Cocoa Powder vs. White Sugar
Nutrition comparison of Cocoa Powder and White Sugar
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cocoa powder
versus
white sugar
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cocoa powder and white sugar:
- Both cocoa powder and white sugar are high in calories and carbohydrates.
- Cocoa powder has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Cocoa powder is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) and White Sugar (Sugar, granulated) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both cocoa powder and white sugar are high in calories. White sugar has 70% more calories than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 228 calories per 100 grams and white sugar has 387 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cocoa powder is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to white sugar per calorie. Cocoa powder has a macronutrient ratio of 18:53:29 and for white sugar, 0:100:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cocoa Powder | White Sugar | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 18% | ~ |
| Carbohydrates | 53% | 100% |
| Fat | 29% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both cocoa powder and white sugar are high in carbohydrates. White sugar has 73% more carbohydrates than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 57.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and white sugar has 100g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than white sugar - cocoa powder has 37g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and white sugar does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
White sugar is high in sugar and cocoa powder has 98% less sugar than white sugar - cocoa powder has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and white sugar has 99.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of protein and it has more protein than white sugar - cocoa powder has 19.6g of protein per 100 grams and white sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Fat
saturated fat
Cocoa powder is high in saturated fat and white sugar has less saturated fat than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 8.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and white sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin E
Cocoa powder and white sugar contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cocoa powder has 0.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and white sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Cocoa powder and white sugar contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cocoa powder has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and white sugar does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Cocoa powder has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Cocoa Powder | White Sugar | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.078 MG | ~ |
| Riboflavin | 0.241 MG | 0.019 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 127 times more calcium than white sugar - cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium per 100 grams and white sugar has 1mg of calcium.
iron
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of iron and it has 276 times more iron than white sugar - cocoa powder has 13.9mg of iron per 100 grams and white sugar has 0.05mg of iron.
potassium
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of potassium and it has 761 times more potassium than white sugar - cocoa powder has 1524mg of potassium per 100 grams and white sugar has 2mg 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: Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) and White Sugar (Sugar, granulated) .
Cocoa Powder g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
White Sugar 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 cocoa powder or white sugar contain more calories in 100 grams?Both cocoa powder and white sugar are high in calories. White sugar has 70% more calories than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 228 calories in 100g and white sugar has 387 calories.
Does cocoa powder or white sugar have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both cocoa powder and white sugar are high in carbohydrates. white sugar has 70% more carbohydrates than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 57.9g of carbs for 100g and white sugar has 100g of carbohydrates.
Does cocoa powder or white sugar contain more calcium?
Cocoa powder is a rich source of calcium and it has 127 times more calcium than white sugar - cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium in 100 grams and white sugar has 1mg of calcium.
Does cocoa powder or white sugar contain more iron?
Cocoa powder is an abundant source of iron and it has 276 times more iron than white sugar - cocoa powder has 13.9mg of iron in 100 grams and white sugar has 0.05mg of iron.
Does cocoa powder or white sugar contain more potassium?
Cocoa powder is a rich source of potassium and it has 761 times more potassium than white sugar - cocoa powder has 1524mg of potassium in 100 grams and white sugar has 2mg of potassium.