The ultimate round up of healthy cacao powder recipes to make all your chocolate dreams come true! Muffins, quick breads, smoothies and beyond.
Want to make a smoothie? Add cacao. Want to make a dessert? Start with cacao. Want to make a savory pasta dish? Recipes with cacao powder to the rescue!
What's the difference between cocoa and cacao powder?
There must be no way cacao powder is good for you if it tastes so amazing, right? Wrong. While the word may sound like the cocoa powder for baking you buy at the store, the two are quite different both in processing and in nutrition.
They both come from the cacao plant but cacao is closest to the raw state after harvesting the seed while cocoa has been processed with high heat. Now the cocoa powder you know and love still contains great nutrients, just not nearly as many as raw cacao does.
Cacao contains a high concentration of phytochemicals, the potent anti-cancer compounds found in plants. The most abundant antioxidants in our diet today come from flavonoids. Lucky for you and me, these anti-inflammatory gems help combat damage by free radicals and improve cardiovascular health, thus preventing chronic disease.
THANK YOU CACAO FOR PROTECTING ME!
Can you use cacao and cocoa powder interchangeably?
Not always, but in my recipes it's a sure YES. If a recipe calls for dutch processed cocoa, I would not sub cacao.
Eat more plants. Decrease inflammation. Reduce risk of disease. Easy! Moving on from all that science stuff... I always buy this cacao powder because it's organic, affordable, and because Terra Soul is a family run company that I love.
Recipes using cacao
One Bowl Vegan Chocolate Cookies
Mint Chocolate Energy Bites
ONE BOWL VEGAN CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BANANA BREAD
Healthy Hot Chocolate
CREAMY CHOCOLATE BLUEBERRY SHAKE
FLOURLESS PEANUT BUTTER ZUCCHINI BROWNIES
VEGAN PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE SKILLET COOKIE
VEGAN CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
BLUEBERRY CACAO SMOOTHIE BOWL
THE BEST VEGAN BROWNIES
Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars
VEGAN CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS
FUDGY VEGAN RASPBERRY ALMOND BUTTER BROWNIES
RAW MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
Nanci says
Oh my goodness!! Every single recipe looks AMAZING!!! I’ve been so good waiting for December to bake and I’ll start with #1 and I’ll work my way down your list. YUM!! Thank you!!!!!
Happy Holidays!!
Alexis Joseph says
Wonderful, thank you!
Linda says
What a liar! Scrolling and scrolling AND SCROLLING for the recipes withcacao and the brownie recipe is Using Cocoa! Wtf?
Alexis Joseph says
I almost didn't respond to this because it was so rude, but you can use cacao or cocoa interchangeably in any of the recipes. You should think twice before you leave such a ridiculous comment; I'm a human just like you and we could all use more kindness, especially in these times. Shame on you.
Nanci Rose says
Wow!!!!! Why so mean & bitter? If you don’t have something positive to say just scroll on by. No need for negativity like this. Please try to think before you comment or speak. I hope you really try - you’ll be a happier person overall. Happy Holidays.