Cocoa substitutes in baking: an alternative in the face of soaring prices

As you know, the global cocoa market has been experiencing turbulence for over three years due to insufficient global production. The end result is a continuous and significant rise in prices: in December 2024, cocoa prices even increased by 50% compared to the previous month , exceeding USD 10,000/tonne, their highest level in six months. This surge in costs is putting pressure on many professions, including pastry chefs, and prompting them to seek alternatives to maintain profitability.
At the recent SIRHA and CFIA trade fairs, many start-ups and manufacturers innovated and launched new products, cocoa substitutes or “cocoa replacers” with amazing taste and texture.
Why should we be interested in these innovations? Find out in our article.

Cocoa substitutes: an innovative solution

Faced with volatile cocoa prices, turning to cocoa substitutes helps limit production costs and avoid price increases in stores . These alternatives, often made from specific blends of malted flours, replicate the taste and color of cocoa.
These substitutes allow for the partial or total replacement of cocoa powder in various applications such as pastry, viennoiserie, biscuit making and premixes.

Among the advantages of the solution:

• 

  Cost reduction : using cocoa substitutes reduces dependence on fluctuations in the cocoa market and offers an attractive economic alternative.

• Maintaining organoleptic properties : the substitutes are designed to faithfully reproduce the taste and color of cocoa, thus guaranteeing a similar taste experience for the consumer.

• Flexibility of use : cocoa substitutes can be incorporated into various recipes without requiring major changes to manufacturing processes, making them easy to adopt by both artisan and industrial pastry chefs.

• Reduced carbon footprint : Cocoa farming is associated with massive deforestation , particularly in Ivory Coast and Ghana, as well as high water and energy consumption for drying and transporting the beans. By using alternatives made from local grains or ingredients, producers reduce their reliance on intensive cocoa farming, lower import-related emissions, and contribute to more sustainable production.
  

This alternative makes it possible to reconcile economic performance and environmental commitment , a strong expectation of today's consumers.

Applications in pastry

The use of cocoa substitutes is not limited to a single area. These alternatives are compatible with numerous applications in baking and pastry making, without altering the texture or taste of the finished products.

Products where cocoa substitutes are effective:

• Biscuits and cakes : direct integration into the dough to obtain a chocolate color and taste

• Pastries : use in creams and chocolate fillings

• Chocolate creams : partial or total replacement of cocoa

• industrial premixes : added to the ready-to-use bases for pastry chefs and bakers

Tests carried out by suppliers show that these substitutes make it possible to retain the organoleptic properties of the finished products, sometimes with a slight biscuit or caramel note due to the malted flours and caramelized sugars integrated into the formulations.

A pastry chef interviewed by the magazine Process Alimentaire indicated that he had tested several substitutes on his biscuit and brownie recipes: " The result is convincing, with a texture close to the original and a cost reduction of 30 to 40% on certain product ranges ." (Source: Process Alimentaire ).

French suppliers of cocoa substitutes

For professionals wishing to test these solutions, several French suppliers now offer high-performing alternatives, such as:

• AIT Ingredients – Cocoa Replacer, a clean label solution based on cereal ingredients ( AIT ingredients )

• Alfalfa Ingredients – SchoMalt, a natural substitute for cocoa powder. ( Alfalfa Ingredients )

• Nactarome – Cocoa Replacer, a blend of natural flavors and caramelized sugars to mimic the taste of cocoa ( Nactarome ).

• Ingredion – Cocoa alternative solution ( Ingredion ).

Their formulations are adapted to different applications in pastry making, and ensure both stable purchase prices and more stable availability than cocoa.

Why not test them?

Thus, cocoa substitutes offer an effective and innovative solution which certainly requires some adjustments to your recipes, but represents an opportunity to secure your supplies while remaining competitive.

Finally, some good news for cocoa enthusiasts: in its quarterly update published on February 28, 2025, the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) estimated that the global cocoa surplus should reach approximately 142,000 tons by the end of the 2024/2025 season, ending three consecutive years of deficit in the global cocoa market . This forecast is based on improved production in the main cocoa-producing countries, notably Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana (Source: Vivafrik.com ). Cocoa prices should therefore logically stabilize or begin to fall again. Fingers crossed!

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