The Easy Hack For Silky Chocolate Ganache Using Coffee Creamer

If you enjoy spontaneously trying out new recipes, you're probably familiar with the feeling of realizing you don't have a crucial ingredient on hand. When this happens, you can often find a worthy substitute without risking compromising the entire recipe. For instance, if you want to make chocolate ganache but don't have milk or heavy cream in your fridge, you can use liquid coffee creamer instead.

To do so, start by maintaining the same ratio of milk/cream to chocolate as the recipe calls for. For instance, if it requires 1 cup of heavy cream per 8 ounces of chocolate, use 1 cup of coffee creamer. If you plan on piping the ganache rather than pouring it or drizzling it, you may need to increase the fat content to make up for the lack of fat in the coffee creamer. Try adding a tablespoon of butter before you begin heating your ingredients. If you notice that your ganache is too thin or soft when it reaches room temperature, refrigerate it and give it time to thicken. If it's too thick, use a hand mixer to incorporate air to make it lighter and fluffier.

Coffee creamer is a creative substitute for dairy in certain recipes. Unflavored non-dairy creamer can be a great alternative to milk or cream when cooking and baking, and some flavors of coffee creamer can actually elevate your ganache recipe, adding more complexity or flavors that complement the chocolate. However, when using it as a substitute for cream or milk in a ganache recipe, there are a few things to consider.

First, if you're making a ganache using chocolate chips, keep in mind that chocolate chips have a coating that makes it harder to melt the chocolate. Using coffee creamer instead of milk or cream can further complicate the issue. Most non-dairy creamers contain emulsifiers and stabilizers that might further slow the melting process. If this happens, be patient and continue heating the chocolate and creamer together on a low heat, stirring constantly and regularly checking the consistency. When you no longer see any lumps or pieces of chocolate, you can move on to the next step in your recipe.

Another thing to consider is that most coffee creamers are made from palm oil or soybean oil, sugar, water, and artificial flavoring with a very small amount of some kind of dehydrated dairy or dairy substitute. Because many don't actually contain milk or dairy, you may have unexpected results when making your ganache, such as the ingredients separating as they cool. The creamer may also have a very high sugar and low-fat content, which could affect the texture and taste of the ganache.

You may have better luck if you use a more natural option, like coconut creamer or almond creamer, or a product like Natural Bliss coffee creamer, which contains real milk and cream. Also, note what flavor the creamer is and how that will affect your overall recipe. For instance, using the Starbucks Oatmilk Lavender Vanilla Flavored Creamer to make a chocolate ganache might not be your best option.