diff --git a/esphome/platformio/toolchain.py b/esphome/platformio/toolchain.py
index 0e7ffce9396..08a4fcff782 100644
--- a/esphome/platformio/toolchain.py
+++ b/esphome/platformio/toolchain.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import os
 from pathlib import Path
 import re
 import shutil
+import subprocess
 import sys
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
@@ -234,6 +235,35 @@ def _check_platformio_python_stamp(config: "ProjectConfig") -> None:
         _write_pio_stamp_python(stamp_file, current)
 
 
+def _ccache_usable() -> bool:
+    """Return True when the ``ccache`` on PATH actually runs.
+
+    ``shutil.which`` proves existence, not runnability: on Windows it also
+    matches ``.bat``/``.cmd`` wrappers and stale package-manager shims whose
+    target is gone. Wrapping compiles around such a find fails every compile
+    step with an opaque OS error, so probe once and fall back to compiling
+    without ccache when the probe fails.
+    """
+    ccache = shutil.which("ccache")
+    if ccache is None:
+        return False
+    try:
+        subprocess.run(
+            [ccache, "--version"],
+            check=True,
+            stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+            stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+            timeout=15,
+        )
+    except (OSError, subprocess.SubprocessError):
+        _LOGGER.warning(
+            "Ignoring ccache at %s because it failed to run; compiling without ccache",
+            ccache,
+        )
+        return False
+    return True
+
+
 def _ccache_env() -> dict[str, str]:
     """Return ccache settings for PlatformIO builds.
 
@@ -266,7 +296,7 @@ def _ccache_env() -> dict[str, str]:
     if "ESPHOME_CCACHE_ENABLE" in os.environ:
         enabled = get_bool_env("ESPHOME_CCACHE_ENABLE")
     else:
-        enabled = shutil.which("ccache") is not None
+        enabled = _ccache_usable()
     env = {"ESPHOME_CCACHE_ENABLE": "1" if enabled else "0"}
     if not enabled:
         return env
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_platformio_toolchain.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_platformio_toolchain.py
index 02c11b4e451..eebb0b8cd7a 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/test_platformio_toolchain.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_platformio_toolchain.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import json
 import os
 from pathlib import Path
 import shutil
+import subprocess
 import sys
 import threading
 from types import SimpleNamespace
@@ -431,6 +432,7 @@ def test_ccache_env_enabled_by_default(setup_core: Path) -> None:
     with (
         patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True),
         patch.object(toolchain.shutil, "which", return_value="/usr/bin/ccache"),
+        patch.object(toolchain.subprocess, "run"),
     ):
         env = toolchain._ccache_env()
 
@@ -457,6 +459,44 @@ def test_ccache_env_disabled_without_binary(setup_core: Path) -> None:
     assert env == {"ESPHOME_CCACHE_ENABLE": "0"}
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "probe_error",
+    [
+        pytest.param(OSError("not runnable"), id="oserror"),
+        pytest.param(subprocess.CalledProcessError(1, "ccache"), id="nonzero-exit"),
+        pytest.param(subprocess.TimeoutExpired("ccache", 15), id="timeout"),
+    ],
+)
+def test_ccache_env_disabled_when_probe_fails(
+    setup_core: Path, probe_error: Exception
+) -> None:
+    """A ccache that resolves on PATH but fails to run stays disabled."""
+    CORE.build_path = setup_core / "build" / "test"
+
+    with (
+        patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True),
+        patch.object(toolchain.shutil, "which", return_value="/usr/bin/ccache"),
+        patch.object(toolchain.subprocess, "run", side_effect=probe_error),
+    ):
+        env = toolchain._ccache_env()
+
+    assert env == {"ESPHOME_CCACHE_ENABLE": "0"}
+
+
+def test_ccache_env_forced_on_skips_probe(setup_core: Path) -> None:
+    """An explicit ESPHOME_CCACHE_ENABLE=1 does not probe the binary."""
+    CORE.build_path = setup_core / "build" / "test"
+
+    with (
+        patch.dict(os.environ, {"ESPHOME_CCACHE_ENABLE": "1"}, clear=True),
+        patch.object(toolchain.subprocess, "run") as mock_probe,
+    ):
+        env = toolchain._ccache_env()
+
+    assert env["ESPHOME_CCACHE_ENABLE"] == "1"
+    mock_probe.assert_not_called()
+
+
 def test_ccache_env_opt_out(setup_core: Path) -> None:
     """ESPHOME_CCACHE_ENABLE=0 disables ccache even with the binary present."""
     CORE.build_path = setup_core / "build" / "test"
@@ -496,6 +536,7 @@ def test_ccache_env_respects_user_values_and_refreshes_basedir(
     with (
         patch.dict(os.environ, user_env, clear=True),
         patch.object(toolchain.shutil, "which", return_value="/usr/bin/ccache"),
+        patch.object(toolchain.subprocess, "run"),
     ):
         env = toolchain._ccache_env()
 
@@ -514,6 +555,7 @@ def test_run_platformio_cli_passes_ccache_env_to_subprocess_only(
     with (
         patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=False),
         patch.object(toolchain.shutil, "which", return_value="/usr/bin/ccache"),
+        patch.object(toolchain.subprocess, "run"),
     ):
         os.environ.pop("ESPHOME_CCACHE_ENABLE", None)
         mock_run_external_process.return_value = 0
@@ -533,6 +575,7 @@ def test_ccache_env_requires_build_path(setup_core: Path) -> None:
     with (
         patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True),
         patch.object(toolchain.shutil, "which", return_value="/usr/bin/ccache"),
+        patch.object(toolchain.subprocess, "run"),
         pytest.raises(ValueError, match="CORE.build_path must be set"),
     ):
         toolchain._ccache_env()
@@ -544,7 +587,10 @@ def test_run_platformio_cli_merges_caller_env(
     """A caller-supplied env is the base and gains the ccache settings."""
     CORE.build_path = str(setup_core / "build" / "test")
 
-    with patch.object(toolchain.shutil, "which", return_value="/usr/bin/ccache"):
+    with (
+        patch.object(toolchain.shutil, "which", return_value="/usr/bin/ccache"),
+        patch.object(toolchain.subprocess, "run"),
+    ):
         mock_run_external_process.return_value = 0
         toolchain.run_platformio_cli(
             "test", env={"CUSTOM_VAR": "1", "ESPHOME_CCACHE_ENABLE": "0"}