Chocolate Glaze

Use this easy chocolate icing recipe for donuts, cookies, cakes, and more!

bowl of chocolate icing and chocolate iced donuts with sprinkles
Photo:

Grant Webster

Total Time:
5 mins
Servings:
12
Yield:
3/4 cup

Homemade chocolate icing is our Test Kitchen's secret to putting the finishing touch on Bundt cakes, cake donuts, and even, fresh fruit. Making homemade chocolate glaze allows you to get the flavor and consistency just right. This recipe makes a glaze that's thin enough to drizzle and will set when cooled. All it takes is melting the chocolate and adding a couple of other pantry ingredients.

Ingredients for Chocolate Icing

You'll need just a few ingredients to make homemade chocolate glaze.

  • Chocolate: The chocolate is the most important ingredient in making homemade chocolate glaze. For the best texture, look for chocolate bars that you chop up rather than chocolate chips. In a pinch, semi-sweet chocolate chips can be used in place of semi-sweet baking chocolate. The glaze will be slightly grainy. Our Test Kitchen found the best chocolate to use for chocolate glaze is semi-sweet. It has the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness.
  • Butter: Adding butter to the glaze helps with the texture and richness of the finished topping.
  • Corn Syrup: Corn syrup is essential for achieving the silky, drizzle-worthy texture that you want in a glaze.

What Is Chocolate Glaze Used For?

There are endless uses for a bowl of homemade chocolate glaze. Here are a few of our favorite uses for chocolate glaze.

  • Chocolate Glaze for Donuts: Grab a box of plain store-bought donuts and add the glaze just before serving.
  • Chocolate Glaze for Cake: Rather than a thick buttercream or whipped cream, try drizzling chocolate glaze on your next layer cake, Bundt cake, or slice of pound cake.
  • Chocolate Glaze for Ice Cream: Have leftover chocolate glaze? Try drizzling it on your next bowl of ice cream or frozen yogurt.

There are so many ways to customize your chocolate icing recipe. Try adding a few drops of mint extract or a splash of espresso or espresso powder to amp up the chocolate flavors. If you want your glaze to be less sweet, try using bittersweet chocolate or dark chocolate.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped semi sweet chocolate

  • 1/4 cup butter, room temperature

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons light-color corn syrup

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl melt chocolate in microwave on 70% power 1 minute. Stir; cook 30 to 60 seconds more or until chocolate melts. Stir in softened butter.

  2. Whisk in 2 to 3 Tbsp. light-color corn syrup until glossy. Use immediately.

  3. Drizzle or dip the surface of a cookie or doughnut into the glaze. Place on cooling rack to allow glaze to set up (about 30 minutes).

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is chocolate glaze made of?

    Chocolate glaze is made of just three ingredients: chocolate, butter, and corn syrup. These ingredients make a rich, chocolaty glaze that's the perfect consistency for drizzling or dipping.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

119 Calories
8g Fat
13g Carbs
1g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 119
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8.2g 11%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 10.2mg 3%
Sodium 35.4mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 13.4g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0.9g 3%
Total Sugars 12.1g
Protein 0.7g 1%
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 6.5mg 0%
Iron 0.5mg 3%
Potassium 54.2mg 1%
Fatty acids, total trans 0.2g
Vitamin D 0IU
Alanine 0g
Arginine 0g
Ash 0.3g
Aspartic acid 0.1g
Caffeine 9mg
Carotene, alpha 0mcg
Choline, total 4.1mg
Copper, Cu 0.1mg
Cystine 0g
Energy 497.5kJ
Fluoride, F 0.1mcg
Folate, total 2mcg
Glutamic acid 0.1g
Glycine 0g
Histidine 0g
Isoleucine 0g
Leucine 0g
Lysine 0g
Methionine 0g
Magnesium, Mg 16.9mg
Manganese, Mn 0.1mg
Niacin 0.1mg
Phosphorus, P 20.3mg
Pantothenic acid 0mg
Phenylalanine 0g
Proline 0g
Retinol 31.7mcg
Selenium, Se 0.7mcg
Serine 0g
Theobromine 70.6mg
Threonine 0g
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.1mg
Tryptophan 0g
Tyrosine 0g
Valine 0g
Vitamin A, IU 118.2IU
Vitamin A, RAE 32.3mcg
Vitamin B-12 0mcg
Vitamin B-6 0mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 1.1mcg
Water 2.1g
Zinc, Zn 0.3mg

*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.

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