SaurabhChocolate is one of the favorite sweet products made of cocoa beans.
The beans are fermented, roasted, and ground into coconut mass that has cocoa butter and cocoa solids in the same ratio. The cocoa mass, on the other hand, is heated during the production process it liquifies and is known as cocoa liquor.
Cocoa liquor is the purest form of chocolate without preservatives, and artificial flavors and colors. It is placed into molds and cooled into an unsweetened or baker’s chocolate. But it can be also separated into cocoa butter and cocoa solids.
You can use chocolate as a flavoring agent or plain. It is a common ingredient in different cakes, cookies, puddings, candies, bars, hot and cold beverages, coctains, and many other products.
Depending on the proportion of the cocoa solids and cocoa butter (known as cocoa mass) used in the making of the chocolate there are four types of chocolate including dark, milk, white, and unsweetened chocolate.
Semi-Sweet vs Dark Chocolate
If you’re wondering what’s the difference between semisweet and dark chocolate, there’s none because semisweet chocolate is in fact dark chocolate. Therefore, you can only make a difference between semisweet and bittersweet chocolate.
Semisweet chocolate has 60% of cocoa mass, sugar, emulsifier, and vanilla. The cocoa content is important because it affects the texture and the flavor of the final product. It has a sweet flavor, smooth texture and works well in baked goods, desserts, for coating and dipping.
Some brands of semisweet chocolate are sweeter than the others but they all provide a balance between the sweetness and the slightly bitter chocolate flavor in many various recipes.
Semisweet chocolate can be found in different shapes which are used for different recipes. You can choose between bars, blocks, discs, chocolate chips, and slabs.
Semisweet and bittersweet chocolate are two types of dark chocolate with different amounts of cocoa mass and added sugar. Semisweet chocolate contains more sugar, therefore it is sweeter than bittersweet chocolate. But they can be used as each other’s substitute in the recipes.
Bittersweet chocolate has a darker color, more bitter taste, and contains more cocoa mass than semisweet chocolate. It works in recipes where the deep chocolate flavor is necessary, like chocolate cakes, chocolate puddings, chocolate cookies, frostings, chocolate mousse, etc.
Semi-Sweet vs Milk Chocolate: What’s the Difference?
The difference between semisweet and milk chocolate is in the cocoa mass content. Milk chocolate has a cocoa mass content between 20-35%, while semisweet chocolate contains the 35-65% of cocoa mass.
The higher content of cocoa mass means that the chocolate is darker and more bitter. Milk chocolate consists of cocoa mass, sugar, milk powder, or condensed milk and flavorings.
The amount of the key ingredients vary depending on the brands and the place where it comes from. Therefore, the taste and nutritional value are also different.
Milk chocolate obviously has milk. It is creamy with a smooth texture and a lightly sweet flavor. Semisweet chocolate, on the other hand, has a darker color and a bit bitter, deeper, and richer chocolate flavor than milk chocolate.
Milk chocolate pairs well with milder flavors like caramel, toffee, honey, apples, oranges, peanut butter, hazelnuts, and similar ingredients.
Semisweet chocolate works well in sweet desserts and with strong flavors such as coconut cakes, cheesecake, and sweet fruits like mango, banana, and pears.
Can I Substitute Dark Chocolate for Semi-Sweet Chocolate?
You can substitute dark chocolate for semisweet chocolate in your recipes and you will not notice very big differences in the flavor.
By dark chocolate, I mean bittersweet chocolate that has from 65-80 % of cocoa mass and has a more bitter flavor than semisweet chocolate. Therefore, if you want a sweeter final product, you can increase the amount of sugar or any other sweetener you are using in the recipe.
You can substitute bittersweet chocolate-dark chocolate with semisweet chocolate in a 1:1 ratio when making brownies, chocolate cakes, and truffles.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Semi-Sweet?
If the recipe calls for semisweet chocolate, but you only have bittersweet chocolate, you can add sugar or honey to taste and make it semi-sweet. Or you can use dark chocolate as a substitute for semisweet chocolate in a 1:1 ratio.
They both have similar content of chocolate mass and sugar and are interchangeable in most of the recipes.
If you don’t have chocolate, you can use unsweetened cocoa powder to make it at home. You will need 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine, and 3 tablespoons of sugar.
This substitute works best in baked goods and it will give sweetness, chocolate flavor, and beautiful texture to the recipe. You can substitute one ounce of semisweet chocolate with this mixture of cocoa powder, sugar, and butter.
Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate Percentage
Dark chocolate is any chocolate that doesn’t have less than 35% of cocoa mass.
Semisweet dark chocolate contains 35-65% of cocoa mass. Meaning, semisweet chocolate contains a maximum 65% of cocoa mass and 35% of sugar.
This type of dark chocolate is a common ingredient in many baking recipes.
You can chop it and add it to cookies or melt it and use it in a pie or make candies with it. Semisweet chocolate contains cocoa butter, so it is melting easily and creates baked goods with a beautiful texture.
Types of Chocolate
Dark chocolate contains 35-80% of cocoa mass. There are three types of dark chocolate with different content of cocoa mass.
Semisweet chocolate contains 35-65% cocoa mass, bittersweet chocolate with 65-80% of cocoa mass, and bitter chocolate that contains 80-100% of cocoa mass.
Milk chocolate consists of cocoa butter, cocoa solids, sweetener, and milk. It contains from 20-35% of cocoa mass.
White chocolate doesn’t contain any cocoa solids. It is made only with cocoa butter, milk and sweetener and is the sweetest among the chocolates.
Unsweetened chocolate has a bitter flavor and works amazingly for cooking and baking. It is made only with cocoa butter and cocoa solids.
Final Thoughts
Semisweet and bittersweet chocolates are two types of dark chocolate with different content of cocoa mass. You can use both types for baking or plain.
Bittersweet chocolate is darker and more bitter than semisweet chocolate. Semisweet, on the other hand, is known as dark chocolate in the US while bittersweet chocolate is usually referred to as dark chocolate in Europe.
If the recipe calls for dark chocolate you can use both types of dark chocolate depending on the recipe you are making. Both types of dark chocolate can be used as each other’s substitute with some small adjustments.
You can add one tablespoon of sugar for each ounce of the semisweet chocolate you are substituting with bittersweet chocolate. Or add one teaspoon of cocoa powder for an ounce of the semisweet chocolate used as a substitute for bittersweet chocolate in the recipe.
Dark chocolate is a very healthy and nutritious product rich in antioxidants. It can provide many health benefits for the brain and heart.
You will only have to use dark chocolate with more than 70% of cocoa mass and without added trans fats and large amounts of sugar.
