Recipes & Cooking How to Cook Substitutions Our Test Kitchen's Top Substitutes for Chocolate of Every Type Discover the best substitutes for semisweet, baking, and unsweetened chocolate in your favorite recipes with our Test Kitchen-approved alternatives. By Karla Walsh Karla Walsh Karla Walsh began her career at FITNESS magazine in 2010. Since, she's worked at a wide variety of publications full-time, including BHG.com, Recipe.com and as a cross-brand social media specialist. From search engine optimization to features for print to video strategy, she has a diverse background in all things magazines. At the start of 2019, Karla chose to pursue full-time freelance writing and has contributed to more than 3 dozen brands. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on January 6, 2023 Fact checked by Marcus Reeves Fact checked by Marcus Reeves Marcus Reeves is an experienced writer, publisher, and fact-checker. He began his writing career reporting for The Source magazine. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Playboy, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone, among other publications. His book Somebody Scream: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power was nominated for a Zora Neale Hurston Award. He is an adjunct instructor at New York University, where he teaches writing and communications. Marcus received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Learn about BHG's Fact Checking Process When a cocoa craving strikes, we want it, like, 5 minutes ago. But what happens when our pantry staples are fresh out of cocoa powder, chocolate chips, or chocolate bars for those decadent dark chocolate recipes, white chocolate desserts, or milk chocolate creations? Enter: chocolate substitutes for all of your chocolate recipe needs. Whether you're seeking a substitute for baking chocolate for cakes, pies, or tarts, or are in need of a substitute for chocolate chips to re-create Grandma's chocolate chip cookies, these chocolate replacements will help you skip a trip to the store (or save money on a special grocery delivery). Most importantly, you'll have fewer minutes between you and a luscious cure to your craving. Karla Conrad The Best Chocolate Substitutes, Plus 1 to Chocolate Replacement to Skip Need chocolate for a recipe but don't have any on hand? The following chocolate substitutes can help you adjust your recipes to account for any unavailable chocolate sources. Substitutes for Unsweetened Chocolate These chocolate replacements should work in most recipes that call for unsweetened chocolate, but if you're making a super chocolatey treat, stick to replacing no more than half with the cocoa powder mixture, as these chocolate substitutes can impact the texture. Chocolate replacement for 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate: 3 tablespoons cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted shortening1½ ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (you may want to omit 1 tablespoon of sugar from the rest of the recipe) Substitutes for Semisweet or Milk Chocolate Both semisweet and milk chocolate consist of chocolate plus sugar, vanilla, and emulsifiers to keep them in bar or block form. Any solid chocolate (bittersweet, semisweet, or milk) can generally be swapped in and out in equal quantities. Just be ready for a slight difference in flavor. Chocolate replacement for 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate, or milk chocolate: ⅔ ounce unsweetened chocolate + 2 teaspoons sugar3 tablespoons chocolate chips3 tablespoons unsweetened or Dutch-process cocoa powder + 3 tablespoons sugar + 1 tablespoon melted butter or shortening Substitutes for Chocolate Chips Nearly every recipe for chocolate morsels includes stabilizers to help them keep their signature shape even while baked at high temperatures. That makes them ideal for cookies, cakes, brownies, and other desserts that you enjoy their texture whole, but not the best for smooth chocolate sauces, custards, or puddings. This is also helpful to keep in mind as you consider substitutes for chocolate chips in recipes; the swaps below will work just fine, however, they may melt a bit more into the final product if it's heated. Chocolate replacement for 1 ounce chocolate chips: 1 ounce chopped sweet baking chocolate, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate1 ounce chopped unsweetened chocolate + 1 tablespoon sugar Mexican Chocolate Substitutes Popular in mole sauces and some spiced desserts, if you don't have a block of Mexican chocolate, it's easy to mix up an alternative from other baking staples. Chocolate replacement for 1 ounce Mexican chocolate: 1 ounce semisweet chocolate or cocoa powder + ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1 drop almond extract How to Substitute Chocolate Pieces for Unsweetened Cocoa Powder in Any Recipe White Chocolate Substitutes Little else can act as a white chocolate replacement besides other shapes and sizes of white chocolate. Chocolate replacement for 1 ounce white chocolate: 1 ounce white chocolate chips1 ounce milk chocolate, chopped or chips (note that the flavor will change substantially, but still be delicious) Chocolate Substitutes for Cocoa or Dutch-Process Cocoa Hot cocoa mix is different than cocoa powder, so save that for your mug. Standard cocoa is ground unsweetened chocolate in a powdered form, with most of the cocoa butter removed. Dutch-process is cocoa treated with an alkalizing agent so it's less acidic, smoother, and darker in hue. If a recipe calls for 3 tablespoons or less of either type of cocoa powder, they can be used interchangeably. Otherwise, follow the chocolate substitute ideas below. Chocolate replacement for 1 ounce cocoa powder: 1 ounce Dutch-process cocoa powder. If the recipe calls for baking soda, replace that with twice as much baking powder to make up for the loss of acidity. If the recipe already calls for both soda and powder, no need to make any alterations.3 tablespoons carob powder Chocolate replacement for 1 ounce Dutch-process cocoa powder: 1 ounce regular cocoa powder. If the recipe calls for baking powder, replace that with half as much baking soda to neutralize the acidity of your standard cocoa powder. If the recipe already calls for both soda and powder, no need to make any alterations.3 tablespoons carob powder Jason Donnelly The One Chocolate Replacement to Avoid Do not substitute chocolate syrup for melted chocolate in any recipe. (Plus, let's be honest, the flavor of some of these ice cream toppings—especially those made mostly with high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup—isn't as rich.) The consistency is different and the results will be less than optimal. Your best bet for a substitute for melted chocolate is to melt down chips or chopped pieces of any similar chocolate style. Learn the best way to melt chocolate and try a homemade chocolate sauce recipe that tops anything you can buy in a squeeze bottle. 21 Essential Baking Tools Every Home Cook Needs (Plus 16 That Are Nice to Have) What Are Health-Conscious Substitutes for Chocolate? Our Test Kitchen suggests using fewer mini chocolate chips in any recipe that calls for standard-size chocolate chips or chocolate chunks mixed into the batter, such as a cake or cookie. As a substitute for chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips go further so it doesn't seem as though there are fewer of them. Chocolate replacement for ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips: ¼ cup semisweet mini chocolate chips Chocolate is high in heart-healthy antioxidants, specifically a type of antioxidants called flavonoids. Flavonoids are plant-based compounds that are found in various foods, including cocoa beans used to make chocolate. Chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, has been shown to contain high levels of flavonoids, which have been linked to numerous health benefits, including preventing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and cognitive diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia. Chocolate replacement for 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate: 3 tablespoons natural, unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, canola oil, or butter Next time you're in a pinch use one of these substitutions to ensure the dessert course can still be part of the menu. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit