Vegan Ganache
“Nosh on this ganache!” said Terradon this morning. And she says I am the ham in the family?! Enough about that. Moving along! This is a vegan blog. 😉
Sweet dreams are made of these!
What is ganache? Well, it isn’t pudding, or chocolate syrup. It is a thick chocolate concoction found at the heart of chocolate truffles and between the layers of cakes. Rich, dark chocolate ganache is a versatile handmaiden in the sweet kitchen. Traditionally made with heavy cream, there is no reason vegans cannot claim ganache for their own. Whether you want to make a rich and decadent hot chocolate, homemade Nutella™, or amazing little tartlets, ganache can be your foundation.
And, the best part? It is so easy! No, really, I mean so easy a college student could make it in their dorm room with only a microwave, a bowl, a measuring cup, and a spoon.
Ready?
Ganache is made with a one to one ratio of chocolate and cream… or, for vegans, coconut milk or coconut cream. Not the light coconut milk. This is not a low-fat recipe. There are other chocolate recipes that are – but this is not one.
Start with the right chocolate. You need dark or bittersweet chocolate for this. Bittersweet chocolate is a baking chocolate, comes in 4 ounce bars, and will give you the richest final product. If you want something a little sweeter, but still rich, go for dark chocolate chips. The benefit of chips is that they are easy to melt.
Ganache Software
Okay, I am a confessed chocolate snob. Buy what you want. I don’t buy Toll House™ or similar, because I don’t think the quality is high. I once read about a chocolate comparison by Cooks Illustrated, they didn’t care for Toll House, either, but they did like Ghirardelli. I made two batches of ganache for this post and used Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate for the first and Guittard Dark Chocolate Chips for the second. Both are excellent, in my opinion.
Once your ganache is complete, there are a host of applications for it, other than eating it with a spoon! I will be talking about those separately, but the foundation for them is right here.
Vegan Ganache
Ingredients
- 8 oz 1 Cup Bittersweet or Dark Chocolate
- 8 oz 1 Cup Coconut Milk or Coconut Cream
- 1 TSP Espresso Powder optional
- 1/2 TSP Vanilla
Instructions
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Measure chocolate and place in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, or until melted. Stir, then add the coconut milk, espresso powder, and vanilla. Combine thoroughly. Refrigerate until hardened.
Recipe Notes
If you are using baking chocolate, you need to break it up. Big pieces of chocolate will not melt well. Go for pieces the size of your thumbnail, and no thicker than your thumb. I recommend using a scale for the chocolate, rather than a measuring cup. It is more precise and you don't have to worry about having the right amount if you have oddly sized chunks of chocolate in your measuring cup.
As I mentioned in the blog, the recipe is flexible, with the ratio of chocolate to coconut milk being 1:1. You can make a micro batch of 2 oz to 2 oz or a large batch of 2 lb to 2 lb.
You can also change what you add to the ganache. Espresso powder and vanilla are a baseline option, but they are only the beginning. You could add any liqueur you like instead of them. Amaretto, for instance, would be delightful, as would Grand Marnier.
My can of coconut milk can was 13.66 oz. This meant I had extra, but I could not simply pour 8 oz of coconut milk into a measuring cup and move on. The fat in coconut milk tends to solidify and you need that fat. If you are not using the entire can of coconut milk and if it has separated, you need to warm it enough to allow you to distribute the fat more evenly, then measure. Or, you could simply weigh out 13.66 oz of chocolate and make that much ganache!
If you do not have a microwave, or just don't want to use one, this can still be your sweet treat. But, you will need to handle with care. If melting chocolate on the stovetop, you need to use a double boiler. You can try to do it right on the element, but it gets too hot and your chocolate may scorch. If you have a double boiler, simply place a few inches of water in the bottom, place the double boiler on top, and turn on the heat until the water comes to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, add the chocolate to the double boiler, and melt. When fully melted, remove from the heat and proceed. If you do not have a double boiler, you can use a smaller pot that will fit snugly inside a larger pot and improvise, or use a tempered glass bowl that also fits snugly but does not touch the water. Whatever you do, do NOT let any water into the chocolate. When melting chocolate meets water, seizes up. This is what cooks call a tragic state where chocolate meets water and goes from glorious goo to a yucky, chunky paste. Don't let this happen in your kitchen. Be vigilant, and safeguard your precious, precious chocolate.
Keep stirring, all is well!
When you add your coconut milk to your chocolate, fear not. It will look terrible as you stir it. In fact, it may look like your chocolate has seized, as it will if it comes into contact with water while melting. It hasn’t! Keep stirring, my friends! You are minutes away from chocolatey bliss!
In fact, remember that first picture? Yep, that is it. Perhaps two minutes after we took this photo, we achieved the beauty you admired when you first navigated to this page. Go ahead, scroll up, I will wait for you. It’s okay.
Nice, eh?
Next up, how to use this delectable dessert!