How to Make Ganache
Here’s a simple guide for making homemade chocolate ganache! With only 2 ingredients, chocolate ganache is a decadent addition to any dessert.
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What is Chocolate Ganache?
If you’re looking for a fool-proof guide to making chef-quality chocolate ganache in minutes, welcome. I have spent thousands of hours mixing up various frostings in my kitchen and this chocolate ganache recipe absolutely takes the cake! While you can use any flavor of chocolate you’d like, for the best tasting chocolate ganache, I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate. This will yield a silky smooth ganache that is incredibly decadent but not overbearing.
My recipe for chocolate ganache can be whipped up in 7 minutes, but will look and taste like it belongs on the Great British Baking Show! Extremely versatile, chocolate ganache can be used as a frosting, a filling, a spread, a dip, or really whatever you need it to be!
A few of my favorite uses for ganache are these delicious buckeye brownies and my crumbl copycat cosmic brownies.
Easy Chocolate Ganache Ingredients
- Chocolate chips – You can use any type of chocolate here that you’d like (milk, semi-sweet, or dark) but if you’re going for a darker flavor, you’ll need more cream!
- Heavy whipping cream
Yep, that’s really it.
How to Make Ganache
- Measure out the chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl.
- Microwave the heavy cream for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the heavy cream is hot and boiling.
- Pour the heated cream over the chocolate chips
- Allow the chocolate chips and cream to sit for 5 minutes.
- After the 5 minutes, stir to combine.
- Use as desired. You can pour over cake or brownies, let it set up and spread it or let it cool completely and pipe it.
Chocolate Ganache Recipe Tips
How to make ganache thicker:
To make a thicker ganache, lower the amount of heavy cream. Please note: this recipe is already a pretty thickset finished ganache.
How to make ganache thinner:
For a thinner ganache, increase the heavy cream. But be sure to cap it at a 1:1 ratio.
What do I do if my ganache separates or becomes grainy?
Just whisk in a small amount of water (about a tsp at a time) until it becomes smooth again.
Uses for Ganache
Chocolate ganache is a super versatile and luxurious dessert staple. It’s most popular as a filling or frosting for cakes, but it also shines in trifles, on top of brownies, piped inside of pastries, etc.
How to Store Chocolate Ganache
Store your ganache in an airtight container for 2 days on the counter or up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. You can also freeze for up to 3 months, if desired. No matter how you store it, just allow it to come up to room temperature and re-whip it prior to using!
Easy Ganache FAQs
Chocolate ganache is like chocolate frosting’s fancy and versatile older sister. Made by pouring hot cream over chopped chocolate and stirring until smooth, it is rich and decadent with a creamy texture. You can adjust the thickness of a ganache to be used as a glaze, filling or a frosting as desired.
Frosting, on the other hand, is made with butter, powdered sugar and cocoa. It is fluffy, sweet, and buttery and usually used to coat or decorate a cake.
Not really! A ganache will typically set to a soft, smooth consistency but doesn’t completely harden! You can place it in the fridge to help it set more quickly, as needed.
I definitely would! Right after it is made, ganache can be a little thin – so letting it cool and thicken up can make it easier to spread smoothly.
Yep, absolutely! Just make sure your ganache layer has set before covering it with buttercream – this will keep the two from mixing together.
Typical ganache calls for heavy cream, but half and half can be used if absolutely needed! But please remember that because it is thinner, it will result in a finished ganache that is also thinner and less rich.
More like this Chocolate Ganache Recipe:
Easy Ganache
Ingredients
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Measure out the chocolate chips in a heat safe bowl.
- Microwave the heavy cream for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the heavy cream is hot and boiling.
- Pour the heated cream over the chocolate chips and allow the chocolate chips and cream to just sit for 5 minutes.
- After the 5 minutes, stir to combine.
- Use as desired. You can pour over cake or brownies, let it set up and spread it or let it cool completely and pipe it.
Can’t wait to try this…
This was the easiest Ganache I have ever made, also the first Gamache that didn’t separate on me! Thanks for a easy recipe that is also delicious.