Instant Pot Magic: Making Fondue Quick And Easy

Making fondue in an instant pot is a fun and easy way to create a delicious dessert or appetiser. Both chocolate and cheese fondue can be made in an instant pot, and this can be served with a variety of tasty treats. To make fondue in an instant pot, you will need to use the instant pot as a double boiler, with a glass bowl placed on top of the instant pot liner.

Using an Instant Pot as a fondue pot

To make fondue in an Instant Pot, you will need to use the double boiler method. This involves filling the Instant Pot liner with water and placing a glass bowl on top. The water in the Instant Pot will heat the bowl above it, melting the ingredients inside.

To start, pour 1-2 cups of water into the Instant Pot liner and place the glass bowl on top. You want to make sure the bowl is large enough that it sits comfortably on the liner, with a lip that stops it from slipping. It's important to make sure there is space between the water and the bottom of the bowl.

For chocolate fondue, add your chocolate chips, heavy cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Turn the Instant Pot to 'Saute' and stir the ingredients in the bowl occasionally as the water heats up. It should take around 8-10 minutes for the chocolate to melt, and you can then press 'Cancel' and then 'Keep Warm' to keep the fondue melted.

For cheese fondue, add dry white wine, garlic, nutmeg, and black pepper to the Instant Pot liner and heat until simmering. In a separate bowl, toss shredded cheese with cornstarch, coating evenly. When the wine is simmering, slowly add the cheese, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted. You can then turn off the heat and transfer the insert to a wire rack to stop the cooking process.

You can dip a variety of foods into your fondue, including fruits, breads, meats, and vegetables.

Melting chocolate in an Instant Pot

What you need:

• An Instant Pot
• A large glass bowl with a lip that can sit on top of the Instant Pot liner
• Fondue sticks
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Milk chocolate chips
• Heavy cream
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Foods for dipping, such as strawberries, banana slices, graham crackers, Nilla wafers, marshmallows, brownies, cinnamon bears, pretzels, or oranges that have been peeled and segmented

Method:

• Place the Instant Pot liner inside the Instant Pot and pour in 2 cups of water.
• Place the large glass bowl on top of the liner. Make sure it has a lip so it sits securely without slipping.
• Pour the chocolate chips, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt into the glass bowl.
• Press the "SAUTE" button on the Instant Pot to start heating the water.
• Stir the chocolate and cream mixture occasionally as the water heats up and the chocolate begins to melt.
• Continue stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. This should take about 8-10 minutes.
• Once melted, press "CANCEL" and then the "KEEP WARM" button to maintain the temperature.
• Stir the fondue occasionally to ensure the chocolate stays smooth and is ready for dipping.

Tips:

• You can adjust the thickness of your fondue by adding more or less liquid. For a thinner fondue, add less chocolate or extra cream.
• Be careful not to overheat the chocolate, and avoid adding water as it can cause the chocolate to seize up.
• If you don't have heavy cream, you can try making your own at home using a recipe.
• If you're making cheese fondue, grate the cheese instead of chopping it to ensure quicker melting and a smoother fondue.

Ingredients for chocolate fondue

Chocolate fondue is a fun and easy dessert to make and can be made with a variety of chocolates. Here is a list of ingredients you can use to make chocolate fondue in an instant pot:

• Chocolate: You can use chopped high-quality chocolate or chocolate chips. It is recommended to use a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate.
• Heavy whipping cream: This will thin out the chocolate and make it smooth and creamy, perfect for dipping. You can adjust the amount of cream to make the fondue thicker or thinner, depending on your preference.
• Vanilla: Just a splash of vanilla will add depth of flavour to your fondue.
• Salt: A small amount of salt can enhance the flavour of the chocolate.

You can also experiment with different types of chocolate to find your favourite combination. Some people prefer to use a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate, while others may opt for dark chocolate or white chocolate. The beauty of making fondue is that you can customise it to your taste preferences!

Once you have gathered your ingredients, you can follow the steps outlined in the previous response to make chocolate fondue in your instant pot. Enjoy your delicious dessert!

Foods to dip in fondue

There are a variety of foods that can be dipped in fondue, depending on the type of fondue you are making. Here are some suggestions for foods to dip in cheese fondue:

• Bread: crusty bread is a popular choice for dipping in cheese fondue, as it soaks up the cheese well. Try a baguette, sourdough, rye, focaccia, brioche, or bagels. You can even toast the bread before dipping.
• Pretzels: soft pretzel bites or pretzel sticks are a yummy choice and go well with cheese.
• Crackers: try whole wheat or pita chips.
• Meatballs: made with pork, beef, chicken, turkey, or a vegetarian alternative.
• Seafood: try lobster tails, crab legs, salmon, or shrimp.
• Fruits: apples and pears are a great choice, especially Granny Smith apples or Bosc pears.
• Vegetables: try broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, carrots, or roasted baby potatoes.
• Pickles: cornichons or dill pickles.
• Meat: steak bites, bacon-wrapped smoked sausage, or sliced ham.
• Other: potato croquettes, gnocchi, fried wontons, or carrot sticks.

And here are some ideas for foods to dip in chocolate fondue:

• Fruits: strawberries, bananas, oranges, or grapes.
• Cookies or cakes: graham crackers, Nilla wafers, brownies, or marshmallows.
• Pretzels
• Other sweets: cinnamon bears, brownies, or cookies.

How to keep fondue warm for serving

To keep your fondue warm for serving, you can use a fondue stove or burner, which is usually sold as part of a "fondue set". This typically includes a small stove with a burner, a copper or stainless steel pot, and a set of forks. If you don't have a fondue set, you can use a small tabletop stove or hotplate, ensuring that the flame or heat can be turned down extremely low so that the sauce simmers without boiling.

Another option is to suspend the fondue pot over a tealight candle, which will keep the pot warm as long as it has been preheated. If you don't have a proper burner, you can make a stand for the pot or elevate it to ensure it's not touching the table. For example, you can place the candle in a small saucer with bricks on either side to balance the pot.

If you don't have access to a heat source for the table, you can preheat the sauce on a regular kitchen stove before transferring it to the fondue pot. However, this method requires periodically returning the pot to the stove to rewarm it.

For chocolate fondue, it is recommended to use a fondue pot to maintain a constant temperature. If using an Instant Pot, you can keep the fondue warm by placing it on the 'keep warm' setting.

Frequently asked questions