Brown Sugar vs. Cocoa Powder
Nutrition comparison of Brown Sugar and Cocoa Powder
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
brown sugar
versus
cocoa powder
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brown sugar and cocoa powder:
- Both brown sugar and cocoa powder are high in calcium, calories and carbohydrates.
- Cocoa powder has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Cocoa powder is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Brown Sugar (Sugar, brown) and Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both brown sugar and cocoa powder are high in calories. Brown sugar has 67% more calories than cocoa powder - brown sugar has 380 calories per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 228 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, brown sugar is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to cocoa powder per calorie. Brown sugar has a macronutrient ratio of 0:100:0 and for cocoa powder, 19:54:27 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Brown Sugar | Cocoa Powder | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~ | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 100% | 54% |
| Fat | ~ | 27% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both brown sugar and cocoa powder are high in carbohydrates. Brown sugar has 69% more carbohydrates than cocoa powder - brown sugar has 98.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 57.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than brown sugar - cocoa powder has 37g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Brown sugar is high in sugar and cocoa powder has 98% less sugar than brown sugar - brown sugar has 97g of sugar per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of protein and it has 162 times more protein than brown sugar - brown sugar has 0.12g of protein per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 19.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cocoa powder is high in saturated fat and brown sugar has less saturated fat than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 8.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin E
Cocoa powder and brown sugar contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cocoa powder has 0.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Cocoa powder and brown sugar contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cocoa powder has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Cocoa powder has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both brown sugar and cocoa powder contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Brown Sugar | Cocoa Powder | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | ~ | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | ~ | 0.241 MG |
| Niacin | 0.11 MG | 2.185 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.132 MG | 0.254 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.041 MG | 0.118 MG |
| Folate | 1 UG | 32 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both brown sugar and cocoa powder are high in calcium. Cocoa powder has 54% more calcium than brown sugar - brown sugar has 83mg of calcium per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium.
iron
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of iron and it has 18 times more iron than brown sugar - brown sugar has 0.71mg of iron per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 13.9mg of iron.
potassium
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of potassium and it has 10 times more potassium than brown sugar - brown sugar has 133mg of potassium per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 1524mg of potassium.
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Brown Sugar (Sugar, brown) and Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) .
Brown Sugar g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cocoa Powder g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does brown sugar or cocoa powder contain more calories in 100 grams?Both brown sugar and cocoa powder are high in calories. Brown sugar has 70% more calories than cocoa powder - brown sugar has 380 calories in 100g and cocoa powder has 228 calories.
Does brown sugar or cocoa powder have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both brown sugar and cocoa powder are high in carbohydrates. brown sugar has 70% more carbohydrates than cocoa powder - brown sugar has 98.1g of carbs for 100g and cocoa powder has 57.9g of carbohydrates.
Does brown sugar or cocoa powder contain more calcium?
Both brown sugar and cocoa powder are high in calcium. Cocoa powder has 50% more calcium than brown sugar - brown sugar has 83mg of calcium in 100 grams and cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium.
Does brown sugar or cocoa powder contain more iron?
Cocoa powder is an abundant source of iron and it has 18 times more iron than brown sugar - brown sugar has 0.71mg of iron in 100 grams and cocoa powder has 13.9mg of iron.
Does brown sugar or cocoa powder contain more potassium?
Cocoa powder is a rich source of potassium and it has 10 times more potassium than brown sugar - brown sugar has 133mg of potassium in 100 grams and cocoa powder has 1524mg of potassium.