Learn how to make creamy peanut butter ganache in just 10 minutes! This sweet and creamy filling is perfect for cookies, tarts, macarons, or cupcakes. It's only three ingredients and a breeze to make.
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Why you'll love it
Peanut butter ganache is silky smooth, creamy, and full of peanut butter flavor! You can use it as a peanut butter ganache drip on layer cakes or Bundt cakes, or pour it over cheesecake. My favorite way to enjoy it is sandwiched between two oatmeal cookies!
It's only three ingredients and super simple to make. It's a great way to add a boost of peanut butter to all your favorite desserts.
Key Ingredients
Peanut butter - Use creamy peanut butter for this recipe since it's meant to be smooth and creamy! I used Peter Pan because it's my favorite brand, but Jif, Skippy, or any other brand should work great. I haven't tried this recipe with natural peanut butter, but I wouldn't recommend it.
Heavy cream - Cream is what makes the ganache silky smooth! It gives the ganache a perfect consistency and rich flavor.
White chocolate melting wafers - I used Ghirardelli white chocolate melting wafers, but you could use a chopped up white chocolate bar or white chocolate chips as well. I recommend buying high-quality white chocolate, because it melts better.
How to Make Peanut Butter Ganache
First, combine the white chocolate melting wafers and peanut butter in a medium bowl.
Set the bowl aside, then heat the cream. Pour the cream into a small saucepan and turn on medium heat. Once it starts to foam up and boil, immediately pour the hot cream over the white chocolate.
Let the mixture sit for 30 seconds before you stir it. This will allow the white chocolate to melt from the hot cream, so it's perfectly smooth with no bits of un-melted chocolate.
Stir the mixture until smooth. At this point it will seem too thin and that's okay. It will be thin at first because it's hot.
After about 10 minutes, it will be at a pouring consistency. This means it can be poured onto bundt cakes, layer cakes, cheesecake, or ice cream!
If you want a spreadable consistency, you can let it sit for a couple hours or put it in the fridge to speed up the process.
You can see in the picture above how the thickness changes as it sits. The first one is ten minutes after the ganache is made, and the second is a couple hours after it's made.
Recipe Tips
- Bring the cream just to a boil, then remove it from the heat. Don't worry about it boiling for a second or two, it won't burn. You want the cream to be very hot so it will melt the white chocolate fully.
- If you don't want to dirty up a saucepan, you can heat the cream in the microwave. Pour the cream into a heatproof cup or bowl and heat until it begins to foam upwards. Be sure to watch it though or it will overflow and make a mess!
- Plan for the consistency you want! If you want a spreadable ganache, you will need to let it sit for a couple hours. Make the peanut butter ganache ahead of time in this case. If you want to pour it on top of a cake, make it about 10 to 20 minutes before you plan to use it.
- Use good quality white chocolate. Low quality white chocolate chips tend to clump easy! I recommend Ghirardelli, or something equivalent in quality.
Storage Tips
Pour the ganache into an airtight container or jar with a sealable lid. Store it in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Since one of the main ingredients is cream, which perishes quickly at room temperature, it needs to be stored in the fridge along with any desserts you add it to.
Variations
Chocolate peanut butter ganache - Replace the white chocolate chips with semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
Dairy-free peanut butter ganache - Buy a dairy-free brand of white chocolate chips. Swap the heavy cream with a plant-based or dairy-free version. Any plant milk works great, but you will need slightly less of it to get the right consistency. Reduce to ½ cup. Remember the ganache will thicken as it cools.
Make it gluten-free - Be sure to use gluten-free white chocolate.
FAQs
Initially ganache has a thin, pourable consistency. The longer it sits and cools, the thicker it becomes. It will end up with a spreadable consistency that makes a perfect filling for cookies and cupcakes.
If your ganache has un-melted bits of white chocolate in it, the cream wasn't hot enough to melt all the chocolate. Reheat the peanut butter ganache over a double broiler until smooth.
More Peanut Butter Recipes
- Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Peanut Butter Milkshake
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Ganache
Equipment
- small saucepan
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup white chocolate melting wafers I used Ghirardelli
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
Instructions
- In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the white chocolate melting wafers and peanut butter. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until it begins to boil and foam.
- Immediately remove the hot cream from the stove and pour over the white chocolate. Let the cream sit for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate.
- Stir until smooth. The ganache will be runny at first, then thicken to a pourable consistency, and after a few hours it will be spreadable.
Tina
Can I whip this to making frosting?
Carolyn
I haven't tried it before so I'm not sure.