How to Substitute Cocoa Powder for Unsweetened Chocolate

Unsweetened cocoa powder can be used as a substitute for unsweetened, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate.

Unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed) can be used as a substitute for virtually any recipe that calls for unsweetened chocolate. Since unsweetened chocolate is made from cocoa solids and cocoa butter, one simply needs to add the right amount of butter to the cocoa powder to use it as a substitute.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cup
• Mixing bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Cocoa powder
• Water
• Unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Dissolve 3 tablespoons (18 grams) of unsweetened cocoa powder into 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of hot water. This helps bring out the full flavour of the cocoa.

2. Mix together the cocoa powder-liquid mix with 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of unsalted butter.

3. Use your mixture the same way you would use unsweetened chocolate.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also use unsweetened cocoa powder as a substitute for bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. Simply dissolve 1 tablespoon and 1 ¾ teaspoons of cocoa powder (9.5 grams) in a ¼ cup of hot water (60 ml). Again, this is done to bring out the full flavour of the cocoa. Next, mix together the cocoa powder-liquid mix with 1 tablespoon and ½ teaspoon of granulated white sugar (14.5 grams) and 1 ½ teaspoons of unsalted butter (7 grams). You can now use this mixture the same way you would use bittersweet or semisweet chocolate.

• Never substitute undiluted cocoa powder for a recipe that calls for unsweetened, bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. Cocoa powder has a very strong and bitter taste and could negatively alter the flavor of the recipe.

References

• Baking Chocolate and Cocoa Powder
• "The Cake Bible"; Rose Levy Beranbaum; 1988
• The Joy of Baking: Substitutions