4 Best Cocoa Butter Substitutes

Cocoa butter

No meal, pastry, or dish is complete without adding butter in the process of making. There are many types of butter that are used for different reasons in cooking.

Cocoa butter is one of the many types of butter that is known all over the world. It is a form of pure butter. It is a product that is known for its presence in body and face lotions. Cocoa butter is commonly used in cooking as well and it is a product that will give a unique taste to your sweet and savory recipes.

It has the aroma and the flavor of cocoa and it is considered vegetable fat. However, what if the recipe calls for cocoa butter and you have none at reach, is there anything else that can be used instead?

Can I substitute cocoa butter in recipes? Well yes, you can. There are a few types of oils and products that fit the same when used in recipes instead of cocoa butter. You can easily use Palm Kernel, Coconut oil, Soy Lecithin or Cottonseed.

Also, in this article, you can find out the answer if you can use regular butter as a replacement in your recipe for cocoa butter. Another important thing to look for is the recipe for making your own cocoa butter at home. So, all you have to do is read the article and found out more about the topic.

Substitutes for Cocoa Butter

No need to worry if you are out of cocoa butter or simply you want to use something else in your recipe, I’ve made a list just for you. Read below so you can check the list of products that will fit in your recipe very easily.

Actually, cocoa butter substitutes are defined as fat compounds as long as you choose the right product to bring out the texture and flavor. Among the list, you’ll find some oils that actually mimic the cocoa butter in recipes.

1. Palm Oil

This is a product that is used as a common substitute for cocoa butter. It gives chocolates a glossy appearance and it is palm oil that contributes to deforestation and loss of biodiversity. This is a product that does not contain cholesterol or fatty acids.

It is commonly used in cooking because it does not cost a lot and it can be easily found. This is an oil that has a long shelf life as well.  If you are planning on using it make sure that it is sustainably grown palm oil.

2. Coconut oil

This is a commonly used product that is used as a substitute for cocoa butter. It has a high smoke point and a long shelf life. It is good for baking, frying. As well as for greasing baking pans or a perfect replacement for butter in recipes. It is commonly used for making chocolate because it allows the chocolate to harden faster and it is usually used to make shells or drizzle.

3. Soy Lecithin

This is another type of oil that is taken out of processed soybeans and usually used as an emulsifier in chocolate. When you use this product it will actually blend all together with your ingredients and hold everything together.

It is a very important natural component that is usually found in egg yolks but is soy-based which makes this product vegan friendly. It can be found in almost every chocolate bar. But the downside of this product is that it’s not the healthiest alternative that you can use.

4. Cottonseed

Another oil alternative is used as well. It’s the cheapest alternative and it has a lot of polyunsaturated fats. Because of this reason, it is not actually a really healthy option. It is made from cotton plants and its oils are commonly used for cooking and salad. Actually, after hydrogenation, this is an oil that can be turned into shortenings and margarine.

Your guide on Cocoa butter: how to use it?

This is an ingredient that will bring out a unique taste to your desserts. And yet somehow this is also an ingredient that is commonly used in beauty products. This means that cocoa butter is uniquely helpful in many ways from a beauty product to an ingredient in cooking.

Cocoa butter is a type of butter that has a lot of fat but it still contains a lot of healthy nutrients. In order to make cocoa butter, first, the beans need to be taken from a larger cocoa plant named Theobroma cacao. The process goes as they are roasted, striped, and pressed so the fat can be taken out. The remnants are processed and from them comes cocoa powder.

This is a vegan product that contains no dairy products. It has a pale yellow color and a solid form, meaning that it needs to be melted before using it. You can use it to make chocolate as it will make the chocolate bars smooth and give them a silky mouthfeel.

This is a product that has a long shelf life because of the texture. It is resistant to oxidation because it has high levels of natural tocopherols and fatty acid composition.

You can find cocoa butter formulas in supermarkets, drug stores, or natural food stores. Cocoa butter can help improve your skin tone if used as a beauty product but if you are using it as part of your meal it would add a unique taste to it.

The advantages of cocoa substitutes:

If you use the substitutes from the list above you’ll actually get:

  • An excellent sharp and complete melting at a body temperature
  • Another good thing is the cooling sensation in your mouth when cooking with these ingredients.
  • Glossiness and shyness added to your chocolate bar or the outer layer of your cake.

Make your own cocoa butter:

Actually, there is a way that you can make cocoa butter at home. Since this is a product for many purposes, you can make it to use as part of your skincare products or simply use it in the kitchen to make something delicious with a unique taste.

The process starts with cleaning the cocoa beans at a medium heat temperature for about 90 minutes. You have to make sure that the heat is spread among all the cocoa beans. Then, after the process is done cool the beans quickly a room temperature with a fan so you can prevent scorching.

After this, use a hammer to just lightly and gently tap the beans to remove the inner part of the cocoa bean. The outer shell will be loosened from the roasting so won’t be hard to get it out. Place the bean in a sieve with a bowl underneath and shake the cocoa bean.

Grind the nib into “cocoa liquor and actually the heat from the grinder will melt the fat and turn the powdery nibs into liquid.  You can strain the liquor through a cloth to filter the cocoa butter.

Keep in mind that if you need to make 1qt. of cocoa butter you’ll need 10 kg of cocoa beans.  Sort the beans by size when you are roasting them. Also, do no use an open flame since the shells of the cocoa beans are flammable.

Related questions:

Can I replace regular butter with cocoa butter?

As we previously established, cocoa butter is high in fat and we also made a list of substitutes that are commonly used. But what if you only have regular butter at home, is there a chance that you can use it instead of cocoa butter in the recipe?

Surprisingly you can. I would recommend using regular butter. They might not have the same aroma and give the same taste to your recipe, but as a substitute, you can use them to make your recipe work. Make sure to use regular butter with high fats or shortening but try to adapt to your recipe so you’ll make a nice tasty dish.

What Does Cocoa Butter Taste Like?

Cocoa butter has a mildly sweet flavor and a special aroma that is reminiscent of chocolate. It has a very strong scent but the flavor is not that strong. You can’t eat it on its own, because it is used as an ingredient in recipes and beauty products.

What is cocoa butter used for baking?

Actually, cocoa butter is commonly used for thinning chocolate and making the chocolate coating. It is also used as a baking application because it actually makes the product harden at room temperature and makes it less than ideal for cramping or other liquid fats.

What is the difference between cocoa butter and cacao butter?

Firstly the cacao butter is a pure product that is made from cold-pressed oil from the cacao bean. Whilst the cocoa butter undergoes some heating during the pressing process. Raw cacao butter is more nutrient-dense but otherwise, they are almost the same.

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