This chocolate ganache is easy to make with cream and chocolate. It’s smooth, creamy and perfect for spreading on desserts, to use as a glaze, in a frosting or as a filling.
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Best Chocolate Ganache Recipe
In my opinion, all of the best things in life include chocolate. Some of them being chocolate caramel brownies, microwave fudge, and the best chocolate cupcakes. A chocolate recipe is always my first pick for dessert!
Making chocolate ganache is super easy, made with just 2 ingredients and ready in less than 10 minutes. Whether you use it this flourless chocolate cake, brownies, candy, or eat by the spoonful, you will love this delicious treat!
Ganache vs. Frosting
Chocolate ganache is a glaze made with 2 simple ingredients: chopped chocolate and heavy cream. It’s thicker and more rich than regular melted chocolate and is often used as a filling or topping in many dessert recipes. Its consistency is smooth and spreads easily.
The frosting is typically made with cocoa powder, butter, powdered sugar, and cream. Its texture is fluffy and smooth, making it great for decorating cakes and cupcakes. It’s thicker than a ganache and can typically hold a point.
Best Chocolate for Ganache
The type you use for this recipe will really determine the flavor and consistency. These are a few of my favorite brands. I prefer to use chopped chocolate, but if using chips then I’ll use Ghirardelli or Guittard.
- Ghirardelli chocolate
- Baker’s bar
- Guittard chocolate (best chocolate chips)
- Trader Joe’s pound bar
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
This is a simple homemade chocolate ganache recipe that is equal parts chocolate to heavy cream. The ratio of chocolate part cream is the best way to make this ganache. It is an easy method to make a delicious dessert!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Chop chocolate. Take your chocolate bars and chop them up into smaller pieces using a sharp or serrated knife.
- Combine the Ingredients. Place the cream in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until simmering, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chopped chocolate and let sit for about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook both on a double broiler over the stove if preferred.
- Stir Until Smooth. After 5 minutes have passed, whisk the mixture until smooth. If it’s too thick, add 1 more Tablespoon of warm cream to thin it out. This is also when you would pour vanilla extract if you prefer more flavor.
- Top your Dessert. Slowly spoon the ganache over your dessert using the rubber spatula. If adding other toppings, add them immediately.
5 star review
“Simple and decadent! Super easy to heat cream in microwave then add chocolate and stir approx. 5 minutes. Delish!”
-Laura
What Desserts to Top With
This ganache recipe is so versatile and tastes delicious on almost anything, but here are my favorite desserts to drizzle over the top:
- Chocolate bundt cake: The moist cake topped with the rich ganache is a match made in heaven!
- Christmas yule log cake: Ganache makes the icing have texture like an edible yule log!
- Peanut butter cheesecake: As if this dessert could get any better, it’s then topped off with a luscious ganache that drips over the edges.
- Banana split: A family-friendly ice cream dessert option that’s super easy. Is it even a banana split without a generous ganache drizzle?
- Mini cheesecakes: Top your cheesecakes with ganache and a fresh strawberry for the ultimate bite-sized treat!
- Peanut butter brownies: These brownies are layered with all of the goods! A brownie layer, a peanut butter layer, and a ganache layer. The best ever!
- Homemade cosmic brownies. Ganache is a must ingredients for this Little Debbies copycat!
Recipe FAQs
Ganache is a melted mixture of chocolate and heavy cream. Melt together to make the glaze, fill in a cake, make a frosting, or fill truffles.
Chocolate frosting is made with butter, cocoa powder, and sugar whereas chocolate ganache is made with a mix of chocolate, and heavy cream, and can add in gelatin.
After chocolate ganache cools it will naturally harden and becomes thicker. You do not want to mix or stir the ganache as it cools because it will become lumpy.
There are three types of ganaches, white chocolate ganache, milk chocolate ganache, bittersweet chocolate, and dark chocolate ganache. These types of chocolate-based ganache are immense flavors of chocolate.
Yes! You can reheat chocolate ganache once it has cooled to room temperature and hardened. Warm it up in a heat-proof bowl placed over a pan of simmering water or use a double-broiler.
Have leftover ganache? Warm it back up in the microwave for 15-30 seconds. Then dip it in fruit or desserts like rice krispies and chocolate chip cookies.
More Delicious Desserts
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Chocolate Ganache Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces good semi-sweet chocolate , chopped
Instructions
- Place the heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1-2 minutes, or until simmering.
- Add the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes. Alternatively you can cook the cream and chocolate on a double broiler. Whisk until smooth. Add a Tablespoon more of warm cream if needed to thin out.
- Slowly spoon the ganache over your cake or dessert. Add optional toppings if desired immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
I found this delicious chocolate ganache while making a ice cream bar for my son’s birthday. It was an instant hit everyone was insanely impressed with the creamy rich flavor, I will 100% be coming back to this recipe for other tasty desserts!
Ganache makes everything better! And this recipe was the best ganache recipe I have tried!
I never realize how easy it was to make us! Thank you so much!
Simple and decadent! Super easy to heat cream in microwave then add chocolate and stir approx. 5 minutes. Delish!
Happy to hear the recipe was a success for you, Laura!
So creamy and easy to make!
this is so good! Love it!
LOVE ganache! My absolute favorite thing to put ganache on? Frozen yogurt. Oh my goodness. Froyo with ganache and strawberries is just absolutely amazing! It might eliminate the health benefits of froyo and strawberries…but…doesn’t chocolate contain antioxidants? Delicious recipe. Yum.
I took your advice and poured it over a peanut butter cheesecake and it was out of this world delicious! Such an easy way to step up your Dessert game.