Cacao vs Cocoa: What’s the Real Difference?

If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a chocolate label wondering whether cacao and cocoa are the same thing, you’re not alone. It’s one of the great confusions in the world of chocolate. But don’t worry, we’re here to decode it for you, one glorious bean at a time.

At Darkins, we work with Indian-origin cacao every single day — roasting, tempering, tasting — so it’s safe to say we know a thing or two about the difference. Let’s get into it.

So, what is cacao?

To understand cacao, we go to the source: the Theobroma cacao tree, lovingly called “food of the gods.” It grows in the lush tropics, from Eluru to Ecuador, and bears football-shaped pods. Crack one open, and inside you’ll find 20–60 seeds: cacao beans. These little guys are the building blocks of real chocolate.

Raw cacao beans are earthy, bitter, and pretty intense on their own. Usually, when people say cacao, they’re referring to beans that have been fermented and dried, but not roasted yet. It's chocolate in its most primal, untamed form, the way nature made it.

What about cocoa?

Cocoa is cacao that’s had a glow-up.

Once those beans are fermented and dried, they go through roasting, that’s when the magic really happens. Roasting brings out the aroma and flavour that chocolate lovers dream about. The roasted beans are then crushed into what we call cacao nibs, and eventually turned into a thick, rich chocolate liquor.

From there, the chocolate liquor is either pressed to create cocoa butter and cocoa powder, or mixed with sugar (and sometimes milk) to create the chocolate bars we all know and love.

Cocoa powder is what gives your brownies their depth, your hot chocolate its richness, and your kitchen that unmistakable warm chocolate smell.

Cacao vs Cocoa: Is there really a difference?

Technically speaking? Yes. 

• Cacao = the raw, less processed stage (beans/nibs)

• Cocoa = roasted, refined, and ready for action (powder/butter)

So, cacao is the bold, earthy bean. Cocoa is the smooth operator that shows up in your bakes, drinks, and silky bars.

Nutritional Nuggets

Both cacao and cocoa bring something to the table, quite literally. Here's a quick side-by-side of their nutritional profiles (per 1 ounce, unsweetened):

Cocoa Powder

• Calories: 64

• Fat: 3.5g

• Protein: 5g

• Carbs: 16g

• Iron: 22% of daily intake

Raw Cacao

• Calories: 160

• Fat: 11g

• Protein: 9g

• Carbs: 6g

• Iron: 4% of daily intake

Cacao tends to be richer in fats and proteins (because it’s less processed), while cocoa powder is lighter and often used in cooking or baking.

Of course, numbers can vary wildly depending on how each product is made, so always check your labels if you're counting macros or nutrients.

The Final Verdict?

Whether you’re team cacao or team cocoa, both start from the same place; a humble bean with centuries of history, flavour, and culture packed inside.

At Darkins, we lean into our roots by crafting every bar from Indian-origin cacao, roasted to perfection, and letting the bean speak for itself.

So next time you bite into a bar, sip on a hot chocolate, or sneak a spoon of cocoa into your midnight baking, you’ll know exactly where it all began.

Real cacao. Real chocolate. Real love.
That's the Darkins way.