Cocoa Powder vs. Cacao Powder- One Has No Nutritional Value

Nowadays, many people are looking for a healthier alternative to commercial chocolate and cocoa with their artificial sweeteners and processing techniques that remove vital nutrients from the source crop. For relative newcomers looking into organic, high flavanol, and even raw cacao however, some of the terms used can be a bit confusing. Case and point: is cocoa powder the same as cacao powder? What are the differences in processing, flavor, and how to use them?

Simply put, cacao powder–like the kind Vital Purple and other leading brands offer–is the opposite of the commercial cacao powder you’d be likely to find in the grocery store in several key ways. It is typically minimally processed, either low-temperature roasted or unroasted to preserve the most of its nutrients, retains several important health benefits making it a great daily supplement, and retains a more intense chocolate flavor among other key differences. Read on for a more in-depth look at the differences between cocoa powder vs. cacao powder:

Flavonoids and Flavanols Minerals and Nutrients Is Cacao Powder Vegan or Dairy Free? How to Use Cocoa Powder vs. Cacao Powder Sources About the Author

Flavonoids and Flavanols in Cocoa Powder vs. Cacao Powder

One major selling point of organic and raw cacao powder is that it is “high flavanol”, meaning that it retains the vast majority of these natural compounds through processing. Flavonoids and flavanols are what gives cacao its incredibly strong antioxidant properties, leading to the majority of its most important health effects. Indeed, regular intake of high-flavanol cacao has been linked to improved blood flow, lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduced risk of blood clots as well as chronic heart disease and diabetes.^[1] It is even linked to surprising cognitive health benefits such as improved memory, focus, and a reduction in age-based decline.^[2]

Grocery store-grade cocoa, on the other hand, is typically processed in ways that end up removing the vital compounds that offer these benefits. When cocoa is high-temperature roasted and treated to curb its natural acidity (called “alkalizing” or “Dutch-processing”), its flavanol and therefore its antioxidant content is greatly reduced. Add in the fact that with commercial cocoa you’re likely consuming a large amount of artificial sweeteners as well, and it’s no contest which one is the better health option.

Key Takeaways:

Cacao powder is made to retain its high antioxidant levels through processing
Cacao powder boosts cardiovascular and cognitive health among other benefits
Commercial cocoa powder removes many of these vital nutrients in processing

Minerals and Nutrients in Cocoa Powder vs. Cacao Powder

Flavonoids and flavanols are not nearly where the story ends on the health contents of cocoa powder vs. cacao powder, however. In addition to this, the minimal processing cacao powder undergoes allows it to retain higher concentrations of important dietary minerals like iron and magnesium as well. These contribute not only to the cardiovascular benefits of organic and high flavanol cacao, but to the longer-lasting and more sustainable energy boost provided by the crop when kept in its natural state.

Commercial cocoa powder, on the other hand, largely removes these nutrients in its processing, whether through high-temperature roasting or the alkaline solutions added. This is also why dark chocolate is often cited as being healthier than milk or white chocolate, as it typically retains more of the actual cacao content that offers less sugar and more dietary magnesium and iron as well as flavanols. These processes, of course, make commercial-grade cocoa ideal in contexts like baking, but if you’re looking toward cacao as a supplement or a health food the organic, high flavanol, and raw varieties are undoubtedly the way to go. High Flavanol Cacao Powder is also great for baking, you just need to combine it with different flavors because it can be more bitter.

Key Takeaways:

Cacao powder also contains more important minerals like magnesium and iron
These minerals lead to its cardiovascular benefits and its boost to daily energy
Commercial cocoa powder loses many of these nutrients in processing as well

Is Cocoa Powder Vegan or Dairy Free?

Both cocoa and cacao powder are made by separating out the cocoa butter, a source of healthy fats natural to the crop, and crushing the remaining solids. This means that even with the extra steps in processing most commercial cocoa undergoes, both kinds are always vegan and dairy free. Especially with commercial cocoa, however, you should always make sure to check your labels, as dairy-added mixes or “may contain milk” disclaimers due to processing in factories that use it for other products do exist.

With raw cacao powder like the kinds Vital Purple offers, especially when it is advertised as 100% cacao solids, you can be sure that it is both vegan and dairy free. Some other cocoa and cacao products more often contain dairy or are otherwise not vegan, but in the high flavanol and organic cacao space that is far less often a concern. And no matter which type you choose, you should always make sure to look into whether the brand is transparent about ethical sourcing.

Key Takeaways:

Cacao and cocoa powder are both typically entirely plant-based and vegan
Some commercial cocoa powder “may contain milk” or have added dairy
Raw cacao powder or 100% cacao solids means it is absolutely vegan-safe

How to Use Cocoa Powder vs. Cacao Powder

As mentioned previously, the processing techniques and flavor profile of most commercial cocoa powders make it ideal in contexts like baking, and organic and high flavanol cacao powder is typically used in an entirely different context. With its antioxidant and mineral content leading to many of the health effects we’ve discussed on our blog before^[3], high flavanol chocolate can be eaten as a daily supplement in smoothies and warm drinks, and with a touch of honey, it's magical!

Organic cacao powder and high flavanol cacao powder are made with the intention of preserving as many of the plant’s vital nutrients as possible, so it’s no wonder that consuming it with that same level of intentionality is as popular as it is. In fact, this is why you’ll often see it sold as “ceremonial” cacao, as it’s often meant to emulate the traditions and spiritual practices of the places cacao has historically been grown and harvested. Many people now like to not only use it daily for health and wellness, but with that same sort of “ritual” in mind.

In the end when cocoa powder vs cacao powder, it depends on what you want out of your product, but the choice is SIMPLE, because you can use cacao powder in cooking as well, with low temperatures and still retain a lot of the micronutrients. The Micronutrients are lost in the high temperature roasting process and the alkalization for texture and taste and cost. That is really what it comes down to, but you completely remove the spirit of the cacao and the beautiful flavor that Heirloom Cacao can offer.

Key Takeaways: