My diet:

Cocoa butter

No E-numberFats & oilsOrigin: Plant
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Every diet

VeganYes

Cocoa butter is pressed from cocoa beans.

Gluten-freeYes
HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoYes

Cocoa butter is fat. Sweetened chocolate is a different food.

Low-FODMAPYes
The short answer
Cocoa butter is the vegan fat of the cocoa bean. It is what makes chocolate snap and then melt. It is gluten-free and keto-friendly, and it is not a dairy butter.
Generally safe

Fine for most people at normal amounts.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesFats & oils
Glycemic index—
Daily limitNot set
Also calledCocoa butter, Cacao butter

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Cocoa butter is a food fat, not an E-number. Chocolate standards in the US and Europe require it, or a declared cocoa-butter equivalent, for a product to be called chocolate.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

Pressing the nibs leaves cocoa powder behind and cocoa butter in the press. White chocolate is cocoa butter plus sugar and milk. A coating that says chocolate-flavored often swaps in palm kernel oil instead.

Where it comes from: Cocoa butter is the fat pressed out of roasted cocoa nibs. It is mostly stearic, palmitic and oleic acids. The stearic acid is why chemists treat it differently from the palmitic fat in palm oil.

Why it’s in food

  • Sets real chocolate
  • Melts a truffle
  • Glosses a confection
  • Carries cocoa aroma

Often found in

Chocolate barsWhite chocolateTrufflesCocoa nib productsSome lotions sold as food-gradeHot chocolate mixes

Also listed as: Cocoa butter, Cacao butter, Theobroma oil, Cacao seed fat

Health & gut impact

Stearic acidBenefit

A large share of cocoa butter is stearic acid, a saturated fat that does not raise LDL the way palmitic acid does. That is why cocoa butter is not scored like palm kernel oil.

Fatty-acid profile of cocoa butter and LDL research on stearic acid

Not dairyBenefit

The word butter here means a plant fat that is solid when cool. Milk in a chocolate bar is a separate ingredient.

Composition of cocoa press fat

What can I use instead?

Coconut oil

Ratio: A firmer plant fat that will not temper like chocolate

Best for: Home confectionery

Palm kernel oil

Ratio: The usual stand-in in a candy coating, with a different melt

Best for: Compound coatings

Related

More fats & oils:

Beef tallowBeef tallow is cattle fat. It is not vegan. It is gluten-free and used for high-heat frying. Halal and kosher versions exist only when the animal and the plant are certified.Use in moderationButterButter is a dairy fat. It is not vegan. It is gluten-free, and a normal pat is low enough in lactose that many low-FODMAP plans allow it. Peanut butter and cocoa butter are not this food.Use in moderationCanola oilCanola oil is a neutral cooking oil from low-erucic rapeseed. Canola oil is vegan and gluten-free. The old worry about erucic acid applies to industrial rapeseed, not to the canola sold as food.Generally safeCoconut oilCoconut oil is a vegan plant fat that stays solid in a cool kitchen. It is popular on keto labels. Feeding trials show it raises LDL cholesterol more than unsaturated oils do.Use in moderation

Common questions

Is cocoa butter vegan?

Yes. It is pressed from cocoa beans. A milk chocolate bar also contains dairy, which is listed on its own.

Is cocoa butter the same as shea butter?

No. Shea is a different seed fat. Cocoa butter is from cacao.

Is Cocoa butter safe?

Generally safe (88/100). Cocoa butter is a food fat, not an E-number. Chocolate standards in the US and Europe require it, or a declared cocoa-butter equivalent, for a product to be called chocolate.

Is Cocoa butter vegan?

Yes. Cocoa butter is pressed from cocoa beans.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • Fatty-acid profile of cocoa butter and LDL research on stearic acid
  • Composition of cocoa press fat

CAS 8002-31-1