How to fix seized or overheated chocolate — Tum Yum Yum — Tum Yum Yum (2024)

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How to fix seized or overheated chocolate — Tum Yum Yum — Tum Yum Yum? ›

Funnily enough, it's super simple. First boil some water. Second, very slowly, as in 1-2 tsp at a time add in the boiling water and whisk the chocolate vigorously until the mixture is smooth again. The hot water will essentially melt the clumps back to a liquid consistency.

But don't despair! This chocolate can still be used (as long as it isn't burnt) so don't bin it immediately. If the chocolate has seized because it has been overheated, try stirring in a couple of pieces of solid chocolate (this will not work if the chocolate has seized from moisture).

Saving Overheated Chocolate

The solid chocolate will quickly lower the temperature of the melted chocolate. If the chocolate remains thick or lumpy, try straining it through a sieve. If this doesn't solve the problem, add a teaspoon of vegetable oil or melted vegetable shortening while stirring constantly.

To thin melted chocolate, add a small amount of neutral oil, like vegetable oil or cocoa butter, stirring gently until it reaches the desired consistency. Melt slowly to avoid overheating, and keep water out to prevent the chocolate from seizing.

As mentioned above, the lumpy mixture is a result of overheating. To fix seized chocolate, you need to quickly cool it down to regain the original consistency. One of the best ways to go about this is by adding more chopped chunks of chocolate to fix the seized chocolate.

My chocolate has seized: Part 1: Burnt Chocolate. Burnt chocolate can be a frustrating experience for any chocolate lover. It can turn your delicious and indulgent dessert into a bitter, smoky mess.

Seized chocolate is chocolate that has become grainy, thick, and clumpy during the melting process. This usually happens when moisture or steam comes into contact with the chocolate, causing the sugar and cocoa particles to bind together and form a stiff, gritty texture.

"When chocolate is subject to extreme temperature changes it can cause blooming, both from the fat in the cocoa butter which will surface if it gets too warm, and the sugars, (which) can crystalize from humidity and leave discoloration on the surface." Blooming does not mean you cannot eat the chocolate, but it does ...

Burnt chocolate will have a burnt aroma and taste, as well as a lumpy and grainy texture.

Adding a tablespoon of coconut oil or vegetable oil while microwaving helps the chocolate melt more smoothly and makes it the perfect consistency for dipping! The caveat here is that once cool, the chocolate won't set up quite as hard as it did to begin with due to the added fat content.

What happens if you add milk to melted chocolate? ›

When milk/cream is added to melted chocolate, it becomes a ganache. Ganache is a type of frosting that can be used to top your cakes and cupcakes.

Add in butter for a richer melted chocolate.

Cut up the butter into the same size as the chips so it easily melts. Melt your chocolate on the stove, and when you are done, and while it is still hot, add in the butter and stir it in until it fully melts. Add in one tablespoon of butter for every cup of chocolate chips.

The next time you're dipping treats in chocolate, add a dollop of coconut oil to the melting chocolate. The more coconut oil you use, the more liquid and smooth the chocolate coating will be. As a baseline, we recommend adding one tablespoon of coconut oil per one cup of chocolate.

You don't add ingredients to chocolate to make it harden, you temper it by heating it to a specific temperature, cooling it to another temperature, then heating it again. This causes the chocolate to crystalize in a way that leaves it hard and shiny. The temperatures are different for different kinds of chocolate.

If a bit of water accidentally gets splashed in your bowl, you may still be able to resuscitate the seized chocolate. To fix slightly seized chocolate, try adding hot cream to the chocolate and incorporating it by gently stirring with a rubber spatula.

Unwanted Moisture

Those few water droplets include steam. Moisture can cause chocolate to seize because chocolate is an emulsion of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar. Water can dissolve the sugar in your chocolate, creating a mixture that's sticky and clumpy.

To fix seized chocolate, you can use one of the following methods: Add warm liquid: Gradually add a small amount of warm liquid (e.g., milk, cream, or water) to the seized chocolate while stirring continuously. Start with a teaspoon and increase as needed until the chocolate becomes smooth and glossy again.

The chocolate wasn't tempered (or pre-crystallised)

As a result, your chocolate won't harden and will continue to feel wet. Always temper your chocolate properly before working with it.