Cacao Butter

Cacao beans contain 54-58% fat. The oil that is extracted from the cacao beans is called cacao butter and despite the name it is 100% plant based and vegan. It is a pale, yellow saturated fat that is stable at room temperature and has a subtle chocolate taste and aroma. It is used in dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate, and is also a useful stabilizer and binder in other sweets and desserts. Heat is commonly applied during production, so look for certified raw cacao butter if that is your preference. As the interest for raw chocolate grows, so does the market for raw cacao butter. Stored in room temperature in a dark and dry place, cacao butter can last for years. Due to its impressive shelf life, cacao butter is often also used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. 

VOLUME

Quiet

HOW TO USE

Cacao butter can replace dairy butter in baked goods and desserts. It works great as a binder in raw pie crusts, energy bars and bliss balls. Cacao butter is also very useful as a stabilizer in raw desserts such as cheesecakes, mousses, frostings and puddings. It will add a lovely subtle chocolate flavor. Think white chocolate raspberry mousse, chocolate pudding or peppermint chocolate cheesecake. Due to it’s impressive shelf life, cacao butter is also often used in skin care products. If you like the aroma, try using melted cacao butter as a massage oil or moisturizer. But most of all, raw cacao butter is an essential component when making raw chocolate.

Because it is solid, cacao butter needs to be melted into liquid form before using. Cacao butter is a very delicate ingredient and it is important to handle right. Overheating can ruin it, so applying very low heat is important. Using a double boiler is a safe method to melt cacao. Add the chopped or grated butter to a heat proof bowl that fits into a pot of steaming hot water. The bowl should not come into contact with the water, the gentle heat from the steam is enough to melt the butter. Once the butter has started to melt, turn off the burner or remove the pot from the heat source and allow the lingering warmth from the melted butter to liquefy the rest. This will prevent it from overheating. Stir occasionally until liquid. Cacao butter melts at a temperature of 34-38°C (93-101°F). If the raw cacao butter is kept below 45 °C (113°F) it will retain most of its nutrients and is considered raw.

Considering that cacao butter is so delicate you might be surprised to know that it also works very well as an oil for frying, searing and sautéing. In this case refined cacao butter would be a better option than raw. Generally, when cooking with oil at a high temperature, using a refined oil is better considering that anything that can burn has been filtered out, giving refined oil a higher smoking point. Since raw cacao butter is an expensive product and great care has gone into low heat extraction to preserve its nutrition, one might also consider it a waste to use for high heat cooking.

FLAVOR PAIRINGS

Almonds, apricots, bananas, basil, bee pollen, berries, blackberry, blueberry, brandy, brazil nuts, buckwheat, cacao, caramel, cardamom, carob, cashews, chai spice, chia seeds, cherries, chili, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus, cloves, coconut, coconut sugar, coffee, coriander seeds, dates, durian, elderflower, figs, ginger, goji berries, granola, hazelnuts, hemp seeds, honey, lavender, lemon, lime, lemongrass, lucuma, maca, macadamia nuts, maple syrup, matcha, mesquite, m!lk, mint, nutmeg, nut butter, nuts, oats, olive oil, orange, passion fruit, pecans, pears, pistachios, plums, pumpkin seeds, raisins, raspberries, rhubarb, rose, rose pepper, rosemary, rum, saffron, salt, sesame seeds, spirulina, star anise, strawberries, sunflower seeds, tahini, thyme, vanilla, vegan cream, violet, walnuts.

SELECTING

Most of the cacao butter on the market comes from roasted cacao beans, and sometimes the fat has also been deodorized to remove taste and aroma. Deodorized cacao butter has been stripped of most nutritional properties and sometimes harsh chemicals are used in the manufacturing process. Fortunately, since raw chocolate has gained in popularity there are plenty of companies specializing in producing raw cacao butter. Look for cacao butter from certified raw and organic beans in health food stores or online. Nowadays it is even available at some well stocked supermarkets. Raw cacao butter has a light yellow color and subtle chocolate aroma whereas deodorized will be pale and odor free.  

When it comes to all cacao products, high quality and Fair Trade is important, considering that many cacao plantations use child- and slave-labor. A Fair Trade certificate is not necessarily required to indicate quality or slavery-free cacao. There are plenty of good companies who practice fair working conditions and produce good quality cacao products even though they are not using the fair trade label. However, when it comes to cacao products made from conventionally grown cacao beans from the African continent it is extra important to be vigilant and select Fair Trade.  

STORING

Cacao butter should be stored in room temperature. Many people store cacao butter in the refrigerator thinking that it will extend shelf life. But when it comes to storing cacao butter, emphasis is on dry. The environment in the refrigerator is humid and can cause condensation to accumulate on the butter. It is important to keep water away from cacao butter since water and oil doesn´t mix and just a few drops of water can cause problems in some recipes such as chocolate. Instead, store cacao butter in an airtight plastic bag in a cool, dry and dark pantry. The shelf life of cacao butter is longer than any other cacao product, such as cacao beans or powder. When stored right cacao butter has a shelf life of 2-5 years. The ideal temperature to store cacao butter would be 10°C (50°F), but even if your pantry is warmer than that your cacao butter will still last for years. 

SUBSTITUTIONS

Coconut oil can be used instead of cacao butter in chocolate and desserts. However, cacao butter is a must when making tempered chocolate. For that there is no substitute.  

HEALTH BENEFITS

When it comes to nutrition, raw cacao butter is very different from refined. Raw is superior since heat strips the fat of most health properties. Raw cacao butter is rich in vitamin A, C, E and B complex and also contains a good amount of minerals, such as magnesium, iron, chromium, phsophoros and zinc. 

When it comes to antioxidants, theobromine and many of the other unique medicinal properties in the cacao bean, most are found in the cacao solids rather than the fat. Unlike cacao beans, nibs and powder, the butter contains only trace amounts of theobromine for example. 

Instead, cacao butter has many external health benefits. It can be applied topically not just to moisteurize, but also to help with skin conditions such as itching, eczema and dermatitis. It can help soothe skin after burns, and some also apply it to skin to protect from sun burn. It is also used to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy and mixed into shaving lotion it works to provide a smooth and less irritating shave. It is also great for the hair and scalp. Just like coconut oil, raw cacao butter can be used for oil pulling. 

CONCERNS

Although cacao butter is a healthy fat, it is good to limit the intake. Cacao butter is a saturated fat, primarily palmitic, stearic and oleic acid. Dr. Michael Greger explains that the consequence of consuming too much refined fat, especially if combined with sugar, is that it can inhibit the body´s ability to detox, cause inflammation, clog the arteries and burden the liver. 

Something else to be aware of is that cacao butter can be toxic to animals including cats, dogs, horses and parrots.

HISTORY

The ancient Olmecs, one of the earliest civilizations in Mesoamerica, are believed to be the first population to use the the cacao plant. Recent discoveries of Olmec pots and vessels with traces of cacao beans led historians to believe they used cacao to create a ceremonial beverage as far back as 5,500 years ago. 

Around 600 AD, the Mayans and Aztecs of Southern Mexico cultivated the cacao tree and it became a central part of their life and culture, used in anything from ceremonies, feasts and medicine. The beans were prepared into “xocoatl,” an unsweetened, frothy and bitter beverage said to be a potent aphrodisiac that offered strength and endurance before battle. “Xocol” meaning bitter and “atl” meaning water in Mayan language. Wealthy people and those of high rank would drink xocoatl in great quantities. Cacao was so valuable and treasured that the Emperors started collecting it as tax payments and eventually it even became the legal currency. 

In 1519 the Spanish conquistador Cortez and his henchmen invaded the Aztec empire. By then the civilization had well over a million inhabitants. The Spaniards were surprized to see that the currency the inhabitants used was cacao beans and the treasure troves of Montezuma, the Emperor, were not filled with gold, but rather with beans from the cacao fruit. 

The legend says that following the fall of the Aztec empire in 1528, cacao was brought back to Europe by Cortez. Xocoatl was introduced as ”cacahuatl,” which eventually became known as chocolate. A chocolate drink was said to build endurance and Cortez has been quoted saying ”A cup of this precious drink permits man to walk for a whole day without food”. Due to the bitter taste it was first used as a medicinal remedy to help with ailments such as an upset stomach. 

One element was introduced that would change the course of the cacao bean forever. Sugar. Once sweetener was added to the beverage, Europeans took up chocolate drinking with great enthusiasm. Drinking sugar sweetened chocolate became a delicacy and fashionable status symbol among those who could afford it. 

In 1753 the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus named the cacao tree Theobroma Cacao, meaning ”food of the Gods”.

The production of chocolate was laborious and time consuming. To accommodate the demand, slave labor was imported from the Caribbean and Africa to cacao plantations in South America. 

In 1828 the course of chocolate changed radically again. The chocolate press was invented by Dutch chemist Coenraad van Houten. This made it possible to separate the oil from the cacao solids, producing cacao powder. He later also invented the process of adding chemical salts to the chocolate powder, known as ”dutching”. 

The first chocolate bar ever was produced in 1874 by the Brittish company J.S. Fry & sons using cacao powder, cacao butter and sugar. Just a year later, a Swiss chocolatier, by the name Daniel Peter experimented with adding milk powder, producing the first ever milk chocolate bar. 

By the 20th century, chocolate was no longer reserved for the wealthy. The demand for chocolate went up radically. Since the cacao trees thrive near the equator, cacao production grew exponentially all around the equator, and especially in Africa. Unfortunately many of the cacao plantations today still use slave and child labor. Over 2 million children are estimated to be effected. Fair trade is supposedly slavery free.