Today’s post is all about how to save broken, separated, or split ganache.
Have you ever had a ganache break? If you have, you’d know it. What is meant to be a satiny smooth, glossy, thick emulsion turns lumpy and grainy with liquid fat running all over the place. Very sad.
Worry not though, because I am here to tell you how to fix broken ganache. There are plenty of tutorials out there that tell you how to save split ganache, and they all are effective as long as you don’t mind that your fixed ganache is now runnier than it was originally.
I’m going to tell you how to fix broken ganache without changing its texture. So, if you were going to make truffle centers, you still can instead of having to punt and make a sauce instead.
A related question you might be interested in learning about is why chocolate mousse gets grainy and how to prevent it. And for ease of browsing, you can find all my Fundamental Friday posts in one place. Thanks for being here!
Why Does Ganache Break?
Before we learn how to fix broken ganache, let’s look at why it breaks in the first place.
(And as an aside, here’s how to make dark chocolate ganache in the first place.)
Ganache is an emulsion of fat (both cocoa butter from the chocolate and the butterfat from cream) and water (from the cream) with wee bits of dry particles (the cocoa solids) evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
When ganache breaks, it’s very similar to what happens when chocolate seizes. The fat to water ratio is too high (there’s way too much fat in relation to the amount of water present), so the fat decides to join up and leave the emulsion en masse, just pooling freely in the bowl while the cocoa solids clump together to gossip and the water sulks.
Emulsions are uneasy unions, and when they break, they really break.
How To Keep Ganache Smooth and Shiny
The good news is it’s pretty hard to break a ganache when you’re making it as long as you are using enough cream.
Keep your ratio between 2 parts chocolate to 1 part cream (for truffle centers) to 2 parts cream to 1 part chocolate (for a lovely pourable glaze) and you’ll be fine.
Start going towards 3 or 4 parts chocolate to 1 part cream, and the fat will just group together and leave the party.
Another piece of good news is that I made a ganache specifically to break it (you’ll see the photos below), and it took some doing. I kept adding chocolate until it got grainy and all runny with fat.
I started with one part cream and 3 parts chocolate, and although I didn’t measure, it took probably about 5 parts chocolate to finally break it. And no recipe I can think of would ever call for a ganache that stiff.
Tips for Making Ganache That Is Smooth and Shiny
- Make sure the chocolate is chopped into wee pieces. The smaller the pieces, the more quickly it will emulsify and the less chance you have of things going awry. A box grater will make short work of it. And one of my favorite ways to get small pieces and extremely small pieces is to cut the chocolate with a serrated knife.
- Heat the cream to boiling and then pour it into a bowl before whisking in the chocolate. I learned, and many of you maybe learned, to make a ganache by pouring hot cream over chocolate, but unless you dump the cream in all at once, you can run into a seizing problem at the beginning with just a tiny bit of liquid introduced to a large amount of chocolate. It’s a safer bet to stir the chocolate into the cream a bit at a time. Leaving the cream in the pot and then dumping in the chocolate is also a bad idea because some of the chocolate could burn when it hits the still-ridiculously-hot bottom of the pan. Hence the bowl.
- Have your chocolate at warm room temperature if you possibly can. If for some reason you store your chocolate in the freezer or the fridge (why are you doing that?!) let it come up to room temp before making ganache. I’m not certain that anything awful would happen, but it’s not nice to shock our ingredients.
I love this Mercer Culinary serrated knife. We used Mercer knives as the kitchen knives in the restaurant. They're well-made and not super expensive. Since they're not forged, they hold their edge longer, although the downside is they're harder to sharpen. Still, using it for slicing bread and chopping chocolate, it will last you for decades.
How Split Ganache and Seized Chocolate Are Alike
Remember when I said a broken ganache is like seized chocolate?
Seizing happens when a small amount of water or other liquid comes into contact with chocolate while it’s melting–or even after it melts. The water causes all the cocoa solids to clump together, just like sugar does on humid days.
Once the solids gather in a group, the fat wanders off and the chocolate gets grainy, grossly unshiny and clumpily thick. In essence, that’s the same thing that happens with a broken ganache.
The Difference Between Seized Chocolate and Broken Ganache (Fixing-Wise)
Here’s a key difference:
When chocolate seizes and you add more liquid to it to get the cocoa solids to unclump so the fat can re-disperse, you can’t use it for tempering since the structure is altered. But you can use it as an ingredient.
With ganache, if you fix it the way I recently learned how to fix it, you can use it for whatever purpose you were originally making it for because you can save separated ganache without changing its texture.
Yes, you heard me right. The magic ingredient you can add to ganache to make it smooth and glossy again doesn’t alter the texture of your ganache, so whether you were going to use it for candy centers, a cake filling or a glaze, you can get right on with your business without missing a beat.
How To Fix Broken Ganache Without Changing Its Texture
I learned this in a “tip trade” from a friend who makes wonderful handmade candies and chocolates every year for her husband to give out as gifts to his clients.
She asked me how to soften cold butter really quickly without its melting, and in “payment,” she shared this tip she learned from Andrew Shotts, incredibly talented chocolatier and owner of Garrison Confections in Rhode Island.
I am pretty sure she read it in his book, (affiliate link) Making Artisan Chocolates* (2007), although she could have taken a class with him. I will have to ask her.
Regardless, this is what Andrew Shotts does to rescue broken ganache. I thought it was the best tip ever, so I checked with her to make sure I could share it. She said yes, so here goes.
Process Shots: Fixing Broken Ganache
This is a really straightforward process.
- The broken ganache.
- See how clumpy and awful?
- Corn syrup to the rescue!
- Smoothing out nicely.
- Tada!
Look how thick the ganache is in the photos. I added enough chocolate that it would break the ganache which caused it to be Very Super Thick.
I would never–and I bet you would never–make a ganache this thick on purpose.
Even with it being super thick, this trick worked like a charm. I had to fix my ganache one other time for one of the glazes on the Chocolate Espresso Pound Cake I made awhile back.
That ganache was much looser than this one, and it worked so well it seemed like magic. That’s when I messaged Leslie to make sure it was okay to share with everyone.
I wish I could tell you that I understand exactly what is happening when you whisk the chocolate into the corn syrup that makes it get magically smooth again.
Maybe it’s the type of sugar in corn syrup, or maybe it’s the particular combination of water and sugars that make up corn syrup. I honestly don’t know, and I can’t seem to find that information anywhere.
But as much as I like to understand the how and the why of things, I am happy to report that the what in this case works! And if I ever do find an answer to my how and why questions, and I may just email Chef Shotts and ask him, I’ll update the post.
Do You Have To Use Corn Syrup To Fix Broken Ganache?
No, you don’t!
If you are not a fan of corn syrup for whatever reason, I have had people tell me that they have had success fixing ganache using maple syrup and agave.
I am willing to bet that any liquid sugar would do: honey, molasses, sorghum, etc, although I have not tried it.
I really hope this little tutorial helps, you guys!
If you try it, please let me know, either in the Pastry Chef Online Facebook Group or on instagram by tagging @onlinepastrychef and using hashtag #pcorecipe.
I’d also love to have you join my PCO newsletter, The Inbox Pastry Chef!
Thanks, and enjoy!
Questions?
If you have any other questions about this tutorial or any of my recipes, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
You can leave a comment here, and I will be back in touch in about 24 hours.
If your question in more urgent, you can email me and I answer within about 4 hours.
Either way, I promise to help!
Recipes Using Ganache
Don’t forget that ganache makes a super easy ice cream sauce, friends.
And made with different proporitions of cream to chocolate, you can make truffle centers or even whip it to make a lovely, fluffy frosting.
My fudgy black forest cake also gets a garnish of rich ganache, so take a look at that guy!
How to Fix Broken Ganache (without changing its texture)
Less a recipe and more a how-to guide, here is how you can save your chocolate ganache once it breaks.
In the recipe, corn syrup is specified, but I do know folks who have used other liquid sugar, like maple syrup, and had excellent results.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon of your broken ganache
- 2 Tablespoons corn syrup
Instructions
- Put about a tablespoon of the ganache in a dry bowl. Separate a bit of your split ganache out of the main batch and put it in its own separate bowl.
- Bring approximately 2 Tablespoons of corn syrup to a boil. Put the corn syrup in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat it until boiling. With such a small volume, this only takes a few seconds.
- Whisk half the boiling corn syrup into the small amount of broken ganache until it is smooth and shiny again. You only need one tablespoon of corn syrup, but heating that little amount can be tricky. That’s why this method has you heat up more than you need and then just take out the tablespoon.
- Add the rest of the broken ganache a bit at a time. Continue whisking in more and more of the broken ganache into your newly re-emulsified “seed ganache” until it’s all incorporated and the whole batch is smooth and glossy, just like perfect ganache should be.
Notes
I have only tried this with dark chocolate ganache and do not have experience with this method with either milk chocolate or white chocolate.
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And that’s it. Super simple, and it works! And most importantly, the texture of the ganache isn’t altered, or it’s altered so imperceptibly as not to matter.
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Thanks for spending some time today learning how to save your ganache!
Take care, and have a lovely day.
Sue Traylor says
Thanks Jenni! I’ve thrown out aa mess of chocolate before. Great tip!
Jennifer Field says
It is almost magic to watch it come back together, Sue!
diane says
Now THAT is a hot little piece of info, Jenni, you whiz! thoroughly Deee-lighted to know of it!
Jennifer Field says
Right?! Best tip ever! I hope you never have to use it, but it’s a great one to have on hand, Diane!
Marcia says
Thanks! Worked for me today as I prepped for a wedding consult. Lumpy ganache became perfect, and the day was saved. Bride to be was so impressed. All the knowledge you shared too was invaluable. Thank you!
Jennifer Field says
Oh, I am so happy! I want this post to be shouted from the rooftops–it is really like magic! So glad you found it and that it helped! Hooray!
nicolthepickle says
Thank you, I had a huge cake mess last month and I wish I had seen your post then. In the end I added water? and it re-emulsified, but you’re right it was thinner. I spent way too many hours on that cake and if it ever happens again I’m trying this.
Jennifer Field says
It’s one of the best tips ever–was so happy to be able to pass it on to others, Nicol!
Elizabeth Wolfe says
You saved the day and my ganache! I was so disappointed when I watched my ganache begin to curdle and break. Thank goodness I found your site and your tip!
Jennifer Field says
Oh, I’m so glad, Elizabeth! It’s seriously the best tip ever and works like magic! Hooray for fixed ganache!
Janet says
Thank you for saving my chocolate fondue!
Jennifer Field says
You are so welcome. It’s the best tip ever, and I’m happy to pass it along!
T. Meads says
You are a star! Thank you for this miraculous tip. You have saved the birthday dinner!!!
Jennifer Field says
I am so glad! It is a magical tip! Happy Birthday!
Sarah says
You can also use maple syrup too!
Jennifer Field says
So, any liquid sugar! That totally makes sense–thanks for the insight, Sarah!
Molly says
The Pastry Chef who saved Christmas! Thank you for the tip on fixing a ganache. I have made mud cake numerous times and it has always turned out perfectly. The cake made on Christmas Eve came out perfectly. But on Christmas Morning- the stores are all closed, I have just enough of my ingredients to make the ganache topping- and it broke! I saw your tip and of course, no corn syrup either- so I took a chance on some agave syrup and it did the trick! Thank you so much! You saved my cake and our Christmas dessert!
Jennifer Field says
I am so happy for you and for your mud cake!! Good to know about the agave, and I heard someone else used maple syrup, so I’m going to update my post to say that pretty much any invert sugar will do. Hooray!
Eileen says
You saved my life!!! Thank you! 🙂
Jennifer Field says
I’m so glad! Best tip ever!
Jeanine says
Thank you so much!!! I was preparing a dessert for 75 people and panicked that I was going to have to throw out lots of Ghirardelli chocolate. Your tip worked great, so now I have peace. Hugs to you
Jennifer Field says
I’m so glad to hear it. It is just the best tip ever!
Reni says
I have never had a broken ganache until last night. There is always a first time to everything right? Almost cried and throw it away. Google is calling my name. Then I saw your post. You have save my entire bowl of ganache. THANK YOU. If I could send you a cake..I will!!
Jennifer Field says
I am so happy this trick was able to help–it is seriously the most useful! Hooray for saved ganache. Will stand my my mailbox awaiting cake. lol =)
Austin says
My ganache came together, however it became grainy as it set, and the oil seems to “leak” out as the ganache does not stick to my fingers, it seems to repel… T_T
Jennifer Field says
Sounds like you could potentially have burned the chocolate. There’s no saving that, unfortunately. If you don’t think it is burned, you can try the corn syrup trick one more time and see what happens. After that, I think you should just start over. 🙁
Sarah Jones says
I tried this, but its very hot today and for me it was so much stirring… and took ages…then i discovered an easier way! You have too much chocolate to cream anyway… so Just heat up some more cream to nearly boiling, I just about 50ml, and then just pile your split mess on top, wait 2 min, and stir. Perfect again, way less effort, same texture!
Jennifer Field says
That can absolutely work if you don’t mind that the ganache you end up with is a softer texture than your original. Sometimes it works, and other times not. Glad it worked for you. Keep this tip in your back pocket though. It may come in handy some other time. Thanks for your comment, Sarah!
Rebecca says
Hello. Much of my ganache becomes grainy. I have tried the microwave method, simmer cream method and double boiler method. I usually use ganache to cover cakes and do a 2.5:1 ratio, sometimes 3:1 in the summer heat and sometimes only 2:1 in winter. I was curious if there is a reason why I almost always get grainy ganache. Also, for using your method for fixing it, I will be fixing batches of 2 pounds at a time, is there a way to fix without starting at 1 tablespoon corn syrup as that looks like it will take a long time. Thanks for the help.
Jennifer Field says
Honestly, I think you only need that tablespoon and it fixes the batch no matter how big, but I’ve never tried to fix more than a little bit just for purposes of the post. Other people have left comments and emailed saying that it has worked well for them. None has ever mentioned that it took a long time, although I’m not sure how large their batches have been.
As to the graininess, are you adding the cream to the chocolate or the chocolate to the cream? Sometimes that can make a difference. Best practice is to add the chocolate to the cream, even though that’s not the way most recipes/procedures are written. What kind of chocolate are you using? And are you using heavy cream or whipping cream? Just trying to get a handle on your exact procedure so I can help you troubleshoot, Rebecca. Thanks!
RTodd says
This worked a treat! Thank you for sharing. My white chocolate ganache always seems to break, so I end up spending more time trying to fix it using other methods than actually getting down to using it. Tried this just now and it came back to the beautiful, glossy ganache I was after 🙂
Jennifer Field says
It really is the best tip ever! I’m so glad it worked for you!
Lisa B says
Best. Fix. Ever. Thank you! Now if only I can get the ganache to come out right the first time.
Jennifer Field says
So glad it worked for you! It’s like magic! I find it a bit easier to make ganache that is nice and smooth if you add the chocolate to the cream and not the other way around. Give that a try and see how it works for you, Lisa! 🙂
Nicol says
Ahhh! You just saved me a 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips and a few tablespoons of heavy cream. 😉 Thanks!
Jennifer Field says
Glad to be of service! Best trick ever, right?! =)
Adam says
Awesome! Used maple syrup (not much Call for corn syrup in Australian home kitchens!) and it worked!! For 400grms of chocolate & 300mls of cream (1 broken and sorry looking ganache, about ⅓ to ½ btl of maple syrup worked like magic!!! Very impressed. Thank you soooo much!!!!!
Jennifer Field says
So glad it worked for you! Surprised it took so much, but if the texture is the same, I call it a win!
Pam says
Thank you thank you thank you!! Your post saved my $40 worth of Callebaut ganache. I am doing a happy dance in my kitchen!
Jennifer Field says
It really is such a great trick! I’m happy it helped you and your ganache!
Amirah Seckam says
Thank you for the very useful post! I have a question in regard to what happens when ganache that is split is used in a cake. I had some leftover ganache which I reheated and used. It looked very slightly grainy but was still usable. I left the cake in the fridge and when I sliced it the next day, I noticed that the ganache in the cake layers has tiny round white particles in it – could this be the split fat that solidified in the fridge? Just ruling out any possibilities of mold!
Does this also mean that ganache split just the slightest cannot be used till it is fixed?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Jennifer Field says
Hi, Amirah! What a great question. I would bet your hunch is exactly right. I truly doubt it was mold–with that much sugar, and at refrigerator temperatures *and* only overnight, I don’t think mold would’ve had enough time to “get going,” you know? Depending on what you’re using the ganache for, you can just add more cream and stir over heat until it smoothes out. Also depending on what you’re using it for, slight “breakage” might not be the worst thing. Flavor of course is not affected, so you’d just need to consider mouthfeel and aesthetics. On the other hand, if it’s seriously broken, you really do have to “save” it with this trick if you still want to use it for the original intended purpose. Hope that helps!
Emily Yan says
Hi, I tried to use extreme 99% cacao and tried your tip but sort of worked with a little portion but not the entire so I gave up.
I am working on a ganache for macarons and usually the ratio for cream and chocolate are equal. I have given up on the above chocolate and will maintain use of 70% cacao and not higher. Kind of scared to mess up.
Also, have always poured the liquid into the chocolate and seems to be ok for 90% of my ganaches but not all so I just tried, your technique above, pouring chocolate into the cream. I will see if it gets thicker. I am just worried it won’t by this method….if the chocolate is hotter then room temperature, would that factor in the thickness? Thanks for your help!
Jennifer Field says
Hi, Emily. I have never made ganache using 100% unsweetened chocolate (or 99%). I’m wondering if there just isn’t enough fat in that chocolate to completely emulsify with the water in the cream? I really am not sure. I’m with you: stick with 70%. If it ain’t broke, no need to fix it!
I’d wait for a bit for your ganache to cool down–it will thicken as it cools. What ratio of chocolate to cream are you using?
J says
What an excellent pro-tip for the broken ganache–you just saved my bacon with an experiment (with olive oil). Thank you for the informative post 🙂
Jennifer Field says
I am so glad! It’s one of the best little hacks I’ve ever learned–glad it helped you out! I’d love to hear more about your experiment, too. 🙂
Talia says
Hi! I just made it using glucose. It worked perfectly. Thanks a lot.
Jennifer Field says
Great! So glad it worked out!
Niko says
Jenn, how do you feel about additives for smoother dipping or glazes? Pros and cons about corn syrup, edible paraffin, shortening, cocoa butter, beeswax, paramount crystals? Do you use any of them?
Jennifer Field says
Hey, Niko. I only have ever used the corn syrup. I have no issue with it as it’s not the dreaded HFCS. I’ve used shortening/oil before to make coating chocolate and am fine with that too. I’m less sure I want to eat paraffin wax, although my mom always put it in her “golf balls” (buckeyes fully dipped) and I turned out mostly okay. Cocoa butter seems to be a no-brainer when it comes to chocolate, and I am not familiar with paramount crystals. I will try to find some info for you and shoot you some links. 🙂
Stefanie says
Speaking of Shotts, so I have his book and I’m trying to make the first truffle recipe (72%). The ganache just keeps breaking. The corn syrup only works for the first half of whisking the broken ganache back in. No matter what I do, I cant get this to work. I have such a lovely chocolate too I’ve wasted a pound already trying to fix. I’m so confused. Any help you could give would be appreciated. I must be the only pastry chef struggling with ganache. My cream isnt too hot (its a generic brand so I’m sure its under 30% fat if THATS the problem maybe), my chocolate is chopped. Idk. So frustrating. My madagascar chocolate probably is very thick as a ganache but that shouldnt matter.
Jennifer Field says
Frustrating. What’s your ratio of chocolate to cream?
Niloo says
You saved the day! Thank you so much❤️❤️❤️
Jennifer Field says
You’re welcome! Glad you were able to save your ganache!
Katt says
Hey Jenni I have a question. So I like to cover my cakes with ganache and last night i was making a ganache with an 80% callebaut chocolate (my ratio was 2 parts of chocolate : 1 part of cream) and my ganache broke!! It was thick and a little bit oily. Why did that happen? do you have any idea? I never had that problem before. btw it was my first using an 80% chocolate, I normally use 54% or 70%. I’m a little bit frustraded because I’ve got the 5lbs bag and I don’t know what to do with this chocolate. I’m afraid to try it again and my ganache breaks again.. Help me please.
Sorry about te grammar/misspellings I’m autistic.
Thanks in advance.
Jennifer Field says
I think with using 80% and a 2:1 ratio, I think there’s just too much cocoa solids and too much fat plus too little liquid in the cream to let all the cocoa solids float freely. Were you able to recover it with the corn syrup trick? I know how expensive good chocolate is, and you have a ton of it, so think about trying it with a 1.75:1 or 1.5:1 to see if it works out better for you. Small batches while you’re fine tuning for sure.
Ray Hitchell says
I pored out the oil from the seperated ganache, can I still fix it with the corn syrup?
Jennifer Field says
Hi, Ray. I have been pondering this question since you asked it. My guess is that it will not work *as well* as if you left the oil in. The whole point is to rebuild the emulsion, and fat is one of the 2 critical parts of an emulsion. Still, I expect it will work. You can always try it with a small amount. If it’s unsuccessful, you can add more liquid to your cream and make a sauce or something else so you don’t waste it. If you do give it a try, let me know whether it works. It would be important information to add to the post. Take care.
jacqueline says
Hey, I have a question.
This is the ganache recipe I used (110g milk chocolate + 70ml whipping cream). I added balls of the ganache inside of this cheesecake. After it was baked (slow-cooled overnight in water bath), I sliced into it and there was cocoa fat surrounding the truffle. Is there a way to bake the truffle inside the cheesecake without the fat separating from it in the baking process?
Jennifer Field says
Hey, Jacqueline. This is an excellent question. I have some ideas, but I’m not 100% certain. I will talk to some of my pastry friends and be sure to get back to you with a solid answer and hopefully some tips.
Jennifer Field says
Hi! I have a couple of options for you from friends in the industry. One, who incidentally has written a book on Artisan Cheesecakes, said that she has put truffles in cheesecake batter, but she adds egg to the truffle mix. That ends up making it act more like batter and less like a confection. She has offered to speak with you via email if you’d like. Another culinary instructor friend suggested you freeze the truffles before adding them to the batter and baking. Let me know if either of these ideas sound promising and if you’d like me to out you in touch with Melanie.