All of us have probably had a dessert or candy that contained or was coated in some form of Chocolate Ganache, which stands out from regular frosting by its creaminess and amazing chocolate flavor. Regularly, however, ganache is full of dairy (usually heavy cream). The upside is that it is very easy to substitute the heavy cream with a milk substitute such as almond milk, and, if desired, replace the butter with coconut oil. The result is a ganache that has all the same desirable properties, except maybe for a hint of coconut flavor. But it is delicious ganache nonetheless, and a vegan and dairy-free one at that!

Coming soon to my baking blog Michael's Test Kitchen

Also in this instructable, I will be showing you two different ways you can arrange ganache, which allows you to use it for slightly different purposes. Check it out, and enjoy!

Step 1: Ingredients

Ingredients

1 ½ cups chocolate chips

⅓ cup coconut oil

½ cup almond milk

¼ cup granulated sugar

Step 2: Dissolve

In a small saucepan, bring coconut oil, almond milk, and sugar to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Step 3: Add the Chocolate

Remove from heat and dump in the chocolate chips, letting it sit for 30 seconds, and then stirring it until completely melted and incorporated.

Step 4: Option #1

If you want to pour the ganache over something, then do so while it is a warm liquid.

Step 5: Option #2

If you want to whip the ganache to spread over a sheet cake or brownies, let the mix cool, and then transfer the ganache to a metal bowl, placed in ice water. Chill in the ice water, and then whip on high speed with a hand mixer until airy.

(I used this method in my recipe "Rich Chocolate Cake With Ganache Frosting" which you can find on my blog, but also is on Instructables)

Step 6: Done!

There you have two different ways to form ganache for different purposes. The first picture of the cheesecake shows poured ganache, where I simply poured the warm ganache over the cheesecake and then chilled and hardened it. It added so much to the flavor and texture.

The next picture of the chocolate cake shows the ganache when it has been chilled and then whipped, and then frosted over the cake. This works in the place of regular cake frosting, and has so much more chocolate flavor to it, and actually seems to cut down on sugar. You can find both of these 'cake' recipes on my blog or on my instructables profile.