A recent LinkedIn poll we ran suggested something we’ve been seeing more widely across the food industry — growing interest in how cocoa could be partly replaced with smarter, more sustainable ingredients.
Even though the poll reached only a small group of respondents, it reflects a real shift in thinking: manufacturers are increasingly curious about ways to balance flavour, cost, and sustainability in cocoa-based products.
At Senson, we’ve been exploring this in practice with our customers. Through trials and development projects, we’ve seen where our malt-based Cocoa Replacement works best and where there’s still room to adjust.
Here’s what we’ve learned so far about using our Cocoa Replacement.
1. Cakes
Cocoa Replacement has proven to work well in cake applications, bringing deep colour and chocolatey flavour while maintaining a soft, pleasant texture.
Our experience shows that the ingredient blends best when mixed into dry ingredients first, rather than directly into water.
The liquid version of Cocoa Replacement blends smoothly when mixed into water first and added to the batter last.
2. Cookies
Cookie applications, such as chocolate chip cookies, are a natural fit. The ingredient gives a full-bodied cocoa flavour and natural colour tone while helping manufacturers reduce cocoa usage by up to 50%.
3. Beverages and powdered mixes
Cocoa Replacement performs especially well in cocoa drinks and nutrition beverages such as protein or health drinks.
Its rich, malty notes add a pleasant flavour depth, and the powder mixes smoothly with other dry ingredients in instant drink formulations.
In some cases, our extra dark variant has been used to bring even stronger flavour.
+1 Chocolate – Not Yet Tested Widely, But Full of Potential
Cocoa Replacement has already shown promising results in chocolate applications, even though it hasn’t yet been widely tested or produced on an industrial scale.
Some early trials, especially with dry formulations, have added extra flavour depth and colour to chocolate products.
Since existing chocolate recipes are often difficult to modify, Cocoa Replacement may find its best use in developing new products — where the ingredient’s balance of taste, colour and sustainability can be fully explored.
Perfecting Recipes Together with Senson’s Cocoa Replacement
Every application is different — and so is every customer’s process. That’s why collaboration is at the heart of how we work at Senson.
When developing with Senson’s Cocoa Replacement, we support our customers every step of the way from idea to recipe optimization and testing. Working directly with R&D teams helps us solve challenges faster and achieve more consistent results.
If you’re interested in exploring or testing Cocoa Replacement in your recipes, get in touch with us!