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

Written By Kelly C

Have you ever been making a chocolate based treat involving melting chocolate and had the horror of it seizing up and becoming a stiff, grainy, lumpy mess? I have! The worst thing is I rarely have chocolate spare to start over and in any case, what a waste it would be to bin it!

Never fear though, there is a way to save it and return it back to a smooth, satiny concoction.

I tend to find this happens when chocolate is heated too aggressively. Apparently chocolate is also prone to seizing when it comes in to contact with some kind of moisture during the melting process. So, what do you do to save it if your chocolate seizes?

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.

I have pictured the various stages of unseizing here. First you will see the chocolate will start to loosen but it will still be very grainy.

Next it will start to look quite smooth but almost oily. Don’t worry, keep going, adding just a teaspoon of water at a time at this stage.

Finally you will see the chocolate revert to a smooth and runny consistency.

The chocolate will still be perfectly usable for sauces, drizzles or when I last did this I used mine as an awesome topping on a rocky road. It will be diluted though and so I advise caution if planning to use it in baking. I believe there are ways to try and save seized chocolate for baking by adding additional fats but I have not personally tried this.

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

FAQs

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.

Can you bring back seized chocolate? ›

One method you can use is mixing teaspoons of boiling water into your seized chocolate over a double boiler. Add the teaspoons one at a time, mixing thoroughly each time, until your chocolate is liquid again.

Can you still use overheated chocolate? ›

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.

What to do when your melted chocolate is too thick? ›

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.

Why did my chocolate seize? ›

Chocolate seizes when it comes into contact with even a small amount of liquid or moisture during the melting process. This is because the water causes the sugar in the chocolate to dissolve and then form a syrup, which binds the cocoa particles together, creating a grainy, thick, and clumpy texture.

Can melting of chocolate reversed? ›

When a melted chocolate is kept in a refrigerator it solidifies on cooling. However when it will be kept at room temperature, it will absorb heat and melt again. Hence, it is a reversible process..

Is burnt chocolate reversible? ›

Is Burnt Chocolate Reversible? Unfortunately, carbonization (the process of burning chocolate) is irreversible. The same goes for other burnt foodstuffs like burnt caramel or meat. Our chefs would recommend you to scrape the burnt part away if you can and throw it away.

How do you cool down chocolate? ›

This can take some time, usually about 15 minutes, so just be patient – it will come down to temperature! A glass bowl will take longer to cool. Speed this process up by carefully placing the bowl of chocolate into an ice bath, making sure not to get ANY water in the chocolate.

Is warming chocolate reversible? ›

Melting chocolate is an irreversible change. Heating materials always causes reversible changes. An irreversible change is one that cannot be changed back. Reversible changes create new materials.

Can you eat heat damaged chocolate? ›

"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 ...

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