Natural vs Dutch-process Cocoa

We recently had a caller wanting to make a Chocolate Banana Bread recipe calling for Dutch-process cocoa. She did not have any on hand and was wondering what the difference was between it and Natural Cocoa.

There are two basic types of cocoa – Natural and Dutch-process. Natural cocoa is solid unsweetened chocolate that has had most of its fat removed before being ground into powder. Dutch-process cocoa is Natural cocoa that has been treated with an alkalizing agent to lower its acidity allowing for more chocolate flavor. That difference in acidity though means you cannot always substitute one type of cocoa for another in recipes due to the type and amount of leavener also used in the recipe.

If your recipe calls for baking powder – or baking powder predominantly along with some baking soda- choose either type of cocoa. The baking powder has already balanced the acidity in the recipe so the cocoa is used more for flavoring than leavening.

If your recipe calls for predominantly baking soda and there are no other acidic ingredients (yogurt, vinegar, buttermilk, sour cream, etc), you will want to use the Natural cocoa. The Natural cocoa’s acidity will neutralize baking soda’s potentially strong flavor.

If you do not have both types of cocoa on hand you may substitute with some changes. If your recipe calls for a combination of natural cocoa and baking soda, and you want to use Dutch-process: substitute an equal amount of Dutch-process but replace the baking soda with twice the amount of baking powder, leaving the remaining ingredients the same. If your recipe calls for Dutch-process cocoa plus baking powder and you want to use Natural cocoa: substitute equal amounts of cocoa but replace the baking powder with half the amount of baking soda and again leave the other ingredients the same.

Many people prefer to use a combination cocoa that will work in most all recipes. Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa is a combination of both Natural and Dutch-process cocoas.

If you are making a recipe that calls for cocoa but no leavening, such as hot fudge sauce or hot chocolate, it is fine to use either cocoa as you are using it for flavor.

 

Marcia Steed

I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Home Economics Education. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and traveling.

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6 thoughts on “Natural vs Dutch-process Cocoa

  1. Would high altitude baking affect this? I am asking because you do need to change the leavening amounts for high altitude.

  2. Hi Ann, I’m not sure I understand your question. Did you want to know if the amount of cocoa changes due to altitude? If so, then I would say no. Thanks

  3. Hi,
    My recipe calls for 8 Tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda & 1 teaspoon. I bought Dutch processed Cocoa powder with alkali (Rodelle). How do I adjust this for muffins?

  4. Anne, thank you for contacting AnswerLine. I think something got left out of your message as I don’t know what the 1 teaspoon was to be. The most common adjustment is this and hopefully will cover what is unknown: Replace the baking soda with twice the amount of baking powder, leaving the remaining ingredients the same. This change will help your muffins rise, since without the acid in natural cocoa you need a leavener that provides the necessary rise all on its own, i.e., baking powder. Note: If the recipe calls for baking soda as well as baking powder, or if it calls for vinegar or another acidic ingredient, there’s no need to make any change save substituting the cocoa.

  5. My mom graduated from Iowa State University in 1963 from the Home Economics Department. When she moved to Oregon, she brought with her a nice recipe collection from, I believe, the Student Union cafeteria, so each recipe made massive amounts.

    Two of the recipes she made frequently are for the hot fudge sauce and a molasses coffee cake, both that I loved while growing up. Unfortunately, she passed away not remembering where she put the recipe box. Is there anyway I can get both recipes from that era?

  6. Hi Karel, Thank you for reaching out to AnswerLine. I will reply with a personal email to you.

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