Chocolate Leaves in 30 Seconds

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It takes just 30 seconds to make amazing chocolate leaves using a bowl of chocolate and a comb! Use the leaves to decorate cakes, pies, and cupcakes or simply arrange them on a plate for a super easy dessert!

A few chocolate leaves on a black plate

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the amazing kitchens at Kakao Chocolate and to play at being a chocolatier for a day. This meant that I got to eat all of the chocolate that I wanted all day long – hello, sugar high!

One of the coolest things that these chocolate magicians taught me was how to make chocolate leaves. I’m excited to be able to share that with you!

Ingredients and Tools

Tempered Chocolate

You can use white, dark, or milk chocolate for these leaves. It must be tempered.

Tempering chocolate means that you heat and cool the chocolate under controlled conditions so that the little crystals of cocoa butter in the chocolate all form at the same size. Tempered chocolate has a smooth, glossy finish on the outside, it doesn’t melt in your hand as easily, and it gives a nice snap when it breaks instead of crumbling apart.

The process doesn’t take much time, and it makes your chocolate easier to work with and – most importantly – easier to eat.

The easiest way to temper chocolate is by heating it in short bursts in the microwave. If you aren’t familiar with the method, read more in my post on how to temper chocolate.

A Comb

cake decorating comb

You can use a special cake-decorating comb [paid link] that sells for under one dollar.

If you don’t have one, if you don’t want to buy one, or if you can’t possibly wait to start making these chocolate decorations right this minute, then a regular old hair comb will work as well. Be sure the teeth of the comb are big enough for the effect, and, of course, wash and dry it thoroughly first.

How It’s Made

Pour some tempered chocolate onto parchment paper.

Pouring chocolate onto parchment paper

Use the comb to drag lines away from the center line on both sides of the chocolate.

Collage of three images showing using a comb to make chocolate leaves

Use your finger to draw a leaf shape around the border of the chocolate.

Person running her pinky through chocolate to shape the leaves.

Fold the parchment paper up a little to create a slight curve in the leaf.

Still wet chocolate leave on parchment that is folded up slightly at the sides

Cool in the refrigerator for about thirty minutes.

When the leaves are done, carefully peel them off the parchment paper.

Expert Tips and FAQs

Best Ways to Use Chocolate Leaves

FAQs

How do I store chocolate leaves?

If you have tempered the chocolate properly, you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container.

Why do my leaves look grey after a day?

This means that the chocolate was not tempered properly. They are still totally safe to eat, but the texture won’t be the same and they don’t look as nice. Read up on tempering chocolate before trying again.

Can I use actual leaves?

Yes! And, using them is a great method when you are serving, smaller more delicate dishes. For a more realistic looking chocolate leaf, you can paint tempered chocolate onto the veiny side of real, green leaves. Before painting with chocolate, wash and dry the leaves thoroughly. Also, make sure that the leaves aren’t from poisonous plants like poison ivy or poison oak.

Once the melted chocolate has cooled and is firm, peel the leaves from the chocolate.

For bigger designs where you want bold strokes of chocolate that a person could recognize across the room, I suggest sticking with the combing method.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!
Chocolate Leaves
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4.75 from 4 votes

Chocolate Leaves

These beautiful chocolate leaves are a lovely way to accent any dessert. A perfect accompaniment for all your fall treats!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 32 servings
Calories 71kcal
Author Stefani

Equipment

  • cake decorating comb or thoroughly cleaned and dried regular hair comb

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pour a long blob of tempered chocolate onto parchment paper.
  • Use a clean hair comb or a special cake decorating comb to drag lines on both sides of the chocolate.
  • Use your finger to paint the outline of the leaf.
  • Cool until hardened (about 30 minutes in the refrigerator) and then peel off the parchment.

Notes

If you have tempered the chocolate properly, you can store your chocolate leaves at room temperature in an air-tight container.
For a more realistic looking chocolate leaf, you can paint tempered chocolate onto the veiny side of real, green leaves. Make sure they are completely clean and dry and aren’t poisonous (like poison ivy or poison oak).

Nutrition

Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 41mg | Sugar: 7g | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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