Out of Cocoa powder, one case
Can you substitute cacao powder for cocoa powder?
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Cacao powder
1 tbsp for every 1 tbsp of cocoa powder
Yes: use cacao powder measure for measure in place of cocoa powder. Cacao powder is not alkalized, so it behaves like natural cocoa with baking soda, and it tastes a little more bitter and fruity. If the recipe was written for Dutch-process cocoa, expect a lighter color and a sharper flavor.
- Verdict —
- Works
- The tweak —
- Sift it with the dry ingredients, as you would cocoa.
- Best for —
- brownies, cakes and cookies written for natural cocoa
One casethe full cocoa powder card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 tbsp cocoa powder | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cacao powderbrownies, cakes and cookies written for natural cocoa | 1 tbspWorks | Works |
| 2 | Dutch-process cocoarecipes leavened with baking powder | 1 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Unsweetened baking chocolatebrownies and chocolate cake | 1 oz per 3 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Carob powdermuffins and quick breads | 1 tbspYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Cacao nibs | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Cacao powder
slightly more bitter and fruity, less roasted
Ground cacao beans with most of the cocoa butter pressed out, processed at lower heat than cocoa and never alkalized. In a recipe it does the work of natural unsweetened cocoa.
- Best for
- brownies, cakes and cookies written for natural cocoa, hot chocolate, frosting and glazes, smoothies, oatmeal and no-bake bites
- Prep
- Sift it with the dry ingredients, as you would cocoa.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Recipes built on Dutch-process cocoa for its dark color and mellow taste, such as dark sandwich-cookie wafers or black cocoa cake: with cacao they are paler, redder and sharper.
Check that the bag is plain cacao powder. Blends with sugar, protein powder or other added powders are not a swap.
Dutch-process cocoa
darker, smoother and less sharp
The other tin of cocoa. If the recipe says only cocoa powder, or natural cocoa, Dutch-process measures the same and tastes smoother.
- Best for
- recipes leavened with baking powder, frosting, pudding and hot cocoa, when you want a darker color
- Prep
- If baking soda is the only leavening, add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar, lemon juice or white vinegar for every 3 tbsp of cocoa.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- A soda-only batter without the added acid rises less and can taste soapy.
Unsweetened baking chocolate
the same unsweetened chocolate flavor, fudgier
Cocoa with its cocoa butter still in it. It brings the same chocolate flavor, plus fat that has to come out of the recipe.
- Best for
- brownies and chocolate cake, stovetop pudding and sauces
- Prep
- Melt it, cool it 5 minutes, add it with the wet ingredients and take 1 tbsp of butter or oil out of the recipe for each ounce.
- Where it fails
- Dusting, dry rubs, meringues and anything else that needs a dry powder.
Carob powder
malty and caramel-like; close to chocolate, not the same
A roasted pod powder that measures like cocoa. It is naturally sweeter and has no bitterness.
- Best for
- muffins and quick breads, smoothies and hot drinks
- Prep
- It is sweeter than cocoa, so cut the recipe's sugar a little.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Anything where deep chocolate flavor is the point.
Cacao nibs
Nibs are the same bean, cracked instead of ground.
They stay as crunchy pieces in a batter and do not dissolve.
- Best for
- nothing in place of cocoa powder; use them as a crunchy mix-in
- Where it fails
- They add no color and no chocolate flavor to the crumb around them. A home blender turns them into a coarse, oily paste, not a powder.
Tips for substituting cocoa powder
4 tips- Baking: swap level measure for level measure, 1 tbsp for 1 tbsp or ½ cup for ½ cup, and keep the leavening as written when the recipe calls for natural cocoa or does not say which kind.
- Recipes that call for Dutch-process cocoa and baking powder: cacao still works at the same amount. The crumb comes out lighter in color and tangier.
- Hot chocolate: stir 1 tbsp cacao and 1 to 2 tbsp sugar into a paste with a splash of hot milk first, then whisk in the rest of 1 cup of milk. Cacao resists wetting, as cocoa does.
- Cacao usually costs more than cocoa, and baking cooks it. In a cake or a brownie, use whichever is in the cupboard; save the cacao for things you do not heat if the low-heat processing is why you bought it.
Questions
4 questionsIs cacao powder the same as cocoa powder?
They are the same bean, processed differently. Cacao powder is made at lower temperatures and is not alkalized. Natural cocoa is roasted at higher heat and is also not alkalized. Dutch-process cocoa is treated with an alkali, which darkens it and mellows the flavor. In a recipe, cacao powder and natural cocoa are interchangeable.
Do I need to change the baking soda when I use cacao powder?
No. Cacao powder is acidic in the way natural cocoa is, so baking soda reacts with it as the recipe expects. The only recipes that change are ones written for Dutch-process cocoa, and there the difference is color and flavor, not rise, as long as the recipe uses baking powder.
Can I use cacao powder instead of cocoa in brownies?
Yes, at the same amount. Neither has any sugar, so the sweetness does not change. The brownies taste a little more bitter and fruity, and they are lighter in color if the recipe was written for Dutch-process cocoa.
Can I substitute cocoa powder for cacao powder, the other way around?
Yes, measure for measure. Natural unsweetened cocoa is the closest match. Dutch-process cocoa also works and gives a darker, milder result. Hot cocoa mix is not the same thing: it is mostly sugar and milk powder.