Semisweet Chocolate vs. Cocoa Powder
Nutrition comparison of Semisweet Chocolate and Cocoa Powder
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
semisweet chocolate
versus
cocoa powder
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder:
- Both semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron and saturated fat.
- Cocoa powder has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Cocoa powder is an excellent source of calcium, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Semisweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, MARS SNACKFOOD US, M&M's Semisweet Chocolate Mini Baking Bits) and Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder are high in calories. Semisweet chocolate has 127% more calories than cocoa powder - semisweet chocolate has 517 calories per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 228 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, semisweet chocolate is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to cocoa powder for carbs. Semisweet chocolate has a macronutrient ratio of 3:51:46 and for cocoa powder, 19:54:27 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Semisweet Chocolate | Cocoa Powder | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 3% | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 51% | 54% |
| Fat | 46% | 27% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder are high in carbohydrates. Semisweet chocolate has 14% more carbohydrates than cocoa powder - semisweet chocolate has 66g of total carbs per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 57.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder are high in dietary fiber. Cocoa powder has 452% more dietary fiber than semisweet chocolate - semisweet chocolate has 6.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 37g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Semisweet chocolate is high in sugar and cocoa powder has 97% less sugar than semisweet chocolate - semisweet chocolate has 53.1g 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 341% more protein than semisweet chocolate - semisweet chocolate has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 19.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder are high in saturated fat. Semisweet chocolate has 94% more saturated fat than cocoa powder - semisweet chocolate has 15.6g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 8.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder are low in trans fat - semisweet chocolate has 0.04g of trans fat per 100 grams and cocoa powder does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Both semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder are low in cholesterol - semisweet chocolate has 3mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cocoa powder does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Semisweet chocolate has more Vitamin A than cocoa powder - semisweet chocolate has 22.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cocoa powder does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cocoa powder has 0.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cocoa powder has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Cocoa powder has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Semisweet Chocolate | Cocoa Powder | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | ~ | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | ~ | 0.241 MG |
| Niacin | ~ | 2.185 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.254 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | ~ | 0.118 MG |
| Folate | ~ | 32 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of calcium and it has 276% more calcium than semisweet chocolate - semisweet chocolate has 34mg of calcium per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium.
iron
Both semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder are high in iron. Cocoa powder has 376% more iron than semisweet chocolate - semisweet chocolate has 2.9mg 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 more potassium than semisweet chocolate - cocoa powder has 1524mg of potassium per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
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: Semisweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, MARS SNACKFOOD US, M&M's Semisweet Chocolate Mini Baking Bits) and Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) .
Semisweet Chocolate 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 semisweet chocolate or cocoa powder contain more calories in 100 grams?Both semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder are high in calories. Semisweet chocolate has 130% more calories than cocoa powder - semisweet chocolate has 517 calories in 100g and cocoa powder has 228 calories.
Does semisweet chocolate or cocoa powder have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder are high in carbohydrates. semisweet chocolate has 10% more carbohydrates than cocoa powder - semisweet chocolate has 66g of carbs for 100g and cocoa powder has 57.9g of carbohydrates.
Does semisweet chocolate or cocoa powder contain more calcium?
Cocoa powder is a rich source of calcium and it has 280% more calcium than semisweet chocolate - semisweet chocolate has 34mg of calcium in 100 grams and cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium.
Does semisweet chocolate or cocoa powder contain more iron?
Both semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder are high in iron. Cocoa powder has 380% more iron than semisweet chocolate - semisweet chocolate has 2.9mg of iron in 100 grams and cocoa powder has 13.9mg of iron.
Does cocoa powder or semisweet chocolate contain more potassium?
Cocoa powder is a rich source of potassium and it has more potassium than semisweet chocolate - cocoa powder has 1524mg of potassium in 100 grams and semisweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.