Semisweet Chocolate vs. Bittersweet Chocolate
Nutrition comparison of Semisweet Chocolate and Bittersweet Chocolate
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
semisweet chocolate
versus
bittersweet chocolate
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in semisweet chocolate and bittersweet chocolate:
- Both bittersweet chocolate and semisweet chocolate are high in calories, dietary fiber, iron and saturated fat.
- Bittersweet chocolate has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Bittersweet chocolate 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 Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both bittersweet chocolate and semisweet chocolate are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 24% more calories than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate has 517 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, semisweet chocolate is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to bittersweet chocolate per calorie. Semisweet chocolate has a macronutrient ratio of 3:51:46 and for bittersweet chocolate, 9:18:73 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Semisweet Chocolate | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 3% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 51% | 18% |
| Fat | 46% | 73% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Semisweet chocolate is high in carbohydrates and bittersweet chocolate has 57% less carbohydrates than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate has 66g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both bittersweet chocolate and semisweet chocolate are high in dietary fiber. Bittersweet chocolate has 148% more dietary fiber than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 16.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate has 6.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Semisweet chocolate is high in sugar and bittersweet chocolate has 98% less sugar than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 0.91g of sugar per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate has 53.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of protein and it has 223% more protein than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 14.3g of protein per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate has 4.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both bittersweet chocolate and semisweet chocolate are high in saturated fat. Bittersweet chocolate has 107% more saturated fat than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 32.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate has 15.6g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both semisweet chocolate and bittersweet chocolate are low in trans fat - semisweet chocolate has 0.04g of trans fat per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Both bittersweet chocolate and semisweet chocolate are low in cholesterol - bittersweet chocolate has 2mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate has 3mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Semisweet chocolate has more Vitamin A than bittersweet chocolate - semisweet chocolate has 22.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Bittersweet chocolate has more Vitamin E than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Bittersweet chocolate has more Vitamin K than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 9.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Bittersweet chocolate has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Semisweet Chocolate | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | ~ | 0.147 MG |
| Riboflavin | ~ | 0.1 MG |
| Niacin | ~ | 1.355 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.168 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | ~ | 0.027 MG |
| Folate | ~ | 28 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of calcium and it has 197% more calcium than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate has 34mg of calcium.
iron
Both bittersweet chocolate and semisweet chocolate are high in iron. Bittersweet chocolate has 498% more iron than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron per 100 grams and semisweet chocolate has 2.9mg of iron.
potassium
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of potassium and it has more potassium than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg 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 Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) .
Semisweet Chocolate g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Bittersweet Chocolate 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 bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate contain more calories in 100 grams?Both bittersweet chocolate and semisweet chocolate are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 20% more calories than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories in 100g and semisweet chocolate has 517 calories.
Does bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate have more carbohydrates?
By weight, semisweet chocolate is high in carbohydrates and bittersweet chocolate has 60% fewer carbohydrates than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of carbs for 100g and semisweet chocolate has 66g of carbohydrates.
Does bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate contain more calcium?
Bittersweet chocolate is a rich source of calcium and it has 200% more calcium than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and semisweet chocolate has 34mg of calcium.
Does bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate contain more iron?
Both bittersweet chocolate and semisweet chocolate are high in iron. Bittersweet chocolate has 500% more iron than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron in 100 grams and semisweet chocolate has 2.9mg of iron.
Does bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate contain more potassium?
Bittersweet chocolate is a rich source of potassium and it has more potassium than semisweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium in 100 grams and semisweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.