How to Make Vegan Chocolate Ganache Frosting

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Big bowl of our Vegan Chocolate Ganache Frosting recipe

Electric mixer blades resting over a bowl of the Best Vegan Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Vegan Chocolate Ganache Frosting

A step-by-step tutorial on how to make easy, vegan chocolate ganache frosting! Perfect for cakes, cupcakes, and quick breads!
Author Minimalist Baker
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Electric mixer blades resting over a bowl of Vegan Chocolate Ganache Frosting
4.85 from 33 votes
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 2 hours 1 minute
Servings 14 (2-Tbsp servings)
Course Frosting
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 1 Week

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond or coconut milk
  • 1 1/4 cup dairy-free dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter (We like Miyokos and Earth Balance soy-free // softened and cut into Tablespoon-sized slices // readers have successfully subbed coconut oil)
  • 1 1/4 – 2 cups organic powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Add almond milk to a mixing bowl and microwave for 1 minute. (Alternatively, heat in a saucepan until hardly simmering and then transfer back to mixing bowl.)
  • Immediately add chocolate to warm milk but don’t touch for 2 minutes so it can melt. Cover to encourage melting.
  • Stir gently with a wooden spoon to incorporate, then add softened butter (or coconut oil) and cover. Let rest untouched for another 10 minutes to meld.
  • Use your mixer to beat the mixture together. Then add 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted to reduce clumps), mix again, and place in fridge to set for 1-2 hours. You’ll know it’s ready when you tip it and it’s slow to move.
  • Remove from fridge and beat again. If it’s still too thin, add another 1/4 cup powdered sugar at a time (sifted) and beat until light and fluffy. (As the recipe is written) I found that chilling for a total of 45 minutes-1 hour and adding 1 3/4 cups total powdered sugar was perfect.
  • Perfect for cupcakescake and quick breads! Frosting keeps at room temperature for several days on baked goods, or in the fridge for up to a week, covered.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 2 Tbsp frosting calculated with the lesser amounts of ingredients (when a range is given).

Nutrition (1 of 14 servings)

Serving: 1 two-Tbsp servings Calories: 239 Carbohydrates: 21.4 g Protein: 1.9 g Fat: 16.3 g Saturated Fat: 7.4 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.74 g Monounsaturated Fat: 5.88 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0.7 mg Sodium: 71 mg Potassium: 172 mg Fiber: 2.5 g Sugar: 16 g Vitamin A: 27 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 30 mg Iron: 2.8 mg

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  1. Cathy says

    Hello. When you say “coconut milk”, do you mean the milk used in curries, the milk found in cans? If so, can I use Lite coconut milk (in a can0?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Cathy, we’re talking about the coconut milk in a carton, but you can use lite canned coconut milk!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Oh no! Sorry that happened, Eliza. The most likely reason for that is due to temperature (usually if the chocolate/milk mixture heated up too much). If you Google tips for fixing a split ganache, you may be able to salvage it!

  2. Brittany says

    Does it get hard in the fridge if you leave it overnight and don’t using it right away? Will it still be spreadable?

  3. Louise says

    Hi. I’m not an experienced baker but would like to use this to cover a Yule log. Do you think it would be suitable and what percentage cocoa solids dark chocolate should I use? I’m in UK. Many thanks.

  4. Ally says

    Hello cook on the run here!!
    No time to go shop and only have a 90gram bar of chocolate:-0
    its for a loaf tin…confident fish on halting the ingredients.
    What would u do???
    Love your site, it just does what you want…:-)

    Ally

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ally, thank you for your kind words! We’d say try making a half batch or supplement the rest of the chocolate with chocolate chips if you have them. Hope that helps!

  5. Renee says

    Hi, the video for this recipe shows the ganache being used for a single layer cake – do I have to double this recipe if I am going to be using it for a two layer 8″ cake?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Renee, you shouldn’t need to double it! This recipe makes ~1 3/4 cups, which should be enough for a two layer cake. Hope you love it!

  6. April says

    I was wondering how well this pipes onto cake or cupcakes and if it holds it shape. Does it melt when left out of the fridge? Trying to find a good recipe or two for my daughter to practice her cake making with but her last frosting melted before we could cut the cake. It wasn’t out of the fridge for an hour.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi April, it does pipe well, especially when using the full amount of powdered sugar. Depending on your room temperature, it could be prone to melting (over 70 degrees F), but it holds up better than a traditional buttercream, especially vegan versions. It’s the coconut oil that makes vegan buttercream prone to melting above room temperature. We find Earth Balance holds up better than Miyoko’s. Hope that helps!

  7. Katherine says

    I found this recipe was perfect without the butter step. I used the amounts of almond milk and dark chocolate chips but just added more powdered sugar bit by bit until I liked the consistency. It saved me time and was still incredible!!

  8. gerrie says

    Thank you somuch for sharing this recipe. I made it and it is absolutely delicious. Instead of using a mixer I whisked it by hand and it still came out great. I am thinking about trying it with white chips to make a vanilla frosting.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Gerrie! Thank you for sharing your experience! xo

  9. Max A. says

    I haven’t made this yet, but plan to later this week. (So much success with your amazing recipes and GF flour blend; so I’m stoked to try the chocolate cake mix next). I don’t have a hand mixer, but I do have a KitchenAide Pro Series Stand Mixer. I have all the recommended ingredients. Should I use the flat beater or wire whip? Any other tips/thoughts?

  10. Diane Heinrich says

    I’ve read the reviews and questions about using it under fondant but no answers? Has anyone tried it under fondant and if so how was it? If I try it and it works I’ll let you know the results!
    Cheers

  11. Jeanne says

    Made this ( added some orange zest) and immediately poured it over my 3 layer chocolate cake, letting it drip down the sides. Put in fridge to set for ~1hr. Perfect! The Minimalist Baker will never let you down!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, thank you for your kind words and lovely review, Jeanne! Orange zest sounds AMAZING! xoxo

  12. Diana says

    Help! My guests have just called to say they can’t come for a few days… I have a lovely choc cake completely covered with this deelish frosting. Do you think the cake will be ok in the fridge a few days??

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Diana! It should be fine as long as it’s tightly covered with an airtight lid, foil, or plastic wrap!

  13. Diana says

    After coming out of the fridge and warming up it is too thick. I can mix it but only just. It won’t be possible to spread really. Would mixing in milk be the remedy? Tastes great BTW : )

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Diana! Did you happen to make any modifications to the recipe? What kind of chocolate did you use, and how long did you chill it? The best thing would be to let it warm up as much as possible to soften, before adding any milk. Let us know how we can help further!

      • Diana says

        I followed the recipe exactly except that my butter was partly melted. However, no problem. I brought it up to room temperature on the counter then put it in the microwave for 3 seconds (yes just 3) and it completely relaxed. Spread beautifully. Happy happy. : )

  14. Kim says

    I found that using 1 cup of powdered sugar made the ganache way too sweet for my tastes. Like a review I read, I added 2 tbsp Dutch processed coco and 1/4 tsp kosher salt to neutralize some of the sweetness. The outcome was a rich and gooey ganache with a really creamy texture. Great with my dairy free, egg free chocolate cake recipe.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing your experience, Kim! Glad to hear you were able to modify to preference!

  15. Linsey says

    I made this to top the Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes since my husband loves chocolate, and wow. This is so good! I’m not a huge chocolate fan, but I was eating this out of the bowl with a spoon.

    I used Earth Balance butter, Trader Joe’s chocolate chips. I only used 1 C powdered sugar – when I got it out of the fridge after the first chill, it was HARD. I would have needed to get out my kitchenaid mixer to whip anymore powdered sugar into it. Not sure if something went wrong since it was not at all runny/literally didnt move in the bowl? But if I did something wrong, I don’t want to do it right! It’s SO GOOD. Will be a chocolate frosting staple!!

  16. Ian says

    This tastes amazing and is very stable– I’ve had a lot of trouble with vegan frostings splitting in the past and was skeptical that this would come together, but it did. Used Earth Balance vegan butter, enjoy life semi sweet chocolate chips and almond milk. Only adjustment I made was to replace some of the powdered sugar with Dutched cocoa since I wanted it thick and not as sweet.

  17. Becca B says

    I’ve made this twice now, both times mixing by hand with a whisk and subbing coconut oil for the vegan butter. After leaving it to cool in the fridge the ganache became solid, but about 25 seconds in the microwave warmed up the coconut oil just enough to let me whisk it again by hand into a beautiful, fluffy frosting texture. It is SO GOOD! I’ve been known to eat it off the spoon! My non-vegan roommate has been raving about it as well.

  18. Brigitte says

    I made this icing with full fat coconut milk in the can , I added only 1 cup like the recipe stated in the first step . I kept it in the fridge for 2 hours than it was really hard , I put it back in the warm oven that I previously baked the cake just for 10 minutes than I was able to whip it than spread it in my cake , otherwise I couldn’t spread it but the taste was spot on perfectly sweet creamy coconut flavor came through wow this is so perfect it’s almost like eating fudge . The 1 cup for the icing was perfect I wouldn’t add more , I used the 60% chocolate chip from Ghirardelli …sublime perfect icing but don’t wait more than 1 hour if you want to spread it easily than refrigerate and voila !

  19. Deb Z says

    Hi!
    I know it says something like 24 TBSPN frosting. How large a cake will that cover?
    Love your blog!!!

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        We’ve never tried that, but sounds delicious! For a smooth consistency, you could roast the hazelnuts and grind into a nut butter. Similar to this recipe. Let us know if you do some experimenting!

        • Connie says

          Can I add everything into a bowl and mix it without whipping it? Will it still work as a ganache? Can I use coconut sugar or raw honey instead of powdered sugar? Thanks

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            Hm, we wouldn’t recommend that as it won’t be fluffy and the butter will probably be difficult to mix in. The powdered sugar is important for getting it to firm up. But you can grind coconut sugar in a blender to make powdered coconut sugar and that could work!

  20. Shelly L. says

    We loved this! I made it to frost a vegan banana layer cake for my daughter’s birthday. I loved your techniques for making this. The taste and texture were awesome. This is a keeper. Thank you!

    • Gayle Mallinger says

      Hello!

      I must say this was the most delicious cake I have ever made…but I, a very experienced baker, find the one bowl easy peasy description a big stretch!

      I made this for my wife’s birthday…added more confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and espresso powder to the frosting and it was the best I have ever tasted…like ganache and chocolate buttercream had a delicious baby..but the process was more than 4 hours of my time (but it was her birthday…so we’ll worth it:-)).

      Also, amazingly, the cake got better with age…I hardly thought that would be possible!

      Thanks for your spectacular recipes…love your blog…please check out my wife’s….brand new with a post about your cake!

      Jaggedroots.com

      Best,
      Gayle

  21. Katie says

    I made this recipe for chocolate cupcakes. It was perfect and so easy. I wanted more of a ganache and used only about 1/3 cup of powdered sugar (reducing the sugar was a suggestion I saw in one of the prior comments). I didn’t bother softening the Earth Balance vegan butter. The icing was shiny and beautiful and made everything better in this crazy time of Covid isolation.

  22. Emily says

    this is the BEST chocolate frosting i’ve ever made (and i’ve made a lot!) – perfect.. everyone in my family loved it. thank you! :D

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Emily. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

    • Anne Rossi says

      Would be better to get amounts to chocolate grams.. if your measurement is cup, amount of chocolate can be very different, as well as result…

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Hi Anne, you can click “metric” beneath the ingredients header for that information. Hope that helps!

  23. Jade says

    Does this ganache harden? I want to use it as a crumb coat before putting fondant on my cake, would it work?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      It doesn’t harden as much as a typical ganache, and is rather a ganache-like frosting.

      • Elena says

        Actually mine hardened just like the original ganache recipe and turned out to be perfect for my Vegan Chocolate Ganache cake…worked like a charm! Just used soy milk instead of almond, then two-thirds of the powdered sugar….also, I found that keeping the ganache in a metal bowl and putting it in the freezer for a few minutes (rather than the fridge) really sped up the process and gave me just what I wanted. I have been making vegan desserts for quite a few years now and just loved your recipe. Thanks so much for sharing this ?

  24. Joan says

    Delicious. I added one teaspoon of vanilla. I plan to try it with coffee as the liquid instead of almond milk for a more allergy-friendly option. I used nestle’s new “simply delicious” semi-sweet chocolate chips which are dairy free – chopped them only a little as chips do not chop well. They did not completely melt which I did not realize till after I added the vegan butter (Miyokos brand). So put the bowl over a pot of simmering water and melted it the rest of way (like a double boiler). Next time I may melt the chocolate into the milk this way from the beginning.

    It was as delicious, think and rich as my mother-in-laws frosting with real butter. Thank you for this wonderful recipe

  25. Taylor OBrien says

    Hello. I have a question about the powered sugar–is it used to help thicken the frosting or is it used to sweeten (or both)? I am wondering if granulated sugar could be substituted and dissolved in the warm milk to achieve the same result without using powdered sugar (as it’s significantly more expensive)? Thanks!

  26. Chloe Chabot-Denis says

    I just made this frosting for my gluten free cake and it was DELICIOUS. I used vegan soy free earth balance butter and enjoy life semi sweet chocolate chip. I add 1 cup of organic powdered sugar to the milk and chocolate chip mixture, left it in the fridge for a good 30-40 min , mixed it and add another 1/4 cup powdered sugar and it was the perfect texture.

  27. Tracy says

    I made this with soy milk and coconut oil (1/4c as noted in the recipe), and it came out fantastic! Even after I messed it up by accidently doubling the milk and wondering why it wasn’t thickening properly. I had already added powdered sugar, so I melted another chocolate bar with more coconut oil, added it, and it thickened right up and came out well, so it is thankfully a forgiving recipe. Doubling it turned out to be appropriate for frosting a double layer cake with a little leftover. I’ll be making it again in a few weeks, following the recipe correctly next time!

    To the people wondering if it would stay together sitting out, my guess is yes. It stays together and holds consistency much better than other frostings I’ve made in the past.

  28. Kimmi says

    I am diabetic. What can I use in place of the powdered sugar and instead of a sugar sweetener (splenda, stevia…)?

    • Hanna says

      I have become type 2 diabetic during the pandemic so instead of powdered sugar I used confectioners swerve and it turned out great 👍🏼

  29. Connie says

    I used Enjoy Life’s Dark Chocolate Morsels and it turned out AWESOME!! I cut the recipe in half and it was just perfect to top a regular bundt cake.

  30. Crystal says

    This was delicious on cupcakes! So rich and creamy. I misread the directions and refrigerated before adding any icing sugar and thought I may have ruined it, but it was awesome even adding it all afterward.

  31. Mary K. says

    Hello,
    How would I or COULD I make this into a vegan chocolate ganache glaze? I would like to drizzle it over vegan chocolate whipped topping.

  32. Kelley says

    For those of you wanting to use Stevia powder extract and arrowroot starch/powder in place of powdered sugar, I found about 1/2 teaspoon to every 1 cup of arrowroot powder to be perfect for this recipe. If you add too much more than that it becomes bitter. I only had to add 1 cup of my confectioner’s sugar substitute to achieve the consistency I wanted in the frosting. PS- I used melted coconut oil as the “fat”.

    Hope this helps!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi! We haven’t tried it, so we can’t say for sure! I would suggest waiting until after they are done baking and cooled!

  33. Kathy says

    Hi. This came out so delicious. As always your recipes are divine. I have a lot of frosting left over and it got thick in the fridge. Is there a way to thin it out so I can spread it when I make another cake?
    Thanks!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Elizabeth! While this recipe is a great ganache frosting, you might not find that it works as well to write out words in detail. If you give it a try, ensure that you use a small tipped frosting nozzle!

  34. Patacake says

    Would I be able to pipe animal hair with this recipe? I don’t have time to do a practice run, I need the consistemcy to be firm enough to hold its shape and stay that way without dripping or melting out of the fridge. Thank you! X

  35. sue says

    I made this awesome frosting to go on my awesome GF angel-food cake for a friend last week! It was amazing. I added a bit more almond milk to thin out because I wanted to drizzle over the “whiteness” and it worked…. Thank you for this frosting recipe, it is a keeper! BTW I put the little I had left in a zip lock baggie for me late at night……YUM

  36. Meg says

    Could I sub almond milk with skim milk in this recipe if I’m not strict with it being vegan? I only ask about skim milk because it is a staple in my fridge, do not normally need to purchase other non-dairy milks, yet still have digestive sensitivities to whole and low fat milk.

  37. Simona says

    Hi, I’m planning to make a Frozen birthday cake with this glaze, can I apply fondant on top of it? Would it stay firm and beautiful the next day?

  38. Jin says

    I plan on taking cupcakes with this icing to a summer pool party … will the icing melt all over the place? I do plan to leave them in the shade!

  39. Rachel says

    this recipe is bad. I cut the recipe in half. I ended up with a liquidy and over sweet ganache. Never will try again. This disappoints me.

  40. Brittany says

    Whoa momma! This is by far the best vegan icing I’ve made. I have never made a ganache icing before and I am in love. So I used coconut milk (silk beverage) instead of almond milk and vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate. The icing was sweet and had a wonderful dark chocolate flavour. It wasn’t oily tasting like most other icings. Definitely will be keeping this recipe handy!

  41. Lisa Neher says

    I used chocolate chips and they didn’t entirely melt–didn’t realize that until I was whipping in the powdered sugar and there are little chunks of chocolate in it so it’s not entirely smooth. Can I re-melt it and chill/mix again?

    • Leigh says

      If you use powder, you will need to add more fat, in this case it’s vegan butter, as the chocolate chips provide fat. You may need to add just a bit more sugar as well. It wouldn’t really be a ganache (like the inside of a truffle) frosting then, but a regular chocolate buttercream…which is still fabulous.