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Vegan Ganache is made with only 2 ingredients that you may already have. It’s an impressive dairy-free frosting that you can use for cake, cupcakes, and more!
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
I tested this recipe with full-fat coconut milk (which means I blended the whole can of coconut milk and then measured it). The results are light and airy, almost like chocolate mousse. This version needs to chill fully overnight and will melt faster than the option using coconut cream. Do not use almond milk or soy milk with this recipe, as the fat content isn’t high enough.
This dairy-free chocolate ganache is just as sturdy as traditional buttercream. Like buttercream frosting, it will melt if you leave it outside on a very hot summer day, but it will keep well in an air-conditioned room and hold its shape when piped onto cakes and cupcakes.
Looking for more vegan desserts? Try Vegan Chocolate Pie, Peanut Butter Cup Pie, or Vegan Chocolate Sauce served over your favorite ice cream.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips (about 1 ½ cups)
- 8 ounces coconut cream (1 cup; the solid part from a can of coconut milk)
Instructions
- Fill a small saucepan with an inch of water and place a heat-safe bowl over the top of the pot, creating a double boiler. Place the chocolate chips in the top bowl, then bring the water to a boil to gently melt the chocolate chips. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate is smooth. (Alternatively, you can use a microwave to melt the chocolate in 30-second intervals.)
- Remove the bowl from the heat and use a whisk to stir in the coconut cream. Transfer the melted chocolate to a larger bowl, if needed, for mixing.
- Once the mixture is silky smooth, place the bowl in the fridge to chill until firm, up to 4 hours. (It can be ready in as little as 1 hour; you'll just need to check on it if you're in a hurry. You can also leave it in the fridge overnight.)
- When you're ready to serve this frosting, remove the bowl from the fridge and use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to whip the frosting until it's lighter in color and fluffy-looking. It will spread easily on your favorite cake or cupcake, or you can transfer it to a piping bag to be piped onto cupcakes.
- This frosting is sturdy enough to sit out at a party for a couple of hours, but just like any frosting, it could start to melt if you place it in direct sunlight for too long. Keep any leftovers chilled in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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If you try this vegan chocolate ganache frosting, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
This frosting is so delicious and easy to make It will be my go to frosting from now on. Everyone loved it
This ganache is rich, decadent, and virtually guaranteed to fool dairy-tolerant friends — the coconut taste is super subtle and almost imperceptible. I couldn’t ask for more tbh. Thank you so much!
I firmed up the leftovers in the fridge, rolled teaspoonfuls into little balls, and coated them in crushed-up toasted walnuts to make ez pz truffles that turned out ridiculously delicious.
I do have a question: if I wanted to create an in-between texture, not as tight as the ganache but not as loose as the mousse, would it be inadvisable to try to split the difference between the two styles? Maybe 6-7 ounces of coconut cream and 1-2 ounces of coconut milk? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Hi, can a vegan thicken cream work along with chocolate spread similar to nutella?
Thanks
Incredible!!! This was not only the easiest but the best tasting recipe for vegan chocolate frosting I’ve ever had. And OMG… when you whip the ganache after chilling it… holy cow its the most divine chocolate mousse! I will be keeping this recipe and using it for so many things! It s perfect!!
Love this recipe! I used it to frost cupcakes for my toddler’s birthday. I am amazed that it did not taste like chocolate flavored coconut. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips (53%) and native forest organic premium coconut cream. After overnight refrigeration, the ganache was very thick so it held its shape very well.