Chocolate Converter

Convert between cocoa powder, baking chocolate, chocolate chips, and melted chocolate for baking.
Enter any amount to see equivalents.

Enter baking chocolate ounces — see cocoa powder equivalent instantly.

Reminder
When substituting cocoa for baking chocolate, also add 1 tbsp butter or oil per ounce of chocolate replaced.

Chocolate substitution conversions for baking.

1 ounce (28 g) unsweetened baking chocolate =

  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon butter/oil

1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips =

  • 6 ounces baking chocolate
  • 6 tablespoons cocoa powder + 7 tablespoons sugar + 1/4 cup butter

Cocoa powder per cup:

  • 1 cup cocoa powder = 86 g (3 oz)

Common conversions:

  • 1 square baking chocolate = 1 oz = 28 g
  • 1 bag chocolate chips = 12 oz = 340 g = 2 cups

Types of chocolate by cocoa %:

  • Unsweetened: 100% cocoa
  • Bittersweet: 70-85% cocoa
  • Semisweet: 55-70% cocoa
  • Milk chocolate: 25-40% cocoa

The reason these substitutions need added fat is that baking chocolate carries cocoa butter that plain cocoa powder lacks. Swapping in cocoa powder means adding butter or oil to make up the difference, or the texture comes out dry and chalky.

It also helps to know that chocolate chips aren’t a clean stand-in for baking chocolate. Chips are formulated with less cocoa butter and added stabilizers so they hold their shape in cookies, which is the opposite of what you want when melting for a smooth ganache or coating. Cocoa percentage matters too: a higher number means more cocoa solids and fat but less sugar, so a big swap (say 70% for 50%) shifts the sweetness and usually needs the recipe’s sugar adjusted to match.


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This converter runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.

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