Best Chocolate Glaze

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/19/24
Tested by
Tracy Wilk
Photo of Tracy Wilk
Tested by Tracy Wilk
Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Yield: 1 jar

This delicious chocolate glaze is perfect for a wide range of desserts. It's a perfect addition to brownies, cakes, slices of pound cake, plain butter cookies, bars, and doughnuts. Preparing it from scratch lets you make it thin enough to drizzle over a dessert or thicken it with extra confectioners' sugar for a more substantial coating.

Chocolate glaze being poured from a gravy boat over chocolate Bundt cake

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

This recipe will make enough chocolate glaze to drizzle over a loaf cake or Bundt cake, and it is easily doubled. If you are looking for a thin chocolate icing or glaze that will become firm, not sticky, this is an excellent choice. As it cools, the icing sets to make a perfect coating.

You may know confectioners' sugar as powdered sugar or icing sugar. If you don't have any handy, it's possible to make your own from granulated sugar using your blender or food processor.

Why Is the Chocolate Glaze Not Hardening?

If your chocolate glaze is not hardening, double-check that you added the correct proportion of ingredients. After letting it cool, place the glazed baked goods in the fridge to further set up.

What's the Difference Between Chocolate Glaze and Ganache?

Ganache is made with chocolate and cream and sometimes includes butter and eggs. Though equally delicious, ganache is a little different than a chocolate glaze. While a glaze will set up and harden, a "firm" ganache will remain a thick paste at room temperature and only harden when refrigerated. There is also a "soft" ganache that's popularly used for filling pastries and cakes.

Tips for Making Chocolate Glaze Recipe

  • Use immediately - If the glaze stands too long before use, it will thicken. Keep it covered with plastic wrap if you are not using it immediately. If it thickens, put it over the heat to thin it out again. To be safe, you can melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl using a double boiler setup. Once melted, proceed with adding the sugar and then the boiling water to the bowl.
  • No cake carrier, no problem - If you have to cover a frosted cake and don't have a cake cover or carrier, insert toothpicks in the top and sides of the cake, spacing them about 4 to 5 inches apart. Place a few sheets of plastic wrap or foil over the cake, tucking the ends under the plate to cover it completely.
  • Don't worry about the "bloom" - A white film on unsweetened chocolate is called "fat bloom." It is caused by temperature fluctuation and is perfectly fine to use in recipes.
What You'll Need To Make This Chocolate Glaze Recipe
Amazon Caraway 3-Quart Sauce Pan
A Good Sauce Pan
Bellemain Stainless Steel 3 Cup Flour Sifter
A Handy Dandy Sifter
Revolution Wood Spoon from Le Creuset
A Solid Wooden Spoon

"This recipe makes it simple to create a delicious, chocolate-y glaze for topping cakes, brownies, or doughnuts. Once your chocolate melts, add hot water to thin to your desired consistency, or add more confectioners' sugar to make it thicker. Either way, it’s a luscious chocolate glaze." —Tracy Wilk

Chocolate Glaze Tester Image
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Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for chocolate glaze recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga 

  2. Combine 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted. (Be careful not to overheat the chocolate as it could seize.)

    Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium for about 1 minute. Stir and continue to heat for about 15 seconds at a time, stirring between intervals, until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth.

    Melted butter and chocolate stirred together in a saucepan with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Sift 1 cup confectioners' sugar into a small bowl.

    Confectioners' sugar sifted into bowl using a wire mesh sieve

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Stir the sifted confectioners' sugar into the melted butter and chocolate. Mix in slowly 2 tablespoons of boiling water until thinned as desired. If you happen to find it too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more hot water.

    Sugar being stirred into smooth chocolate mixture with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Slowly drizzle the chocolate glaze from the pot or bowl over your cooled, finish baked good. If desired, use a spatula to evenly distribute. How long the glaze will take to harden will depend on both the temperature of the glaze and the room. Once cool, it will harden.

    Chocolate glaze being drizzled unevenly over a chocolate Bundt cake, dripping down the sides onto plate

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

How to Store and Freeze Chocolate Glaze

To freeze frosted cookies or bars, arrange them on a baking sheet in a single layer; freeze and then transfer them to a storage container. Label and freeze the cookies for up to three months.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • For a no-cook version - You can use cocoa powder and substitute milk for the boiling water. Keep the ratio of powdered sugar to cocoa powder at 3-to-1. Butter is not needed with this version.
  • Add sprinkles - Garnish the glazed dessert with colored sugar or sprinkles before the glaze hardens to keep it from rolling off.
  • Make it minty - Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract for a chocolate mint glaze and then sprinkle the glazed cake or dessert with chopped peppermint candies, if desired.
  • Add coffee flavor - For some mocha flavor, add about 1 teaspoon of espresso powder or instant coffee granules.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
62 Calories
3g Fat
8g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 62
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 4mg 1%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 4mg 0%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 30mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)