Why Is My Chocolate Not Tempering? Common Fixes
By Valrhona – Premium French Baking Chocolate, Chocolate | Published: 2026-10-18
Category: Tips & Care
Troubleshoot common chocolate tempering problems like seizing, blooming, or not setting. Learn the likely causes and corrective actions to save your batch.
Quick answer
Most tempering failures come from overheating the chocolate, introducing moisture, or not cooling it properly. Fix each issue by checking your temperature, keeping everything bone-dry, and using a seeded method with stable couverture.
Why tempering matters
Properly tempered chocolate snaps, shines, and contracts cleanly from molds. When it doesn't set, the cocoa butter crystals haven't formed in the right stable form. This usually happens because the chocolate was overheated above 122°F (50°C) for dark or 115°F (46°C) for milk, or because water or steam touched the chocolate at any point.
Even a few drops of water from a whisk or a damp countertop can cause the chocolate to seize into a grainy, unworkable paste. If that happens, you cannot save it for tempering—use it for baking or ganache instead.
Diagnosis and fixes
- Symptom: Chocolate looks dull, streaky, or has white streaks: Likely cause: The chocolate was not cooled enough during the tabling or seeding step. Fix: Re-warm the chocolate gently (never above 90°F/32°C for milk) and re-seed with fresh tempered chocolate or cocoa butter. Stir for 2–3 minutes until the temperature drops to 88–89°F (31–32°C) for milk chocolate. If streaks reappear after two re-seeding attempts, the batch is over-tempered. Use it for coating or molding but expect a matte finish.
- Symptom: Chocolate is thick, grainy, or won't flow out of the mold: Likely cause: Moisture contamination. Even a small drop of water causes sugar to dissolve and cocoa butter to separate. Fix: There is no fix for seized chocolate. Discard the seized portion and start fresh with a dry bowl and utensils. Always wipe bowls, spatulas, and molds with a dry cloth before use. Do not use steam to loosen chocolate.
- Symptom: Chocolate remains soft or won't harden at room temperature: Likely cause: The chocolate was not cooled to the correct working temperature (88–89°F/31–32°C for milk) or was overheated during melting. Fix: Re-melt the chocolate carefully to 104–113°F (40–45°C), then cool it back to 80°F (27°C) by stirring on a marble slab or in a cold water bath. Re-warm gently to working temperature. If the chocolate still feels soft after 10 minutes at 65–70°F (18–21°C), the crystal structure is unstable. Start over with a fresh batch.
Product facts
- Milk Baking Chocolate Azélia 35% - 8.8oz: Azélia 35% is a gourmet milk chocolate made from a blend of Valrhona Grands Crus, with an intense taste of chocolate hazelnuts. Its stable cocoa butter profile makes it a forgiving choice for home tempering, especially when you follow the seeded method.
Milk Baking Chocolate Azélia 35% - 8.8oz
