My tried and tested tips on how to thicken your runny chocolate ganache, including cooling it down, whipping it, adding more chocolate, cocoa powder or using thickening cornstarch.
I’ve been making artisan chocolates for more than twenty years, so I know that chocolate ganache will eventually set, but at the same time you want to control how much thickness you want your ganache to have. If you change the proportions of cream to chocolate, you can get either thinner chocolate ganache (more cream, alcohol or other water-based flavours) or thicker chocolate ganache (more chocolate).
The thickness or fluidity of chocolate also depends on the type of chocolate you use. If you make the same chocolate truffle recipe with white chocolate, you will notice that it will be a lot more liquid than if you make the same recipe with dark chocolate.
Once your chocolate ganache cools down, you can whip it (either by a wooden spoon or an electronic whisk) to a lighter mixture, which sets pretty much immediately.
To thicken chocolate ganache, you can try my tried and trusted methods that I use to make my artisan chocolates.
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How to thicken chocolate ganache – the quick answer
To fix a runny ganache, you can cool it down, whip it, add more chocolate, cocoa powder or even incorporate a small amount of a thickening agent like cornstarch (though this last method is less common and can affect flavour and texture).
What is the best way to thicken ganache
If your ganache is very runny, then the best way to thicken it is to use more chocolate. If you have only small amount of chocolate left, half the runny ganache first before adding more chocolate in. Use the leftover runny ganache to drizzle over pancakes or desserts.
If I don’t have more fresh chocolate, I always first chill the ganache properly first, then whisk it with and electric whisk (more power!) and only then add any other thickening ingredients if needed.
1. Add more chocolate to runny ganache
This is the most straightforward method since ganache is a mix of cream and chocolate. Adding more chocolate increases the ratio of solids, which thickens the mixture. If it works with your chocolate ganache use dark chocolate as you will need less of it than milk chocolate. This only works for milk or dark chocolate and it will make the milk chocolate slightly more deeper in flavour.
It’s difficult to gauge how much fresh chocolate you need to add, as it depends on how much you’ve diluted the ganache first of all. If you can remember what you’ve used (or have the original recipe), then you can use my ganache ratio bellow to give you an idea of how much chocolate to add in).
To add fresh chocolate to your ganache, make sure it’s first properly melted – either in the microwave (few seconds at the time & string after each time) or in a double boiler (heat proof bowl over a simmering water in a saucepan & stiring slowly). Once your fresh chocolate is melted, slowly fold it into the runny ganache and leave to cool down. Once completely cold (but not set) you can stir it more or whip it if you wish.
White chocolate ganache is slightly trickier because unless you are happy to change the flavour of your ganache, you have to use fresh white chocolate to add to the runny ganache.
2. Whip the runny chocolate ganache
Whipping air into the ganache can also thicken its texture. You can use either an electric mixer or a whisk the ganache by hand. The only thing you have to make sure is to leave the ganache to cool down properly first, otherwise the ganache might split. Whip the ganache for 2-3 minutes (less if using electric mixer) until it lightens in colour – in all instances the chocolate will get paler (and white chocolate will look more opague).
3. Let the runny ganache to cool down properly
As ganache cools, it naturally thickens. You can cool down your ganache in the fridge (1-2 hrs – depending on the amount) or freezer if you are in a hurry (30 minutes) or a mixture of both – freezer first to cool down the ganache quickly and then carry on chilling in the fridge for at least another hour.
If you chill your ganache, but it’s still too soft or runny, then you can first whisk it if you like or add more chocolate or use other ways of thickening the ganache (see below).
4. Use thickening agent – cornstarch or potatostarch
If you’ve already cooled down and whipped your ganache and it still looks like it’s not going to set properly, you can also use a thickening agent like cornstarch, cornflour or potato starch. From my experience, this afects the chocolate flavour and texture a little, but if you have no other option, it works just fine.
Add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to the ganache and mix it in. Leave to set and only ad more if really needed.
5. Add icing (powdered) sugar
This option might not suit you if you are looking to make healthier chocolates or you are using white chocolate, which is already quite sweet. But it can work well if you are making dark chocolate ganache and you only need to thicken the ganache by a little.
Leave the ganache to cool down first in the room temperature (or fridge), so that you can gauge how thick or runny the ganache is. I would also suggest to whip the ganache first, because that’s going to thicken it a little more before adding any sugar.
Add 1-2 teaspoons for smaller amount of ganache to about 1 tablespoon of icing sugar and stir it in. Check the ganache consistency before adding more sugar. You can use any powdered, icing sugar or fondant sugars for this.
6. Add cocoa powder (carrob powder, hot chocolate powder or cinnamon)
If you are using milk or dark chocolate, then you can also use cocoa powder (and some of the cocoa powder substitutes such as carob powder or hot chocolate powder or even a ground cinnamon if it works with your flavour) to thicken your chocolate ganache.
Start with adding 1 teaspoon, mix it gently in, let the ganache to cool down, whip it and then cool down in the fridge properly. If needed add one more teaspoon of cocoa powder to get the desidered consistency.
Whilst you can also use cinnamon powder I found that it’s not as effective as cocoa powder or even hot chocolate powder because you need a lot of cinnamon to thicken the ganache, which usually means a major change in flavour.
If cinnamon works with your flavour (say you are making orange or lemon ganache), then it’s fine, but if you are making more delicate flavours such as vanilla milk chocolate a lot of cinnamon will spoil the flavour, so I would opt out for cocoa powder or even the cornflour if needed.
7. Add biscuits or cake crumbs
This is my favourite way of using up any leftover ganache and it’s a great way to thicken it too. You can use this method if you don’t mind changing your chocolate ganache flavour. Simply add crushed biscuits, such as digestive biscuits, rich tea, malted biscuits or other plain types of biscuits. Blend in and leave to set. You can shape the ganache into chocolate truffles.
If you add cake crumbs (simple vanilla sponge cake or chocolate cake) you also make chocolate truffles or chocolate cake pops.
CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE RECIPES
What is the ratio of cream to chocolate for a ganache?
The ratio of cream to chocolate for ganache can vary depending on what you need your ganache for. In all instances I’m referring to double cream (full fat cream). If you are using anything else that’s thinner than double cream as your liquid, you’ll need adjust the ratios a little, buy adding less liquid.
- 2:1 ratio: For a thin, pourable ganache glaze, a 2:1 ratio is used, with two parts of cream to one part chocolate. This consistency is suitable for dipping fruits or pouring over desserts .
- 1:1 ratio: equal amount of chocolate to cream creates a ganache that is thicker, but still very pourable and perfect for ‘drip cakes’ or decorating top of other desserts or pastries.
- 1: 1,5 ratio: This is the perfect consistency for milk chocolate, when you need softer filling for your chocolate truffles (filling moulds or chocolate truffle shells – one part of cream and 1.5 times more of milk chocolate
- 1: 2,5 ratio: For a very thick milk chocolate ganache, often used for rolled truffle centres or firm frosting, you might use a ratio of 1: 2,5 with one part of cream and 2,5 times more of milk chocolate
- 1: 2 ratio: For a very thick dark chocolate ganache, often used for rolled truffle centres or firm frosting, you might use a ratio of 1: 2 with one part of cream and 2 times more of dark chocolate
- 1: 3 ratio: For a very thick white chocolate ganache, often used for rolled truffle centres or firm frosting, you might use a ratio of 1: 3 with one part of cream and 3 times more of white chocolate
CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE RECIPES
How can I use very runny chocolate ganache?
If you have very runny chocolate ganache and you don’t have the time or ingredients to fix it, there are several ways you can use it effectively:
- Chocolate Sauce: Use it as a homemade chocolate syrup or a sauce to drizzle over ice cream, desserts, pancakes, waffles, crepes or fruit. You can keep the runny ganache in the fridge (in closed container) for up to 2 weeks.
- Hot Chocolate or Coffee: Stir it into homemade hot chocolate or coffee for a rich, chocolatey flavour. Since ganache has cream in it, you might not need to add more milk.
- Chocolate Fondue: Serve it as a fondue with bananas, grapes, strawberries, marshmallows, and firm cake pieces or biscuits for dipping. If the chocolate ganache is not runny enough, add more cream or milk
- Chocolate Truffles: If you have a chocolate truffle shells or you have a suitable chocolate moulds to make filled chocolates, you can use the thin chocolate ganache as a filling. Wait for few hours before caping (closing) your chocolate truffles to allow for the ganache to set a little a develop a firmer skin to allow you to close the chocolates without the ganache leaking out.
- Chocolate Glaze: Pour it over cakes to make a drip cake design, brownies, or cookies for a shiny glaze.
- Brownies & Cakes: Before baking, you can mix runny ganache into brownie or cake batter for added moisture and chocolate flavour. Depending on how much ganache you want to use up, you might need to adjust the recipe by lowering the amount of chocolate (cocoa powder) and any liquid (cream) in the recipe.
What ingredients make chocolate ganache too runny
Chocolate ganache can become too runny if the balance of ingredients is off. I think, it’s quite important too understand how different ingredients change the consistency of your chocolate ganache, so that you can make the right thickness or fluidity for your recipe
- Too Much Cream: If the ratio of cream to chocolate is too high, the ganache will be too liquid. The right balance is crucial for the desired consistency.
- Wrong Type of Cream: Using a cream with a lower fat content, such as half-and-half or milk, instead of heavy cream can result in a thinner ganache because the lower fat content doesn’t emulsify as well with the chocolate. The solution is to use less of this cream – the thinner the cream or milk is the less you need.
- Type of Chocolate: Using chocolate with a lower cocoa content or a higher sugar/fat content can also make the ganache runnier. For example, milk chocolate and white chocolate typically make a softer ganache than dark chocolate.
- Additional Liquids: Adding flavourings like liqueurs or extracts that introduce more liquid can thin out your ganache if not accounted for in the overall ratio. Make sure that you use less cream to allow the additional liquid for any additional flavourings (like for like ratio in this instance is fine)
- Temperature: If the ganache hasn’t cooled sufficiently, it will be runnier. Ganache thickens as it cools, so it’s important to allow it time to set if necessary.
- Overheating: If the chocolate gets too hot, it can separate and become oily, leading to a runnier texture. The solution here is to leave the ganache to cool down completely and then add 1 tablespoon of cold cream (or single cream) and gently blend it in. The extra cream will re-emulsify the ganache and it will bring it back to normal.
This blog post was originally written on 19 February 2024 and last updated on 19 February 2024
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