Is White Chocolate Really Chocolate? Find Out How It Compares to Its Darker Counterparts

White chocolate has a sweet taste and creamy texture, but it's different from the rich, distinct flavors of its darker counterparts, like bittersweet, semisweet, dark, and milk chocolate. This prompts the question: Is white chocolate really chocolate? We spoke to a chocolate expert to find out.

What Is White Chocolate?

White chocolate is a confection typically made with cocoa butter, sugar, milk powder or cream powder, and vanilla. Definitions of what white chocolate must contain vary in different countries. "To be considered white chocolate in the United States, it must contain at least 20 percent cocoa butter and no other vegetable fat, a minimum of 14 percent total milk solids and 3 1/2 percent milk fat, and a maximum of 55 percent sugar or other sweeteners," says Megan Giller, author of Bean-to-Bar Chocolate: America's Craft Chocolate Revolution.

Is White Chocolate Really Chocolate?

In short, yes, white chocolate is chocolate. It differs from other types of chocolate because it does not contain any cocoa solids, the natural fat from the cacao bean, and that is the reason some people do not consider it "real" chocolate.

"Dark chocolate and milk chocolate both contain some cocoa butter, but the cocoa butter fat doesn't make up the majority of the bar," Giller says. Further, white chocolate differs from these types of chocolate, as it doesn't contain any cacao solids. "Someone in one of my virtual chocolate tastings asked me if some types of cacao beans produce dark chocolate versus milk versus white," she says. "The answer is that any bean can be transformed into any of these three types of chocolate."

Flavor Profile

Giller says white chocolate doesn't have much natural flavor. Its claim to fame is its creaminess, since cocoa butter melts at body temperature. And because its flavor is mild, "it's the perfect canvas to showcase other flavors, like raspberries, lemon, or even olives." 

Buying White Chocolate

"White chocolate has gotten a bad rap because previously so much of it included other, cheaper fats (like vegetable oil) and were way too sweet, but it's having a renaissance of its own right now, with so many small-batch makers and chocolatiers creating delicious versions," says Giller. When buying white chocolate, be sure to read the label and purchase bars that contain cocoa butter, as some candy bars do not and are not really white chocolate.

How to Use White Chocolate 

If you enjoy white chocolate, you’ll want to buy bars you can eat. And from there, you might want to experiment with using white chocolate in the kitchen:

• Try our White Hot Chocolate for the creamiest, sweetest drink to warm you up on a chilly day.
• Use white chocolate in cake frosting like this buttercream. Giller says frosting is a smart way to use white chocolate because its creaminess makes the frosting decadent and satisfying.
• Make simple confections, like our three-ingredient White Chocolate- Raspberry Clusters or White Chocolate Fudge. 
• White chocolate mousse.
• Cookies with white chocolate chunks are a great way to incorporate white chocolate in your baking. Try our Giant White Chocolate Pecan Cookies or White Chocolate-Gingerbread Brownies. 
• Giller says white chocolate is great at highlighting other flavors and recommends using it when you want to center a treat on fresh fruit or a spice blend.