Ingredients in Chocolate

List of Main Chocolate Ingredients

Here are the basic blends of ingredients for the various types of chocolate:

Cocoa Butter – It is a pale-yellow, edible vegetable fat extracted from the cocoa bean used to make chocolate. It has a cocoa flavor and aroma. Cocoa butter is the main ingredient in all types of chocolates. The more expensive chocolate (processed longer) has a smoother texture and mouthfeel.

Cocoa Liquor or Chocolate Liquor - It represents pure cocoa mass in liquid form. It contains cocoa solids and cocoa butter in roughly equal proportions.

Fat – Up to 50% of cocoa can be fat, consisting of two saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic acids) and one mono-unsaturated acid (oleic acid). This fat in cocoa butter and chocolate is not raising blood cholesterol levels. However, other ingredients in some chocolate products can cause that effect (milk, other forms of fat ingredients).

Sugar – Sugar is the essential ingredient of chocolate. The cocoa bean has a significant amount of carbohydrates, but most are not in the sugar state. Instead, they are in the form of starch, soluble dietary fibers, and insoluble dietary fibers.

Milk or milk powder - Used for milk chocolate.

Lecithin (or another emulsifying agent) - An emulsifying agent (such as soy lecithin) makes the ingredients blend.

Fruits and Nuts - Used for specialty chocolates.

Antioxidants - Cocoa beans have polyphenols that have beneficial antioxidant properties. These compounds (also known as flavonoids) located in the non-fat portion of cocoa beans can reduce blood's ability to clot, which will clean arteries and prevent stroke and heart attacks.

Theobromine – Small part of cocoa beans is Theobromine, a very mild stimulant that can be toxic for animals like cats, dogs, and parrots. It increases the production of urine in our metabolism.

Caffeine – Caffeine is a common ingredient of the cocoa bean, which enables chocolate products to keep us awake. The amount of caffeine is much smaller than in other products, such as tea, cola drinks, and coffee.

Phenylethylamine – It stimulates our bodies by increasing dopamine and adrenaline levels in the blood.

Serotonine – Creates the feeling of pleasure, often causing slight withdrawal symptoms and mild depression.

Essential minerals – Calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and manganese.

Vitamins – A, B1, B2, B3, C, and E.

Dietary fibers – From 3% to 35%

Proteins – From 3% to 22%

Note: All figures are approximate; this text does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.