Chocolate Leaves

By
Elizabeth LaBau
Sweet Book of Candy Making Elizabeth LaBau
Elizabeth LaBau
A professional pastry chef, cookbook author, and writer, Elizabeth LaBau has published more than 600 articles on baking and candy making.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/25/21
Chocolate Leaves

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 24 servings
Yield: 24 leaves
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
53 Calories
3g Fat
6g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 53
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 2mg 1%
Sodium 9mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 29mg 2%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 61mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Chocolate leaves are beautiful chocolate decorations that look just like delicate leaves. They are a beautiful cake or cupcake decoration, and are a great accompaniment to chocolate roses, or on top of a bûche de Noël. Chocolate leaves can be made in a variety of colors and flavors of chocolate. 

You can use a variety of leaves to make chocolate leaves. Just make sure that they are pesticide free, and have been well washed and dried. It helps to choose leaves with a pronounced pattern of veins on the back, so the design will more easily transfer to the chocolate.

Don’t miss the tutorial with step-by-step illustrations showing how to make chocolate leaves.

Ingredients

  • 24 edible fresh leaves, washed and dried

  • 8 ounces chocolate candy coating

  • Luster dust, to decorate, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Chocolate Leaves ingredients

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  2. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with waxed paper or parchment paper..

    parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  3. Place the candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it until melted, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent overheating. 

    melted chocolate in a bowl

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  4. Dip the paintbrush in the melted candy coating and brush a thick layer of chocolate on the underside of the leaf. The underside typically has more pronounced veins, and will give you a better pattern on your leaves. Make sure that you're generous with the layer of candy coating—if it's too thin, the chocolate leaf will crack when you to remove it. 

    chocolate brushed on leaves

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  5. Set the leaf, chocolate side up, on the waxed paper, and repeat with the remaining leaves. You can use different colors of candy coating to make a variety of leaves, if you'd like. 

    leaves brushed with chocolate on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  6. Once all of the leaves are covered with chocolate, refrigerate the tray to set the coating, for about 20 minutes.

    chocolate brushed leaves on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  7. When the chocolate is fully set, remove the tray from the refrigerator. Carefully peel the leaves back from the chocolate, trying not to handle the leaves too much to prevent your body heat from melting the chocolate. 

    chocolate on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  8. If you'd like to give your leaves a metallic shine, use luster dust to decorate them when they're finished. Dip a clean, dry paintbrush in luster dust, and brush a thin layer of dust along the edges. For a more dramatic look, brush a layer of dust over the entire leaf. 

    Chocolate Leaves on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Storage Tip

Chocolate Leaves can be made several weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container at cool room temperature. They are delicate, so stack and store them carefully. If it's very warm, they are best stored in the refrigerator, although this might result in condensation spots.

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