ULTIMATE VEGAN CHOCOLATE GLAZE
This glaze is so rich, chocolatey and decadent, but totally oil-free! I mean, it is a glaze and has sugar and I want it to taste like a glaze. BUT, it is not full of what you typically see. You know…butter, cream or confectioners sugar, yet it is incredibly delicious. Hubby gave it two thumbs up. He is a hard one to please too.
You can use this any way you see fit. Whether you are needing a glaze for your bundt cake, cupcakes, pies, cookies or even over ice cream. Oooh, pancakes….oh yes, I’m putting it on pancakes next time!!
I actually wanted to call it a ganache because it looks, tastes and holds up just like a ganache. However, since ganache is typically heated over the stove, and this is a raw icing, I decided not to. Regardless of it’s title, it’s so rich and amazing. I highly recommend making it the day before you plan to use it. It becomes sweeter, slightly thicker and the sugar really dissolves perfectly overnight.
It has an absolutely gorgeous glisten to it, too. I just couldn’t stop staring at it.
I have had a couple of people message me for vegan frostings/icings lately, so I thought I would be sharing a few of mine coming up on the blog. This is one of my go-to recipes when I don’t want to use a buttercream type.
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Glaze! Leave feedback below after you make it please.
Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
- 3 tablespoons (18g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch (tapioca really works best as it completely dissolves in the glaze)
- 1/16th teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons roasted creamy almond butter
- 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the first 4 ingredients to a large bowl and stir.
- Add the last 3 ingredients to a small bowl or cup and stir. Add the wet to the dry and beat with a hand mixer, starting on low and then increasing to high, until it's very smooth and there are no lumps remaining from the cocoa or sugar, a couple of minutes. Scrape the sides as needed.
- You can use it right away if needed, but I recommend making it the day before you need it. It will become slightly sweeter, thicker and the sugar dissolves perfectly overnight. Store it at room temperature. If you store it in the fridge, it will become a lot thicker.
- This makes plenty to glaze an 8 or 9 inch round single layer cake or an 8X8 square cake, brownies, bars or whatever you like! You can also use it on cupcakes by smoothing it out with the back of a spoon. It should be enough for a dozen.
- Note: It is not recommended to heat this glaze. The texture will dramatically change, as tapioca becomes eggy when heated. Store it at room temperature.
Your comment*
Wow that glaze looks like it was made with bar chocolate, cocoa powder, wow!! It looks decadent and delicious. Great recipe, I can see why hubby gave it the seal of approval. Looks so good.
Thank you so much Suzanne! Honestly, it tastes like pure chocolate too! The coconut sugar tastes like caramel, so it makes the glaze rich. Confession: I put it on my toast this morning…SO GOOD! Ha!
Brandi, this looks AMAZING!!! I can’t wait to see the cake recipe that goes with it! Have you ever heard of agar flakes? I was looking at some recipe for a vegan chocolate frosting from Angelica Kitchen and it used agar flakes…this kind of reminded me of that except with more approachable ingredients! Love!
Thank you Erika!! Yes, I’ve heard of them but have never used them. I try to make the recipes with ingredients that most can get at our local store, for the most part, so it’s easy for most people, including myself, lol! I had never even heard of them until recently and I think they were used for pudding or jello or something?? I’m not even sure. 🙂
Drool, Brandi. I’m drooling. That looks so decadent, luscious and rich. I love you for starting this blog – now I can have my chocolate fix and not feel guilty doing it. Seriously, these photos of that glaze dripping down the sides of that chocolate cake are killing me!
Haha! You are so funny Nancy! Girl, this is NOTHING compared to your caramel ice cream and chocolate cake you just posted…Seriously. That cake, holy moly!!!!
Oh my! That looks absolutely sinful! Perfect for holiday baking!
Thank you Holly! That is my thoughts too…I don’t use icing often, but realistically most people bake for the holidays, so it doesn’t hurt to provide a less processed version that still tastes incredibly rich 🙂
Make a vanilla version of this, will you????? I am totally a vanilla over chocolate girl! 😉
Oh heck yeah girl, you got it! I’ll add that to my recipe creative list 🙂
Oooh, who could pass up a chocolate glaze! and healthy makes it even better. I immediately grabbled your tip on drizzling this on pancakes! I think this will make my pumpkin pancakes really taste amazing!!!
Oooh on pumpkin pancakes sounds awesome!! My friend Erika just posted a peanut butter pancake recipe that I’m going to drizzle it on….YUM!!
Wow, this looks incredible!!! I also love that it’s so simple to make and it’s really not that unhealthy! You are amazing. Can’t wait to see your chocolate cake recipe too. Yum!
You are so sweet Melanie! Thank you! Yeah, it’s not too bad…has sugar, but a better alternative than most, but it still tastes sinful 🙂
I just have 2 words for this..finger-licking good!!!
Haha, you are right about that!!
wow, this looks so decadent. Lovely stuff 🙂
Thank you so much! 🙂
Oh my! Just made this to top Monica Parodi’s super moist brownie recipe for my son’s valentine’s day party. I’m not sure if I love you or hate you now! i definitely love this recipe! It was all I could do to keep from eating the whole batch before getting the brownies glazed (there were an undisclosed number of finger swipes through the rich chocolatey goodness). Even my non-vegan hubby raved about it as he sampled it between bites of his cheeseburger.
Yay Sarah! I’m so glad you love the glaze so much! Putting it on top of brownies is a wonderful idea!! I know Monica very well, she has told me she has made my Fudgy Coconut Butter Brownies many times and they are her son’s favorite! It’s my recipe on my blog. Is this the one you are referring to? https://thevegan8.com/2014/01/28/fudgy-coconut-butter-brownies/
Thanks again for making the glaze and leaving feedback, I really appreciate it!
aaaaaand I’m salivating again. you do this to me so often I look like a creep haha. will try!
Looks amazing, thank you for sharing.
Hi Brandi, Do I store at room temperature even once the cake has been frosted? Making this today for my son’s birthday. Thanks so much for your help!
Yes, I would keep at room temperature because it gets quite firm as it sets up. It will turn almost to a fudge-like consistency if you stick it in the fridge, but will remain smooth at room temperature! 🙂
Looks so awesome! Is there a recipe for the cake too? looks so moist and fluffy.
Hi Adi! Yes, here is my chocolate cake recipe! https://thevegan8.com/vegan-gluten-free-chocolate-peppermint-cake-oil-free/
Hello there. I am trying my hardest to make this for my fiance’s birthday cake and try as I may, I cannot get the homemade almond butter to become creamy. I have don’t just s your instructions request but my food processor just makes it thick and like a big brown blob. Please help!!!
Hi Leigha! The key is to process the nut butter for a long time, it processes in stages…first crumbles, then clumps/blob, but break it up with your spoon and KEEP going. It will eventually turn into silky smooth nut butter, liquidy almost. The longer you go, the smoother it gets. I promise it works. I do it weekly and many readers make it as well, just don’t stop too soon, that’s the key.
Hi, I am planning to be a copycat. My son is turning 4 on Thursday and requested a vanilla and chocolate cake. I have celiac and have chosen your cakes and chocolate icing…I’m not an experienced baker AT ALL, so here’s to hoping it goes well! Question though, I don’t really want to make my own almond butter, and all store brands seem very thick and almost grainy/mealy. Can I substitute another nut butter of some sort, or will that change the taste too much?
ALL YOUR STUFF LOOKS SO SO YUMMY!
Hi Jessica! For a birthday cake, I would probably go with this other chocolate recipe of mine, it whips up more like traditional buttercream and is to die for and super smooth.
https://thevegan8.com/vegan-chocolate-espresso-truffle-frosting/
If you still want to use this glaze, it will be good too, there are brands that aren’t grainy and you don’t taste it in the glaze, but yes, you could do cashew butter if you like and that will be smoother, it will make the glaze slightly thicker. I just posted a vanilla chocolate chip cake this week too that has been a huge hit with readers! Here is that one: https://thevegan8.com/2016/06/29/vegan-gluten-free-vanilla-chocolate-chip-cake/
Or, there is this one, just make sure to use the exact right ingredients.
https://thevegan8.com/vegan-gluten-free-vanilla-cake/
Be sure to leave feedback on whichever recipe you make, I would love to hear! Please let me know of any questions!
Wow! Thanks for your efforts! I baked the cake some minutes ago and it looks good! But the glaze is amazing!!! I never thought a glaze without melted chocolate could be so shiny, tasty, good to pour and will be thick. X
Yay Dani! I’m so happy you loved this ganache so much, thank you for your review and star rating, it is so appreciated!
I am not worthy! I am not worthy! This stuff is amazing! I used it in some fresh homemade donuts and wow!
Forgot to mention I used my homemade sun butter and ripple milk. Turned out great!
SO very awesome to hear that Sarah!! Haha, I’m so glad you loved it!
It’s due time I review this chocolatey piece of heaven since I’ve made it over and over and over. I even made it one night to use on a cake the next day- then got too busy to bake a cake and just ate the frosting out of the bowl for 2 days straight. It’s SO easy and I love anything I can drizzle on top of things. I also like that you can adjust the consistency to your liking! I’m baking the vanilla, gluten-free cake right now for a gluten-free friend and this is going to go on top!
I’m so so happy you loved this ganache so much Liz and that you make it so much! Yay! I loved the pic of my vanilla cake with the ganache you shared on IG, thank you so much as always! You are the best!
Thank you so much for this recipe, which I originally made to glaze a chocolate cake. It was a great success with my non-vegan family. But I would like to share that I have been using s variation of this recipe to make a dessert that I like to have on hand. Instead of sugar I use Yacon syrup to cut down on calories and add more milk to make it go further, plus an additional amount of tapioca starch. By my magic ingredient is aquafaba which I whip to standing peaks and fold into the chocolate mixture, so making a delicious mousse. I divide into small portions in ramekins and freeze (if I didn’t freeze it, I would eat the lot in one go!). It just takes ten minutes or so to be ready to eat from the freezer.
That is such a fantastic idea Maggie and sounds really delicious, oh my!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
This is a wonderful chocolate ganache recipe for my cake. I added 3 more Tbsp of almond milk as my frosting was dry and thick. Turned out fabulous. No one can tell it was not from melted chocolate. My only worries was that are we able to eat raw tapioca starch. I read that it has some toxicity level when eaten raw. Please help to clarify. Thank you
Glad you liked it! I’ve never ever heard that so I can’t really answer that. I’ve used the tapioca in the ganache like this and never had any issues, but I’ve never heard that.