Glossy Chocolate Ganache Glaze

Chocolate Ganache is typically an emulsion of chocolate and cream, sometimes with added butter. Vegan Ganache, at its simplest, is an emulsion of a rich plant milk and a quality chocolate. The small amount of oil is optional but helps to create a beautiful gloss. Changing the proportions means we’ve made the perfect chocolate truffles.

The following recipe is the formula for a pourable ganache glaze. Adjust as needed with more chocolate or more plant milk, after the test.

Tips for a successful Chocolate Ganache Glaze:

• Choose a chocolate that tastes best to you right out of the package—the chocolate is what you will taste.
• Don’t deviate from the chocolate percentage listed in the recipe.
• Chop the chocolate finely. Do not use chocolate chips.
• Use a rich plant milk- original or full-fat oatmilk – I use Oatly, or soymilk
• You need the milk to be hot enough to melt the chocolate, but not boiling.
• You must pour the hot milk over the chocolate all at once so the chocolate doesn’t seize, that is get clumpy or grainy. 

Why You Shouldn’t Use Chocolate Chips for Ganache

It may be tempting to reach for that bag of chocolate chips in your pantry, but they are not ideal for making a smooth, glossy chocolate ganache.

Chocolate chips are formulated to hold their shape during baking. Often labeled as heat-resistant chocolate, they contain less cocoa butter than bar or block chocolate. Because cocoa butter is the natural fat that gives chocolate its fluidity and shine, chips tend to melt thick and heavy rather than smoothly.

The result can be a ganache that is overly thick, dull in appearance, and firmer than intended, compromising both texture and finish.

For the best results, use a high-quality bar or block chocolate with the specified cocoa percentage. The proper cocoa butter content ensures a silky emulsion and the elegant sheen that defines a well-made ganache.

A Foundational Pastry Technique

Chocolate ganache may be simple in ingredients, but it is refined in execution. When you use the proper chocolate, heat the plant milk carefully, and form the emulsion with intention, you create a glaze that is fluid, glossy, and beautifully balanced. It is an essential technique in both classic and plant-based pastry.

This vegan Chocolate Ganache Glaze is stunning on my recipe for Chocolate Cake to Live For, also great on Pistachio Butter Stuffed Dates with Chocolate Ganache, poured over vegan ice cream or any parfait. Master the method once, and it becomes a reliable, versatile finish for countless desserts.

Chocolate Ganache

Fran Costigan

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Course Dessert

Servings 2 Cups

Ingredients

 

• 8 ounces / 227 grams dark chocolate 68% to 72%, finely chopped. Do not use chocolate chips.
• 1 1/4 cups / 300 ml oat milk such as oatmik,original or full fat, or soymilk (more as needed to adjust consistency)
• Pinch fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon /5 ml pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons / 10 ml mild tasting extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

 

• Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl and set aside while you heat the milk.
• Pour the milk and pinch of salt into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking a few times to a low boil.
• As soon as the milk has stopped boiling, pour it over the chopped chocolate all at once. Rotate the bowl so the chocolate is completely submerged. Cover the bowl with a plate and let stand undisturbed for 2 minutes.
• Add the vanilla and olive oil (if using) and whisk from the center out only until smooth and glossy.
• Keep the bowl of ganache at room temperature while you test the final consistency. Dip a teaspoon into the ganache, set the coated spoon on a small plate, and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. After chilling, the ganache on the spoon should be smooth and firm but should still taste creamy. It is unlikely, but if the glaze is too firm, add a tablespoon of room temperature milk, and repeat the test. Add a second tablespoon if needed.
• Pass the ganache through a strainer into a bowl. Whisking slowly will speed the process.
• Allow the ganache to thicken at room temperature for 15 to 25 minutes, or until it will coat a spoon thickly with minimal dripping but remain pourable. Stir a few times from the outside into the center before glazing.

Notes

Keeping:

The glaze can be refrigerated in a tightly closed container for up to five days and frozen for several months. The glaze hardens when it is cold and will need reheating. To reheat, spoon the glaze into a heatproof bowl that fits over a saucepan of barely simmering water. When about two-thirds of the glaze has melted, stir gently until smooth. Adjust the consistency as needed by stirring warm nondairy milk into the glaze a little at a time.

Keyword chocolate, chocolate ganache, vegan chocolate cake

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Recipe adapted from Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts, Running Press, by Fran Costigan