Trust us, they’re different.
Wander down the baking aisle of any grocery store and you’ll notice several boxes labeled baking chocolate.
Some say unsweetened, others bittersweet or semisweet, and another is labeled German’s sweet chocolate.
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There’s actually quite a big difference.
We’ve broken it all down for you, from types of chocolate to how to use it.
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What Is Baking Chocolate?
There are several kinds of baking chocolate, but in its purest form, baking chocolate is unsweetened chocolate.
This means it’s 100% chocolate (cacao) with no added sugar or flavor.
Unsweetened baking chocolate is not suited for all baking and should be used only when specified.
Let’s break down the types, and when and why you would use sweetened baking chocolate.
Bittersweet Baking Chocolate
As the name hints, this chocolate has some sugar added to it.
Unlike unsweetened or plain baking chocolate, bittersweet chocolate can contain flavors like vanilla and emulsifiers like soy lecithin.
The more cacao or chocolate in the bar, the darker the chocolate flavor will be in your dessert.
You’ll want to use this in desserts that don’t need an intense chocolate flavor.
Chunks of semisweet chocolate are perfect forchocolate chip cookiesor scattered inbanana bread.
Milk chocolate is the most mild baking chocolate in flavor and contains as little as 10% chocolate.
It’s commonly used in candy recipes and frostings.
It’s of course perfect forGerman Chocolate Cake.
What Is A Substitution For Baking Chocolate?
Can you chop up that candy bar forChocolate Mousse Pie?
Here’s why you could’t use just any chocolate as a substitution.
Chocolate Chips
While you could bake withchocolate chips, they are not the same as baking chocolate.
Chocolate chips have less cocoa butter and contain stabilizers to help keep their “chip” shape while baking.
They usually can’t be used interchangeably with baking chocolate in recipes.
They are meant for melting, so it’s best not to use them in your muffin recipe.
Save them for coating marshmallows, making peppermint bark, andmolding candies.
Yes, you’re free to eat it as you would a chocolate bar.
Baking bars have less sugar than regular chocolate, so the flavor may be more intense.
If stored properly, chocolate doesn’t expire, though its quality can diminish over time.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Code of Federal Regulations Title 21.
