Comparing the Best Selling Raw Cacao Powder Brands in the US

Late February can feel like a pause button pressed between winter’s peak and spring’s slow approach. The body starts to crave balance after weeks of cold weather and heavier meals. This is often the time when subtle shifts in routine can make the most noticeable difference. One of those small, supportive changes might be adding high flavanol cacao to your daily rhythm.

Much more than just an ingredient for treats, this pure cacao stands out because of what it retains, natural compounds that are often lost in standard cocoa powders. When kept raw and minimally processed, it offers a unique source of support for energy, circulation, and mood.

Raw cacao powder is becoming a regular part of morning smoothies and cozy nighttime cups, especially with the expansion of categories like “mushroom coffee” and the incorporation of cacao in those mixes. Many people like that it can bring a rich chocolate flavor without a long list of extras.

Raw cacao powder is made from cacao beans that are gently processed, usually at lower heat, so the natural taste and color stay closer to how the bean grows. Regular cocoa powder is often heated more and can taste milder. When we say a powder is organic, that means the cacao is grown without certain synthetic pesticides or chemicals and instead uses natural oils and methods to prevent the cacao from being cannibalized by nature. 

When people search for the best raw cacao powder, they do not all want the same thing. Some care most about flavor, some care about how easily it mixes, and some care about how simple the ingredient list is or certifications. In the next sections, we share how our raw purple cacao compares with the top cacao brands in the United States so you can notice what feels most important for your own daily routine.

When we look at different organic raw cacao powders, a few simple points can help:

• How the beans are processed, and how antioxidants are preserved

• How the powder tastes and smells 

• How well it mixes into hot and cold drinks 

• How the color and texture look in the bag and in the cup 

Raw, low-heat handling usually keeps the flavor deeper and the color richer. However, it results in a more bitter product. If the powder smells strong and chocolatey when you first open the bag, that may mean it has been roasted at a high temperature. High temperature roasting is designed to bring out flavors and create a smooth body for the cacao so it assimilates easier into what you are making. 

Many shoppers like powders with short, clear ingredient lists, often just pure cacao powder and nothing else. Since cold, dry winter air can make powders clump up faster, good storage and packaging really matter too. If there is no fat in your cacao powder (like most major brands for mixability), then you don’t have to worry about clumping, but this usually means they used high temperature processes to remove the fat, destroying some antioxidants. Some people pay attention to where beans grow, while others focus more on how the powder fits into their daily drinks, baking, and snacks.

Both options are cacao powders you can use in smoothies, baking, and warm winter drinks. Navitas describes its cacao powder as USDA Organic, non-alkalized, and lightly roasted, and they also highlight Fairtrade and Regenerative Organic Certified® sourcing for its cacao beans. However, without a focus on preserving antioxidants, there is not much to be had from cacao. The cacao craze without proper preservation of cocoa flavanols has unfortunately oversold what cacao can do for the body as a “magical food”. 

Vital Purple's main focus is cocoa flavanol preservation, with the fermentation and roasting steps intentionally removed. We also share that our higher-fat approach can make it more difficult to mix, so many people prefer a whisk, frother, or blender for extra-smooth hot cacao. However, Vital Purple carries no certifications but is open with heavy metal and flavonoid testing.

Terrasoul highlights a cacao powder that is certified organic, Non-GMO Project verified, and described as fermented, sun-dried, cold-pressed, and never roasted, with a fine texture. Terrasoul also does an excellent job at requiring 3rd party testing with results sent directly to them before they sell the product. However, Terrasoul does not offer cacao produced with regenerative agriculture because it is a more cost effective and more consistent product in the end when sourced from monocrop agriculture. Although they feature an arriba nacional pod on their website, there is no evidence that they source arriba nacional. It is much more rare and expensive and only takes up 5% of the world's supply. 

Vital Purple offers Heirloom Cacao from Regeneratively farms, in smaller batches. This is more costly and difficult but there is no comparison in antioxidant levels and flavor that is offered. 

Sunfood describes its cacao powder as organic, and specifically notes it is never roasted and never dutch-processed. However, much of this cacao comes from Peru, an area with little to be desired in regards to flavor unless it's high temperature roasted. The dosage is also at 5g per serving, which begs the question as to how they came to that dosing since there is no evidence that 5g of regular cacao would improve your health. They also state it is “packed with antioxidants and flavanols”, however there is no reference to the antioxidant levels in their cacao at all. This product might offer the very least in the whole list. 

Vital Purple is also positioned around low-heat handling, and we describe our purple cacao as below 95°F, non-fermented, and unroasted, with a higher-fat profile that some people like for a richer, whole-food feel. With transparent heavy metals and cocoa flavanol levels, there is not much of a comparison between these two brands. 

Wildly Organic shares a clear definition of “raw cacao,” stating their cacao processing is kept at or below 120°F, and they also mention using fermented or non-fermented raw cacao powder depending on the product. As they’re also sourcing from Ecuador I believe, we can assume they’re sourcing smaller batches and have a better profile. A great alternative to Vital Purple! 

Addictive Wellness often sells cacao as part of multi-ingredient blends, such as their cacao elixir mix that includes ingredients like lucuma, sweeteners, and functional mushrooms (ingredient lists vary by blend). These are great for some who do not like the flavor of pure cacao by itself. 

Vital Purple keeps the focus on straight purple cacao powder, which is helpful if you prefer a simple base you can customize at home with cinnamon, vanilla, collagen, or protein. In everyday winter life, blends can feel convenient when you want a “one-scoop” option, while a single-ingredient cacao can feel flexible when you want to control exactly what goes in your mug.

Ora Cacao leans into a ceremonial style, using cacao discs and preparation steps that often involve blending or frothing for a smooth cup. The Cacao Ceremonies are a growing popular activity! Ora cacao tries to be transparent with their heavy metal levels, which is admirable! They also claim to have high flavonoids but we cannot find where these results are published. They focus on sourcing small batch cacao from different parts of central and south america. 

Vital Purple offers several different formats of cacao for every use case desired, which many people find easier for quick weekday routines—especially when you want a fast scoop for hot chocolate, smoothies, oatmeal, or baking without needing to melt discs first. If you like a slower, whisk-and-sip ritual, discs can be a great fit; if you want an easy-measure powder format for daily use, cacao powder can be simpler. As an alternative, Vital Purple offers High Flavanol Chocolate Squares for these cacao ceremonies as well.

Better Body Foods offers a single-ingredient organic cacao powder and shares sourcing details, including that the cacao originates from beans grown in Peru and is processed in the Netherlands. Although "Antioxidant Flavanols" is part of their marketing, no recording of said flavanols are published so it is hard to know whether they have the amount of flavanols needed to make an impact on your cardiovascular health.

The top selling cacao brands in the United States focus on raw processing as a quality statement and certifications. However, all of these cacao brands are fermented, which is reflected in the color, usually bringing the heat above 120F and destroying natural antioxidant properties. Also, the whole point of "Raw Cacao Powder" is to preserve micronutrients like flavanols, but these brands are not measuring their flavanol levels and if the dosages are correct to properly improve cardiovascular health.

Vital Purple is the world’s first raw cacao powder that has prevented the fermentation process entirely and our standard flavanol content is 900mg per 10g serving. If you want a cacao powder that keeps all the best nutrients of the plant it comes from, one where you know exactly what you’re eating and mixing into your drinks, Vital Purple is the cacao for you.