If your biscuit recipe calls for cocoa powder and you want to control the amount of sugar separately, start with unsweetened cocoa. Sweetened cocoa powder is an option if you’re after its distinctive flavour, but check its sugar content and other ingredients before adjusting the mixture.
For a homemade recipe where the cocoa and sugar are measured separately, unsweetened cocoa makes it easier to follow the quantities specified. You should still use the amount of sugar given in the recipe unless you decide to adapt it.
Sweetened cocoa powders can offer a milder or flavoured taste. Poulain Grand Arôme contains sugar and flavouring, while Banania Original combines cocoa with ingredients including cereals, banana and honey. Factor these ingredients into your biscuit mixture.
Ingredients and ‘may contain’ warnings vary by product. If you’re cooking for someone with dietary restrictions, check the packaging of the specific product and pack size you plan to use.
First, distinguish between unsweetened cocoa and sweetened cocoa powder, then check the ingredients that could affect your recipe.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar content | Read the ingredients and the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. If the powder is sweetened, adjust the sugar in your mixture. | When I’m following a recipe that lists cocoa and sugar separately, I want to control both amounts; around 36% of consumers would make this their priority. |
| Flavour | Compare the cocoa content, if stated, then check for flavourings, cereals and other ingredients. | If I want biscuits with an already sweet or flavoured taste, I can choose a blended powder rather than plain cocoa; around 29% of consumers would put this flavour first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the ingredients list and ‘may contain’ warnings on the pack you’re buying, even for unsweetened cocoa. | If the biscuits are for someone who needs to avoid certain ingredients, I check the exact product before cooking; this would be the main concern for around 21% of consumers. |
| Pack size and availability | Check the net weight and choose a pack size to suit how often you bake; check the ingredients of the pack you select. | Whether I’m baking occasionally or preparing batches regularly, I first look for a pack size that suits my needs; around 14% of consumers would prioritise this. |
The two products don’t contain the same amount of sugar. Chocolat Poulain lists 67 g of sugars per 100 g for Grand Arôme, while Auchan lists 1.9 g per 100 g for its 250 g unsweetened cocoa.
Check what type of powder you have, then take its sugar content into account before changing the amount of sugar added to the biscuits.
Banania Original contains ingredients including cereals, banana and honey. A recipe designed around pure cocoa may therefore not have the expected flavour when made with this powder.
Choose a blended powder if you specifically want its ingredients to come through in your biscuits; otherwise, use the ingredients specified in the recipe.
According to the French Ministry of the Economy, displaying Nutri-Score is voluntary in France. The DGCCRF states that nutrition labelling is generally compulsory for prepacked foods, subject to applicable exceptions.
If Nutri-Score is shown, treat it as additional information. To compare these powders, also read the ingredients and nutritional values per 100 g.
Auchan 100% pure unsweetened cocoa mentions that it may contain traces of gluten, milk, eggs, soya and nuts. Banania Original contains wheat and barley, among other ingredients, so the products are not interchangeable.
If an ingredient or trace could be a problem, check the packaging of the specific product you’re using.
Chocolat Poulain describes Grand Arôme and Grand Arôme Intense as sweetened cocoa powders, containing 32% and 70% cocoa respectively.
Banania Original combines cocoa, sugar, cereals, banana and honey.
Auchan offers, among other products, 250 g of 100% pure unsweetened cocoa powder.
Carrefour describes its 250 g Carrefour Original cocoa powder as having no added sugars; this doesn’t mean it contains no naturally occurring sugars.
E.Leclerc lists Marque Repère cocoa powders, as well as a 250 g Bio Village low-fat cocoa product whose listed ingredient is low-fat cocoa powder.
This selection includes cocoa powders and cocoa-based blends to consider for biscuits. The right choice depends in part on how much room your recipe leaves for sugar and other ingredients.
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Worth considering if you want to measure the sugar in your biscuits separately from the cocoa. ‘14.7%’ appears in the product name, so check the pack to see what it refers to before comparing ingredients. Also check the allergen and ‘may contain’ information on the pack you buy.
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A good choice for biscuits where the flavour you want comes from a sweetened, flavoured powder. Check how much sugar it adds before using a recipe designed for unsweetened cocoa, and check the allergen information on the pack.
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Worth considering if you want a blended chocolate powder for your biscuits rather than plain cocoa. It contains sugar, chocolate fudge and milk, so adjust your recipe and check the label if these ingredients are a concern.
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For a biscuit recipe that suits a sweetened chocolate powder containing milk, rather than pure cocoa. Adjust the added sugar and check the allergen and ‘may contain’ information on the pack.
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Choose this if you want to add a sweetened, flavoured powder to your mixture. It won’t measure like unsweetened cocoa, so adjust the sugar in your recipe and check the allergen information on this pack size.
Unsweetened cocoa lets you keep to the amount of sugar specified separately in the recipe. If you use sweetened cocoa powder instead, check its ingredients before adjusting the sugar, and make sure you’re happy with any added flavourings or cereals.
No. According to the French Ministry of the Economy, displaying Nutri-Score is voluntary. The DGCCRF states that nutrition labelling is generally compulsory for prepacked foods, subject to applicable exceptions; it includes information such as the amount of sugar per 100 g.
Don’t assume this applies to a dry powder intended to be mixed. The legislation published on Légifrance covers drinks and liquid preparations for drinks that meet its conditions. To establish whether it applies to a specific product, you need to check its classification and how it is presented.
A short ingredients list doesn’t rule out a ‘may contain’ warning. Auchan 100% pure unsweetened cocoa, 250 g, mentions possible traces of gluten, milk, eggs, soya and nuts. Check the information on the specific pack you’re using.