Milk Chocolate VS. Dark (& Semi Sweet)

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BetsyB

Assistant Cook
Joined
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Hi everyone,
Not sure if this is better in the general cooking or diabetic cooking section. But since I am using sugar substitute then I guess I will post here, though part of it is a general question.

I had asked someone what is the difference in ingredients between milk and dark chocolate. I was told that milk had much more sugar. However, many darker chocolates have the same amount of sugar for the same serving as milk chocolates. One of many examples is Hershey's & Dove dark and milk chocolate containing the same amount of sugar for the same serving size. Yet one has a bitter taste, and the other does not. I did find some lower sugar darks since then for my dad to enjoy, yey! Like the 70% and 80% Lindts. But your average dark chocolate has the same amount of sugar as milk....

So I wonder then, what else is it that makes milk chocolate *milk* ? I tried using cocoa powder unsweetened and adding sugar one time and erythritol the 2nd time. In both cases the mix turned sweeter, but the bitterness remained. Perhaps a little less bitter, but never did completely go away. And adding more sugar just made it overly sweet while maintaining the bitterness, just a strong overwhelming flavor all around.


Again it makes me realize there is something else in milk chocolate that is perhaps not in dark? Does anyone know what it is? I hope it's not something not so good for us. As it is, my goal was to make something healthy by using unsweetened cocoa and a non harmful sugar sub.

Any help appreciated, thanks!
 
Milk Chocolate has a higher cocoa butter content...more fat. That is the difference, the percentage of cocoa powder to fat content. Dark chocolate is better for you because of that difference. White chocolate is pure sweetened cocoa butter.
 
Milk Chocolate has a higher cocoa butter content...more fat. That is the difference, the percentage of cocoa powder to fat content. Dark chocolate is better for you because of that difference. White chocolate is pure sweetened cocoa butter.

And yet when comparing fats between milk and dark, their also the same for the same size. I don't get it :(

What is the deal with undweetened cocoa powder? What is that composed of ? Cocoa bean and cocoa butter or has the butter been removed?

Thanks.
 
And yet when comparing fats between milk and dark, their also the same for the same size. I don't get it :(

What is the deal with undweetened cocoa powder? What is that composed of ? Cocoa bean and cocoa butter or has the butter been removed?

Thanks.

I only eat and have in the house 70% or greater cacao, so I can't compare at this time. There is a difference in the fat content of the two bars I have. I do know that my cardiologist and dietician love that I eat only very dark chocolate.
 
This is what I found on the difference:

"Although milk chocolate may taste great, it’s not nearly as good for you as dark chocolate is. This is because milk chocolate contains less of the original cocoa bean than dark chocolate does. Although milk chocolate does contain cocoa solids, it’s often diluted with the addition of milk solids, sugar, and cream. Since milk chocolate does contain some cocoa solids though, its not completely void of all nutrition; however, the nutritional quality is minimal in comparison with dark chocolate, which typically has more of the original cocoa present.

"http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/blogs/fitstop/2012/01/23/healthy-eating/milk-chocolate-or-dark-chocolate/
 
We love dark chocolate, it is certainly better for you than milk chocolate, but I must admit I love milk too :yum:
 
Milk chocolate is considerably unhealthy compared to dark chocolate. It may be a tough switch because our bodies are so used to the high sugar and milk fat content in milk chocolate, but I'm sure your taste buds will find the amazing flavour in dark chocolate. PLUS dark chocolate has a plethora of health benefits -- you won't regret it :)
 
Hi everyone,
Not sure if this is better in the general cooking or diabetic cooking section. But since I am using sugar substitute then I guess I will post here, though part of it is a general question.

I had asked someone what is the difference in ingredients between milk and dark chocolate. I was told that milk had much more sugar. However, many darker chocolates have the same amount of sugar for the same serving as milk chocolates. One of many examples is Hershey's & Dove dark and milk chocolate containing the same amount of sugar for the same serving size. Yet one has a bitter taste, and the other does not. I did find some lower sugar darks since then for my dad to enjoy, yey! Like the 70% and 80% Lindts. But your average dark chocolate has the same amount of sugar as milk....

So I wonder then, what else is it that makes milk chocolate *milk* ? I tried using cocoa powder unsweetened and adding sugar one time and erythritol the 2nd time. In both cases the mix turned sweeter, but the bitterness remained. Perhaps a little less bitter, but never did completely go away. And adding more sugar just made it overly sweet while maintaining the bitterness, just a strong overwhelming flavor all around.


Again it makes me realize there is something else in milk chocolate that is perhaps not in dark? Does anyone know what it is? I hope it's not something not so good for us. As it is, my goal was to make something healthy by using unsweetened cocoa and a non harmful sugar sub.

Any help appreciated, thanks!
"what else is it that makes milk chocolate *milk* "

Err, it contains MILK!!!

You can buy "unsweetened chocolate" for baking recipes (easier in the US than in the UK) but you really wouldn't want to eat it as a piece of chocolate.

This article from Wikipaedia is a bit technical but will help to sort it out for you.
Types of chocolate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You can buy special chocolate for diabetics in the UK and I expect it's also available in the US
 
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What is the deal with undweetened cocoa powder? What is that composed of ? Cocoa bean and cocoa butter or has the butter been removed?

Thanks.
Cocoa powder is a powder crushed from the beans of the tropical American cacao tree. The beans are fermented, dried, roasted and turned into a thick paste, from which the fat (cocoa butter) is removed. The mixture is then ground.


There is also ‘Dutch-processed’ or alkalised cocoa, which is made from beans treated with a potassium solution that neutralises their acidity and gives them a milder flavour. This one is the one most easily available in the UK. If I want cocoa powder for an American cake recipe I have to go on a scavenger hunt as the two types don't behave the same in the cake mixture (affects the raising agent). I can sometimes buy Hershey's in one shop in the area but they haven't been able to get it for some months - is Hersheys on a "go-slow"?


In the UK we also have "drinking chocolate" which is cocoa powder with other ingredients, including sugar, to make up with hot milk (and whipped cream and marshmallows if you like:-D) for a hot drink. . This isn't usually used in cake making as the additions upset the sugar ratio in a cake mixture requiring cocoa powder.
 
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I will take milk chocolate over dark any day.
Some of that dark chocolate is awful bitter and has little taste IMO.
I want my chocolate sweet. Otherwise whats the point of having it.
 
The milk chocolate should not even be called chocolate, yuk. Dark chocolate, especially ones that do not contain even traces of milk, because majority of the brands do. And then if you slowly get used to get real high percentage of cacao, mmmm. That is real chocolate.
 
Like red wine, most dark chocolate overwhelms my palate, all I get out of them is bitter, not much else, so high quality milk chocolate is my go to.

Sent from my XT1080 using Discuss Cooking mobile app
 
Once again, a matter of taste. Some of us get along just fine with cocoa powder/the darkest chocolate with no sugar added.

Just because you can't taste it (straight cocoa powder), doesn't mean others don't.
 
"what else is it that makes milk chocolate *milk* "

Err, it contains MILK!!!

You can buy "unsweetened chocolate" for baking recipes (easier in the US than in the UK) but you really wouldn't want to eat it as a piece of chocolate.

This article from Wikipaedia is a bit technical but will help to sort it out for you.
Types of chocolate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You can buy special chocolate for diabetics in the UK and I expect it's also available in the US

I doubt this poster will ever read your response since it's been well over a year since she was on the site, pretty much when she made the post in 4/2013.
 
Not that the OP is around to read this anymore, but here is the only factual difference. milk solids. Earlier in the thread someone said that milk chocolate contains more cocoa butter, that's absolutely not correct. At best they may contain equal amounts of cocoa butter, but most chocolate you purchase isn't even legally considered chocolate outside of the US.

People say that dark chocolate is better for you in general, which is true, like they said in general. Not in every case. Bad dark vs good milk, its the other way around.

Chocolate comes in 3 classes, Coating, chocolate, and couverture. (Both dark and milk)

Coating is made with vegetable shortening and vanillin, a fake vanilla, often a powder.
Most often used in candy bars, reeses cups, etc.. hersheys chocolate depending on where it is purchased is coating, sometimes not.

Chocolate, cocoa butter and often a higher quality solid fat are used here, as well as an actual vanilla flavor.
Chocolate is your standard grade chocolate, Usually used in pure bars, (some hersheys but not all), Lindst, toblerone etc. When they know the major flavor is going to be chocolate they will usually use actual chocolate.

Couverture.. The best possible stuff you can get, only cocoa butter is used as a fat, vanilla is pure, cocoa is conched (tumbled to reduce bitterness/improve texture) much much longer.
This stuff is usually found in higher end restaurants and the like, a favorite company is callebaut. You have likely never had it, and once you do, if you have a good set of taste buds, you will spit out hersheys for the rest of your life. lol


So, the point here anyway, avoid any chocolate that contains a fat other than cocoa butter, cocoa butter melts below body temperature, which means it is liquid within your body, reduces bad cholesterol, does not attribute to wait gain in nearly as an impactful way, and the mouthfeel is superb.


Take it for what you like, I am a college educated baker and pastry chef trained by certified german pastry chefs and chocolatiers. The amount of information i was required to learn about chocolate, among other things is obnoxious, but feel free to ask questions if i missed something here.

And, if i am wrong about something, please prove me wrong, but provide citations ;)
 
I like milk chocolate the best. I don't like that bitter, non sweet, dark chocolate.
Now, I don't mean for cooking as i have never used chocolate in a recipe.
But when we make chocolate chip cookies, we use milk chocolate.
And I love milk chocolate candy.
 
A friend of mine is also a French-trained chocolatier. Her handmade chocolates are incredibly delicious. They're rather expensive, of course, but she uses top quality ingredients :yum:
 
The more is percentage of cocoa, the more is the amount of flavonoids,the healthier your chocolate becomes. So, dark chocolate has upper hand additionally, dark chocolate comes in various varieties which has less amount of added sugar and fat which also enhance its total nutritional value.
 
Hi everyone,
Not sure if this is better in the general cooking or diabetic cooking section. But since I am using sugar substitute then I guess I will post here, though part of it is a general question.

I had asked someone what is the difference in ingredients between milk and dark chocolate. I was told that milk had much more sugar. However, many darker chocolates have the same amount of sugar for the same serving as milk chocolates. One of many examples is Hershey's & Dove dark and milk chocolate containing the same amount of sugar for the same serving size. Yet one has a bitter taste, and the other does not. I did find some lower sugar darks since then for my dad to enjoy, yey! Like the 70% and 80% Lindts. But your average dark chocolate has the same amount of sugar as milk....

So I wonder then, what else is it that makes milk chocolate *milk* ? I tried using cocoa powder unsweetened and adding sugar one time and erythritol the 2nd time. In both cases the mix turned sweeter, but the bitterness remained. Perhaps a little less bitter, but never did completely go away. And adding more sugar just made it overly sweet while maintaining the bitterness, just a strong overwhelming flavor all around.


Again it makes me realize there is something else in milk chocolate that is perhaps not in dark? Does anyone know what it is? I hope it's not something not so good for us. As it is, my goal was to make something healthy by using unsweetened cocoa and a non harmful sugar sub.

Any help appreciated, thanks!
"what else is it that makes milk chocolate *milk* it has milk in it. It also has less cocoa butter in it than most dark chocolate varieties.

Does this help? What Is the Best Type of Chocolate for Baking?

You can buy diabetic chocolate (at least in the UK you can) but I don't know how it would behave in cooking. I would imagine that your local Diabetic advice people would be able to help you with this.
 
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I like milk chocolate the best. I don't like that bitter, non sweet, dark chocolate.
Now, I don't mean for cooking as i have never used chocolate in a recipe.
But when we make chocolate chip cookies, we use milk chocolate.
And I love milk chocolate candy.
Really, the dark unsweetened chocolate isn't really suitable for eating just as chocolate unless you particularly like it. It tastes very bitter. I find that while I use 70% or 80% for baking etc., I can't eat them on their own as a sweet treat
 

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