How To Prevent Chocolate From Seizing (And How To Fix It When It Does)

Melting chocolate is a necessary step in many recipes, whether you're making brownies, tempering it for decorations, or . You can or use , both of which are great methods. But even then, things can go wrong.

And the most common pitfall which most of us are familiar with is our chocolate seizing up. Since grainy, lumpy chocolate is quite literally the opposite of what we want, knowing how to avoid this is key. The most important rule is actually quite simple: You need to keep the chocolate away from water at all costs.



Make sure the bowl and any utensils you're using are thoroughly dried, and be very careful if melting chocolate near a water source. Don't use wooden utensils as they can hold onto moisture — silicone is better. Covering the bowl is also not advised, as the condensation can come into contact with the chocolate.

Water or moisture is the main reason that chocolate seizes, and even a tiny drop of water will make it grainy. But the good news is that even if it does seize, there are steps you can take to recover it. How to fix seized chocolate There's a few different ways to fix seized chocolate, depending on how you're planning to use it.

The first method is by using boiling water, which is probably the last ingredient you'd expect to help. Adding a teaspoon of boiling water at a time to your seized chocolate and stirring vigorously until the chocolate is smooth again might sound odd, since water is the reason chocolate seizes. But adding boiling water can actually dissolve the lumps and smooth out the cocoa that has clumped together.

The only downside is the chocolate will now be diluted, so it is best used for things like hot chocolate, drizzles, or sauces. If you're adding your chocolate to a recipe like brownies or rocky road, then you might want to add a small amount of fat to the seized chocolate instead. Vegetable oil, coconut oil, or butter can all be used to smooth out the chocolate without diluting it.

Adding a tablespoon at a time and stirring well will bring the chocolate back to a velvety texture. If you're making a lava cake or pudding, you could try adding a little hot cream to your chocolate and stirring until smooth, as this will give you a thinner consistency like . Whichever method you choose, just don't let that precious chocolate go to waste.

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