Use this as your complete guide for making homemade chocolate ganache. Chocolate ganache is a 2-ingredient recipe with virtually endless uses. For the best tasting ganache, I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate.
Chocolate ganache is a mixture of chocolate and warm cream. Stirred until smooth, silky, and shiny, ganache is a staple in any baker’s kitchen. It’s not only easy and quick, it’s uniquely versatile. Chocolate ganache can be used with so many dessert recipes as a filling, dip, spread, frosting, topping, or layer in a cake. The uses are virtually endless!
It’s not as syrupy and caramel-like as hot fudge sauce, but it does thicken considerably.
Uses for Chocolate Ganache
- Topping for chocolate cupcakes, cream-filled chocolate cupcakes, or no-bake cheesecake jars
- Filling for layer cakes
- Topping for this showstopping chocolate chip cake
- As a frosting for chocolate peanut butter cake or dark chocolate mousse cake
- Swirl in chocolate marble banana Bundt cake
- Topping for homemade brownies, pound cake, vanilla cake, or ice cream
- Swirled throughout chocolate swirl pistachio ice cream
- Filling for chocolate hand pies
- As a layer in crème de menthe pie
- Dip for strawberries and other fruit (serve with a bowl of whipped cream, too!)
- Topping for chocolate cake or flourless chocolate cake
- Frosting for chocolate raspberry cake (and you can even flavor it with raspberry liqueur)
- Layered in trifles
- Filling for no-bake s’mores cake
- Topping for homemade eclairs, crepes, angel food cake, and peanut butter pie
- Filling for striped fudge cookies and peanut butter fudge puddles
- Topping for marble loaf cake (with slightly reduced cream for a thicker ganache!)
- As a layer in peanut butter banana cream pie and peanut butter pie
- Filling inside of Easter cupcakes or your favorite cupcake recipe (see my How to Fill Cupcakes post for exact details on how to do so)
Let’s dive into an in-depth chocolate ganache tutorial. If you don’t care to read through the tutorial, feel free to jump straight to the recipe below.
Chocolate Ganache Video Tutorial
2 Ingredients in Chocolate Ganache
- Heavy Cream or Heavy Whipping Cream: Do not use half-and-half, whole milk, or any other liquid because the ganache won’t set up properly. For a non-dairy alternative, use canned coconut milk. See recipe note.
- Pure Chocolate: You can use semi-sweet chocolate (recommended), bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate. See recipe note.
When making homemade ganache, you need roughly a 1:1 weight ratio of cream to chocolate. (226g of chocolate for 240g of cream.)
Did you know that chocolate ganache is the base for chocolate truffles? I actually use less cream when I make chocolate truffles. Instead of a 1:1 weight ratio, use 8 ounces of chocolate and 2/3 cup (160ml/g) cream for truffles.
Best Chocolate to Use in Chocolate Ganache
The best chocolate for chocolate ganache is a pure chocolate baking bar, such as Bakers or Ghirardelli brands. (Not sponsored, just a genuine customer!) These are typically sold in 4-ounce (113g) bars in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips. Do not use chocolate chips because they will not melt into the best ganache consistency—save them for chocolate chip cookies instead. If you absolutely must use chocolate chips, make sure they are higher-quality chocolate such as Ghirardelli or Guittard brand semi-sweet chocolate chips.
For traditional chocolate ganache, I recommend using semi-sweet chocolate. This is the most commonly found chocolate in the baking aisle. Semi-sweet chocolate contains 35–45% cacao and is usually sweeter than bittersweet or dark varieties and darker than milk chocolate and white chocolate. If you like it a little darker, bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao) also makes an excellent ganache.
TIP: The best tool for chopping chocolate is a large serrated knife. The grooves help chip away the hard chocolate bar texture.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
- Place finely chopped chocolate into a heat-proof glass or metal bowl.
- Heat cream on the stovetop until just simmering. If it’s boiling, the cream is too hot and could separate or even burn the chocolate. Once you see little simmers around the edges, turn off the heat and immediately pour the warm cream over the chocolate.
- Let the 2 sit for a few minutes before stirring.
- Stir slowly until smooth.
After you stir the chocolate and warm cream together, use the ganache right away as a fruit dip or drizzle on top of cakes, cupcakes, pound cakes, ice cream, and more. But if you wait about 2 hours and let it cool completely, the ganache can be scooped with a spoon, spread onto desserts, or piped with piping tips.
Piped Chocolate Ganache
If you’re craving a pure chocolate topping for your desserts, choose chocolate ganache. Once it cools and sets, you can pipe it onto your favorites including chocolate cupcakes. Super intricate piping tips aren’t ideal. Wilton 1M piping tip or Ateco 844 piping tip are my favorites for piped chocolate ganache. I used Ateco 844 in these photos.
Whipped Ganache
Let’s take chocolate ganache 1 step further. Did you know that you can beat ganache into a whipped frosting consistency? Think of the whipped buttercream from this vanilla sheet cake, but not as sweet or heavy. Once the chocolate ganache cools completely, whip it on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy in texture, about 4 minutes. Now you have a decadent mousse-like frosting without an onslaught of extra sugar. It’s REALLY good!
You can pipe the whipped ganache, too. I used Ateco 844 piping tip in this next photo.
These 2 Tricks Make Chocolate Ganache Even Easier
Here are my 2 super simple tricks that make ganache even easier to make.
- Chop the chocolate as fine as possible. The finer you chop the chocolate, the quicker it melts with the cream. If the chocolate is in large large chunks, it won’t fully melt. And if the chocolate is not melting, reference Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache below.
- Pour the warm cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit before stirring. After you pour the warm heavy cream over the chopped chocolate, let it sit for a few minutes. During this time, the chocolate will soften and begin to melt which means that you won’t need to over-stir it. I’d rather spend extra minutes doing nothing than extra minutes stirring chocolate that won’t melt. Wouldn’t you?!
Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache
After writing an entire cookbook (Sally’s Candy Addiction) on chocolate and candy, I’ve seen it all when it comes to making chocolate ganache. Seized chocolate? Yep. Grainy ganache. Yep, that too. Here are 3 problems you could encounter and how to fix each.
- Chocolate Isn’t Melting: If the chocolate isn’t melting, it wasn’t chopped fine enough or the cream wasn’t warm enough. Chop the chocolate into very small pieces and warm the cream until it’s just simmering. The microwave doesn’t evenly warm cream like the stove does, so I always recommend the stove. If you’re left with chocolate chunks swimming in cream, do not microwave it. Instead, place the mixture into a double boiler OR place the (heat-proof!) glass bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Do not let the surface of the simmering water touch the bottom of the glass bowl. Stir the ganache constantly over the indirect heat until it’s smooth.
- Chocolate Seized: When chocolate seizes, it creates a gritty and solid mass of chocolate. Simply put, seized chocolate will not melt. Chocolate seizes when it comes into contact with water. Don’t let even a drop of water into the bowl! Here is a wonderful article on overheated and seized chocolate.
- Greasy or Grainy: Use a glass or metal bowl. A plastic bowl could melt or leave you with a dull or grainy ganache. Use real chocolate; cheap chocolate chips result in a grainy ganache. Use a spoon or small rubber spatula to stir the chocolate and warm cream together. Do not use a whisk. The whisk incorporates too much air into the delicate melting chocolate, which could cause the fat to separate and turn greasy.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 and 1/2 cups
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stirring
- Cuisine: American
Description
You only need 2 ingredients and a few minutes to make pure chocolate ganache. For ganache success, I encourage you to read the troubleshooting tips above and recipe notes below before beginning.
Ingredients
- two 4-ounce quality semi-sweet chocolate bars (113g each), finely chopped (see Note about using white chocolate)*
- 1 cup (8 ounces; 240ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil—that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2–3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.
- With a metal spoon or small silicone spatula, very slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it’s not melting, do not microwave it. See Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache in blog post above.
- Ganache can be ready to use as a drizzle or you can let it sit at room temperature to cool and thicken. It will fully cool within 2 hours. Refrigerating speeds this up, but the ganache will not cool evenly. Stir it a few times as it sets in the refrigerator so it remains even and smooth.
- Once completely cool and thick, the ganache can be piped with a piping tip or scooped with a spoon. You can also beat the cooled thickened ganache with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until light in color and texture, about 4 minutes on medium-high speed.
- Cover tightly and store ganache in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Once ganache cools completely, you can cover it tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. To rewarm or thin out again, stir constantly over low heat on the stove in either (1) a double boiler or (2) in a heat-proof bowl placed over a pot of simmering water. Don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the simmering water.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Small Saucepan | Double Boiler | Silicone Spatula | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) if whipping the ganache
- Chocolate: Ganache will only set if the correct chocolate is used. You can use high-quality chocolate chips if needed (I prefer Ghirardelli or Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips), but I recommend using pure chocolate baking bars, in either semi-sweet or bittersweet. You can find them right next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle. They are sold in 4-ounce (113g) bars. I like Bakers or Ghirardelli brands. You can use other varieties of chocolate too, such as milk chocolate (aka German chocolate) or dark chocolate. If using white chocolate, reduce the cream to 2/3 cup (160ml). White chocolate is softer, so you need less cream.
- Halve or Double: You can easily halve or double this recipe. No matter how much ganache you are making, you always need equal parts chocolate and cream.
- Dairy-Free Alternative for Heavy Cream: Use full-fat canned coconut milk. Shake the can well before opening. Whisk on the stove as it heats and bring to a simmer. Measure 1 cup (8 ounces; 240ml). Use instead of warm heavy cream.
- Yield: Yields 1 and 1/2 cups liquid/drizzle/scoop-able ganache. This is enough to cover 1 dozen cupcakes. For piped cupcakes, you may want to double the ganache to ensure there is plenty for piping. If whipping the ganache, you’ll have close to 3 cups. This is enough for 1 dozen cupcakes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made this recipe and it turned out soo good! I added some vanilla paste and salt to bring some more flavor but the look of this ganache is beautiful. Thank you so much!
Hello, Can you use unsweetened chocolate baking bar instead of semi-sweetened
Hi Lisa, you can use unsweetened chocolate for a very dark (and more bitter) ganache.
Hi, from Australia
My ganache didn t thicken….i used chocolate with 37% cocoa topped up some 70% cocoa with thickened cream
Any ideas how I might rescue this rather than waste it please?
Hi Rhonda, we’re sorry to hear that! Happy to help troubleshoot. What percent milkfat was your cream?
I’m making a plain cheesecake and was going to have a chocolate ganache later and use some coffee caramel sauce. Do I put sauce over cake then ganache or other way? The sauce is from a jar, I bought at a store. Thanks, Bob
Hi Bob, I would top the cheesecake with ganache, then caramel sauce – let us know how it goes!
Can this be used to fill thumbprint cookies? Would I just swap out chopped vanilla for a vanilla version? Thanks.
Hi FMG, you can use chocolate ganache to fill thumbprint cookies. See recipe Notes for details on making a white chocolate version.
Thank you so much. Would I use the piped level of consistency? Will it set so the cookies can be stacked on a holiday tray? I’ve always used jam and thought tinted ganache would be a nice change for the holidays.
The ganache turned out perfectly. I invested the extra time required to finely chop the chocolate and to very slowly mix the chocolate (more like folding than stirring) with the cream. Then I let the chocolate rest until it was room temp (80-85 F). It was perfect for drizzling on my Bundt cake. Sally, thank you for another great recipe with clear instructions and helpful hints.
Your recipe and directions are great. I made half the recipe and it turned out perfectly delicious. I used a semi-sweet Bakers chocolate bar. It was sooo easy. Now I’ll do it more often.
Thank you
I LOVE this recipe!
I have made it a few times & have wondered if adding some espresso powder to the mix would ruin it? If not, how much powder? What are your thoughts?
Hi Regan, if you’re going for a mocha ganache, we would start with 1/2 tsp – 1 tsp. It may take some trial and error to get the flavor you’re going for. Let us know what you try!
Hi Sally,
I’ve been baking for 45 years and have used your website for several years now for a variety of things. I love your recipes and tips, but I’ve never left a comment. Well, I just had to leave one about this ganache recipe. It’s wonderful and easy! I used a small food processor to chop the chocolate and it worked great! But the best part about this recipe is the tip to whip it when cool to make that dreamy, fluffy frosting! I used your oreo cookie crust recipe and my go to own cheesecake recipe , then spread that whipped ganache on the top and sides. Thanks for a great recipe! Looking forward to my Kindle edition of your new baking book in September!
Hi Patricia, thank you for trusting our recipes! We appreciate it.
To be honest I’m not sure 5 stars is enough.i mean your directions your tips well they were a bit on the money! I’ve failed so many times doing this.your tips were the right key.stiring it slow just enough to being mixed and walk away.its perfect.it made my butter finger cheese cake a winner.thank you so much.keep up the great work I plan on following you from now on! Wish I could post a pic of my cheese cake.it turned out amazeing.thanks again.
Thank you so much, Scott!
Sorry if this question was answered earlier, but I was wondering if the whipped chocolate ganache can be piped onto cupcakes in advance, or if it would lose its form?
Thank you for the recipe! I was wondering if I can pipe the whipped ganache onto cupcakes in advance of an event (how long would it keep at room temperature, vs refrigerated and then moved to room temperature once it has been piped?)
Hi Sophie, you can pipe the whipped ganache in advance and store in the refrigerator. You can then take them out for serving and leave them at room temperature for just a few hours, but it will start to get soft. Exact timing will depend on the temperature. Otherwise, it’s best to keep them stored in the refrigerator if possible!
The recipe is presented as so simple and so luscious and the description is meant to sound easy but among all of the superfluous text used to describe the recipe there is an absolute gaping hole that makes the recipe so impractical: there are many references to a 1:1 ratio of chocolate to cream. Has the author ever taken a chemistry class? How do you measure 1:1 of a solid and a liquid? Do I weigh 200g of chocolate and weigh 200g of cream? Do I pour 1 cup of cream and finely chop 1 cup of chocolate??? Of course the more finely chopped the chocolate, the more there is in 1 cup. What units are used to achieve a 1:1 ratio of solid to liquid? Thank you.
Thanks for the feedback. As noted in the 2 places I mentioned this, the rough 1:1 ratio is by weight.
Ron, I’m afraid it is you who is in need of a chemistry class as well as a basic cooking class featuring how to boil water. I’m sorry for you that these things are so difficult.
“- two 4-ounce quality semi-sweet chocolate bars (113g each), finely chopped (see Note about using white chocolate)” confusing enough for me to complain. of course in the middle of making a cake I missread it as just 113g. I was making triple quantity for giant cake so I had more than a liter of useless chocolate cream. The recipe unnecessarily long for the most part. Some tips are helpfull and the final product is great.
Hi Katie, I’m sorry you found the wording of the 2 bars confusing. Thanks for the feedback.
I am looking for the best frosting (except buttercream) that I can use on a cake before adding fondant. This recipe seems like it might work. Could I whip the ganache before applying on a cake and then adding fondant? Wish me luck as I bake 2 cakes for my 10 yo twins next weekend 🙂
Hi Poonam, we don’t usually work with fondant but have seen cakes that use ganache under it. This ganache is best when refrigerated – and fondant covered cakes are typically best when they are not refrigerated. Sorry we can’t be of more help here!
As with all Sally’s recipes, this one works great. Where I live, heavy cream is not readily available. What we get here is like 25 to 27% cream which is quite inadequate for a good ganache. So I used what cream I had in a 3:2 ratio by weight (more of the chocolate) and added about 5 grams of butter for a total 200 grams of the other two. The result was good. It went right up to the whipping stage.
I’m sharing this tip mainly for readers from those places where 40% cream isn’t really an option.
Thank you Sally for another great recipe.
May we please have a a whipped chocolate ganache please for frosting cakes. I trust only yours Sally
Hi Nella, see “Whipped Ganache” section in the post for all the details. Enjoy!
This recipe led to a just not too thick and sticky but pourable liquid consistency ganache. I was happy that it did not fall off the round edges. I applied over a cold cake and put in the freezer for 4 hrs. It did not set. I touched with my finger and it stuck to it. And took it out for my mom’s b’day. When I reached there ganache was flowy and collected at the sides. No dobt it is a hot weather. Still can you suggest me something which I can add to stop it from flowy and set firmly? In our cake shops ganache is very firm and doesn’t melt. They must be adding something for selling commercially. Plz let me know that. I am from India. Plz help me.
Hi Anamica, the ganache is quite liquid-y right after it’s mixed, so you can drizzle it on a cake but it will drip down into a thin layer. If you want a thicker ganache coating or filling, we recommend letting it thicken a bit first. This ganache won’t set up hard in the refrigerator like pure chocolate would.
I’ve used this ganache recipe many times and it always comes out perfect! The trick is in the details, like so many other baking recipes and techniques. Thank you Sally and crew!
Ps. If I add a little butter, will it make a shinier ganache?
Hi Lori, so glad you love the ganache! Yes, a little butter should be fine.
I trust your recipes for literally everything I bake and this was no exception! Super easy and I’m really greatful!
For the heating the Cream , can a double boiler be used then add in the chocolate?
Hi Richard, you can use a double boiler for melting the cream, but we do not recommend adding the chocolate to the double boiler as it will still be hot/warm. It’s best to add the cream to the chocolate in a room temperature bowl.
Could I add peppermint extract to make a mint ganache? If so, about how much should I add? Thanks!
Hi Blair, You could add a very small amount of peppermint extract (it’s very strong, so start small and then adjust to your taste) with no other changes
Soupy mess. Do not follow this recipe. It will pour like soup over your cake. Way too much cream. I had to spend a half hour to doctor it. Extremely disappointing.
Hi Cindy, there are many particulars that could create a thin ganache. Make sure you expect a very thin ganache at first. It will be liquid-y like soup after you make it. It needs time to thicken as it cools. What type of chocolate did you use? Did you use a lower fat dairy product such as half-and-half or milk?
Hello this might help a bit, she is doing a 1-1 ratio, if you do a 2-1 ratio meaning (ex), 8oz choc to 4oz cream your ganache will be thicker, hope this helps.
I do as Desiree says. Double chocolate too cream. Perfect then whipped when cold and piped onto chocolate cupcakes .
I’ve tried making ganache to drip over the sides of a cake before and just didn’t work well. I thought it didn’t take much effort, but guess I was wrong. I came to trusty Sally and no doubt, worked like a charm!
Easy recipe, and it came out great
Wonderful recipe I’ll keep using this again and again and again thank you so much
Can this be used with the shells of the chocolate peanut butter macarons? If so, should I change the recipe at all to make it thicker?
Hi Ann, chocolate ganache, as is, is a delicious macaron filling. Just let it chill to the right consistency before piping onto the shells.
Can you mix this into a different filling? Like a faux Bavarian or diplomat cream?
Hi Lexi, we haven’t tested anything, but imagine that should work just fine. The exact amount may take some trial and error. Let us know what you try!
This ratio leaves the mix too liquid. Didn’t work at all. I ended up with milk chocolate instead of ganache
Hi Maria, ganache is liquid and thin after it’s mixed together. Perfect to use as a dip or drizzle. Over a couple hours, it thickens as the chocolate cools.
Used mini semi sweet chips so I wouldn’t have to worry about chopping. Turned out perfectly – I spread it on top of brownies I had made, and poked holes like a poke cake for it to go throughout. SO GOOD!! The whole family kept going back for more! Thanks for this simple yet awesome recipe.
Do you know if the Mexican chocolates will set? (Ibarra, Abuelita etc brands). I’m in southern Mexico and I’m trying my best to MacGyver your fantastic recipes with our sometimes limited ingredient options.
Thanks so very much!!
Hi John, I wish we could help, but unfortunately our team has no experience making ganache with Mexican chocolates. Hopefully someone who does will see your comment and respond!
Tried this recipe today, made a double batch and 10+ hours later it is still a soupy mess, hasn’t thickened at all. Super disappointed to waste so much ingredients.
This recipe led to a loose, liquidy ganache that wouldn’t set, no matter how long I let it rest in the refrigerator. Would not recommend using the proposed ratios.