Go Back
+ servings
ganache cake with dark, milk, and white chocolate on it
Print

The Best Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Traditional chocolate ganache is made by heating up cream and pouring it over chocolate, waiting for it to melt, adding flavoring, and stirring it together until smooth. Depending on the temperature, chocolate ganache can become a glaze, a drip, frosting or even truffles.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 3 cups
Calories 1140kcal

Ingredients

Firm Setting Ganache 2:1

  • 16 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate
  • 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or any other extract

Soft Ganache Frosting 1:1

  • 8 ounces 60% high quality chocolate Such as callebaut - about $8/lb
  • 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Soft White Chocolate Ganache 3:1

  • 18 ounces white chocolate
  • 6 ounces heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Soft Milk Chocolate Ganache 2.5:1

  • 13 ounces milk chocolate
  • 5 ounces heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • IMPORTANT NOTES:
    Ganache ratios change depending on how you’re going to use them, and the type of chocolate you're using.
    I'm using Guittard chocolate for these ratios, if you’re using a different brand and it’s not as thick or thin as you want it, you may have to add more cream or chocolate. The darker the chocolate and the more cocoa %, the firmer it will set.
    Using a scale is recommended for accuracy and to ensure your ganache turns out.
  • Measure out the chocolate with a food scale and chop it into fine pieces so that it melts more easily. Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.

Making Chocolate Ganache

  • Heat the cream on the stovetop in a small saucepan until steam just begins to rise from the surface. Whisk occasionally to prevent burning and don’t walk away or your cream could boil over. 
  • Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and push the chocolate down so it’s all under the surface of the cream. Let the mixture of chocolate and cream sit for 5 minutes. 
  • Add the vanilla and salt, then whisk the cream and chocolate together until it’s smooth. Start with small circles in the center until the chocolate and cream start creating an emulsion.
  • If you have lumps or un-melted chocolate you can use an immersion blender to make your ganache super creamy and lump-free. 
  • Use the warm ganache for piping and drizzling, or pour it into a baking sheet pan.
  • Cover the ganache with plastic wrap touching the top and set it aside to rest at room temperature for about 4 hours or overnight.
  • When the ganache reaches "peanut butter consistency" it is ready to use for frosting cakes, piping, or forming into truffles.
  • Store leftover ganache at room temperature for up to 48 hours, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or seal it in an airtight container and freeze for 6 months.

Video

Notes

The brand of chocolate you use, matters! Whether you're using dark, milk, or white chocolate it's important to use good-quality chocolate. The better the quality, the better tasting your ganache will be. You also want to make sure that cocoa butter is listed in the ingredients on the back, instead of hydrogenated palm kernel oil. Cocoa butter means that it is "real" chocolate instead of candy melts, and won't be as waxy. Some bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips at the grocery store do not contain cocoa butter, so make sure to check the back. Some brands I like are Ghirardelli, Lindt, Guittard, or Callebaut.
Dark Chocolate Ganache Drip Ratio – 1:1
  • A 1:1 ratio is one part chocolate and one part cream (equal parts chocolate and cream) are typically used for very soft frostings, a chocolate drip, or for a glaze. For example, this would be 8 ounces of chocolate and 8 ounces of cream.
  • This soft ganache can also be whipped to make a whipped ganache frosting. 
Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio – 2:1
  • A 2:1 ratio is two parts dark or semisweet chocolate and 1 part cream, so twice as much chocolate as cream. When it firms up at room temperature for a few hours, it's typically used for making truffles or a stiff chocolate ganache frosting. This would be 16 ounces of chocolate and 8 ounces of cream, or 32 ounces of chocolate and 16 ounces of cream.
  • Pro-tip: Flavor your ganache by steeping herbs or spices in the cream. Tea makes for some excellent flavors in ganache like my rose chocolate truffle recipe. 
Milk Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio – 2.5:1
  • Milk chocolate has a 2.5 to 1 ratio meaning you multiply the amount of cream by 2.5, so 20 oz milk chocolate 8 ounces of cream.
  • Milk chocolate is great for making ganache but because it contains more sugar and milk solids, it is not as stable as dark chocolate. You will need to use a bit more chocolate for this ganache to set firm.
White Chocolate Ganache Frosting Ratio – 3:1
  • White chocolate doesn’t contain any cocoa to help it set, only cocoa butter so you need to use a lot more chocolate to get it to set properly. I use a 3:1 ratio but I know some people go as high as 4:1.
  • Did you know that white chocolate ganache doesn’t sweat and is ideal to use in really hot environments like Florida, the Caribbean and Texas?

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz | Calories: 1140kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 85g | Saturated Fat: 50g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1129mg | Potassium: 913mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 1185IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 9.6mg