This vegan ganache recipe is what I turn to most often when I need an easy chocolate frosting. It’s delicious enough to serve to guests and requires just a few minutes of effort. Use it as a cake filling or topping! There is some chilling time involved with this recipe, so make sure to mix this up to 4 hours before you plan on serving. (You can also mix it the night before!) Pair it with my gluten-free chocolate cake for an impressive dessert.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Traditional chocolate ganache is made with just 2 ingredients: chocolate and heavy cream. It requires equal parts (by weight) to make the perfect chocolate frosting! To make vegan chocolate ganache, you’ll need to swap these two ingredients for vegan chocolate chips (check the label on the package to make sure they’re dairy-free) and coconut cream. You can also use a chopped chocolate bar if you prefer. Coconut cream is the solid part you see when you open a can of full-fat coconut milk. My kitchen is always cold enough that the coconut cream is solid when you open the can. If you have a warm kitchen or pantry, store your coconut milk in the fridge to make sure the solid part will float to the top. It’s a good idea to buy two cans of coconut milk for this, just to make sure you have enough coconut cream. The amount of cream will vary per can. Note: This recipe works best with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Dark chocolate will make the frosting consistency more stiff and not as creamy.
How to Make Vegan Ganache
Get started by melting the chocolate chips. You can do this by filling a small saucepan with an inch of water and then bringing it to a boil. Pour the chocolate chips into a heat-safe bowl that fits snugly over the top of the small saucepan. Place the bowl of chocolate chips on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler. The heat from the boiling water below will gently melt the chocolate as you stir it with a spatula. (Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate chips in the microwave using 30-second intervals and stirring after each one.) While the chocolate is melting, open a can of chilled coconut milk and scoop the solid cream into a measuring cup. The goal is to get 1 cup of cream, or 8 ounces by weight. You may need to open two cans to get this amount of cream. Reserve any leftover liquid from the can to use in a smoothie or a batch of overnight oats. Once the chocolate is melted, transfer it to a large mixing bowl and add in the coconut cream. Use a whisk to mix until the chocolate looks silky smooth. Place the bowl in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. Once the center feels firm to the touch, it’s ready for the next step, but you can let this sit in the fridge tightly covered overnight if you want to make this frosting ahead of time. Once the chocolate mixture is firm, use an electric hand mixer to whip the frosting into a fluffy consistency. The frosting will change into a lighter color, and you’ll know you’ve reached the right consistency when it can be spread like buttercream frosting. Spread the frosting on your favorite cake, or transfer it to a piping bag and pipe it onto cupcakes. This recipe makes roughly 2 cups of frosting, which is enough to frost a 6-inch cake or 12 cupcakes generously. If you have leftover ganache, scoop it with a small cookie scoop and drop it onto a lined pan. You can use it as a filling for easy chocolate truffles! Place the pan in the fridge to firm up again, then coat them in cocoa powder or melted chocolate for a decadent dessert. Looking for more vegan desserts? Try Vegan Chocolate Pie, Peanut Butter Cup Pie, or Vegan Chocolate Sauce served over your favorite ice cream. If you try this vegan chocolate ganache frosting, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it. SaveSave
