Dairy-Free Chocolate Glaze

Written by
Giora Shimoni
A kosher food enthusiast and home cook with hundreds of published recipes, Giora Shimoni has worked in online publishing for over 20 years.
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Giora Shimoni
Updated 01/12/21
Dairy-Free Chocolate Glaze

The Spruce / Haley Hazell
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Total: 22 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
194 Calories
4g Fat
37g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 194
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 91mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 2g
Calcium 33mg 3%
*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.)

Necessity was the mother of invention for Giora Shimoni when he created this dairy-free chocolate glaze. He says he'd frequently bake a cake, only to find that he "lacked the powdered sugar needed to make the icing." Then he hit on this combination -- a DIY cocoa powder-based chocolate syrup enriched with dark chocolate and vanilla -- which produces a thick, glossy, almost ganache-like glaze.

This recipe will thicken considerably as it cools, so if you're using it to glaze a cake, try to work with it quickly while it is still warm. Note that if you refrigerate the frosting, it will become very firm and hard to spread -- but it will be perfect for rolling into truffles, or for stuffing into dried fruit.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (or non-hydrogenated margarine)
  • 2 ounces/50 grams dark (or semi-sweet pareve chocolate, chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Dairy-Free Chocolate Glaze ingredients

    The Spruce / Haley Hazell

  2. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium-high heat, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, and water until lump-free. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 10 to 12 minutes, or until thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat.

    sugar, cocoa powder, and water in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Haley Hazell

  3. Add the coconut oil or non-hydrogenated margarine and chocolate. Stir until the oil and chocolate melt, the ingredients are thoroughly combined, and the icing is slightly thickened. Add the vanilla, and mix well.  While still warm and spreadable, use the glaze to frost cake, brownies, or cookies.

    cookies frosted with the chocolate glaze

    The Spruce / Haley Hazell

  4. Set the decorated cake or cookies aside to allow the glaze to cool and firm up. 

    Dairy-Free Chocolate Glaze on cookies

    The Spruce / Haley Hazell