Bittersweet, Semisweet and Milk Chocolate for Baking

Chocolate labels can be confusing. Bittersweet and semisweet overlap, percentages range widely within each name, and chips behave differently from bars of the same brand. Yet the choice changes sweetness, flavor intensity and texture, and in ganache or mousse it can decide whether the mixture sets smoothly or splits.

This guide explains what the percentage on a bar actually measures, how each style behaves when melted or baked, and how to substitute one for another, including using unsweetened chocolate plus sugar when that is all you have.

Reading the percentage

A bar marked 70 percent contains 70 percent cacao ingredients, cocoa solids and cocoa butter together, and about 30 percent sugar plus small amounts of vanilla and emulsifier. Two bars at the same percentage can still taste very different because one may have more cocoa butter and the other more solids, but the percentage is the best quick guide to sweetness and intensity.

Recipes often name a style rather than a percentage. When they do, aim for the middle of that style's range unless you prefer a sweeter or darker result.

• Unsweetened (baking) chocolate: 100 percent, no sugar
• Bittersweet: typically 60 to 72 percent
• Semisweet: typically 50 to 60 percent
• Milk chocolate: often 30 to 45 percent, with milk solids
• White chocolate: cocoa butter, milk and sugar, no cocoa solids

Dark chocolate in baking

Bittersweet chocolate gives brownies, flourless cakes, tarts and molten cakes a deep, less sweet flavor. Semisweet gives a friendlier, sweeter chocolate taste that many people associate with cookies. Above about 75 percent, chocolate becomes bitter and drying unless the recipe adds sugar to compensate.

Higher-percentage chocolate also contains more cocoa solids, which absorb liquid. In a brownie or cake, swapping 55 percent for 72 percent can make the result firmer and drier; reducing the flour slightly or adding a spoonful of sugar can rebalance it.

Milk and white chocolate

Milk chocolate is sweeter and softer, with lower melting point and less structure. It works well chopped into cookies and blondies but makes a soft ganache that needs less cream to set. White chocolate is even softer and scorches easily; melt it gently over low heat or in short microwave bursts, stirring often.

Because both are mostly sugar and fat, they will not substitute for dark chocolate in recipes where the chocolate provides structure, such as flourless chocolate cake.

Ganache ratios by chocolate type

Ganache is a balance of chocolate and cream, and the right ratio depends on the chocolate. Higher-percentage chocolate contains more solids that absorb liquid, so it needs relatively more cream to stay smooth. Lower-percentage and milk chocolate need less cream to set firm.

• Pourable glaze with 60 percent chocolate: about 1 part chocolate to 1 part cream by weight
• Whipped or piping ganache with 60 percent: about 1 part chocolate to 2 parts cream, chilled and then whipped
• Firm truffle ganache with 60 percent: about 2 parts chocolate to 1 part cream
• Milk chocolate for a firm set: about 2.5 to 3 parts chocolate to 1 part cream
• White chocolate for a firm set: about 3 parts chocolate to 1 part cream

Chips versus bars

Chocolate chips are formulated with less cocoa butter and sometimes stabilizers so they hold their shape in a hot oven. That makes them ideal for cookies and muffins but less ideal for melting: they melt thicker and can turn grainy in sauces or ganache. For melted uses, chop a bar or use baking wafers (fèves).

Chopped bars in cookies melt into pools and streaks, giving a more layered look and flavor. Many bakers combine both for texture.

Substituting one chocolate for another

Bittersweet and semisweet swap one for one in most recipes, with a change only in sweetness. For every 28 g (1 oz) of semisweet chocolate, you can use 14 g (½ oz) unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; melt them together. For bittersweet, use about 18 g unsweetened plus 2 teaspoons sugar.

Cocoa powder can stand in for unsweetened chocolate: 3 tablespoons natural cocoa plus 1 tablespoon butter or neutral oil replaces about 28 g (1 oz) unsweetened chocolate. The result works in brownies and cakes but is less suited to ganache.

Common questions

Can I use bittersweet chocolate when a recipe says semisweet?

Yes. The bake will be a little less sweet and more intense. In ganache, add a splash more cream if using a much higher percentage, so it does not split.

Why did my ganache split when I used dark chocolate?

High-percentage chocolate has more solids and less sugar, so there may not be enough liquid to emulsify it. Whisk in a little warm cream or milk, a teaspoon at a time, until smooth and glossy.

Can I melt chocolate chips for a glaze?

You can, but they melt thicker and set less glossy than bar chocolate. Add a little extra cream or a teaspoon of neutral oil to loosen them.