How to Make Ganache

Learn how make chocolate ganache (hint: it is actually really easy!) and check out these 5 delicious ways to use it for the ultimate chocolate treat.

What is Ganache?

With Valentine’s Day coming up in a few days, many of us probably have chocolate on the brain. There is no simpler or more indulgent chocolate dessert than ganache.

Made of heavy cream and dark chocolate, you would be hard pressed to find a dessert with a shorter ingredient list. Not to mention that many of us probably have these items in the house already.

Depending on how much chocolate or cream you add, you can make chocolate ganache runnier or quite firm. This means you can use it as a sauce, frosting, glaze, and more!

Keep reading to find out my favorite ways to use chocolate ganache.

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Chocolate Ganache Ingredients

When I say this is an easy chocolate ganache recipe, I mean it! The only ingredients you need to make chocolate ganache are:

• Chocolate
• Heavy Cream

That’s it! Chocolate Ganache is only 2 ingredients!

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

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How to Make Ganache

For a classic ganache, here’s what you need to do:

1. Place the chopped dark chocolate in a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Warm the cream in a saucepan set over medium-low heat.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
4. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until smooth and glossy.

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Save this recipe on How to Make Ganache to Pinterest!

Can I Use Another Type of Chocolate?

Yes, you can make chocolate ganache using either milk or dark chocolate.

Tips for Making Chocolate Ganache

Here are some of my favorite tips for making the best chocolate ganache:

• Make sure to use a really good quality dark chocolate. Since it’s the star ingredient, you want the flavor to be amazing.
• Also, you’ll want to use an actual chopped up chocolate bar and not chocolate chips.
• Chocolate chips don’t always melt well, which can affect the texture of this homemade ganache. If you do use chocolate chips, make sure they’re high quality dark chocolate.
• You can also use dark chocolate disks (not the same as chocolate candy melts).
• Use a whisk to mix the chocolate completely into the hot cream.
• Lastly, when heating the cream you do NOT want it to come to a boil. Heat it until almost boiling and then remove it from the heat.

Ways to Use Chocolate Ganache

Not only is ganache easy and delicious, but it is very versatile. One batch of ganache can give you many different options for dessert if you have a little time to be creative. Here are five of my favorite ways to use chocolate ganache:

Chocolate Fondue

Keep the chocolate warm and, if necessary, thin it to your desired dipping consistency with additional heavy cream or liquor. It’s perfect for dipping fresh fruit (such as orange sections, raspberries and strawberries), homemade marshmallows, cheesecake bites, pretzels, or whatever else you’d like to eat dipped in warm, silky chocolate.

Chocolate Sauce

Pour or drizzle warm ganache over items like ice cream or crepes.

Coating Chocolate

Dip caramels, homemade marshmallows, fresh or dried fruit, nuts, pretzels, and more. Let the dipped edibles cool on a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet in the refrigerator until hardened. This will not produce a hard chocolate shell, however. If you are looking for that result, you’ll want to learn How to Temper Chocolate.

Frosting or Glaze for Cakes

For a shiny, chocolate ganache glaze, pour liquid, but slightly cooled, chocolate over cheesecake, bundt cakes, brownies (while still in their pan, but completely cooled), or layer cakes.

For whipped chocolate ganache frosting, chill a metal mixing bowl and mixer’s whisk(s) in your freezer. When the ganache has completely cooled (about an hour) and begun setting, you can remove the bowl and whisk from the freezer and whip the chocolate.

Whip ganache at medium-high speed as you would whip heavy cream until the chocolate has lightened in color and is fluffy (about 2 – 5 minutes). This is perfect for filling layer cakes or piping on top of cupcakes for a fluffy chocolate frosting.

For rich and thick cupcake frosting, allow the ganache to cool completely (about an hour) until it begins to set up but is still soft. Spoon into a pastry bag with a piping tip and pipe as desired for a rich dark chocolate frosting for cupcakes.

Quick Fudge

Pour the ganache into a lined pan and allow it to set. Cut into squares of fudge. If desired, swirl things like nut butters, dried or freeze dried fruit, coconut, marshmallows, caramel, vanilla bean, extracts or flavorings, or nuts into the fudge before pouring into the pan. If you like, sprinkle the top with sea salt before it hardens.

More Easy Chocolate Recipes:

Need a quick dessert that everyone will love? Make a pan of these Easy Chocolate Brownies. They’re one of the most popular recipes on my blog, and for good reason!

If you want to make homemade candies or truffles, learning How to Temper Chocolate is crucial. I break it down step by step in this post.

These Dark Chocolate Almond Lava Cake Sundaes are absolutely irresistible. Gooey in the center, and perfectly moist on the outside, I can’t stop eating these once I make them!

Another fun spin on chocolate ganache is this Homemade Magic Shell. When you pour this chocolate sauce over ice cream, it magically hardens!

If you like salt and sweet chocolate desserts, you need to make a batch of these Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream. Talk about delicious!

How do you like to use chocolate ganache?

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