Is Cocoa Butter Vegan? Everything You Need to Know About It!

Cocoa butter is used in many recipes and beauty products. Here you can find out if cocoa butter is vegan and in which areas the fat is used.

Cocoa butter: Is the fat vegan?

Many people would assume that cocoa butter is an animal food by its name – but they are wrong! Cocoa butter is a purely vegetable food and therefore vegan.

What exactly is cocoa butter?

Cocoa butter is the fat obtained from roasted and peeled cocoa beans using various pressing methods. Cocoa butter and cocoa powder are produced from the resulting press cake. In terms of consistency, cocoa butter is similar to normal butter, but is characterised by its special melt. Cocoa butter also has the following properties:

• Colour: pale yellow to light yellow
• Scent: light cocoa note
• Melting temperature: 32 – 35 degrees
• Storage: protected from light and cool
• Durability: about 2 years

Fairtrade and organic products are recommended when buying cocoa butter.

Cocoa butter: Uses

• In the kitchen: Cocoa butter is used for frying and can be heated up to 200 degrees. Only very little of the fat has to be used, which is particularly good for the cholesterol level. The product is, for example, an ideal means of frying tofu. So that the tofu does not taste of cocoa, there is cocoa butter from which the flavours have been removed. Cocoa butter can also be used as an ingredient for the production of spreads, muffins, chocolates, nougat or smoothies.
• Cocoa butter is particularly popular in chocolate products. Due to its vegan properties it is also excellent for vegan or lactose-free recipes. And cocoa butter is also suitable in raw food nutrition due to its low melting point.
• In beauty products, cocoa butter serves as a fat supplier in creams, balms, soaps or bath additives and is especially optimal for dry skin. It protects, cares and nourishes at the same time! Cocoa butter is easy to spread and makes the skin soft, smooth and slightly shiny. Especially dry skin or lips get a nourishing care with a body butter made of coconut oil and cocoa butter. Even stretch marks should be prevented with cocoa butter. In addition, products with cocoa butter are used for wrinkles or scar treatment. However, cocoa butter should be avoided if the skin is oily or impure.
• Hair care: Thanks to the saturated fatty acids, shampoos with cocoa butter intensively care for the hair and are also recommended for dry or sensitive scalps. However, if your hair is oily, you should avoid the ingredient.