Chocolate Glaze
Rich & Shiny Chocolate Glaze: Perfect for garnishing drip cakes, donuts, or just drizzling over ice cream. Just 4 simple ingredients; so easy you’ll be making it over & over!
Sometimes you just need a good chocolate glaze recipe.
It’s such a simple thing, but it can really add so much. A tempting drip edge on a Black Forest Cake, a luxurious drizzle on a Marble Bundt Cake, a rich topping on Sour Cream Baked Donuts, or even a way to elevate your favorite Brownies.
You’ll love having this recipe to garnish so many of your favorite desserts. It’s so easy to make, with just 4 simple ingredients, and it’s so shiny, rich, and chocolate-y!
Table of Contents
- What is chocolate glaze?
- What’s great about this chocolate glaze recipe
- What does chocolate glaze taste like?
- Ingredients
- Special equipment
- How to make chocolate glaze
- How to serve it
- Expert tips
- FAQ’s
- A few more of my favorite chocolate topping recipes
What is chocolate glaze?
This is a useful and versatile topping that can be used in all sorts of different ways.
The texture is softer than just melted chocolate, and it has a beautiful sheen that you don’t always get with just ganache.
You can use it to enrobe cakes (such as this Boston cream pie), to glaze your donuts, to create a beautiful drip edge on a layer cake or bundt, or just to drizzle over ice cream or fruit.
What’s great about this chocolate glaze recipe
- Tastes great: This glaze is super chocolate-y and just sweet enough!
- Few ingredients: You only need 4 pantry staples to make it.
- Easy to make: It comes together in 10 minutes or less!
- Versatile: You can totally switch things up to make it your own!
What does chocolate glaze taste like?
This topping is very chocolate-forward! If you are a chocolate lover this is definitely for you!
It’s also creamy and a little sweet, with a hint of aromatic vanilla.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this chocolate glaze.
Cream
Heavy whipping cream, aka: double cream, lends a silky richness to this topping and allows the flavors to linger on your palate.
For a dairy-free chocolate glaze, substitute with your favorite plant-based cream product.
Chocolate
Chopped chocolate is best since it doesn’t contain any stabilizers, but premium chocolate chips will work too.
I’ve used semisweet chocolate here, but you could use any kind of chocolate you like.
Corn syrup
Light corn syrup gives this glaze its beautiful shine, and also keeps it pourable and prevents it from seizing up.
Dark corn syrup works equally well!
This is not the same as high-fructose corn syrup, but if you prefer not to use it you can swap in the same amount of agave nectar or brown rice syrup.
Vanilla
Vanilla extract adds a subtly sweet flavor without being at all sugary.
For a more pronounced flavor, try using vanilla bean paste. You could also split a vanilla bean down the center lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add those.
Special equipment
Here are the kitchen tools you’re going to need.
- Small pot: In which to heat the cream (or a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup).
- Knife and cutting board: To chop the chocolate.
- Measuring spoons: To portion out the corn syrup and vanilla.
- Whisk: For combining all the ingredients together.
How to make chocolate glaze
This chocolate glaze is made with just a few basic ingredients from the pantry. You’ll need chocolate, heavy whipping cream, corn syrup, and vanilla extract. That’s it!
Step 1: Heat the cream
Warm the cream over the stove or in the microwave until it’s steaming.
Step 2: Pour it over the chocolate
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate.
You can use chopped chocolate from a bar (like I do in the video below), or premium chocolate chips.
Let that stand for a minute or two, while you add the other ingredients.
Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients
Corn syrup makes this glaze gorgeously shiny, and keeps it pliable (more on that below).
And vanilla extract just gives it a little flavor boost.
Step 3: Whisk
Whisk everything together until it’s smooth, and glaze away!
How to serve it
This chocolate glaze is so versatile. You can use it in lots of different ways. Here are a few ideas:
- As a decorative drip edge on cakes like this Heaven & Hell Cake
- To top Eclairs
- Drizzled on bundt cakes like this Chocolate Peppermint Bundt
- As a garnish on scones, like these Double Chocolate Scones
- On top of cupcakes, like these Tuxedo Cupcakes
And those are just a few ideas! Really you can let your imagination run wild.
I’d even love it just drizzled over fruit or ice cream, with a dollop of whipped cream on top!
Expert tips
Use any kind of chocolate you like
You can adapt this chocolate glaze recipe to suit your own taste. For the pics and video you see here, I used a semi-sweet chocolate that has a rich, full flavor.
But you could easily replace that with milk chocolate or white chocolate. Or with a deep, dark, bitter chocolate like a 70% cacao. I think that would be fantastic drizzled on cookies, with a sprinkling of sea salt!
FAQ’s
Does this chocolate glaze harden?
As the chocolate glaze cools, it does thicken up. But it really won’t become hard at all, so that’s good if you’re using it to top a cake or bars. You’ll still be able to slice through it easily.
If you find your chocolate glaze becoming thick before you’re ready, just warm it back up in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, and stir. That should keep it nice and workable for you.
Serving size
The nutritional info in the recipe card below is for 1 tablespoon of chocolate glaze.
You should get about 20 servings out of the recipe.
How to store chocolate glaze
This can be left out at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or kept in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
You can also freeze it! Thaw in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.
A few more of my favorite chocolate topping recipes
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Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (119 g) heavy whipping cream
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (or chocolate chips)
- 1/4 cup (85.25 g) light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the cream in a small pot over medium low heat, until simmering.
- Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate (or chips).
- Add the corn syrup and vanilla.
- Whisk together until smooth.
- Drizzle while warm.
Hi,
I have used this recipe several times and love it. Using it again on a chocolate mousse cake.
Thanks
Awesome! So happy you like it!
Does this glaze harden?
It thickens a lot as it cools, but I wouldn’t say it hardens. It stays solid but soft.
Can this be used on sugar cookies? Im looking for a good chocolate glaze to use as my base before decorating. I cant find one. If this cant be used for that, do u have one that will work?
Hey Nicole! You could put this on just about anything, but be aware that it doesn’t dry hard like say a royal icing would. It becomes thick as it cools but you probably wouldn’t be able to stack cookies without the glaze getting little depressions in it. Does that make sense?
Growing up we used to get a bakery cake we called “hard chocolate layer cake”. The ganache was fairly solid, but also pliable so it held its shape when cut. I have tried other ganache recipes, but never found the right consistency. Do you think this ganache would provide similar results? If so is it the corn syrup that makes the ganache pliable? I have not tried a recipe with corn syrup to date. Thanks!!
Hey there! Yes I think this sounds similar! The corn syrup helps it to be pliable but it also gives it that luster. It’s more the cream that keeps it from hardening. I hope this is helpful!
I have used this recipe several times and love it. Using it again on a chocolate mousse cake. Thank you.
it perfect! thanks so much!!!!!
I really need a chocolate glaze.. but I need it to be sugar free. Can you provide a substitute for the corn syrup?
ahhhh gorgeously chocolatey!
I use something similar for my donuts!
Can you use liquid glucose instead of corn syrup
I haven’t tried, but I think that would work very nicely! Good luck!
Can I replace the light corn syrup with something else?
Check out the previous comment thread that Bernice started, Dana!
I don’t see another comment thread – am I missing something? I have no corn syrup and would love to know of a substitution! 🙂
I just googled “corn syrup substitute;” here are the search results: https://www.google.com/search?q=corn+syrup+substitute&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS602US603&oq=corn+syrup+substitute&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.6626j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.
So good – this can go on everything!
I love how shiny and perfect it is!
I can see so many uses for this rich chocolate glaze!
Perfection! I could drizzle that just right into my mouth!
YES, this is the perfect chocolate glaze! My family loves it on almost any dessert!