Chocolate Ganache is a versatile easy chocolate sauce recipe that’s divinely smooth, rich and glossy.

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Chocolate ganache ratios
Once you learn this easy recipe you can make homemade truffles, hot fudge, frosting, glaze and more. The only thing that changes is the ratio of chocolate to cream.
- 2 parts chocolate to 1 part cream – a thick chocolate ganache for making chocolate truffles and a thick chocolate filling for cookies and cakes. To make truffles pour ganache in shallow dish and let cool in the refrigerator. Once cool, scoop out into balls and roll in cocoa powder. Or other toppings like coconut, nuts, mini chocolate chips, crushed Oreos, sprinkles, whatever! For cake and cookie filling let cool to room temperature then spoon onto cake, cookies or granola bars.
- 1 part chocolate to 1 part cream – a smooth chocolate glaze that makes a perfect drip cake or smooth dipped cupcake. Also great as a thin fruit dip and for whipped frosting. Cool slightly then either dip cupcakes in. Or place cake over a baking sheet lined with cooling rack and pour glaze over the top. To make fluffy whipped chocolate frosting cool completely in the refrigerator then whip with an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment or hand mixer until fluffy. Spoon or pipe onto cake or cupcakes. For hot fudge sauce use fresh when still warm or store in the refrigerator and warm in the microwave or in a double boiler before pouring over ice cream or gelato.
- 1 part chocolate to 2 parts cream – makes a thin chocolate sauce that maintains viscosity at room temperature. Great for serving alongside cut fruit or on a dessert board as a fruit dip. Or use as homemade chocolate syrup.
Ingredients
- Heavy whipping cream or classic whipping cream, egg nog or even sweetened condensed milk.
- Chocolate – something good quality either chocolate chips, chunks or hand chopped chocolate from a bar. These ratios are for semi sweet chocolate. For milk chocolate, you will need significantly less cream to chocolate, more like a 3 to 1 ratio of chocolate to cream rather than a 1 to 1 ratio for a standard ganache.
Step by step instructions
- Chop chocolate or add chocolate chips add to medium heat proof bowl.
- Heat cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Do not walk away from the stove at this point. Cream should be heated until just hot enough to start simmering. And should not reach a full boil or simmer for long.
- When cream reaches a simmer remove from stove and immediately pour over chocolate. Now walk away. Just do it. Don’t mess with it for at least 5 minutes. Leave it sit without touching or stirring until the cream warms and softens the chocolate and the chocolate cools the cream and the whole mixture to reaches an even temperature.
- After 5 minutes return to your cream and chocolate mixture. At this time the chocolate should be sufficiently melted and all you need to do is give it a good stir with a whisk or spoon.
- Ganache is ready when there are no pieces of chocolate remaining and the mixture is emulsified into a beautiful, smooth, and glossy chocolate.
- Enjoy!
Make it your own
The flavor options for chocolate ganache are limitless! Add spices, extracts or liquors to the finished ganache. Or try stirring some instant espresso powder into the cream. Or infuse the cream with flavor while it’s warming up by steeping herbs, edible flowers or anything you’d like into it!
How to use
Chocolate ganache can be used to make homemade chocolate truffles, to glaze cakes and cupcakes and to fill macaron cookies and cakes. Whip it into a decadent chocolate frosting, stir a spoonful into cold or hot milk as an all-natural drinking chocolate or warm it up and pour over ice cream as homemade chocolate fudge sauce.
Shoot, eat it straight out of the fridge with a spoon.
The options are limited to your imagination!
How to store
Cool chocolate ganache completely then store refrigerated for up to a week or at room temperature for up to two days.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream 8 ounces or ½ pint
Instructions
- Add chocolate to medium heat proof bowl.2 cups chocolate chips
- Heat cream just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat.1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Remove from heat and immediately pour hot cream over chocolate.
- Do not stir, instead let it sit to warm the chocolate for at least 5 minutes.
- Once chocolate is warmed whisk until smooth.
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