White Chocolate Won’t Melt: Reasons & Solutions

White chocolate is delicious when melted; smooth and silky, with a mild yet sweet flavor, perfect for fondue, making a ganache for drizzling over fruit or baked goods.

However, it is known as being the hardest of chocolates to melt because of the lower burning point. Meaning, if it is heated for slightly too long or at too high of a temperature, it won’t melt, and if it comes into contact with water, it will simply ‘seize up’.

Seizing is when your chocolate clumps up instead of melting, leaving you with a clumpy mixture that can’t be poured. However, why does this happen, and how do we fix it?

Let’s dive right into it.

Why Is My White Chocolate Not Melting?

The main reason your white chocolate is not melting properly and seizes is that it comes into contact with water. If the chocolate comes into contact with water, even the smallest particles, will cause it to seize up.

This occurs because the water comes into contact with the dry particles that then stick together, creating dry clumps and therefore seizing the chocolate. In this case, the chocolate will not melt and will stay dry and clumpy.

Another reason your white chocolate is not melting is that it is being heated at super high temperatures, and is in too large pieces. White chocolate has the lowest burning point out of milk, white and dark chocolate, at 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

If heated to a higher temperature, the white chocolate will not melt, but clump up and turn dry and muddy. This can happen very easily when heating chocolate, and you must be careful not to heat it at high temperatures.

How To Avoid White Chocolate From Burning?

If you want to avoid white chocolate from burning, heat it at low temperatures and keep an eye on it at all times.

In case you are using a double boiler, make sure that the water below is simmering and store it the whole time to avoid the chocolate getting too hot. If you have a food thermometer, you can also use this to check the temperature of the white chocolate as it cooks. 

Keep stirring even when the white chocolate is taken off the heat to ensure it is cooling.

When heating white chocolate in the microwave, make sure it is cut into small and heated in 20-second increments, then 15, stirring between each one. Take the white chocolate out before it is fully melted and keep stirring until fully melted to ensure it doesn’t overheat.

White chocolate is a lot more sensitive than milk or dark chocolate. Therefore, make sure to keep an eye on it.

How Do I Fix Seized White Chocolate?

When you first see that your white chocolate has seized, it may look like it can’t be saved, but it absolutely can.

All you have to do is add more liquid to it, even though liquid was the problem in the first place. Use one teaspoon of boiling water at a time and stir until mixed in. This should melt the mixture down and help it combine.

Once you have added enough, the mixture should be smooth and creamy. Your white chocolate will be melted.

Note that your chocolate will be diluted a little so it will be good to use in liquid form for sauces, but not if you need to add it to anything as the flavor might be a little diluted.

How Do I Fix Overheated White Chocolate?

If you have overheated your white chocolate from melting it at too high heat, there is a way to fix this. Add in more white chocolate and stir. This should combine it and make the texture smooth again, as well as cool down the mixture.

You can also try removing the lumps first by sieving them or blending them. Make sure to cool it down first, and then try blending it and adding some chocolate chunks.

FAQs

How do you get white chocolate to melt?

You can either melt white chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave.

Just make sure to melt it at low heat and stir continuously so it doesn’t overheat if you’re using a double boiler. And if you’re using a microwave, heat in 20-second increments, stirring each time.

Take it out just before it’s completely melted and stir to melt. 

What to do if white chocolate isn’t melting?

If your white chocolate isn’t melting, it means that it has either seized or overheated.

To fix seizing, add 1 teaspoon of boiling water at a time and stir thoroughly. This should combine it and let it melt.

If overheated, try to cool it down by moving it to another bowl and stirring in more white chocolate chunks. This should cool down the temperature and allow it to melt. 

How to thin melted white chocolate?

Bakers opt to thin their melted white chocolate so that it has a more pourable consistency for decorating cakes or dipping fruit in. This makes it more liquid in consistency and easier to work with. 

The easiest way to thin melted white chocolate is by adding a teaspoon of vegetable or coconut oil after it’s melted. The oil will thin the mixture and give it a nice sheen once dry. You can add another tablespoon to thin the melted white chocolate even more.

You can also purchase thinning chips at specialty baking stores. Then, add them to your melted white chocolate once melted to thin the mixture.

How to color white chocolate?

Coloring chocolate seems daunting, but it is quite simple as long as you remember what kind of coloring to use. You cannot use regular liquid food coloring because it contains water, which will cause the white chocolate to seize up.

Instead, use oil-based food colorings. They are created especially for dying chocolate. And they result in a vibrant color without the risk of the chocolate seizing up.

You can also use powder food coloring, which can be found in most baking stores. This will also color the chocolate without it seizing up.