Best Cocoa Powder For Making Chocolate

Not only does cocoa powder add rich flavor and color to our desserts and cakes, but it also gives us a great reason to dig out the marshmallows and make a tasty cup of hot cocoa. Cocoa has been around for centuries and even to date, its health benefits are still being researched. Cocoa powder is extremely versatile, comes in different variety of colors, and is subjected to two different processes during its production: There are two main types of cocoa powder, natural or Dutch-processed,

Dutch-processed, which balances the pH levels of the beans to give them a milder flavor, and Natural, which is loved by those who do not want to strip the product of its God-given nutrients.

Although we know there are some health benefits of cocoa, in recent years there has been growing concern over levels of heavy metals in cocoa and chocolate products.

Good Cocoa Powder Brands For Making Chocolate

#1. The Hershey’s Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

This cocoa powder is gluten-free and OU Kosher Certified. Made of pure cacao in the US, this is ideal for making desserts as well as being suitable for hot cocoa. The back of the can contains recipes and instructions for making frosting and hot cocoa, although if you prefer chocolate a little darker, you may need to mix in some dark cocoa with this when baking, as it is lighter cocoa.

Advantages

  • It is a natural cocoa powder
  • It is unsweetened
  • It is gluten-free

#2. Anthony’s Organic Cocoa Powder

This 2 lb bag of cocoa powder is certified USDA Organic and is also gluten-free. It is less-refined cocoa due to non-alkalizing during processing. Certified USDA Organic, Anthony’s organic cocoa powder (2 lb) is suitable for those on a gluten-free diet. As this small-batch tested cocoa powder has not been treated to neutralize its acidity, the final product is less refined.

Advantages

  • It is organic
  • It is non-alkalized
  • It is gluten-free
  • It can be produced in small batches

​#3. Ghirardelli Chocolate Unsweetened Cocoa Pouch

It is ideal for baking, desserts or for making drinking chocolate. The non-alkalized Ghirardelli 100% cocoa (8 oz) comes in a resealable pouch. This unsweetened powder is suitable for use as a hot cocoa or for in baking, although some may find it a little bitter for use as hot cocoa as it is unsweetened.

Advantages

  • It is 100% cocoa
  • It is unsweetened
  • It is non-alkalized
  • It comes in 8 oz resealable pouch

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.