5 Good Reasons to Choose Natural Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder is one of the most widely used baking ingredients. It is made by pressing cocoa mass to remove most of the cocoa butter, then finely grinding the remaining “press cake”. Here are 5 good reasons to choose a natural (non-alkalized) cocoa powder, like ours.

1. No added sugar, less fat

Unsweetened cocoa powder contains nothing but cocoa. Since most of the cocoa butter is removed during pressing, it contains much less fat than chocolate. You decide how much sugar goes into your recipes.

2. Fibre and minerals, naturally

Unsweetened cocoa powder naturally contains fibre and minerals. According to the USDA database, 100 g of unsweetened cocoa powder contains about 37 g of fibre, 14 mg of iron and 500 mg of magnesium. Per tablespoon (about 5 g), that is close to 2 g of fibre, 0.7 mg of iron and 25 mg of magnesium.

3. It retains more flavanols

Cocoa is one of the food sources of flavanols, compounds naturally found in the bean. Alkalization (Dutch processing), used to mellow and darken the powder, greatly reduces their content. Natural cocoa powder therefore retains more of them.

4. Natural or Dutch-process: the right choice for the recipe

• Natural cocoa powder: light brown colour, bright and slightly fruity taste. It is acidic: it reacts with baking soda and helps cakes rise.
• Dutch-process cocoa powder: darker colour, milder taste. It is usually paired with baking powder.

If a recipe calls for baking soda, choose natural cocoa powder.

5. A powder with countless uses

• Hot chocolate: mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of powder into a little hot milk, add the rest of the milk (250 ml) and sweeten to taste.
• Baking: brownies, cakes, cookies and pancakes.
• Breakfast: smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal.
• Savoury dishes: a pinch in chili or mole sauce.

Our natural cocoa powder is made in Montreal from selected beans. Want a ready-made hot chocolate? Try our classic hot chocolate.

Nutrition source: USDA FoodData Central, “Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened”. This is general information and does not replace medical advice.