthur Baking points out that chocolate stirred into a batter or dough doesn't need tempering. It's worth doing for dipped biscuits, chocolate decorations, bark or anything you want to set shiny at room temperature. The easiest home method is seeding:
- Chop your chocolate and set aside about a quarter of it.
- Melt the rest gently to around 45°C. Callebaut melts dark chocolate to 45–50°C and milk and white chocolate to about 45°C.
- Off the heat, stir in the reserved pieces. Their stable crystals "seed" the melted chocolate as it cools.
- Keep stirring until it reaches the working temperature in Callebaut's guide: 31–32°C for dark, 29–30°C for milk and 28–29°C for white. Lift out any unmelted pieces.
- Test it: dip the tip of a knife and leave it at cool room temperature. King Arthur says tempered chocolate sets within 3–5 minutes with a satiny shine and no streaks.
Tempering only works with chocolate whose fat is cocoa butter, so "cake covering" made with vegetable fats won't temper in the same way.
Melting chocolate chips and buttons
Chocolate chips and buttons melt using exactly the same methods. One thing to know: according to Wikipedia, most chocolate chips are designed to keep their shape in the oven and contain less cocoa butter than bars sold for baking, so they can melt a little thicker. Small, even pieces help, as they melt quickly and at the same rate, which is why BBC Good Food mentions chefs' preference for drops.
- Stir more than you think. Chips often look whole when they're already soft inside.
- Loosen with fat, not water. A little butter or coconut oil melted in from the start gives a thinner drizzle, though a softer set.
For our own range, the product pages suggest melting both the Keto Dark Chocolate Buttons and dark chocolate chips into ganache. For ideas once your chocolate is melted, see our guide on how to bake with chocolate chips and our chocolate almond fat bombs.
Melting no-added-sugar chocolate for low-carb baking
No-added-sugar chocolate melts the same way, because the fat that melts is still cocoa butter. Erythritol melts at 119–123°C (FAO JECFA specification), far above chocolate-melting temperatures, so its crystals stay suspended in the melted cocoa butter just as sugar crystals do in ordinary chocolate. The same rules apply: gentle heat, a dry bowl and plenty of stirring.
Our dark chocolate buttons and chips have the same ingredients list. According to their product pages, both are a minimum of 64% cocoa, sweetened with erythritol and stevia, with 0.6g net carbs per 15g serving, in 210g pouches. The buttons are about 33mm across.
Our No Added Sugar White Chocolate Chips are made with cocoa butter and whole and skimmed milk powder, with 2.5g net carbs per 15g. Treat them like any white chocolate: lowest heat, shortest bursts. The White and Dark Chocolate Chip Bundle includes a pouch of each, ideal for marbled bark.
To compare options, see keto chocolate compared: bars vs chips vs buttons and is chocolate keto-friendly?, or our hot chocolate guide for drinks.
Our White Chocolate Chips contain milk. Always check the pack for full allergen information before baking for others.
Free delivery is on orders over £30.
Frequently asked questions
Can you melt chocolate in the microwave?
Yes. Put chopped chocolate in a dry, microwave-safe bowl and heat it in short bursts, stirring after each one. BBC Good Food starts with 20 seconds, then uses 5-second bursts; King Arthur Baking uses 30-second bursts. Stop while a few lumps remain and stir until they melt in the bowl's warmth.
What is the best way to melt chocolate without it seizing?
Keep everything dry and the heat gentle. Use a dry bowl and spoon, chop the chocolate evenly, and melt it in short microwave bursts or in a bowl over barely simmering water that doesn't touch the bowl. If a recipe includes butter, cream or milk, melt them with the chocolate from the start.
How do you melt white chocolate?
Gently, because white chocolate melts fastest and catches most easily. Chop it finely, then microwave it in 10 to 15-second bursts, stirring after each one, or melt it in a bowl over hot water with the heat turned off. Wikipedia's chocolate chip guide advises keeping milk and white chocolate below 46°C.
Can you melt chocolate chips?
Yes. Chocolate chips melt in the microwave or over hot water just like chopped chocolate. Many chips are made to hold their shape in the oven and contain less cocoa butter than baking bars, so they can melt a little thicker. Melt them gently, stir well and use them in sauces, drizzles, ganache and batters.
What temperature does chocolate melt at?
Cocoa butter starts to melt at around 32°C, and the stable crystals in well-tempered chocolate melt at about 34°C, just below body temperature. For melting, aim for 40 to 45°C. Wikipedia's chocolate chip guide advises staying below 49°C for dark chocolate and 46°C for milk and white chocolate, or it may burn.
Sources
- BBC Good Food. How to melt chocolate (hob and microwave methods, melting order of dark, milk and white chocolate).
- King Arthur Baking. We tried every method: this is the best way to melt chocolate (method test times), How to temper chocolate, Yes, you can mix chocolate and water and Water ganache.
- America's Test Kitchen. How to fix seized chocolate.
- Callebaut. Guide to different tempering methods (melt, cool and working temperatures for dark, milk and white chocolate).
- Wikipedia. Chocolate chip (melting range and upper limits) and Chocolate tempering (cocoa butter crystal forms).
- FAO JECFA. Erythritol specification (melting range 119–123°C).
- Groovy Keto product pages: Keto Dark Chocolate Buttons, dark chocolate chips, No Added Sugar White Chocolate Chips and White and Dark Chocolate Chip Bundle (ingredients, nutrition, sizes and allergens). Checked 28 October 2026.
