Chocolate Ganache Ratios and Variations for Every Use

Here’s how to make a perfect dark chocolate ganache, ratios of ingredients for all the ways you’ll use it (from truffles to fillings to fondue), and our favorite flavor variations.

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Why this recipe works

Here’s why we love this dark chocolate ganache recipe and why it works in a wide variety of applications.

What is ganache?

At its simplest, ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream. Depending on how you’d like to use it, you’ll tweak the ratio of chocolate to cream and add a few more ingredients.

• The highest ratio of chocolate creates a thick ganache that can be piped or rolled into truffles
• A medium consistency is pourable when warm and spreadable when cooled
• The lowest ratio of chocolate can be dipped into or even sipped if you like

What is emulsification?

In order achieve a smooth, stable mixture, we need to create an emulsion — basically, forcing fat and liquid to “mix” and stay mixed. Technically they don’t mix, but you can disperse and suspend tiny droplets of one in the other, effectively mixing them for our purposes.

Melted chocolate and cream each have a fat and a liquid component. Chocolate’s cocoa butter is the fat, and melted sugar is the liquid. Cream has a high butterfat percentage as well as plenty of water. It also contains casein, a protein that acts as an emulsifier.

When making ganache, you’ll use technique and temperature to create the emulsion.

• Chopping the chocolate finely, placing it in the bowl loosely, and letting it sit in the hot cream for a minute allows it to melt without direct contact to a heat source. This prevents the chocolate from overheating and separating.
• Stirring slowly with a rubber spatula, starting in the center of the bowl and working outward, agitates the mixture just enough to distribute the particles and create a creamy, silky ganache.

I always feel like this process is one part science, one part magic. And I’ll take it.

I first published a version of this recipe here in 2011. I’ve since updated the post for clarity and tweaked the recipe.

What you’ll need

Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.

• Start with good-quality chocolate. You can use bittersweet or semisweet chocolate in this recipe. I recommend something in the range of 64% to 70% cacao, which is easy to work with and creates a nice, rich, sweet-enough but not too-sweet ganache.
• Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream for this recipe. It contains 36% butterfat. (In the U.K., use double cream and omit the butter.)
• The butter is optional — you’ll use it for certain applications and not others. It helps to ensure a glossy appearance and also rounds out the flavor a bit. I use a cultured, salted butter. If you’re using unsalted butter or skipping it entirely, add 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt.
• I use a bit of pure vanilla extract in my basic ganache. You can add or substitute other flavorings. See the section below for more information.

How to make it

Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a perfect batch of dark chocolate ganache. This is what a 1:1 ratio looks like. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.

1. Finely chop the chocolate and place it loosely into a large, heat-proof mixing bowl.
2. Heat the cream and butter until it bubbles up. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for one full minute. Pour in the vanilla.
3. Stir, starting with a small circle in the center, and gradually increasing the size of the circle as the stirred part darkens. Continue stirring until ganache is uniformly smooth and glossy.
4. Depending on which ratio you’ve made and how you plan to use the ganache, you’ll either proceed while warm or wait for it to cool before using. That’s it!

Chocolate truffles

To make chocolate truffles, you’ll use the 1:3/4 ganache ratio. Here’s what to do:

• Let it cool until it’s solid enough to scoop. You won’t need to chill it first.
• Use two spoons or, ideally, a small cookie scoop to portion the truffles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. A small cookie scoop holds two teaspoons and is also called a #60 portioner. The precise measurement isn’t crucial, but this is about the size that people will expect from chocolate truffles.
• Place the whole baking sheet, uncovered, into the fridge for 30 minutes. This will firm up the fats a bit and also create a very thin, slightly dry outer layer that makes the truffles easier to work with.
• Use your palms to roll each portion into a round shape. You can make them as perfect or rustic as you like. The photo above shows a variety.
• Roll each truffle into a coating of your choice. The sky’s the limit, but good contenders include cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, toasted unsweetened shredded coconut, and sprinkles.
• Store truffles at room temperature for 24 hours, in the fridge for up to two weeks, or in the freezer for up to a year. Serve at room temperature.

Whipped ganache

For whipped ganache, use the 1:1 ratio. Here’s what you’ll do:

• Let it cool until it firms up to a solid consistency.
• Use an electric mixer or the whisk attachment of your stand mixer to whip until light and fluffy.
• Whipped ganache makes a great frosting for cakes and cupcakes.

Chocolate fondue

To make chocolate fondue, simply prepare a batch of the 1:1 1/4 ratio ganache. I love this consistency because it clings beautifully to fruit slices, banana bread, and other dipping items, but it doesn’t solidify at room temperature. You can serve it warm, as is traditional for fondue, or leave it out in a small bowl at room temperature for dipping.

Rich drinking chocolate

This Italian-style hot chocolate — sometimes called Florentine drinking chocolate — is a total 180 from the kind made with the packet, or even homemade hot chocolate made from cocoa powder. To make a phenomenal hot chocolate for sipping out of a demitasse:

• Start with the 1:1 1/4 ganache ratio
• Stir in up to 1/4 cup hot whole milk, until it’s the consistency you prefer
• If you like, stir in a few tablespoons of a liqueur or bourbon, brandy, or rum.

Recommended flavorings

To flavor ganache, you’ve got several options. You can steep ingredients such as fresh mint, citrus zest, or tea leaves in the cream and strain before using. You can add up to a tablespoon or two of an extract, liqueur, or fruit puree without altering the consistency too much. Or you can incorporate a small amount of a solid ingredient like vanilla seeds, instant coffee powder, or ground spices. Try:

Steeped into the cream and strained before using:

If steeping ingredients in the cream, you’ll heat the cream twice. Add ingredients and bring to a boil, then let it sit for 30 minutes. Strain and reheat strained cream before pouring over chocolate.

• 1 tablespoon tea leaves, especially Earl Grey
• 1 tablespoon orange, Meyer lemon, or lemon zest
• One crushed cinnamon stick
• One used vanilla pod (after you’ve scraped the seeds out for another use)
• A few sprigs fresh mint or basil, or a few slices fresh ginger

Directly into the ganache after mixing:

• A teaspoon or less of a pure extract like vanilla, peppermint, orange, lemon, coffee, almond, or rose.
• One to two tablespoons of a liqueur like Kahlua, Baileys, Cointreau, Chambord, Poire Williams, Frangelico, Amaretto, Creme de Menthe, or any other good-quality nut-, fruit-, coffee-, or mint-based liqueur that you like.
• Two tablespoons of strained fruit puree like raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, cherry, prune, or pear.
• Up to one teaspoon total of ground spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom (try a 2:1:1 ratio) or ground chili.
• Seeds scraped from half a vanilla pod, or two teaspoons instant coffee powder.

How to fix broken ganache

This is a simple, straightforward recipe that doesn’t require any advanced skills. However, chocolate can be finicky to work with, especially where temperature is concerned. If you heat it too much, the emulsion will break. If you rush the chopping or mixing process, it may not melt thoroughly. It happens to the best of us. Here’s what to do.

If the chocolate doesn’t melt completely

If the mixture has cooled and you still have chunks of chocolate in the bowl, pop it over a double boiler or into the microwave in 10-second bursts and continue stirring. You won’t need much additional heat or time, so watch it carefully and stir constantly.

If the ganache separates and looks oily

If the emulsion breaks, the easiest way by far to bring it back together is to let it cool for a couple of minutes and then introduce some lower-fat or fat-free liquid. Start with two tablespoons of milk with or without a tablespoon of sugar dissolved into it, or with two tablespoons of a liqueur of your choice. Pour in and mix vigorously. Depending on the extent of breakage, this may be enough to do the trick. If not, add more a bit at a time until it comes back together.

Variation: vegan ganache

To make a vegan ganache, you can substitute full-fat coconut milk from the can for the cream. Shake it up really well before opening the can, and if there’s still some separation, use all of the coconut cream and top it up with the coconut water. Omit the butter from the recipe, and don’t make any other changes.

Expert tips and FAQs

Recipes to pair with ganache

• Yellow cake
• Glazed donuts
• Shortbread crust

5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Ganache (with Ratios and Variations)

By Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Here's how to make a perfect dark chocolate ganache, ratios of ingredients for all the ways you'll use it (from truffles to fillings to fondue), and our favorite flavor variations.

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 5 minutes mins

Total: 10 minutes mins

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Ingredients 

1:3/4 Ratio Ganache (Firm, holds its shape)

• ▢ 8 ounces (225 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• ▢ ¾ cup (175 ml) heavy cream
• ▢ ½ tablespoon (7 grams) salted butter
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1:1 Ratio Ganache (Liquid when warm, spreadable when cooled)

• ▢ 8 ounces (225 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• ▢ 1 cup (225 ml) heavy cream
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (14 grams) salted butter
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1:1 1/4 Ratio Ganache (Pourable)

• ▢ 8 ounces (225 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) heavy cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• With a serrated knife, chop the chocolate into very small pieces.
• Loosely place the chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.
• In a very small pot or a 2-cup heatproof glass liquid measuring cup, heat the cream and butter just until it comes to a full boil. Immediately pour the liquid over the chocolate. Gently shake the bowl so that some of the cream heads toward the bottom of the bowl. Let rest for one minute.
• Pour in the vanilla extract.
• Starting from the center of the bowl, gently stir the liquid and chocolate together. When the center becomes dark, increase the size of the circle, incorporating more of the ingredients gradually. Keep stirring until the ganache is glossy and smooth.
• See the notes section below to learn more about how to use ganache.

Notes

Chocolate truffles

To make chocolate truffles, you'll use the 1:3/4 ganache ratio. Here's what to do:

1. Let it cool until it's solid enough to scoop. You won't need to chill it first.
2. Use two spoons or, ideally, a small cookie scoop to portion the truffles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. A small cookie scoop holds two teaspoons and is also called a #60 portioner. The precise measurement isn't crucial, but this is about the size that people will expect from chocolate truffles.
3. Place the whole baking sheet, uncovered, into the fridge for 30 minutes. This will firm up the fats a bit and also create a very thin, slightly dry outer layer that makes the truffles easier to work with.
4. Use your palms to roll each portion into a round shape. You can make them as perfect or rustic as you like. The photo above shows a variety.
5. Roll each truffle into a coating of your choice. The sky's the limit, but good contenders include cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, toasted unsweetened shredded coconut and sprinkles.
6. Store truffles at room temperature for 24 hours, in the fridge for up to two weeks, or in the freezer for up to a year. Serve at room temperature.

Whipped ganache

For whipped ganache, use the 1:1 ratio. Here's what you'll do:

1. Let it cool until it firms up to a solid consistency.
2. Use an electric mixer or the whisk attachment of your stand mixer to whip until light and fluffy.
3. Whipped ganache makes a great frosting for cakes and cupcakes.

Chocolate fondue

To make chocolate fondue, simply prepare a batch of the 1:1 1/4 ratio ganache. I love this consistency because it clings beautifully to fruit slices, banana bread, and other dipping items, but it doesn't solidify at room temperature. You can serve it warm, as is traditional for fondue, or leave it out in a small bowl at room temperature for dipping.

Rich drinking chocolate

This Italian-style hot chocolate — sometimes called Florentine drinking chocolate — is a total 180 from the kind made with the packet, or even homemade hot chocolate made from cocoa powder. To make a phenomenal hot chocolate for sipping out of a demitasse:

1. Start with the 1:1 1/4 ganache ratio
2. Stir in up to 1/4 cup hot whole milk, until it's the consistency you prefer
3. If you like, stir in a few tablespoons of a liqueur or bourbon, brandy, or rum.

Recommended flavorings

To flavor ganache, you've got several options. You can steep ingredients such as fresh mint, citrus zest, or tea leaves in the cream and strain before using. You can add up to a tablespoon or two of an extract, liqueur, or fruit puree without altering the consistency too much. Or you can incorporate a small amount of a solid ingredient like vanilla seeds, instant coffee powder, or ground spices. Try:

Steeped into the cream and strained before using:

If steeping ingredients in the cream, you'll heat the cream twice. Add ingredients and bring to a boil, then let it sit for 30 minutes. Strain and reheat strained cream before pouring over chocolate.

• 1 tablespoon tea leaves, especially Earl Grey
• 1 tablespoon orange, Meyer lemon, or lemon zest
• One crushed cinnamon stick
• One used vanilla pod (after you've scraped the seeds out for another use)
• A few sprigs fresh mint or basil, or a few slices fresh ginger

Directly into the ganache after mixing:

A teaspoon or less of a pure extract like vanilla, peppermint, orange, lemon, coffee, almond, or rose.

• One to two tablespoons of a liqueur like Kahlua, Baileys, Cointreau, Chambord, Poire Williams, Frangelico, Amaretto, Creme de Menthe, or any other good-quality nut-, fruit-, coffee-, or mint-based liqueur that you like.
• Two tablespoons of strained fruit puree like raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, cherry, prune, or pear.
• Up to one teaspoon total of ground spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom (try a 2:1:1 ratio) or ground chili.
• Seeds scraped from half a vanilla pod, or two teaspoons instant coffee powder.

I first published a version of this recipe here in 2011. I've since updated the post for clarity and tweaked the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal, Carbohydrates: 8.3g, Protein: 1.7g, Fat: 16.2g, Fiber: 1.1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Sweet Spreads

Cuisine: American

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