How To Grate Chocolate Without Making A Melty Mess

Chocolate is a staple in many dessert recipes, whether it's melted, tempered, or grated into your sweet treats. Grating chocolate is a great way to elevate rich homemade hot chocolate, or decorate one of your chocolatey recipes for the holiday season. While it might sound like a simple task, it's easy to end up with melted chocolate and a messy grater that needs cleaning instead. But there's an easy way to avoid this. All you need to do is place both your chocolate and your grating tool in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes before getting started.

This hack will keep your chocolate solid enough to grate without melting, since room temperature chocolate can melt easily from the warmth of your hand and grating movement. Chilling the chocolate will make the whole grating process easier, and its firmer texture will give you a more uniform result. Keep in mind that creamier milk or white chocolate might need a little longer in the fridge to firm up, since dark chocolate (which has a higher percentage of cocoa solids) is usually firmer to begin with.

When grating your chilled chocolate, cut it into smaller pieces if you're working with a bigger block, as this will make grating it easier and faster. Check that your grater is clean and dry before starting, since moisture can negatively impact the chocolate's texture. 

The best grating tool to use depends on how fine you need your chocolate to be. Using a microplane will give you the finest results which are perfect for dusting cakes, cupcakes, and other desserts. The finest side of a box grater will give you slightly thicker pieces which can also be used for decorating, or you could use a vegetable peeler to create pretty chocolate curls. Using the larger-holed side of the grater will give you good-sized pieces for melting — ideal for making indulgent chocolate ganache. If you're worried about mess, the easiest way to keep your grater or microplane clean is to rinse it straight away after using it.

The quality of your chocolate is also important, and a higher quality block will give your grated pieces better texture and flavor. When grating, keep your hand steady and apply an even amount of pressure on the grater. Once you're done, store your chocolate pieces in the fridge if you're not using them immediately, since they will begin to melt quickly. With these handy tips, grated chocolate might just become your signature dessert garnish.