Chocolate-Covered Cucumbers Are The Refreshing Dessert You'd Never Expect

A burger with peanut butter, pickles and ice cream, strawberries and balsamic vinegar — these unconventional food pairings might seem unlikely in theory, but in reality, they deliver a powerful flavor punch that leaves the taste buds wanting more. A refreshing new entry to this list that embraces the adventurous side of dessert is chocolate-covered cucumbers. Here, the marriage of these seemingly disparate flavors results in an unexpected yet enjoyable treat for those willing to explore the boundaries of flavor combinations.

The crisp cucumber essence melds with the luscious richness of the chocolate, resulting in a whole new realm of flavors and textures. FoodPairing, an AI tool that matches like flavors, suggests these two ingredients as a pair because they each feature the same apple, grassy, citrus, and orange notes.

It's not an entirely novel pairing. A "Top Chef Canada" contestant thought to match the flavors once for a vegan dessert challenge. The result was a cucumber-lime granita with a vegan white chocolate ice cream that the judges described as "Fresh and creamy and delicious."

Chocolate-covered cucumber preparation is simple and can depend on your preference. You can cut a fresh cucumber into disc-shaped slices and dip them into melted chocolate, cooling after in the fridge or freezer, or skewer a whole cucumber or mini cucumber and dunk the entire thing in chocolate.

The whole concept isn't as weird as you might think when you consider that chocolate-covered pickles are a thing, and we all know pickles are a skip, hop, and a briny jump away from their original cucumber form. A play on the age-old salty-and-sweet flavor profile, chocolate-covered pickles are a pretty popular internet taste test. The tangy bite from the pickles with the smooth creaminess of the chocolate creates a fusion that intrigues those brave enough to try this combo. 

Chocolate-covered cucumbers are also not a far cry from zucchini and chocolate, which are commonly used to make zucchini bread. Grated zucchini offers a subtle earthiness, and unsweetened and semi-sweet chocolate chips provide a sweet finish for a deliciously moist bread.

Speaking of odd food combinations featuring chocolate, you can find others that might pique the curiosity of the adventurous eaters out there. How about chocolate-covered jalapeño peppers? This intriguing treat resembles the concept of chocolate-covered strawberries or cherries, but with a spicy twist. The fundamental approach involves enveloping fresh jalapeños in a smooth layer of melted chocolate, although experimenting with additional fillings like peanut butter or sea salt caramel can elevate the overall taste experience, further enriching its unexpectedly satisfying flavors.

What about a chocolate-covered onion? This head-scratching combination started as a gag in Philadelphia and is now a running joke as a treat for someone who is "sweet on the outside but nasty on the inside," according to its creator, Mueller's Chocolate. It was first created in 1983 as part of a bit for comedian Bob Nelson and has since been featured on "Bizarre Foods Staring Andrew Zimmern," "Good Morning America," "Wheel of Fortune," and more.