Vegan Ganache with Dark Chocolate Recipe

Make your own truffles, top a vegan cake or pour over vegan ice cream for a dairy-free dessert that is to die for. This vegan ganache recipe is only as good as the dark chocolate you choose, but once you've found a high-quality dairy-free chocolate, whip up this rich and flavorful batch of the best vegan ganache you've tasted since leaving dairy-laden desserts behind. This recipe uses coconut milk instead of the heavy cream used in traditional recipes. For best results, use a high-quality dairy-free chocolate.

What You'll Need
16 ounces good quality dark dairy-free chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 15-ounce can coconut milk (not lite varieties)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

How to Make It
Place the coarsely chopped dark chocolate in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the coconut milk until bubbles just begin to appear around the edges and steam rises from the surface.
Pour the hot coconut milk over the chopped chocolate and let stand without stirring for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir the chocolate-coconut milk mixture until glossy and smooth (this will take about 2 minutes of gentle stirring).
Add the vanilla extract and stir until incorporated. Use warm or slightly cooled.

Cooking Tips and Serving Ideas
This recipe is all you'll need to satisfy your chocolate cravings. Ganache is a flexible vegan chocolate sauce that can be used to make a variety of desserts with a few extra ingredients or to top an already amazing vegan dessert. In addition to being used to as a topping for cakes, donuts, and pies, here are two more simple ways to serve your vegan ganache:

Vegan Ice Cream Sundae: Don't leave your vegan ice cream lonely. Add some pizazz by topping it with this chocolate ganache. Add nuts, a few vegan brownie pieces, fresh fruit and you've got a hefty, yet healthy version of what will taste like a decadent sundae. Add a few more scoops and two sliced bananas and voila, a vegan banana split is born.

Chocolate Truffles Made with Vegan Ganache: To make your own vegan chocolate truffles, double the chocolate in this recipe. After preparing as directed above, let the ganache cool in the refrigerator until it's slightly soft, but firm enough to roll into balls. After you've formed your truffles, roll them on wax paper with coconut flakes, chopped nuts or sprinkle with cacao powder. Get creative and top them with vegan ginger chews or dried fruit such as cherries or raisins.