Here's What You Need to Know About Different Types of Chocolate
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People go crazy for chocolate desserts! And who can blame them? With sweet luxuries like chocolate milkshakes, fudgy brownies, and decadent chocolate lava cakes, it's no wonder they've coined the term "chocoholics." But in the same way that there are a variety of chocolate treats, there are also different types of chocolate. So the next time you're in the baking aisle, spend an extra moment in the chocolate section. Want to know which variety is best for melting chocolate or which types of chocolate chips to use for homemade cookies? And what's the deal with white chocolate, anyway? Read on for the most popular types of chocolate—and the best ways to try them.
Here, we explain the different types of chocolate—including chocolate in bar form versus cocoa nibs and cocoa powder. Find out the difference between milk and dark chocolate, or maybe even get introduced to a new kind of chocolate. Have you ever heard of blonde chocolate? But first, a quick lesson on where chocolate comes from: Cacao beans are where it all begins and these are actually the seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree. Once the beans are dried and roasted, the refining process continues and yields two products: cocoa butter and chocolate liquor. Chocolate liquor is the purest form of cocoa, and can remain in a solid or liquid state. From here, chocolate liquor is used to make chocolate as we know it. Chocolate contains both cocoa butter and chocolate liquor, along with sugar to sweeten things up and other ingredients to flavor and shelf-stabilize the final product, which is important to know if you're wondering, "does chocolate go bad?" Try all the different types of chocolate, then check out Ree Drummond's recipe for chocolate sheet cake!
Milk Chocolate
This option is extra-sweet, but it's generally less "chocolatey" tasting than the darker varieties. (Milk chocolate only has to contain a minimum of 10% cacao to be labeled as such.) Though it's great in cookies, pancakes, brownies and more, it can be a bit finicky if you're melting it, as the high concentration of milk solids makes it prone to overheating.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is a blanket term for any variety that contains 30% to 80% cacao (bittersweet and semisweet chocolates are considered "dark chocolate.") The higher the percentage of cacao, the less sweet and more bitter...or dark! Note that dark chocolate doesn't contain any milk solids, which means it doesn't have the same creaminess as milk chocolate—but it does have that characteristic "snap" when you break it.
Semisweet Chocolate
Mainly considered an American chocolate that was developed for baking, semisweet chocolate is made up of at least 30% cacao. Semisweet chocolate is considered dark chocolate, but it's not all that dark—it's a good middle-ground choice, and is generally the default for chocolate chips.
White Chocolate
This one is the most divisive—you either love it or you hate it! White chocolate is made from the cocoa butter extracted during the cacao bean refinement process and does not contain any chocolate liquor. Chocolate purists have argued that because it lacks chocolate liquor and a "chocolatey" taste, it shouldn't be called chocolate, but its smooth, rich, vanilla-like flavor has won over plenty of others.
Bittersweet Chocolate
Also considered a dark chocolate, bittersweet is less sweet than semisweet chocolate—it ranges from 50 to 80% cacao. The flavor is deeper and more bitter than semisweet, but it's a great choice for serious chocolate lovers—and it makes a mean brownie.
Blonde Chocolate
If you're skeptical about white chocolate, just give blonde chocolate a try! Also known as caramelized white chocolate, this sweet treat is basically just white chocolate that's been roasted at a low temperature to bring out its warm, butterscotch flavors. You can make your own caramelized white chocolate or buy blonde chocolate bars or chips to make a delicious toasty buttercream or chocolate ganache.
Gianduja
This Italian chocolate is pronounced "jan-doo-ya" and it's a blend of chocolate with 30% hazelnuts. It was first invented in Turin in the early 1800s, but these days, you can find both dark and milk versions in bar form—or even spreadable versions which is what we know as Nutella! Use the chocolate-hazelnut spread to make a delicious cake, cookies, or topping for toast.
Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
While natural cocoa powder is untreated, Dutch process cocoa powder starts with cocoa beans that have been washed in an alkaline solution. This process gives the cocoa powder a darker color, more mild flavor, and a neutralized acidity. It also means that recipes calling for dutch-process cocoa powder are more likely to be paired with baking powder for leavening, as baking powder contains its own acid.
Couverture Chocolate
With a higher-than-usual percentage of cocoa butter and a high percentage of chocolate liquor, couverture chocolate is an expensive chocolate that's beloved by professional candy makers and is great for dipping. The high ratio of cocoa butter makes for a smoother, more even melt—and when it sets, it's thin, glossy and snappy.
Baking Chocolate
No matter what you call it ("baking," "bitter," or "unsweetened"), this chocolate is 100% cacao—it's essentially chocolate in its purest form without any added sugar to mask the bitter flavor of natural cacao. This stuff is not for snacking but it's great for baking, as it imparts a rich chocolate flavor and allows you to control the added sugar.
Ruby Chocolate
This rosy-hued chocolate is the newest chocolate to hit the block since the 1930s invention of white chocolate. First developed in late 2017, ruby chocolate comes from ruby cacao beans, which are grown in South America and West Africa. It's best described as a fruity, berry-flavored white chocolate, though there are no actual berries involved—the unique flavor and color comes from the cacao bean itself.
Candy Coating Chocolate
Similar to candy melts, these chocolate disks are made with vegetable or palm oils instead of cocoa butter and do not contain high percentages of chocolate liquor (which means they may not taste all that chocolatey). These inexpensive chocolates are ideal for melting and are often used for dipping or coating.
German's Sweet Chocolate
Named after its inventor Samuel German, this dark baking chocolate was produced after German decided to add more sugar to the production process, thinking the added sugar would be more convenient for bakers. The most popular way to use this variety of chocolate is in German chocolate cake, also named after the sweet chocolate inventor.
Natural Cocoa Powder
Made up of pulverized pure cacao with all fat removed and no added sugar, cocoa powder is bitter-tasting chocolate in powder form. It's ideal for mixing into doughs and batters. Just be sure to note if the recipe calls for dutch-process cocoa powder, which is an alkalized cocoa powder. When in doubt, stick to regular (natural) cocoa powder and only use dutch-process when directed.
Cacao Nibs
One could argue that cacao nibs are chocolate in its rawest form, considering they're 100% crushed cacao beans. After the beans are harvested, they go through a fermentation process before being cracked to form these dark, crunchy and bitter bits. They're loaded with antioxidants and other healthful properties.
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