Very few people know this, but even though it’s called white chocolate, it’s not actually chocolate.
This is because it doesn’t contain any cocoa solids, which is the defining factor of what is, strictly speaking, chocolate.
White chocolate is just cocoa butter mixed with sugar and milk powder, often with a bit of vanilla added for extra flavour.
Despite not containing cocoa solids, white chocolate is a popular snack and is used a lot in baking and confectionery making.
What is White Chocolate?
White chocolate is a confectionery made of sugar, milk and cocoa butter.
It contains no cocoa solids and therefore is not classed as chocolate.
White chocolate is pale in colour and lacks many of the compounds found in milk and dark chocolate.
It is sold and used in all the same ways as milk and dark chocolates, such as in bars, dips, cakes, shards and callets.
(You might also like to read this post asking: What is Blonde Chocolate?)
What is White Chocolate Made Of?
The three main ingredients of white chocolate are:
- Cocoa butter.
- Sugar (lots!).
- Milk powder.
Often vanilla extracts are added to enhance the flavour, and some manufacturers add soya as an emulsifier.
Related Post: What Goes With White Chocolate?
How Is White Chocolate Made?
White chocolate is made by blending cocoa butter with milk powder and sugar together using a process called refining or conching.
Basically (and to keep things simple!), all the ingredients are mixed together in a giant grinding machine.
Over a long period of time, all the particles are broken down, and the mixture increases in heat and eventually turns into a liquid form.
After more refining, it comes out smooth with no and with the same properties as dark chocolate but with a different flavour and colour.
As white chocolate has little to no flavour, vanilla is often added.
(You might also want to read this blog post looking at the question: how chocolate is made step-by-step?)
Where is the Best Place to Buy White Chocolate?
Due to the fact that white chocolate isn’t really chocolate and has a high-fat content, it’s essential to buy the best you can.
Good white chocolate should be rich, creamy and smooth.
It should also have a slight caramel/light yellow colour (this means the chocolate mixture hasn’t been bleached or deodorised– yuk!).
Choosing a long-established chocolate brand, one that has years of experience in chocolate production is also a great starting point.
I would also recommend spending a little more on white chocolate and looking at the list of ingredients.
Everything that goes into making and flavouring white chocolate should be 100% natural.
At Whitakers Chocolates, we have a wide range of luxury white chocolate truffles just waiting to be discovered.
So whether you’re looking for an indulgent treat or a gift for a white chocolate lover, we have everything you need!
Here are just a few of our white chocolate truffle range to choose from:
- Luxury white chocolate Champagne truffles.
- Milk and white chocolate salted caramel truffle balls.
- Marc de Champagne and Gin & Tonic luxury gift box.
- White chocolate and lemon truffle cups.
If you are looking for white chocolate for baking or cooking, check out our white chocolate mini callets.
(You might also be interested in reading this post asking: what is chocolate?)
Can You Cook with White Chocolate?
The great news is yes! White chocolate is perfect for cooking and baking.
The creamy properties of white chocolate make it ideal for decorating, frosting and glazing cakes.
Plus, as it’s white, it can also be used to take on any colour or flavour.
Ever tried white chocolate chips of chunks stirred into cookie dough?
Once cooked, this will add little pockets of melting sweetness to every mouthful!
One important thing to remember when using white chocolate is the melting point, as it’s very different to milk or dark chocolate.
So, because white chocolate isn’t really chocolate, it doesn’t melt as easily as milk or dark chocolate.
White chocolate burns quite quickly, so it’s important to melt it using indirect heat – otherwise, you will be left with a clumpy, unusable mess!
There are two methods you can adopt when trying to melt white chocolate, either using a double boiler or a microwave.
In baking, I prefer to use white chocolate higher in cocoa butter, so look for the word “couverture” this means the chocolate has a higher fat content and will be easier to melt and temper.
I’d recommend using these white chocolate mini callets.
On a related note, I absolutely LOVE seeing the food that you’re making.
It will make my day if you tag @whitakerschocolates (always with just one "T") in your Instagram photos and stories!
(You might also like to take a read of this post asking: What is Ruby Chocolate, and what does it taste like?)
Why Is White Chocolate White?
It’s white because it doesn’t contain any cocoa liquor like milk or dark chocolate.
Natural white chocolate actually tends to be slightly yellow in colour because cocoa butter is naturally yellow.
However, if a bar of white chocolate is bright white, it’s been bleached and probably deodorised.
(You might also be interested in reading this post asking: What is Compound Chocolate?)
Why Is White Chocolate Called Chocolate if it isn’t Chocolate?
White chocolate is called chocolate because it has cocoa butter in it and is technically classified as a derivative of chocolate.
And even though it, strictly speaking, might not be chocolate, it certainly looks and tastes as if it is.
You can even melt it and temper it like you can with the dark and milk variations.
Some people do argue that it is, in fact, chocolate, but most experts stick to the definition that includes cocoa solids which exclude white chocolate.
How Many Calories In White Chocolate?
The calorie content in white chocolate varies depending on the brand and specific product.
On average, a 100-gram serving of white chocolate contains approximately 535 to 570 calories.
These calories primarily come from the cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids that make up white chocolate.
It's important to remember that these numbers are approximate, and the actual calories will vary between the various brands and products.
(Before you go any further, you might like this post asking: Is hot chocolate good for you?)
Who Invented White Chocolate?
White chocolate was invented by the world-famous Nestlé company in Switzerland in the 1930s.
Nestlé was looking for a way to use the excess cocoa butter left over from the production of other types of chocolate.
To create white chocolate, they combined cocoa butter with sugar and milk solids, which resulted in a creamy, pale-coloured substance.
Nestlé launched its first white product, the Milkybar, in Europe in 1936, and it quickly gained massive popularity.
Since then, white chocolate has become a widely enjoyed treat.
(You might also enjoy reading this post looking in depth at the history of chocolate).
What Is The Difference Between White Chocolate And Milk Chocolate
White chocolate and milk chocolate differ in their ingredients, taste, and appearance.
The main differences between the two are:
The Difference in Ingredients
White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids.
It does not contain cocoa solids, which are the primary component of other types of chocolate.
Milk chocolate is made from a combination of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids.
The presence of cocoa solids gives milk chocolate its characteristic brown colour and chocolate flavour.
The Difference in Taste
White chocolate has a sweet, creamy taste and lacks the cocoa flavour found in other types of chocolate due to the absence of cocoa solids.
Milk chocolate has a milder, sweeter taste than dark chocolate but still retains a distinct chocolate flavour, thanks to the presence of cocoa solids.
The Difference in Color and Appearance
White chocolate has a pale, ivory colour due to the absence of cocoa solids.
Milk chocolate has a light to medium brown colour, resulting from the combination of cocoa solids and milk ingredients.
The Difference in Cocoa Content
White chocolate does not contain any cocoa solids, so it has a 0% cocoa content.
Milk chocolate has a lower cocoa content than dark chocolate, typically ranging between 10% and 50%, depending on the brand and formulation.
These differences in ingredients, taste, and appearance make white and milk chocolate suitable for different preferences and applications in cooking and baking.
(Click here if you would like to know the answer to the question - is white chocolate actually chocolate?)
Final Notes About White Chocolate
So there you have it. White chocolate is not classed as real chocolate because it doesn’t contain any cocoa solids.
Despite this, it still makes for a tasty snack and can be used for baking and cooking similarly to milk and dark variations.
However, be warned, white chocolate does contain more calories than milk and dark chocolate, and it’s also higher in saturated fats, so please eat in moderation if you want to stay healthy!
