White chocolate ganache is tricky but my tips and tricks will give you a perfect ganache every time. I’m sharing all the variables you need to know to make a perfect white chocolate ganache.
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White chocolate is a delicate thing! Therefore, white chocolate ganache is trickier than a regular chocolate ganache.
Unfortunately, there’s no perfect, foolproof recipe, when it comes to white chocolate ganache.
Depending on what consistency you need, what brand of chocolate you’re using, etc, you may need to tweak it a little to perfect it to your particular situation.
But don’t you worry, I’m about to teach you everything you need to watch out for.
What is white chocolate ganache?
In a nutshell, white ganache is an emulsification of melted white chocolate and cream.
It’s smooth and creamy mixture often used as a cake or macaron filling, frosting, or glaze for desserts.
It has a rich and sweet flavor, with a luxurious texture that can be whipped or poured depending on the desired consistency.
Key Ingredient Notes
- White chocolate – Choosing the right white chocolate is important. Read the labels carefully. If it says white chocolate confectionary or white coating wafer, it’s not real chocolate. The real white chocolate contains cocoa butter. More details below.
- Cream – Choose heavy whipping cream for the best result.
What is white chocolate and how to choose the right chocolate?
White chocolate is made with cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, lecithin and sometimes vanilla. (Lecithin is an emulsifier.)
Now, cocoa butter is an expensive ingredient! And cheaper white chocolates have less cocoa butter and use other types of fats as fillers, which creates that awful waxy mouthfeel. According to FDA, white chocolate should contain at least 20% cocoa butter to be labeled as white chocolate.
High end white chocolate couvertures are luxuriously smooth and delicate. It melts nicely on the tongue without leaving greasy feeling thanks to higher content of cocoa butter.
read the labels
Be sure to read the labels carefully! If you see “White Chocolate Confectionary” or “White Coating Wafers“, it means it’s not white chocolate, because it doesn’t contain cocoa butter (or if it does, it’s probably less than 20%!)
What difference does cocoa butter content make?
Not all white chocolate made equal! The percentage of cocoa butter content in white chocolate varies from brand to brand.
Why is it important to know the cocoa butter content?
The amount of cocoa butter in white chocolate plays a huge role in the consistency of white chocolate ganache.
You don’t have to go for the most expensive white chocolate to make a perfect ganache. But it’s important to know the cocoa butter content of your chosen brand and adjust the ratio accordingly.
HERE IS WHY: The higher cocoa butter content, the firmer white chocolate ganache will be with less chocolate.
Here’s an example: let’s say we make the same ganache recipe with 1:1 ratio using 2 different white chocolate.
- Batch A: We use generic chocolate, say Gherardelli white chocolate.
- Batch B: We use high end white chocolate couverture with 35% cocoa butter.
Batch A ganache will be significantly softer/runnier than Batch B because high cocoa butter content in Batch B will help the ganache set firmer.
My favorite white chocolate brands:
- Cacao Barry Blanc Satin 29% White Chocolate Discs – These are one of my favorite white chocolates for making ganache! My recipe is based on this brand of white chocolate.
- Valrhona Ivoire 35% White Couverture Chocolate Feves – This another brand that I absolutely love! You can’t go wrong with this one, especially if you want nice and thick ganache for frosting cakes, cupcakes and filling macarons.
Where to buy these chocolate couverture
I’m sharing the above links for you to see the packaging, but I personally don’t buy my chocolate from Amazon. You can get smaller re-packaged versions from World Wide Chocolate, my go-to place for all things chocolate.
How to make white chocolate ganache
It’s a simple process to make white chocolate ganache:
1. Melt white chocolate
- Place the white chocolate a microwave in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Set the microwave for 1 minute at 50% power (for 1000watt microwave!).
- Stir well and put it back for 15-30 seconds at 50% power, depending on the consistency. (If it looks pretty solid, put it for 30 sec, and if it started melting – for 15 sec.)
- Then stir well and put it back for another 15 seconds at 50% power, if needed, or until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring well every 15 seconds.
2. Heat the cream
- Place the cream in a small saucepan.
- Warm it up over medium heat until you start seeing small bubbles around the edges. Be careful not to boil it, or you may evaporate too much moisture.
3. Mix chocolate and cream
- Add 1/3 of the cream into the melted chocolate and stir gently with a spatula, or a whisk. It’ll look grainy and seized, but don’t worry.
- Stir in another 1/3 of cream and mix until almost smooth.
- Then add the last of the cream and it should turn silky smooth.
- Optional, but highly recommended: Blend the ganache with an immersion blender for 30 seconds. This creates better emulsion and smoother ganache!
4. Set the ganache
- Transfer the ganache into a flat container, or a baking pan (it helps to set the ganache quickly!).
- Cover with plastic wrap, touching the entire surface of the ganache to prevent any skin forming.
- Let the ganache set in the fridge for at least 5 hours, or overnight, to thicken and stabilize the ganache. After the chilling time, ganache should be nice and thick, and hold its shape when piped!
- Stir the ganache with a rubber spatula to soften it and restore the shine.
setting the ganache
2 benefits of transferring ganache into a flat container: the ganache sets evenly and faster!
White Chocolate to Cream Ratios
Let’s talk about how much chocolate and how much heavy cream to use for a perfect ganache for different purposes.
As discussed earlier in this post, the final ganache consistency depends not only on the ratio of ingredients, but also how much cocoa butter your white chocolate contains.
Therefore, for simplicity sake, the following ratios are for generic white chocolate, like Ghirardelli white chocolate that can be found at any grocery store. And since the cocoa butter content is not disclosed, we can assume they contain the minimum percentage, which is 20%.
For Fillings:
I find 3:1 ratio of generic white chocolate to heavy cream produces a nice, peanut butter-like consistency perfect for filling french macarons.
Example: 6oz generic white chocolate + 2oz heavy cream
For whipped ganache:
1:2 ratio of generic white chocolate to heavy cream produces thinner ganache that’s perfect for making a whipped white chocolate ganache.
Example: 4oz generic white chocolate + 8oz heavy cream
To make whipped white chocolate ganache, cool the ganache completely, then whip it with a mixer until fluffy. It’s perfect for frosting cupcakes!
For cake drip:
If you want a not-too-runny yet not-too-thick ganache for decorating cakes, use 1:1 ratio of generic white chocolate to heavy cream.
Example: 4oz generic white chocolate + 4oz heavy cream
Final Notes on ratios
Less cocoa butter your white chocolate has, less heavy cream you’ll need to use to achieve thick filling consistency.
White chocolate with lower cocoa butter content tend to produce softer/runnier ganache. And to combat that, you need to use more chocolate vs heavy cream.
However, keep in mind that the more white chocolate you use, the sweeter your final ganache will be. That’s why it’s ideal to use higher quality white chocolate courvertures with high cocoa butter content.
How to color white chocolate ganache
1. Choose the Right Type of Food Coloring
- Oil-based food coloring is the best choice for coloring ganache, as it mixes well with the fat in white chocolate without causing it to seize.
- Gel or powdered food coloring can also work since they have less moisture than liquid colorings, which could potentially cause the ganache to break.
- Avoid liquid food coloring because the water content can cause the chocolate to seize and ruin the texture.
2. Make the Ganache
- Prepare your white chocolate ganache as described above.
- Allow the ganache to cool slightly but not fully set. This ensures that the color will incorporate smoothly without affecting the texture.
3. Add the Food Coloring
- For oil-based or gel colors, start by adding a few drops or a small amount of powdered color to the ganache.
- Stir gently until the color is evenly distributed.
- Continue adding color in small increments until you achieve the desired shade.
4. Mix CarefullY
- Ensure that the ganache is well mixed, as white chocolate ganache can be more delicate than dark chocolate ganache. Over-mixing or using too much color can sometimes alter the consistency.
Storing Tips
White chocolate ganache is pretty shelf stable due to its high sugar and fat content. You can keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Refrigerate it in airtight container for up to a week.
Ganache also freezes well. To thaw, transfer it into the fridge for overnight. Then bring it to room temperature. If needed, microwave it in 15-second increments at 50% power, stirring after every 15 seconds. Be careful not to overheat the ganache, or it’ll separate.
Ganache FAQ
You don’t need any thickening agent to thicken ganache. It’s all about using the proper ratios of chocolate to liquid.
Depending on your chocolate to cream ratio, ganache can harden. For example, the less liquid (ie. cream) is used, the harder the ganache will be.
There are 2 reasons: 1. White chocolate contains low percentage of cocoa butter. 2. Too much cream/liquid can prevent the ganache from hardening.
White Chocolate Ganache Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz (227 g) 29% white chocolate Note 1
- 4 oz (113 g) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate in a microwave. (Or you can use a double boiler.) For the microwave, set it for 1 minute at 50% power (for 1000watt microwave!).
- Stir well and put it back for 15-30 seconds at 50% power, depending on the consistency. (If it looks pretty solid, put it for 30 sec, and if it started melting – for 15 sec.)
- Then stir well and put it back for another 15 seconds at 50% power, if needed, or until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring well every 15 seconds.
- Place the cream in a small saucepan.
- Warm it up over medium heat until you see small bubbles around the edges. No need to scald/boil it.
- Add 1/3 of cream into melted chocolate and stir gently with a spatula, or a whisk. It'll look grainy and seized, but don't worry.
- Stir in another 1/3 of cream and mix until almost smooth. Then add the last of cream and it should turn silky smooth.
- Optional, but highly recommended: Blend the ganache with an immersion blender for 30 seconds. This creates better emulsion and smoother ganache!
- Transfer the ganache into a flat container, or a baking pan (it helps to set the ganache quickly!).
- Cover with plastic wrap, touching the entire surface of the ganache to prevent any skin forming.
- Refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or overnight, to thicken and stabilize the ganache. After the chilling time, ganache should be nice and thick, and hold its shape when piped.
- Stir the ganache with a rubber spatula to soften it and restore the shine.
⭐️ Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a review and let us know how you liked it!
Tips & Notes
– You can store ganache in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
– Refrigerate it in airtight container for up to a week.
– Ganache also freezes well. Freeze the ganache in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
– To thaw, transfer it into the fridge for overnight. Then bring it to room temperature. If needed, microwave it in 15-second increments at 50% power, stirring after every 15 seconds. Be careful not to overheat the ganache, or it’ll separate.
Nutrition
Hi Shinee! Love all your recipes! I have a question: why in your recipe its necessary to melt both the chocolate and heavy cream separately? Other recipes only ask to melt the heavy cream and then pour it on top of chocolate… Just wondering!
Thanks !!
Hi, Lilie! Great observation, and thank you for asking! It’s all about the ratio of cream to chocolate. In white chocolate ganache, we’re using less cream compared to dark chocolate ganache, and it’s not enough cream to melt the solid chocolate. Hope that make sense. 😉
Hi Shinee!
Thank you so much for the enlightenment, I will try your method!
By the way I was having issues wirh macaron and finally succeeded! I was not doing the macaronage correctly. Thanks so much for all your great recipes ans for your helpful answers!
I’m so happy to hear your macaron succcess!! Way to go, Lilie!
I used this recipe to top chocolate cream puffs, and realized the white chocolate I had on hand was actually an ‘alternative’ white chocolate. Regardless the ganache turned out fine, although hardened faster than expected but topped the cream puffs well. Next time I think I’ll use a bit more cream to have a smoother texture.
Hi, Chrys. Yeah, those “alternative” white chocolate set pretty fast. For glazing, I definitely recommend 1:1 ratio.
If the percentage of cocoa butter in white chocolate is 28%, how much should the ratio of cream and white chocolate be to Calibut chocolate?
Hi, Norhan. The difference is negligeable. You can follow this recipe as written. But if you’re afraid it might turn too soft for your needs, you may increase the chocolate amount slightly.
I use the callebeut brand white chocolate. What can I do to make this a little thicker?
Hi, Zory! Thanks for reaching out. So the brand of chocolate doesn’t provide enough information about the chocolate you have on hand. Callebaut is a great chocolate brand and they carry different types of white chocolate. Please read the packaging of your chocolate to find out the cocoa butter percentage. If it’s less than 29%, then you want to increase chocolate amount to make it thicker. Hope this helps.
Hi!!
How many cupcakes can I cover with this recipe??
Thanks
FT
So will Ghirardelli used in 3:1 ratio produce a ganache that will firm up when at room temp? I want to use it to fill a cookie, so it needs to be firm, but still tender when bitten into.
Hi, Ellen. To fill cookies, I’d go with 4:1 ratio chocolate to cream.
thanks so much! I’ll post a photo on IG @tortamore