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Home » Knowledge

11 Types Of Chocolate And Their Uses

Nate TeagueWritten by Nate Teague · Updated on January 25, 2023 · As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases

A stroll down the candy aisle of the grocery store presents an overwhelming range of chocolate types. We went shopping and bought every possible variety of chocolate on offer, then compared them. Now you'll know how they differ and their best uses in cooking. 

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Table of Contents
  • 11 Popular Chocolate Types
  • Summary
  • Official F.D.A. Chocolate Standards
  • Commonly Asked Questions
  • Our Sources For This Review
  • What is the best chocolate?
  • Summing Up

11 Popular Chocolate Types

Each variety of chocolate contains varying levels of cocoa fat, cocoa solids, milk powder, and sugar. Adjusting the ratios of these ingredients can produce any kind of chocolate, from the super-intense 100% cocoa down to sweet, milky white chocolate.

1. Raw Chocolate

Cocoa Mass: 100%.  Sugar: 0%.  Milk Powder: 0%.

Block of raw chocolate in a bowl

Raw chocolate is intensely bitter and most people won’t enjoy it eaten as a snack. 100% pure chocolate is only made from cocoa beans without the addition of sugar. This is a bitter chocolate that is best used with other ingredients to help balance out the bitterness.

The lack of sugar makes it an appealing option as a healthier snack than regular chocolate. This chocolate type is also called unsweetened chocolate, cacao liquor, bitter chocolate, cacao paste, or baking chocolate.

Raw chocolate is pure with no sweetness and if you replace it in a recipe with regular chocolate, you’ll need to reduce the added sugar. In some baking recipes, this may not be possible so try to stick with the unsweetened variety if possible.   

Uses: Truffles, stews, pot roasts, or eaten on its own.

2. Dark Chocolate

Cocoa Mass: 35-99%.  Sugar: 1-65%.  Milk Powder: <12%.

Dark chocolate pieces

Sugar is added to dark chocolate to reduce the bitter taste. If you enjoy intensely flavored dark chocolate, then choose a bar with a higher ratio of cocoa solids.

Although some enjoy eating dark chocolate on its own, many still find it too bitter, especially kids. It is an excellent option for use in desserts such as chocolate ice cream as it combines well with sweet ingredients.

Uses: Brownies, mousses, cakes, cookies, ganaches

3. Dark Milk Chocolate

Cocoa Mass: 35-60%.  Sugar: 20-45%.  Milk Powder: 20-25%.

Pieces of dark milk choc

Dark milk chocolate is a good compromise between the sweetness of milk chocolate and the bitterness of dark chocolate. By adding more milk solids, the melting point of the chocolate reduces and results in creamier chocolate.

Uses: A confectionery snack or for grating over hot beverages and desserts.

4. Milk Chocolate

Cocoa Mass: 20-35%.  Sugar: 25-55%.  Milk Powder: 25-35%.

Broked disks of milk chocolate

Milk chocolate is the most popular kind of chocolate thanks to a milder, less intense flavor. It is often flavored with nuts, fruit, candy, and other ingredients.

In some cases, the cocoa butter is left out and cheaper vegetable oils are used instead. This produces lower quality chocolate.

Uses: Snacking, baking, sauces, icing, chocolate fountains, dipping fruit.

5. White Chocolate

Cocoa Mass: 30%.  Sugar: 40%.  Milk Powder: 30%.

White chocolate pieces in a bowl

Kids love white chocolate, probably thanks to its sweetness. White chocolate contains no cocoa solids, just cocoa butter. The flavor in white chocolate mostly comes from the added milk powder, vanilla, and sugar. In the United States, cocoa butter must make up at least 20% of the ingredients to be labeled chocolate.

Uses: Confectionery snacks, baking, icing, ganache, candy coatings. It makes a useful candy melt substitute.

6. Ruby Chocolate

Ruby chocolate

Ruby chocolate is a pastel pink product that gets its color from ruby cacao beans. It has a natural berry flavor with a smooth texture and sweetness that compares to white chocolate. Alternative names for this product include ruby cacao and ruby couverture.

Uses: Baking, icing, and candy-making.

7. Chocolate Baking Chips

Choc baking chips in a bowl

Chocolate chips have a reduced percentage of emulsifiers, stabilizers, and cocoa butter to help maintain their shape during baking. Although they’re excellent added to cookies, brownies, and cakes, they can also be melted into mousses, drinks, and sauces. 

Uses: Baking, melting, choco chip ice cream.

8. Candy Coating Chocolate

Candy melts in a bowl

Candy coating chocolate is also known as melting chocolate and usually replaces cocoa butter with other cheaper ingredients like palm oil, sugar, and soy lecithin. These additives help the chocolate set quickly without the need for tempering.

Uses: Melting

9. Gianduja Chocolate

A block of gianduja

Gianduja chocolate is an Italian confection that combines hazelnut paste with dark or milk chocolate, and sugar. It is sold as a smooth spread, candies, or a block form. It is commonly added to gelato and baked goods. 

Uses: Baking, desserts

10. Couverture Chocolate

A bowl of couverture chocolate

Couverture chocolate is a premium product containing more cocoa butter than other chocolate types. It is an excellent ingredient for chocolate tempering and candy making as it melts evenly and quicker than other options. Couverture is available in dark, milk, and white varieties. 

Uses: Tempering, candy-making, desserts.

11. Compound Chocolate

Compound choc in a bowl

Compound chocolate is a cheap alternative to real chocolate and is made from a range of ingredients like cocoa, sweeteners, and vegetable oil. Although this type of chocolate doesn’t have the delicious flavor profile of the real thing, it is still useful in the kitchen and is easy to work with.  

Uses: Melting, desserts, baking.

Summary

Make use of this table as your cheatsheet for the 11 most popular types of chocolates and their best uses in baking or cooking.

Type of ChocolateUses
Raw ChocolateTruffles, stews, pot roasts, or eaten on its own.
Dark ChocolateBrownies, mousses, cakes, cookies, ganaches.
Dark Milk ChocolateA confectionery snack or for grating over hot beverages and desserts.
Milk ChocolateSnacking, baking, sauces, icing, chocolate fountains, dipping fruit.
White ChocolateConfectionery snacks, baking, icing, ganache, candy coatings. It makes a useful candy melt substitute.
Ruby ChocolateBaking, icing, and candy-making.
Chocolate Baking ChipsBaking, melting, choco chip ice cream.
Candy Coating ChocolateMelting.
Gianduja ChocolateBaking, desserts.
Couverture ChocolateTempering, candy-making, desserts.
Compound ChocolateMelting, desserts, baking.

Official F.D.A. Chocolate Standards

  • Semisweet dark chocolate must contain at least 35% chocolate liquor.
  • Milk chocolate must have at least 10% chocolate liquor and 12% milk solids.
  • White chocolate contains no cocoa solids and needs to contain 20% cocoa butter to be labeled chocolate. 

Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, is a semi-solid or solid cocoa mass. It is made from cocoa beans and contains roughly equal amounts of cocoa butter and cocoa solids.

Commonly Asked Questions

What does the percentage mean on a chocolate bar wrapper?

The percentage displayed on a chocolate bar label shows the amount of cocoa butter and cocoa powder used in the chocolate. A higher percentage results in a less sweet product and usually increased bitterness. Lower percentage chocolate has more sugar and other additives resulting in a sweeter product.

How is chocolate made?

To make chocolate, beans are removed from the pod of the theobroma cacao fruit and fermented before being dried. The beans are then roasted and cracked to remove the unwanted shells. What remains are cocoa nibs which can be ground into cocoa butter. Sugar and other ingredients are added before finally being tempered into the final product.

Did you know? Chocolate combines cocoa, sugar, caffeine, and theobromine, which is what provides a "chocolate high."

How many types of chocolate are there?

There are a wide number of chocolate types that vary by country. In the United States, there are seven broad types: buttermilk chocolate, milk chocolate, mixed dairy product, skim milk chocolate, sweet chocolate, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, and white chocolate.

Does white chocolate have cocoa butter?

In the United States, white chocolate must contain at least 20% cocoa butter to be labeled chocolate.

Is bittersweet chocolate the same as semi-sweet chocolate?

The terms bittersweet and semisweet chocolate are used interchangeably. However, bittersweet typically has a higher cacao content than semisweet chocolate and has less sugar. They both make excellent substitutes for German chocolate.

Is chocolate okay to eat once it’s turned white?

The white, dusty coating that occasionally develops on chocolate is called bloom and is considered harmless. Bloom is the result of ineffective tempering or chocolate that’s been stored in warm or humid conditions.

How can I fix lumpy melted chocolate?

A few drops of water can cause chocolate to seize and turn lumpy. To get rid of the lumps either add more chocolate to dilute the water or, if possible, add cream which will also help remove the lumps.

Where does chocolate come from?

The main building block of chocolate is the cacao bean. These pods come in a range of flavors depending on the strain and region of origin. The Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Ecuador, and Brazil are all major producers of cacao beans.

The cacao-producing giants supply to large companies like Nestle and Mars who then blend the beans from different regions. There are various reasons for blending including efficient sourcing and flavor consistency.

Our Sources For This Review

We got most of our chocolate from the candy aisle of the grocery store. For the lesser-known products like Gianduja, Couverture, Raw, and Ruby, we visited the QV Market. 

Chocolate sold at the QV Market

They have a delicious section of chocolate in blocks.

Chocolate blocks for sale

What is the best chocolate?

For tempering

Couverture is the ideal option for tempering chocolate that looks shiny and snaps when broken. A quality Belgian Dark Semisweet will cost a little more than everyday chocolate at the supermarket, but it will provide a better final product.

For desserts

To quickly melt chocolate that is smooth-flowing, your best bet is Wilton Chocolate Pro. It is perfect for cookies, desserts, dipped strawberries, and even chocolate fountains.

Need a snack?

For quality milk chocolate that everyone loves, try Lindt CLASSIC RECIPE Milk Chocolate Bar, Easter Chocolate Candy, 4.4 oz. (12 Pack)—smooth, creamy chocolate that’s delicious. Try caramel with sea salt or milk hazelnut for a break from plain chocolate.

Did you know? Cocoa beans were even used as a currency by ancient civilizations. The Aztecs revered the cocoa bean and believed they’d find heaven through the cocoa tree.

Summing Up

Chocolate products come in a wide range of varieties which each have a vastly different flavor. Kids tend to gravitate towards white or milk chocolate bars because they aren’t as bitter. With age, people’s taste buds mature, and dark chocolate gains appeal.

What’s your favorite variety of chocolate for use in the kitchen? Reach out to us and let us know if we’re missing something.

types of chocolates for cooking and baking

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  3. Does Cacao Have Caffeine? Nature’s Healthy Energy Kick
  4. Best Candy Thermometer Reviews - The Top 5
  5. Cacao vs. Coffee: Two Beans with Huge Benefits
  6. Is Chocolate Liquor Halal? (Chocolate Liquor vs. Chocolate Liqueur)

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Nate Teague

Nate Teague is a food writer who has been working in the food industry for the past decade. He writes for various cooking blogs and has a passion for making fine dining recipes accessible to the at-home cook.

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