This recipe is for my Best Low Carb, Coconut Milk Chocolate Ganache cake frosting. Shiny, silky, and so versatile, you'll find excuses to use it on everything. I did. I even used it to coat my spoon!
I love Chocolate. I especially love chocolate ganache. It can be used for so many things; elegant chocolate truffles, glazing cakes and cookies or it can be whipped and used as a frosting for cakes and cupcakes. This is hands down one of the better low carb, coconut milk chocolate ganaches around. Notice that I didn't say "sugar-free". Let me explain...
I make different kinds of chocolate ganache cake frosting for different purposes. Sometimes I use almond milk, sometimes I use coconut milk, sometimes I vary the ratio of unsweetened baking chocolate to sweetened dark chocolate, and sometimes I vary the sweeteners.
Making a sugar-free chocolate ganache cake frosting out of 100 % unsweetened baking chocolate is always a gamble for me. Will it be too bitter? Will the texture be chalky? Will the sweetener re-crystallize and become crunchy and grainy?
This recipe for low carb, coconut milk chocolate ganache cake frosting is always good. But, I can only guarantee the texture of this ganache with the ingredients listed in the recipe. Different brands of chocolate have differing amounts of cocoa solids and fat in their formulas.
I like using the Trader Joe's Pound Plus 72% Dark Chocolate, because it is an exceptional value for great chocolate. Buy it at Trader Joe's and not through Amazon. It's WAY too expensive through Amazon. If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, try substituting Scharfenberger 70% dark chocolate.
This recipe makes a lot of coconut milk chocolate ganache cake frosting. There will be enough to double-dip 12 cupcakes, thickly top an 8 inch cake, and make a few chocolate truffles.
A word about using coconut milk in chocolate ganache cake frosting. Coconut milk does not make a perfectly smooth ganache. It makes a shiny ganache, but it will look a bit grainy or "broken". Unfortunately, that is the nature of the beast. Coconut milk will enhance the mouth feel of a low carb, dairy-free chocolate ganache cake frosting. The coconut fat melts at a lower temperature, helping the ganache melt nicely in the mouth, which counter acts the cooling effect of the sugar alcohols. It's luscious!
Best Low Carb, Coconut Milk Chocolate Ganache Cake Frosting
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Trader Joe's Pound Plus 72% Belgium Chocolate
- 3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
- ¼ cup butter or coconut oil or ghee
- ½ cup xylitol or erythritol powdered
- ¾ cup coconut cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the coconut cream: Put a can of coconut milk in the refrigerator over night. In the morning, turn the can over, open it, and pour out the liquid, leaving the solidified coconut cream. That's what you want. Measure the coconut cream and put in a sauce pan over medium low heat.
- Measure the xylitol into a coffee grinder and process it into a fine powder. Stir it into the coconut cream.
- Meanwhile, weigh the chocolates and chop them very finely. Put ⅔ of the chocolate into a medium heat proof bowl. When the xylitol has melted and the coconut cream is hot and bubbly, add it to the chocolate and let it sit for five minutes. Stir gently and then add the rest of the chocolate to the bowl. Let it sit for a minute and then stir again until it is smooth. Add the vanilla and butter (or coconut oil or ghee) and stir until incorporated. Let cool for a few hours before using to glaze cakes or dip cupcakes.
- If using for truffles, once cooled completely, cover the coconut milk ganache and let it sit on the counter overnight before rolling.
Kirsten Felton
Try heating the liquid from the coconut cream dissolving the sweetener in it and thickening with gelatin and then adding to the warmed chocolate. This came out really smooth for me without dairy.
Tina
If using already powdered sweetener would the amount still be 1/2 cup rather than grinding my own.
Kim
Hi Tina, measure 3/4 cup of powdered sweetener. -Kim
Heidi
What kind of erythritol do you use?
Kim
Hi Heidi. I used generic erythritol for this, but you can use Swerve or Lakanto if you want. -Kim
Rachel Silbereis
So where is says 3/4 cup coconut milk you mean 3/4 cup coconut cream correct?
And where is says butter or coconut oil you mean either ghee, butter or the “oil” part of the coconut milk carb you separated?
Kim
Hi Rachel. Whoa. I wrote that recipe several years ago and see that it needs so updating. I did a quick update just now. Yes, use coconut cream (the thick part from the refrigerated can) not the water that is poured-off or left behind. That is good for smoothies but will make the ganache seize! You can use butter, coconut milk or ghee in the recipe. I'm sorry about the confusion. I am slowly going through old posts and updating the photos and recipes. Thank you for your patience. -Kim
Esther R.
This is an amazing recipe. Thanks .
Esther R.
This awesome ganache ! I've also made a recipe making dairy free chocolate bars .
Megha
Sorry for the lame question. Unfortunately I do not have a measuring scale. How can I measure the chocolate?
~Meg
Kim
Megha, most boxes of chocolate include both ounces and grams. Google will convert ounces to grams and vice versa for you. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have more questions. -Kim
Megha
Thanks for sharing this. So how much coconut cream is used in this recipe?
~Meg
Kim
Hi Megha. It's 3/4 cup or 6 oz. if you want a smaller recipe you can scale this up or down by hovering over the servings and sliding the slider. I suggest making a half batch. -Kim
John
That's pretty cool, never tried that before (the slider thing).
sheila kelley
I'm allergic to coconut can I use Almond Milk.
Kim
I would use heavy cream. The almond milk will work, but the ganache will taste too thin instead of rich. Does that make sense?
Jennifer
Looks delish! I can't get Trader Joe products here in Canada. Do you have any idea what could be an acceptable exchange in this recipe?
Kim
Yes, Jennifer. Can you get Scharfenberger chocolate? The 72 (?) percent chocolate would be nice. If you aren't dairy free you can use regular butter instead of ghee. It can be easily cut in half if you need. I hope this helps. -Kim
Debra
This was very tasty. Thanks for the recipe!. I used my standmixer to whip it up to a fluffy pipe-able consistency.
Kim
Thanks for coming back and giving your feedback, Debra. Stand mixers are so much easier to get the job done. Thanks for sharing your tip with us. Have a wonderful weekend. -Kim
Teresa Hogan
Can the ganache be stored in the fridge and for how long?
Kim
Yes, Teresa - for at least a week. You'll have to put it into a microwave safe container and microwave at 10 second intervals or so until it's soft enough to stir and work with. -Kim
Michelle @ Modern Acupuncture
Yum! Beautiful photos! I am so looking forward to trying this. Chocolate ganache with less guilt? Oh my, yes!
Kim
Michelle- Thank you. Who needs an excuse to eat chocolate - not me! But, it is nice to feel less guilt about it! ;)