What does the cocoa % actually mean? Dark, milk, white and blond chocolate explained

You pick up a chocolate bar at the grocery store, look at the label: 55%, 65%, 70%, 85%. You figure the higher the number, the "stronger" the chocolate, and you pick based on your mood. You're not wrong. But you're missing half the story.

That percentage isn't marketing spin. It's the single most important indicator on any chocolate bar, and it tells you precisely what's inside. A quick decoding guide.

What the % actually measures

The percentage on a chocolate bar tells you the total quantity of cocoa in the product. And "cocoa" here means two things combined:

• Cocoa mass (the dark solids from the bean, which give chocolate its flavour and colour)
• Cocoa butter (the natural fat of the bean)

Everything not counted in that percentage is sugar, milk powder (in milk chocolate), a little emulsifier (usually lecithin), and sometimes a touch of natural vanilla.

In practice: a 70% dark chocolate contains 70% cocoa and about 29% sugar. An 85% dark chocolate contains 85% cocoa and only 15% sugar. A 33% milk chocolate contains 33% cocoa, with the rest being sugar, milk powder, and some milk fat.

The four families of chocolate

There are four main families, defined by the presence or absence of two key ingredients: cocoa mass and milk.

Dark chocolate

Minimum around 35% cocoa by regulation in Canada and Europe. In practice, quality dark chocolates sit between 55% and 85%. No milk at all. It's the most intense chocolate and the most versatile in pastry.

Above 85%, you enter almost medicinal territory, reserved for lovers of strong sensations. At 100%, there's nothing but pure cocoa mass: very bitter, closer to a condiment than a dessert.

Our 55% dark chocolate drops and our sugar-free dark chocolate bar cover both ends of the range.

Milk chocolate

Minimum around 25% cocoa (the standards vary by country). Contains milk powder, which gives it its softness, roundness and lighter colour. Typically between 30% and 45% cocoa for quality versions.

Don't confuse a 33% milk chocolate with a low-end industrial 20%: the first tastes like real chocolate, the second is essentially sugar flavoured with cocoa. Our 34% milk chocolate drops and our Ghana grand cru milk chocolate bar show what this family can do.

White chocolate

Zero cocoa mass. Only cocoa butter, milk powder, sugar and vanilla. This is exactly why some purists refuse to consider it "real" chocolate. They're technically right, but a good white chocolate has its place in pastry and in the world of gentler sweets.

Typically between 28% and 35%, that percentage referring to the amount of cocoa butter. Our 28% white chocolate drops are a proper couverture chocolate, worlds apart from the overly sweet industrial white chocolates you'll find in most grocery aisles.

Blond chocolate

This is the newest family. Popularized by Valrhona around 2012 with the famous Dulcey, blond chocolate is white chocolate that's been slowly caramelized until it reaches a golden colour and a completely new flavour profile: notes of caramel, shortbread, sucre à la crème.

Technically, blond stays a white chocolate in its composition (cocoa butter, milk, sugar), but its flavour is in a category of its own. Our blond chocolate bar with sucre à la crème and pecans is a great entry point if you've never tried it.

What the % actually changes on the palate and in the kitchen

The higher the percentage, the more intense the cocoa flavour and the less sugar you get. It also means a harder, drier, more complex chocolate: fruity, woody, floral, or spiced notes depending on the origin. In the kitchen, it's more delicate to work with: it melts less evenly, its tempering curves are more demanding, and it forgives fewer mistakes.

The lower the percentage, the softer and rounder the chocolate. It's also easier to handle for beginners: it melts nicely, tempers easily, and tolerates small temperature slips better.

Which % for which use?

A quick guide for your recipes.

• Brownies, fondants, chocolate cakes: 55 to 65% dark. This is the sweet spot. Lower and it lacks intensity. Higher and the brownie starts to dry out.
• Ganaches for glazing or pouring: 55 to 65% dark.
• Filling ganaches: 60 to 70% dark.
• Truffles: 65 to 70% dark, for structure and intensity.
• Chocolate mousses: 55 to 65% dark.
• Coating and moulding: 55 to 65% dark or milk, tempered.
• Milk or white chocolate ganaches: increase the chocolate-to-liquid ratio, since these have less cocoa solids and therefore less structure.
• Straight tasting: start at 65-70% if you're new, and climb from there as your palate builds tolerance for bitterness.

The % doesn't tell you everything: origin matters too

Two bars at the same percentage can taste completely different. A 65% Ghana has nothing in common with a 65% Venezuela or Peru. The origin of the cocoa is what gives you the flavour profile: bright and fruity notes for South American beans, earthier and more chocolatey notes for African beans, floral and spiced notes for Asian beans.

That's why our grand cru bars highlight their origin. The percentage tells you the intensity, the origin tells you the personality.

How to choose in our collection

Our chocolate bars collection covers all four families, with more than 70 flavours developed at our Workshop over the years. Our drops (55% dark, 34% milk, 28% white) are made for the kitchen, with a practical format that makes melting effortless. Our more creative bars explore combinations and origins you won't find elsewhere.

The best chocolate isn't the one with the highest number. It's the one that matches what you want to do with it, and what makes you happy.

Going further

• Our guide How to melt chocolate
• Our guide How to make a perfect ganache
• Our guide How to store chocolate
• Juliette's cookbooks: Mon Année Chocolat and Les Brownies de Juliette, in the Recipe Books by Juliette collection

All our chocolates and cookbooks are available online, with delivery across Canada, in our restaurants, and at the boutique of our Chocolate Workshop in Greenfield Park, on Montreal's South Shore.

In short: the number matters, but it's not everything. Understanding what the % of cocoa really means is the first step toward choosing better chocolate. And toward enjoying it more.