I eat cupcakes for breakfast. There. I said it. I don’t drink coffee, I don’t drink alcohol (much), I don’t do drugs (if I can help it), and I get a lot of exercise. I wish I got more sleep. And if I had to admit to one vice (I have more), I’d say it’s chocolate.
Since I’ve don’t eat much dairy other than yogurt and a bit of cheese occasionally (Gromit), I like to make things that have little or no dairy in them. So here’s a very simple recipe for chocolate ganache, using just three ingredients: coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup. For me, the ganache is quite good just like this, but if you’re feeling the need to add stuff, a bit of salt and vanilla does the trick. And feel free to substitute your sweetener of choice.
And in case you’re getting an urge to eat what’s in the picture, here are some chocolate cupcake recipes to drizzle your ganache over:
- Chocolate cupcakes using coconut flour
- Chocolate honey-dipped donuts and cupcakes
- Whoopie Pies (can be used as a cupcake recipe)
I imagine you could use another oil/fat that is a solid at room temperature, like vegetable shortening. I just haven’t tried it yet, but if you do, my favorite is Spectrum Shortening.
Chocolate Ganache {using coconut oil}
Yield 1/2 (4) cup (ounces)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup of coconut oil
- 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons of maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over a low heat. It won't take long for the oil to melt because it has a low melting point, melting at 76 degrees F (24 degrees C).
- Turn the heat off and stir in the cocoa powder and maple syrup. Optionally, blend in the salt and vanilla.
- Let the ganache cool to room temperature, or to speed things up, place the saucepan in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes.
- Spoon or drizzle the ganache over your
breakfasttreat. Let it cool at room temperature for 5 minutes or so, or refrigerate until ready to devour. - Store the ganache in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Reheat on a low heat to use it again.
Sarah Johnson on Facebook
September 21, 2011 at 10:22 amwishing i could have one of these right now 🙂
Damion
September 21, 2011 at 12:58 pmBrilliant! Now if I can just figure out a way to make an SCD-legal peanut butter mousse, I can throw it all into a nutty crust and call it dessert! Thanks for posting!
Erica
September 21, 2011 at 4:25 pmhmmm – whip some egg whites, honey, and peanut butter together?
Erica
September 23, 2011 at 8:01 amps – this is not SCD legal – just in case you were confused.
joan litsky
September 22, 2011 at 6:01 amYou always liked chocolate.
Comfy Belly on Facebook
September 22, 2011 at 12:26 pmThanks Ann – for flagging me on the faulty spell-checking fix of dairy to diary 🙂
A
September 24, 2011 at 12:56 pmI make these (with the salt & vanilla) and pour the batter into little candy molds and pop in the freezer. After they harden, I remove to a container and keep in the fridge for a bite of healthy chocolate when I need it. I also like to stir in hemp hearts — tastes (kinda) like a crunch bar.
Just found your blog today – it’s beautiful! and I can’t wait to try some of your recipes.
Erica
September 24, 2011 at 3:07 pmGreat idea – keeping them as little treats in the fridge! Love it 🙂
Bev
September 26, 2011 at 7:56 pmEeeeasy! Yummy! Just got done licking the spoon!
Thanks for sharing!
Mel
December 6, 2011 at 3:07 pmdoes this harden at room temp? I am looking for something to use to coat cake pops.
Erica
December 6, 2011 at 3:51 pmYes, it does. Not as firm as pure chocolate, but you can add cocoa butter to do that.
Candice Dyer
April 1, 2015 at 12:59 pmHow solid does this end up when it’s refrigerated? I would like to do a sugar free version to use for fat bombs for the low carb diet…
Erica
April 1, 2015 at 8:02 pmvery solid 🙂
Amanda
February 4, 2018 at 6:14 amThanks so much for this recipe! I added an extra tablespoon of maple syrup and two tablespoons of peanut butter to help mask the coconut oil taste. I used it warm from the stovetop to cover a double peanut butter birthday cake and it worked wonderfully! Just like traditional panache- but without all the dairy that wrecks havoc on my stomach! Absolutely wonderful!
Amanda
February 4, 2018 at 6:15 amThat was supposed to say ganache. Yay for autocorrect!
Erica
February 4, 2018 at 9:16 am🙂 also love panache
Erica
February 4, 2018 at 9:15 amNice additions! You might be able to sub in some olive oil in place of the coconut oil since the peanut butter is very thick. Also, you can use coconut oil that has the flavor extracted.
Alanna
August 24, 2018 at 1:50 pmHow much does it make per serving?
Erica
August 25, 2018 at 8:58 amThanks for asking! I updated the recipe to show the yield, which is 1/2 cup.
Awdur
August 25, 2018 at 2:42 pmHow much does this amount to? I was thinking of using it to top an 8-inch cake. Should I make a full recipe or would that be too much? (I’ve halved this recipe a few times to great success but it’s been a while since I made it).
Erica
August 25, 2018 at 4:28 pmI would double it for a cake.