How to Temper Chocolate

Reasons to Temper Chocolate

What is Tempered Chocolate?

Tempering chocolate is the process of carefully melting and cooling chocolate to specific temperatures so that it sets with a glossy finish and a firm snap. When done right, it gives you that polished outer shell on truffles, a smooth base for chocolate bark, or a coating that doesn’t instantly melt in your hands.

Think about the outer shell on a ganache truffle. You wouldn’t want it to look dull or feel tacky, right? You want it to be smooth and shiny, with just enough structure to break cleanly when you bite in.

Tempering also helps raise the chocolate’s melting point slightly, which means it holds up better when stored at room temperature or handled during candy making.

But here’s the catch: if chocolate gets too hot during melting, the cocoa butter crystals become unstable. That leads to streaks, a grainy or chewy texture, and sometimes even spoilage or discoloration (what’s known as “bloom”).

Proper tempering helps avoid all of that and gives you chocolate that looks beautiful and behaves the way it should.

Related: Learn How to Make Chocolate Ganache

Tools Needed

You don’t need fancy equipment, but a few basics make all the difference when tempering chocolate at home:

• Double boiler or a heatproof bowl + saucepan: for a makeshift double boiler.
• Silicone spatula or heatproof spoon: you’ll want something gentle but sturdy for stirring.
• Candy thermometer: digital is easiest for accuracy.
• Dry towel or heatproof mitts: for safely removing the bowl from the pan
• Kitchen scale: optional but helpful if you’re tempering precise amounts.

Katie’s Tip: If you’re planning to dip fruits, truffles, or caramels, set up a parchment-lined tray nearby too.

Ingredient Notes and Tips

You only need one ingredient for this process: chocolate.

• 1 pound of chocolate — you can use chopped chocolate bars or chocolate chips

Look for high-quality baking chocolate if possible. It should be real chocolate made with cocoa butter, not compound chocolate, which won’t temper properly.)

White chocolate can be trickier to temper, so I recommend starting with dark or milk chocolate if you’re new to the process.

Want More Control? Try the Seeding Method

If you want a little more control over the process, or you’re working with a bigger batch of chocolate, you can try what’s called the seeding method. It sounds fancy, but it’s actually one of the easiest and most beginner-friendly ways to temper chocolate at home.

Here’s how it works:

1. Start by melting about three-quarters of your chocolate over a double boiler.
2. Stir gently until it’s mostly melted and smooth, but not too hot.
3. Remove the bowl from the heat.
4. Stir in the remaining one-quarter of finely chopped chocolate (this is your “seed”).
5. Keep stirring until everything is fully melted and smooth.

That unmelted chocolate (called the “seed”) helps bring the temperature down and encourages the melted chocolate to form the right kind of crystals—the ones that give you that beautiful shine, crisp snap, and chocolate that doesn’t melt all over your fingers.

The best part? You don’t need anything fancy to pull this off. Just a bowl, a spatula, and a thermometer. It also works especially well with higher-quality chocolate bars, since you’re using their original temper to guide the process.

Want to Be Extra Precise? Try This Cooling Trick

If you’re someone who loves getting things just right, there’s one more step you can take to help your chocolate temper beautifully: let it cool to a specific range before warming it up to the final working temperature.

Here’s how it breaks down:

For dark chocolate:

• Heat it gently until it reaches about 115°F
• Let it cool to around 82°F
• Then reheat just slightly to 88–90°F (this is your working range)

For milk chocolate:

• Heat to about 110°F
• Cool to around 80°F
• Reheat gently to 86–88°F

Why bother with this extra step? Because it helps the chocolate form the right kind of cocoa butter crystals. Cue: the ones that give you that pretty shine, clean snap, and chocolate that holds its shape at room temp.

Just go slow when reheating. If you heat it past the final working temperature, you’ll need to start over from the beginning. That’s why a good candy thermometer is your best friend here.

Tips for this Technique

Tempering Chocolate FAQs

Got questions about tempering chocolate? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.

What kind of chocolate is best for tempering at home?

Choose chocolate that lists cocoa butter as a main ingredient, not vegetable oil. You also want to avoid “candy melts” or compound chocolate, which aren’t true chocolate and won’t temper properly.

Katie’s Tip: Look for good-quality baking bars. Brands like Ghirardelli, Guittard, or Valrhona work well.

Can I use chocolate chips to temper chocolate?

Yes, you can temper chocolate chips, but they’re a bit trickier since they’re formulated to hold their shape in the oven. They don’t melt as smoothly and may contain added stabilizers.

Katie’s Tip: If using chocolate chips, melt them slowly and stir often. I recommend a higher-end brand with real cocoa butter for best results.

Can I temper white chocolate?

Yes, but white chocolate is a little fussier than dark or milk because it has a lower cocoa butter content and no cocoa solids, which means it scorches and seizes more easily.

You’ll want to melt it slowly and gently (no rushing this one), and be extra careful with temperature. For best results, heat white chocolate to around 105°F, then cool to 82–84°F, and reheat slightly to a working temp of about 86–88°F.

Katie’s Tip: Use real white chocolate made with cocoa butter, not baking chips or candy coating.

How can I tell if chocolate is properly tempered?

Tempered chocolate looks smooth and shiny, coats evenly, and starts to firm up at room temperature within a few minutes. Once it is set, it will snap cleanly when broken.

If your chocolate looks streaky, sticky, dull, or stays soft for too long, it’s probably out of temper.

Why does melted chocolate sometimes get grainy or clumpy?

Grainy or clumpy melted chocolate usually means one of two things: it either got too hot and the cocoa butter separated, or a little water got into the bowl, causing the chocolate to seize.

Always melt chocolate slowly and keep all your tools completely dry. Even a drop of moisture can ruin the batch.

How do I fix chocolate that’s gone out of temper?

If your melted chocolate turns matte, thick, or streaky, it’s likely cooled below the working range.

You can gently rewarm it by setting the bowl back over warm water for a few seconds at a time, stirring constantly. But, be careful not to overheat because it doesn’t take much to throw it off again.

Can I re-temper chocolate that got too hot?

Yes, but you’ll need to start over.

When chocolate gets too hot, the cocoa butter crystals break down completely. To re-temper, let it cool to room temperature, then gently reheat it using the double boiler method, keeping a close eye on your thermometer.

Can I store leftover tempered chocolate and use it again?

Yes! As long as it hasn’t been mixed with cream, water, or other perishable ingredients, you can save it and reuse it later. Here’s how to do it:

• Let the tempered chocolate cool and harden completely.
• Break it into chunks and store in an airtight container.
• Keep it in a cool, dry place at room temperature (no need to refrigerate).
• When you’re ready to use it again, re-temper it just like a fresh batch—either using the seeding method or standard temperature range.

Once re-tempered, it’ll perform the same way, with that glossy finish and clean snap.