Chocolate Goldfish Recipe with Dried Apricots
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The cutest chocolate goldfish recipe with dried apricots, piped orange chocolate, and candy eyeballs.
What Inspired This Chocolate Goldfish Recipe with Dried Apricots?
A few months ago I developed a recipe for chocolate frogs with kiwi. They turned out so well (and were such a hit with family and friends!) that I started to think about other cute animals I could create using the same technique. The result? These apricot goldfish!
Like my kiwi frogs, this easy, three-ingredient recipe begins by melting chocolate (or orange candy melts), scooping it into a piping bag, and piping it into fish shapes, complete with bulging eyeballs, flapping fins, and a forked tail. Instead of kiwi, I’ve decorated each goldfish with a dried apricot.
These goldfish treats make great favors for children’s events or “under the sea” themed parties. You can also use them to decorate homemade cakes and cupcakes, or package in ocean-themed cello bags for an adorable homemade gift.
Ingredients for Making Apricot Goldfish
To make these chocolate apricot goldfish, you’ll need:
- Chocolate – This recipe works with tinted white chocolate, or with orange candy melts. See my notes below.
- Dried Apricots – You’ll need approximately 12-15 dried apricots. The extras make a sweet snack, or you can turn them into apricot and rosemary shortbread cookies.
- Candy Eyeballs – Halloween recipes often call for candy eyeballs, but you’ll rarely need the entire bag. These apricot goldfish (and my kiwi frogs!) are a great way to use up the rest of the bottle.
White Chocolate or Candy Melts?
I’ve tested this recipe with tinted white chocolate, and with orange candy melts. Either method will work, but the latter is more user-friendly. Below are some tips and tricks for both approaches:
Candy Melts: For the fastest and easiest option, start with a bag of orange candy melts (sometimes sold as coating chocolate, melting chocolate, melting wafers, confectionery coating, or candy wafers). Candy melts come pre-tempered and are ready to use, straight from the bag.
Tempered Chocolate: Tempering is the process of heating and cooling chocolate to specific temperatures so that it sets quickly at room temperature, with a signature shine and snap. If you prefer to use a better-quality (and better-tasting) couverture, you’ll need to temper the chocolate, then tint it using an orange oil-based food coloring.
Do not use water or gel-based colors to tint white chocolate. (Oil and water do not mix!) Gel food coloring can make the chocolate look splotchy and uneven, which isn’t very appetizing.
Piping the Goldfish
After melting, scoop the chocolate into a disposable piping bag fitted with a 3/16-inch round tip. Pipe a 1-inch circle onto a silicone mat. Add a v-shape on one side for a “tail” and smaller, sloped triangles on the top and bottom for “fins.”
Press a dried apricot slice in the middle, then pipe a dot of melted chocolate on the top of the apricot, then press a candy eyeball on top to decorate.
For ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions, and process photos, scroll down to the recipe card below.Recipe Tips
After piping, use a toothpick (cocktail stick), skewer, or fondant tool to clean up any mistakes.
Work one at a time to pipe and decorate the fish. If you try to pipe all of the dollops before decorating, the melted chocolate will set, and the decorations won’t adhere to the chocolate.
Helpful Tools and Equipment
Before getting started, I suggest gathering the following tools: A disposable piping bag and 3/16-inch round piping tip (if you don’t have these, you can make an impromptu piping bag by clipping the corner from a plastic food storage bag); a microwave, bain-marie, or double boiler (for melting the chocolate); a fondant tool or toothpick (for correcting piping mistakes) and a miniature palette knife (for lifting the finished fish from the tray). I also suggest lining your tray with a silicone mat, but baking parchment will also work in a pinch.
Recipe Notes
If you want to make extra-fancy fish, you can use blue candy melts (or tempered white chocolate tinted with blue food coloring) and blue cake decorating pearls to make a trail of “bubbles” rising from each goldfish. Blue gumballs or other small, round candies will also work.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Layer apricot goldfish between sheets of parchment. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Other cute chocolate recipes you might enjoy:
Chocolate Frogs with Kiwi
Unicorn Bark
White Chocolate Deviled Eggs
Chocolate-Dipped Watermelon Marshmallows
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Print
Apricot Goldfish
- Total Time15 minutes
- Yield12-15 2-inch goldfish 1x
The cutest chocolate goldfish made with dried apricots, piped orange chocolate, and candy eyeballs.
Ingredients
165 grams orange candy melts or tempered white chocolate tinted with orange oil-based food coloring (1 cup)
12-15 dried apricots
Candy eyeballs, to decorate
Instructions
Line a quarter sheet rimmed baking tray with a silicone baking mat.
Melt the candy melts over a bain marie or double boiler, or in a microwave-safe dish. Scoop melted chocolate into a piping bag fitted with a 3/16-inch round piping tip.*
Working one at a time, pipe a 1-inch circle on the silicone mat. Add a v-shape on one side for a “tail” and smaller, sloped triangles on the top and bottom for “fins.”
Press a dried apricot slice in the middle. Pipe a dot of melted chocolate on the top of the apricot, then press a candy eyeball on top.
Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Set aside and allow to cool at room temperature until chocolate sets.
Layer apricot goldfish between sheets of parchment. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
*If candy melts feel too thick to pipe, add 1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil or canola oil to make the chocolate more fluid.
