Chocolate Ganache is made with just 2 ingredients- chocolate and cream but has so many practical uses as a dip, frosting, filling, and topping.
I have made this chocolate ganache recipe countless times as frosting for Chocolate Cupcakes, a dip for Eclairs, or poured over Poppyseed Cake. See our video below to learn how to master this ganache recipe.
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Easy Chocolate Ganache Recipe
The first time I made this chocolate ganache recipe, I messed it up because I stirred it too soon. I also measured the chocolate all wrong so be sure to measure your 8 oz of chocolate bars by weight (230 grams). If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can measure chocolate chips with level dry ingredient measuring cups (1 1/3 cups). Measuring correctly is critical here.
Luckily, I’ve made the mistakes in the past so you can start with a master recipe for perfect ganache.
Chocolate Ganache Video
See how simple it is to make this amazing chocolate ganache recipe at home. Soon you’ll be pouring this chocolate sauce over everything you can get your hands on,
Tips for Making the Best Ganache
- 1:1 Ratio – you only need two ingredients measured in equal WEIGHT proportions. Measure the chocolate using a scale (or the package weight) and the cream with a scale or measuring cup meant for liquids.
- Good Quality Chocolate – For a classic ganache, use high-quality semisweet chocolate bars or chips (35-55% cacao) or bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao). It also works with milk chocolate and white chocolate.
- Tools for Ganache – You’ll need a small saucepan to heat the cream, a glass or metal heat-proof bowl to melt the chocolate, and a silicone spatula or metal spoon to stir. Make sure they are all dry because water can make ganache seize.
Only 2 Ingredients
It really is just chocolate and heavy cream, but be sure to measure correctly and use good quality ingredients for the best taste and texture.
- Chocolate – classic ganache is made with semi-sweet chocolate. I recommend using high-quality chocolate bars such as Ghirardelli baking bars which have 40-50% cocoa, chopped into small pieces with a serrated knife. You can also save a step by using high-quality chocolate chips which I get at Costco with 51% cocoa. See substitutions below for bittersweet, milk chocolate, and white chocolate.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Use heavy cream with 36% milk fat. Heavy cream with 40% milk fat will work, but the ganache will be too thick to pour. Avoid half-and-half or milk because the fat content isn’t high enough for the ganache to set.
Substitutions
- Dairy-free and Vegan – use dairy-free/vegan chocolate and replace heavy cream with full-fat canned coconut milk. Shake the can well then measure 1 cup or 8oz of coconut milk.
- Flavors – once the chocolate is melted, stir in a few drops of extract (vanilla, peppermint, coffee, or orange), peanut butter, instant espresso powder, orange zest, or liqueurs
- Chocolate – you can substitute with bittersweet chocolate but the ganache will be less sweet. If using milk chocolate or white chocolate, decrease the cream by about 2-3 oz.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
It’s so simple to make chocolate ganache. Follow these easy steps and then see our troubleshooting section below if needed.
- Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. You will see steam coming from the pot and small bubbles around the outside, but don’t let it boil. As soon as it simmers, pour the cream over the chocolate chips, swirling the bowl to cover all the chips.
- Cover the bowl with a lid to trap the heat and let it sit undisturbed (no mixing) for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and swirl the chocolate chips with a silicone spatula or metal spoon. It will turn into a velvety ganache right before your eyes and you’ll get excited!
Pro Tip:
Keep in mind that the longer the ganache sits, the thicker and more of a frosting or mousse it becomes, but it won’t become hardened. Once it has cooled, or after refrigeration, you can whip it into a frosting (see instructions below).
There are 3 Forms of Ganache
- Ganache Glaze or Dip: Let it sit uncovered at room temperature for about 15 minutes until it coats a spoon nicely before pouring it over a cake (see our tips below)
- Ganache topping or filling: wait until it cools, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Use it plain to frost a cake or cupcakes; as filling between cake layers, or inside cupcakes or donuts; or pipe using a wide-tipped piping bag.
- Whipped Ganache: refrigerate for 2 hours then whip on high speed for a few minutes until fluffy and lightened in color. It makes 3 cups of ganache frosting which pipes beautifully.
- Bonus: To make chocolate truffles you need a thicker mixture. Use a ratio of 2:1 (8oz semi-sweet chocolate to 1/2 cup heavy cream). Chill the mixture until firm then scoop into balls. Roll in topping and refrigerate.
How to Glaze a Cake with Ganache
Place the cake on a wire rack over a rimmed platter or rimmed baking sheet. Pour your slightly cooled liquid chocolate ganache evenly over the top of your cake until the desired coverage is reached. You can lift up the wire rack and re-use the chocolate ganache that drips onto the platter.
Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache
If you notice the chocolate ganache is separated, lumpy, too thin, too thick, or grainy, Have no fear! Here’s how to fix it:
- Lumpy – chocolate isn’t melting. the cream may not be warm enough or the chocolate pieces were too big. Solution: Reheat in a double Double boiler or microwave for 15-second intervals between stirs being careful not to overheat.
- Separated, oily, or seized – cream was too hot or there was water in the bowl. Solution: stir in a tablespoon of warm milk one at a time until the mixture comes back together
- Grainy – you may have used a low-quality variety of chocolate chips, used a whisk (incorporates too much air), or a plastic bowl. Solution: add a tablespoon of warmed milk while stirring. If it gets too thin, add a bit more chocolate.
- Too Thin/Too Thick – the ganache will become thicker as it cools, but if it’s not setting up or thickening, the Solution: try melting more chocolate chips and stirring them in. If it’s too thick, add warmed milk by tablespoons.
So many uses for Ganache!
These are SOME of our favorite ways to use ganache. The uses are endless! Let us know in the comments how you use it:
- Poured as Icing over Cheesecake, Brownies, Poppy Seed Cake Roll, or Chocolate Babka
- Frosting for Chocolate Cake, Tiramisu Yule Log Cake, Mini cheesecakes, or Peanut Butter Cookies
- Filling for Italian Cookies, Pumpkin Cookies, Macaroons, Cream Puffs, Cream Horns, or layered cakes
- Dip for Homemade Marshmallows, Donuts, Apple Fritters, or Shortbread Cookies
- Stirred into regular or Iced Coffee
- Swirled into Banana bread or Zucchini Bread batter before baking
- Served as fondue with strawberries, bananas, or Churros
- Drizzled over Ice Cream, Scones, Pecan Pie Bars, Baklava, Bread Pudding, Baklava Cups, Mini Pumpkin Pies, Crepes, Cinnamon Rolls, Pancakes or Waffles
Make-Ahead
Chocolate ganache keeps well at room temperature on the counter for up to 2 days. Once it’s cooled, cover it with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out on top.
- To Refrigerate: cover in an airtight container for up to a week
- Freezing: freeze in an airtight container for 3 months
- To Reheat: thaw in the fridge. If separated, reheat on the stove or in the microwave, adding more warm cream or melted chocolate chips as needed
This decadent chocolate ganache is one of our favorite chocolate recipes. It’s so easy and delicious that you’ll be searching high and low for things to dip, spread, and cover with chocolate sauce. Don’t wait to try this recipe!
Easy Chocolate Ganache Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz semi-sweet baking bars, finely chopped, or chocolate chips, 230 g by weight or 1 1/3 cups in dry ingredient measuring cups
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (36% fat), 8oz or 240 ml by liquid volume
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring the heavy whipping cream just to a simmer on the stovetop, stirring occasionally. Just as soon as you see a simmer, immediately remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips. Swirl the bowl to be sure all the chocolate is covered.
- Place a lid on the chocolate chips to trap the heat. Let it sit without mixing for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and swirl the chocolate chips with a silicone spatula. Start in the center and work outward until the mixture is smooth, but be sure not to overmix.
- Let the ganache sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before pouring it over a cake. See more ways to use ganache in the notes.
Notes
- Serving Size is based on 2 Tablespoons of Ganache. The recipe makes 1.5 cups of ganache or 3 cups of whipped ganache. This is enough to glaze one cake roll or frost 12 cupcakes.
- Milk fat matters: Use heavy whipping cream or heavy cream with 36% fat for the best results. Do not substitute with milk, half and half, or light cream.
- For dairy-free or vegan ganache: vegan/dairy-free chocolate and a can of full-fat coconut cream instead of heavy cream. Shake the can well, then measure out 8oz.
- The chocolate ganache will thicken as it cools.
- If you want more ganache, increase the ingredients proportionally.
- How to Use Ganache: To glaze a cake, cool for 15 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake. For frosting, let the ganache cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours until mousse-like texture. Spread or pipe as frosting or whip using an electric mixer for whipped ganache.
- How to Store Ganache: cool completely. Cover and store at room temperature for 2 days, refrigerate for 5 days or freeze for 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
perfection!!! Thanks
You are welcome Kaye :). Happy Easter!!!
hi made this and it’s not firming up wanted to use it as a Frosting just wondering what I can do? Thanks
How long has it been at room temp? You might try refrigerating it to firm up faster. Are you planning to beat it with a mixer? I do have a really great chocolate frosting recipe that I’d recommend. I think it works a little better as a frosting than this ganache. https://natashaskitchen.com/2015/03/07/chocolate-cream-cheese-frosting/
Thank you. I’m preparing it to frost brownies.
A wee bit of cinnamon in the brownies… is nice.
Yum! That does sound nice 🙂
can you put this on cheesecake and refrigerate
Yes, that would be lovely, just make sure your cheesecake is fully chilled before adding the ganache.
Thank you so much for this recipe. Made the Too much chocolate cake tonite with this ganache… oh wow!!!! Absolutely over the top. So rich & yummy!!I made a ganache before with shortening but no comparison to this.A keeper in my recipe box.
Hi Gail! I’m so happy you loved the recipe. I would have loved to see your scrumptious cake 🙂 Sounds like a chocolate lovers dream!
What can I do to make my ganache thicker, It’s not getting to the thickness I need.
How long has the ganache been sitting at room temperature? You could try to refrigerate it to get it to thicken faster, but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t solidify too much.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I used a chocolate bar (70% cocoa) a friend brought me from France. It turned out magnificent! I used it to glaze a torte I made for a coworker. If my friend keeps bringing me chocolate bars (as he’s been doing), I will be glazing everything in sight!
Thank you for the great review Julie and you are welcome :). My best friend brought me some Cocoa powder from France, it’s amazing.
I made your ganache recipe yesterday for some delicious Mint Brownies from Chocolate by Grace. It was super simple to understand and turned out delicious.
Thanks!
That sounds so good over mint brownies. I want some!! 🙂
How do you think your ganache would work over strawberries?
I think it could work but it’s not idea since even after it cools it doesn’t produce a hard shell like you would want over chocolate covered strawberries.
This was phenomenal and SO EASY!! Definitely a keeper! One question–do you have any tips for transferring the cake from the wire rack to the cake plate? Thanks!
There really is no super easy way but it is easier to do it once the ganache sets and then use 2 flat spatulas to transfer it.
I used your ganache recipe, but modified it a little. First, when I went to make it, I couldn’t find my semisweet chocolate chips anywhere! So, I used some white chocolate chips instead. Then, before it set up, I poured it over my still warm chocolate cake and poked holes in it with a butterknife. It soaked into the cake and made the most incredible, moist, decadent and rich cake you’ll ever eat in your life. My whole family loved it!!! Will be trying the original recipe in the future for a regular cake.
Thank you for sharing it Kelsi, it sounds incredible :). What kind of chocolate cake recipe did you use?
I used a recipe that makes box cake taste like homemade cake. Add one more egg than the recipe calls for, use milk instead of water, and melted butter instead of oil and double the amount. This trick makes the cake moist enough on its own, so adding the ganache took it over the top! Using white chocolate chips kept the flavor a little lighter,but if someone were a true chocolate fanatic, I’m sure the original semisweet you call for would make it absolutely sinful!
Thank you for sharing that tip with me. That will be great when I’m in a pinch and still want a moist chocolate cake. Now I really want to try it!
Came out just as advertised–great!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it! thanks Tal 🙂
Thank you for letting us know that 8 ounces of chocolate chips is not 1 cup! I’ll be making your ganache this morning to decorate brownies that I baked in round muffin tins.
You’re welcome 🙂 I would have made the same error so I figured it was important to share ;).
How long do you think it needs to sit out before it becomes thick enough to put on cupcakes?
It was sitting out about 1 hour before it took the form that it had on a spoon, so I’d say at least that long.
I used this ganache recipe to frost a cake for my mom’s birthday and it turned out great! The only thing I did differently was add a tsp. of vanilla before whisking.
Thank you for the great review Kaylee and good to know about vanilla :).
Hi. If i don’t want to use semi-sweet chocolate chip, can i use other type of chocolate like chocolate compound?
Madelyn, what do you mean by chocolate compound?
how can I make my ganache shinny?
One of my readers mentioned adding a little bit of corn syrup to get it shinier when it comes out of the fridge. I hope that helps. Sorry, I’m not sure exactly how much of it to add without testing it out myself.
hi.. thank you so much… for sure I will try this recipe.. hopefully this is the recipe I’ve been looking for.. 🙂
I hope you absolutely love it! 🙂
I never comment on recipes, but I can’t resist on this one! You were cracking me up while reading it lol! Can’t wait to try it. Using it for a good base for a fondant cake I’m making for my daughter’s birthday 🙂
I had to go back and read what I wrote ;). Thank you for writing in and happy birthday to your daughter! 🙂
I made this yesterday to frost a cake for a family get together. My cake was all gone when we left. This was SO easy to make and was absolutely delicious! I wish I knew that it takes a lot longer than 30 minutes of the ganache sitting before it makes for a good frosting-I panicked but ended up putting it in the fridge for a bit and it was fine. Thank you for sharing this recipe-I’m pinning it now!
Thank you for the great review Sarah and you are welcome :).
Made this recipe and poured it over my homemade brownies. WOW. Had to cut them small because it was like eating a piece of fudge. Everyone raved. This is a keeper.
Oh my goodness I’ve never thought to pour it over brownies! I LOVE that idea!!