COCOA VS CHOCOLATE POWDER - How Are They Different? - Millilitre (2024)

Cocoa Powder and Chocolate have been often used interchangeably, but are they really the same? Short answer: NO. Read on to find out more.

Cocoa and chocolate are often misunderstood by people for being the same products. Though they may come from the same ‘family’, they are not quite the same as you think. Whatever is inside them and how they are made, it all boils down to the details that differentiate these two siblings.

How Is COCOA & CHOCOLATE Different?

Cocoa powder is made from roasted and ground cacao beans, processed at high temperature. The beans are harvested, fermented, and dried. These must be roasted and ground into a fine powder. The final step in this processing includes pressing out most of their oils (cocoa butter) which gives us the result of – Natural Cocoa Powder!

Some cocoa powders have all of the cocoa butter removed, resulting in a powder that is primarily made up of finely ground solids. Other manufacturers allow some butter to remain, yielding a more rich and fattier product while some retain as much as 25%.

Interestingly, the nutritional value of both cocoa and chocolate is actually affected by the amount of cocoa butter present. Since there is little to no cocoa butter found in cocoa, cocoa is considered to be a healthier product because it has fewer calories, fat, sugar, and is full of antioxidants!

Chocolate powder, on the other hand,is the last product of cocoa, which combines cocoa powder and other ingredients such as sugar, creamer, and etc to create the desired chocolate we all love.

The form that it comes with can vary from unsweetened to milk-based powders but with one main difference – the percentage of cocoa content present. However, they all served with one common goal: making our favourite sweet treat even better than ever before!

In short, chocolate powder is a form of cocoa that has been processed in such a way to produce an end-product ready for consumption. Cocoa powder on the other hand, isn’t as refined and is not suitable to be consumed directly.

Cocoa : Dutch Processed or Natural?

Cocoa powder is normally processed in two variations: Dutch-process or natural. Dutch-processed cocoa has been treated with an alkaline solution to neutralize the cocoa’s acidity, which bumps up the pH to between 6.8to 8.1. This results in mellowing out any sharp notes in flavour and a darker colour.

When to use COCOA and when to use CHOCOLATE

“Should I use Cocoa powder or Chocolate powder for baking?”

“Should I use Cocoa powder or Chocolate powder for drinking?”

Ah yes, the one-million-dollar question, which is also one thing most Malaysians have been using for the wrong reasons, unknowingly.

With so many options presented in store and each with its own unique flavour profile, it can be daunting to decide which to use for what purpose.

Fret not, we’re here to answer you!

For a quick and easy way to make your own chocolate beverage from the comfort of your home, chocolate powder is usually more preferable. Unlike cocoa powder, a semi-finished product that still requires additional effort to add on other ingredients just to make a cup of chocolate drink, chocolate powder doesn’t. It is readily mixed and crafted in the ratio of other ingredients, so all you need to do is adding hot water for an instant mix-in. As easy as it sounds, a consistent and seductively rich chocolate beverage is ready for you to indulge in!

For baking, it can be a little tricky. When you compare cakes made with cocoa powder and cakes made with chocolate powder, the texture and flavour can differ significantly. But of course, there’s always the more ideal choice.

It’s almost always a better idea to use cocoa powder to achieve that tender and intensely flavoured chocolate cake. This is because cocoa butter is removed from cocoa powder and with the lack of fats, it makes for lighter breads while still adding that rich chocolate-y flavour that we love so much! So, if you want your brownies or chocolate cakes to taste extra chocolate-y and cake-y, cocoa powder’s your answer when it comes to baking.

In short, it is recommended to use pure cocoa powder for baking, whereas chocolate powder for an awesome cup of chocolate drink.

With our few tips and your imagination, you can create warm, comforting homemade chocolate beverages and cakes just the way you like – the right way!

Chocolate powder is often confused for cocoa powder, but thankfully we’re here to clear all of that up for you! Chocolate powder is originally from cocoa and is processed with other ingredients; in contrary, Cocoa powder is deemed as the more pure and natural form of chocolate, with no other ingredients added.

There are plenty of chocolate product selections to choose from and the most significant difference between them is their cocoa content. For people who are more focused on health benefits or natural foods, go for higher cocoa products. One wonderful thing about higher cocoa content product is its flexibility in allowing you to alter the taste by adding more sugar or milk if you find it too intense.

At Millilitre Beverage, we have 2 different products for each type of consumer.

Our 55% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Powder is specially tailored to the Malaysian palate and voted as a top favourite by our local consumers. It has the right balance of bitter and sweet, perfect for those who love to have their dark chocolate beverage to come with an aftertaste that is not too sweet nor too bitter.

On the other hand, if you want to get your caffeine fix and at the same time comes with an intense chocolate flavour, our Hot Chocolate Divine would be better suited. It has a perfect union of cocoa, Himalayan salt, Creamer and sugar created for a whole new indulging experience to complete your day.

In the end, it’s all about how you’d like to experience chocolate. The best thing? You can always experiment!