Difference between dutch process and natural cocoa powder

Q: Can you substitute regular cocoa powder for Dutch process?

Obviously, its best to use whichever cocoa your recipe calls for. But can you substitute natural cocoa for Dutch-process (or vice-versa) in a pinch? Yes, you can obtain decent results simply by substituting one cocoa for another without making any adjustments.

Q: Is Hersheys cocoa powder natural or Dutch processed?

Frys Cocoa is an example of Dutch processed cocoa. In contrast, a non alkalized cocoa, such as Hersheys, is also unsweetened, but because it has not been Dutch processed, it still contains cocoas natural acids. Non alkalized, or natural cocoa tends to be lighter in color but less mellow in flavor.

These types of cocoa aren't always interchangeable. Here's how to know which cocoa to use when.

Table of Contents Show

Types of Cocoa Powder
Dutch-Process Cocoa
Natural Cocoa
Similarities and Differences
When the Cocoas Are Interchangeable
When and Why to Use a Specific Variety
When to use these different cocoa powders in recipes
Can you substitute regular cocoa powder for Dutch process?
How do I substitute Dutch
Is natural cocoa Dutch processed?
Is Hershey's cocoa powder natural or Dutch processed?

Craving a bite of brownie, a sip of hot cocoa, or a spoonful of chocolate pudding? You're going to need cocoa powder, the key flavoring agent that makes these and countless other sweet treats downright irresistible. But did you know there are two types of cocoa powder—natural cocoa and Dutch-process cocoa—each with its own distinct color, flavor, and composition? Here's how know exactly which type of cocoa to use when.

Types of Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder is made from cocoa beans, just like chocolate. The beans are fermented, roasted, and hulled, and the resulting cocoas nibs are turned into a paste, which is then pressed to remove most of the cocoa butter. What's left is dried and ground to become the substance we know as cocoa powder. The difference between types of cocoa powder lies in how they are processed before they are ground.

Dutch-Process Cocoa

To make Dutch-process, or alkalized, cocoa powder—also sometimes called "European-style cocoa"—the cocoa beans are first soaked or washed in an alkaline solution made with potassium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate. Once dried, they are finely ground to a powder. Baked goods made with Dutch-process cocoa have a dark brown, almost black hue, like our favorite One-Bowl Chocolate Cake and these Dark-and-White Chocolate Shortbread Hearts.

Natural Cocoa

Natural, or non-alkalized, cocoa powder is made from pure cocoa beans that are simply roasted and ground. Baked goods made with natural cocoa powder are a lighter, more reddish brown than ones made with Dutch-process. Try the natural variety in our winning Texas Sheet Cake or Hot Cocoa with Almond Milk.

Similarities and Differences

Compare these two varieties of cocoa side by side and you'll notice that the natural cocoa powder is lighter in color, almost reddish brown. Dutch-process appears much darker, nearly black, and this color is reflected in baked goods made with each type. You might think that the darker colored powder would have a more intense chocolate flavor, but the opposite is true. In the process of alkalization, the cocoa beans lose some of their acidity, so the powder takes on a milder, less bitter flavor. (The whole point of alkalization is to remove some of the acidity, actually.) You might also notice differences in aroma.

Some pastry chefs and professional bakers prefer the mild flavor of Dutch-process cocoas in baked desserts—it's the variety we use most often in our recipes—while others point to the bolder, almost fruity flavor that comes from natural, non-alkalized powder.

When the Cocoas Are Interchangeable

If a recipe simply calls for 'unsweetened cocoa powder,' you can usually use either type. This is especially true for sauces, frostings, puddings, ice creams, and hot cocoa (anything unbaked).

When and Why to Use a Specific Variety

Things get a little more tricky with substituting one for the other when you're baking a cake, cookie, or other treat that requires baking powder or baking soda for leavening. The difference in acidity between the two cocoa powders affects the way they interact with these leavening agents, which themselves boast varying levels of acidity and alkalinity.

As a general rule, recipes that call for natural cocoa powder also include baking soda, while those that specifically require Dutch-process cocoa also include baking powder among the other ingredients. The same is true for buttermilk, since it's also acidic and will react differently with each powder. (Brownies are often the exception to this rule, as most are made without chemical leaveners, or at least the chewy, fudgy ones—not tender, cakey brownies.) If you frequently bake cakes and cookies (if you've read this far, then you probably do), it's worth stocking both types of cocoa powder in your pantry.

"Both are delicious," says AmyGuittard, chief marketing officer of Guittard Chocolate Company, and a fifth generation employee of her family's namesake business. Having both gives the home baker a creative advantage, and allows for versatility when baking as each imparts distinct color, aroma, and flavor, she says.

Guittard isn't suggesting you taste the cocoa powder yourself, however. "Since they are both unsweetened, they are very strong when tasted raw, but they really come to life when used in a recipe along with sweeteners and other ingredients," she says. Rather than tasting, she suggests you try baking the same chocolate cake or cookie recipe twice—once with Dutch-process and next with natural cocoa powder. Keep everything else the same, then do a blind tasting to see if you prefer one to the other.

chocolate, cocoa powder, and cacao beans

Shulevskyy Volodymyr/Shutterstock

It's always important to have the right tools for the job, and in the kitchen, those tools are oftentimes ingredients. Even though it seems like they accomplish the same thing, there is a remarkable difference between sesame oil vs. extra virgin olive oil; yams vs. sweet potatoes; baking soda vs. baking powder; and so on. They all have their own flavors, and more often than not, their own properties and uses in the kitchen. Cocoa powder is no different. It can already be hard to tell the difference between cocoa and cacao, but there's another major variation out there that's important to know as well: the difference between Dutch process and natural cocoa powder.

According to Serious Eats, cocoa powder is made using processed cacao beans. These are mostly sourced from West African countries along the equator like Ghana, Nigeria, and the Ivory Coast (via Statista). They are then fermented, dried, and roasted before being processed and separated into cocoa butter and cocoa solids. Those solids are finally turned into an easy-to-use natural cocoa powder for cooks to infuse recipes with pure chocolaty notes. The Dutch process version, however, involves another step. Dutched cocoa powder incorporates a potassium carbonate wash, which lowers the powder's acidity and creates a flavor that Serious Eats describes as "earthy, woodsy," and mellower than more acidic natural cocoa powder.

When to use these different cocoa powders in recipes

cocoa powder

Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

Besides the flavor, Taste of Home says the important difference to note between these cocoa powders is that a Dutch process powder will not react with alkaline leaveners, like baking soda, in a recipe. Because it has less acidity than natural cocoa powder, it can't work together with non-acidic baking powder to make cakes, cookies, and other foods rise properly. This means that natural cocoa powder and Dutch process cocoa powder aren't always interchangeable, and using the wrong type of cocoa powder could result in a more dense baked good with a tighter crumb.

However, that doesn't mean that Dutched cocoa powder is off limits for desserts. If you prefer the deeper flavor and darker color of something made with Dutch process cocoa powder, all you need to do is check the ingredients list. If the recipe doesn't require baking soda for leavening, then it won't make a huge difference to work with Dutch process cocoa powder, per Serious Eats. If the recipe does need baking soda, just make sure that there is another ingredient with plenty of acidity (like buttermilk) to react with the baking soda, and you should be left with a final product with a deeper chocolate color and flavor profile. Finally, if you have some Dutch process cocoa powder around and don't want to misuse it, just save it for no-bake desserts, like chocolate ice cream, or for flouring your cake pans.

Can you substitute regular cocoa powder for Dutch process?

Obviously, it's best to use whichever cocoa your recipe calls for. But can you substitute natural cocoa for Dutch-process (or vice-versa) in a pinch? Yes, you can obtain decent results simply by substituting one cocoa for another without making any adjustments.

How do I substitute Dutch

It can also have a richer, deeper color than natural cocoa. “If a recipe calls for natural cocoa and baking soda and you want to use Dutch-process cocoa, substitute an equal amount of Dutch-process cocoa but replace the soda with twice the amount of baking powder.

Is natural cocoa Dutch processed?

Natural or unsweetened cocoa powder is exactly what you get when the dried roasted cocoa solids are ground up, there is no extra processing (whereas there is more processing for Dutch-process cocoa). Natural cocoa powder is naturally acidic, has a strong flavor, and has a light reddish-brown color.

Is Hershey's cocoa powder natural or Dutch processed?

Fry's Cocoa is an example of Dutch processed cocoa. In contrast, a non alkalized cocoa, such as Hershey's, is also unsweetened, but because it has not been Dutch processed, it still contains cocoa's natural acids. Non alkalized, or natural cocoa tends to be lighter in color but less mellow in flavor.