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What is the best way to thaw frozen chocolate wo creating condensation and/or sugar bloom?

Your Freezer Is a Secret Baking Tool

Fran Costigan - Your Freezer Is a Secret Baking Tool

Recorded

This event was on July 7, 2026

Your freezer is not just for storing leftovers. Chef Fran Costigan, Rouxbe Director of Vegan Pastry, knows that strategic freezing can save time, while maintaining the integrity of some fully prepared desserts or components. This is good news, not only during the hot summer months, when you might prefer to heat the oven less often or in the cooler evenings, but anytime From cookie dough and cake layers, fillings, ganache and frozen desserts, knowing what freezes well and what does not, may just change the way you bake. In this month’s Essential Vegan Desserts Live Event, you’ll learn how to prepare ahead without sacrificing quality. Discover the best ways to freeze, thaw, store, and assemble desserts so your finished desserts taste freshly made every time. You’ll also learn how temperature affects texture, structure, and consistency during warm-weather baking.

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Question

Char Nolan

What is the best way to thaw frozen chocolate wo creating condensation and/or sugar bloom?

Answer

If it isn't broken, don't worry about fixing it, and if you've been storing your chocolate in the freezer, well, I don't. I think that cold and chocolate are sort of like getting-- They don't mix, so I don't do that. I do know that people who live in really hot climates do put their chocolate in the refrigerator. I'm going to guess that that would be a place to really get all the air out, and then I would lay the chocolate out on some clean toweling with another towel over it so that you're not going to have condensation. And you may have bloom. So if your bloomed chocolate just looks a little bit gray, there's nothing wrong with it. You can use it, and on my website, francacogen.com, I have a blog about how to fix bloomed chocolate. So Dear Chef Char, that's what I would say. I would say, ideally, don't store your chocolate in the freezer. Store it in an airtight container. But if you are going to put it in the freezer, then lay it out single and pat it dry.

Fran Costigan

Director of Vegan Pastry

FranCostigan.com

Fran Costigan is internationally renowned as the authority on vegan desserts. Trained at the New York Restaurant School and Natural Gourmet Institute, Fran was a chef in both traditional and vegan pastry kitchens before moving into teaching over 20 years ago. A lifelong chocoholic and long time vegan, Fran’s latest book, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy Free Desserts, (Running Press 2013) is for all who madly, deeply love chocolate desserts, whether or not dietary considerations are an issue. Her previous cookbook, More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally (Book Publishing Company 2006) is the basis of the Costigan Vegan Baking Boot Camp Intensive®. For more information, www.francostigan.com.