How to Melt Chocolate Wafers

Melting chocolate wafers can be a little tricky, especially if you aren’t sure how to do it properly.

Chocolate wafers are also known as candy melts, melting chocolate, or melting wafers.

They are small disks that can be used to make candy in molds, or as a confectionary coating on fruit, ice cream, cookies, and other desserts. You can find them in a variety of colors and flavors.

How do you melt chocolate wafers? You can melt chocolate wafers using the stove, a double boiler, a microwave, or even a crockpot. Understanding how to use each method to melt chocolate wafers will help you perfect the melting process each time.

Below are all the different ways you can melt chocolate wafers, and how to do so correctly.

How to Melt Chocolate Wafers on the Stove

It is a bit tricky to get the temperature right for melting wafers using the stove, but ideally, you want the water to be gently simmering.

This keeps the chocolate wafers away from direct heat and ensures that the chocolate melts at a low temperature to prevent the chocolate from scorching or separating.

If you do not have a double boiler, you can simply use a heatproof bowl placed on the top of a saucepan. The bowl should sit just atop the saucepan, and the bottom should not be in contact with the simmering water in the saucepan.

Here’s how to melt chocolate wafers on the stove:

1. Fill the saucepan with around 1 inch of water. 
2. Bring the water to a gentle, slow simmer.
3. Place the chocolate wafers into a heatproof bowl, and then put this bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure that the bowl does not come into contact with the water (if the bowl touches the water, the chocolate will be exposed to too high of a temperature)
4. Avoid getting any water into the chocolate wafer bowl, as it will cause them to clump up, become lumpy and harden.
5. The chocolate will begin to melt. be sure to stir it occasionally to make sure it melts evenly.
6. Allow the chocolate wafers to melt for around 3 minutes, or until fully melted, smooth and glossy.

When the chocolate has melted and runs easily off the spoon or spatula, it is ready to be removed from the heat.

How to Melt Chocolate Wafers in a Double Boiler

Using a double boiler to melt chocolate wafers is very similar to how you would use the stove to melt them.

You would pour around 1 or 2 inches of water into the bottom pot of the broiler, place the top pot with the chocolate wafers on top, and then bring the water to a simmer.

Steam will be released as the water heats up and stays trapped between the top and bottom pot, which gives heat to the chocolate and melts it.

The chocolate will begin to melt. Stir the chocolate occasionally and remove it from the heat when it is smooth, glossy, and runs off the spoon or spatula easily.

How to Melt Chocolate Wafers in the Microwave

Melting chocolate wafers in the microwave is fairly easy, but it can go wrong quickly if you do not follow the right steps and precautions.

Once again, make sure not to get any liquids into the chocolate wafer bowl, as this could cause the chocolate to stiffen and lump when it melts, and it would be a wasted batch.

To melt chocolate wafers in the microwave, follow these easy steps:

1. Place the chocolate wafers into a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Place the bowl in the microwave, and switch the microwave to 50% power for 1 minute.
3. Remove the chocolate from the microwave, stir it lightly, and place it back into the microwave for another 30 seconds.
4. Take the chocolate out of the microwave and check it. If it has not melted completely, place it back into the microwave on 50% power for another 30 seconds. Repeat until the chocolate has been melted all the way through.

As much as you might want to heat the chocolate for longer than 30 seconds at a time, you really should not. This could cause scorching, and the batch of chocolate wafers would be wasted.

How to Melt Chocolate Wafers in a Crockpot

It might not be the first method you think of when it comes to melting chocolate wafers, but using a crockpot is somewhat ideal.

Chocolate has a melting point of around 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and you want to avoid excessive heat.

With such a low melting point, a crockpot is ideal, and it allows you to carry on with other things in the kitchen as your chocolate melts, as there really isn’t a way for it to scorch.

You do need to turn the crockpot onto the lowest setting to melt chocolate, and you could leave it for a few hours to melt. You should only use this method if you have some time to spare.

Here is what to do when melting chocolate wafers in a crockpot:

1. Wipe down the inside of the crockpot to ensure that there is no moisture or anything else left in the pot.
2. Turn the crockpot on and set it onto low heat, or warm heat, depending on your appliance.
3. Pour the chocolate wafers into the crockpot and place the lid on top. 
4. Leave the crockpot and the chocolate wafers to heat for three hours on the lowest setting.
5. Once the three hours are done, turn the heat off.  Leave the lid on and allow it to sit for two hours undisturbed.
6. After these two hours, remove the lid and gently stir the chocolate. It will be ready to use.

The great thing about using a crockpot is that you can leave the chocolate unattended for a few hours, without having to worry that it will scorch, burn or clump.

It is just important to make sure you clean the crockpot properly before placing the chocolate wafers inside.

Tips for Melting Chocolate Wafers

It is always helpful to have some extra tips when working in the kitchen, so here are some handy tips to use when melting chocolate wafers!

• Try to work in small batches, melting only what you will need for a certain dessert or treat. This will take time to work out, but soon enough, you should be able to correctly guess how many chocolate wafers to use to achieve a certain amount of melted chocolate. It also helps to work in smaller batches so that, in case you burn or scorch the wafers, you will not have to throw away too much. It is also just easier to handle a smaller batch.

• You can actually re-melt chocolate wafers several times. It is recommended to only melt them up to 3 times. After this, you might notice some lumps and hard bits that won’t disappear no matter what you do.

• You can use certain chocolate thinners to thin out chocolate wafers when you melt them. These are usually made from palm kernel fat, which is the same fat found in the wafers. This raises the fat content and gives a thinner viscosity to the melted wafers. You could also add in shortening to do this, but only use fats that are solid at room temperature, as you don’t want the chocolate to be soft when it has set.

Related Questions:

What Do You Do If the Melted Chocolate is Too Thick?

If your melted chocolate has turned out too thick and lumpy, you could try and strain it through a sieve. This gets rid of the hard, lumpy bits and leaves you with the smooth chocolate. 

Alternatively, you could add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil or melted vegetable shortening, and stir this in well. This should thin the chocolate out and make it easier to use.

Can I Add in Milk When Melting Chocolate?

Chocolate can be melted with milk or small amounts of other liquids, such as cream, butter, or even alcohol if it is placed in the bowl at the same time as the chocolate.

You should never add cold liquid to melted chocolate, as it could cause the chocolate to clump and seize.

Why is My Chocolate Chunky?

Your melted chocolate will turn chunky if there is water or moisture added to the chocolate. This causes the chocolate to stick together and form a rough and grainy texture.

This is referred to as the chocolate seizing, and is really quite undesirable.

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