Learn how to make this silky-smooth Chocolate Ganache! This recipe is the perfect topper for just about any dessert and it’s easier to make than you think.
Need help deciding what to make with this chocolate ganache? Then try this Pavlova Recipe with its chocolate ganache center or smother it on top of my Layered Almond Coffee Cake.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
Have you ever wondered how to make a velvety smooth Chocolate Ganache? This easy recipe will show you just that and you won’t believe how many amazing dessert recipes you can make with this simple chocolate condiment.
- TASTE: This Chocolate Ganache is rich and bursting with chocolaty goodness. You’re going to become obsessed with this tasty treat!
- TEXTURE: This recipe makes a ganache that is perfectly creamy and velvety. It’s just the right consistency for dipping, topping, and filling your favorite desserts.
- TIME: It only takes 10 minutes to make.
- EASE: All you need is 4 ingredients for this simple and easy recipe.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Semisweet chocolate chips– You want to make sure you use good quality chocolate.
- Heavy whipping cream– Make sure its HOT cream.
- Unsalted Butter– This gives it a rich velvety texture.
- Honey– This ingredient adds an extra shiny look to the Chocolate Ganache.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Make it dairy-free- You can substitute a dairy-free chocolate and butter, and use full-fat coconut milk in place of the heavy cream. Remember to shake the coconut milk can well first.
- Add extracts- Want to try a flavored chocolate ganache? Make this recipe with vanilla, caramel, mint, or orange extract.
- Substitute other chocolates- Try this with another type of chocolate, such as milk, dark, or white chocolate.
- Enhance the flavor with salt- Salt doesn’t lessen sweetness, but actually enhances it. If you like a salty-sweet treat, add some coarse sea salt when you serve this Chocolate Ganache.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
- Combine the chocolate and cream. Fill the bowl with your good quality semi-sweet chocolate and pour hot heavy cream over the chocolate chips, covering them. Let it sit for a minute, then stir with a whisk.
- Add the butter and honey. Then add the melted butter, stir, and add the honey. Stir to combine.
Pro Tip: Fully submerge the chocolate so the heat from the heavy cream is able to thoroughly melt it. This will result in less chunks.
- Strain the ganache. Once it’s nice and smooth you can strain the ganache through a mesh strainer to catch any clumps of chocolate that might not have melted completely. Serve warm.
Recipe Tips
- Use good quality chocolate- For the best ganache, use a pure baking chocolate bar or high-quality chocolate chips. Baker and Ghirardelli are good brands for this.
- Chop your chocolate with a serrated knife- If you have to chop up a chocolate bar or larger chocolate chips, use a serrate knife as it chips away at the hard chocolate better than a smooth blade.
- Submerge the chocolate- If your chocolate pieces or chips are small enough, they should melt right away once you submerge them in the hot cream. This means less stirring and a smoother consistency.
- Repurpose your leftover ganache- Whip it into frosting, add milk and make some hot chocolate, or spread it on top of homemade brownies. Chocolate ganache never goes to waste!
FAQs
We all know that feeling of panic when you’re stirring the chocolate and all of a sudden it begins to harden and stiffen too much. Don’t worry, It’s fixable! Just add a teaspoon of boiling cream at a time and keep stirring until the ganache is back to its smooth consistency.
The number one reason that ganache can come out clumpy is that the chocolate isn’t warm or melted enough. Sometimes it’s melted but there are still tiny clumps. You can fix this by sifting it through a mesh sieve.
Often times our ganache can come out grainy due to low-quality chocolate. You want to use the best quality chocolate when making a ganache. I love using Guittard semi-sweet chocolate or sometimes Ghiradelli.
Serving Suggestions
This Chocolate Ganache recipe is so versatile and perfect for so many desserts. Here are some tasty ways to put your homemade ganache to use.
- Fondue: Use chocolate ganache as chocolate fondue and dip fruit, berries, pretzels, bananas, and pound cake, like this Lemon Pound Cake (VIDEO), into it.
- Cake glaze or topper: Use it as a cake glaze on this Royal Honey Plum Cake or 8-Layer Chocolate Honey Cake (Spartak) or even this Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake.
- Fill the insides of desserts: You’ll love filling dried figs with it and dipping them in chocolate once more for the most incredible Chocolate Fig Bonbons
- Chocolate truffles: Use it as a base for Chocolate Truffles. Yes! All truffles are based on a simple ganache.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can make this ganache ahead of time and then store it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready, allow it to soften to room temperature or place it in the microwave and heat for 10 seconds at a time to get it back to its melted consistency.
Storing: You can store Chocolate Ganache at room temperature for up to 2 days, then after that, it needs to be refrigerated and can last up to 1 week.
Freeze: You can also freeze this recipe by letting it cool and placing it in a freezer-safe container. It will last for about 3 months. Allow to thaw and reheat until melted.
More Delicious Chocolate Desserts!
Full Recipe Instructions
Chocolate Ganache Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips (good quality)
- 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (hot,simmered)
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 Tbsp honey
Instructions
- Place 12 oz of semisweet chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl.
- In a saucepan, bring 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream to a slight boil/simmer then pour it right over the chocolate chips making sure that all the chocolate is fully submerged in the hot cream. Then use a whisk to mix it together until it's fully emulsified.
- Once the heavy cream is mixed in well, add 4 Tbsp melted unsalted butter.
- Once the butter is melted, mix in 4 Tbsp honey. If you end up with small bits of chocolate, strain the chocolate through a mesh sieve to ensure a smooth ganache.
- Use the ganache for coating cakes or as chocolate fondue and dip fruits in it.
Notes
- Use good quality chocolate- For the best ganache, use a pure baking chocolate bar or high-quality chocolate chips. Baker and Ghirardelli are good brands for this.
- Chop your chocolate with a serrated knife- If you have to chop up a chocolate bar or larger chocolate chips, use a serrate knife as it chips away at the hard chocolate better than a smooth blade.
- Submerge the chocolate- If your chocolate pieces or chips are small enough, they should melt right away once you submerge them in the hot cream. This means less stirring and a smoother consistency.
- Repurpose your leftover ganache- Whip it into frosting, add milk and make some hot chocolate, or spread it on top of homemade brownies. Chocolate ganache never goes to waste!
Nutrition
This post was originally published on Jan 30, 2017, we have tweaked it a bit since then.
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Srikanth Dudaka says
Always love chocolate truffles, love to know how other people are creating new chocolate truffles, In India not many people try to make them so we make our own.
Srikanth from India
simplyhomecooked says
I love chocolate truffles too! Such a yummy treat 🙂
Poorna says
Can we use this recipe to pipe designs
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Poorna, are you piping it onto a cake or are you planning to pipe cake toppers? Using this chocolate ganache on top of a cake will work. However, you will need to let it cool and thicken before piping.
Dorothy says
I am looking for a panache that hardens. Will this recipe harden and not stay soft?
Thank you
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Dorothy, this chocolate ganache will stiffen after it sits. However, it will not harden like regular chocolate. It will still have a semi-soft texture to it. For example, it will be like a soft fudge. I hope this helps explain what you are looking for.
Anna says
Awesome ganache recipe, This will be my go to recipe from now on!
simplyhomecooked says
So glad this is a keeper for you Anna. It’s my go to ganache recipe as well 😉
Yelena Polyashov says
That’s sounds delicious but have you tried without honey? Also how much I need for one cake? Thank you
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Lena, I’ve tried it without honey before. It’s still good without it 🙂 this recipe should be enough for 1 (10 inch cake).