Chocolate chips are just about a staple of a kitchen that bakes. You can find millions of recipes online for sweets that ask for chocolate chips. But what if someone who will be eating your confections can’t have chocolate, or you are out of chocolate chips?
Chocolate chip cookie recipes are the most popular recipe to look up for American desserts. 53% of Americans prefer the chocolate chip cookie with peanut butter cookies coming in at a not very close 2nd place with 16%.
Substitutes for chocolate chips include cocoa powder, baking chocolate, and broken-up chocolate bars. For people with chocolate allergies, you should also consider carob chips or a chip of another flavor.
How do you use baking chocolate in a cookie or brownie recipe?
There is an important difference between semi-sweet chocolate chips and most baking chocolates. Baking chocolates have less sugar and are more designed to allow the baker to control the sweetness. Adding an ounce of baking chocolate and a tablespoon of sugar can recreate the sweetness and chocolatey taste of chocolate chips.
How can I use a chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips?
You might also have a chocolate bar or two stashed around – they really are a great thing to keep in the pantry for S’mores.
Chocolate bars make a good substitute. One thing to know is that recipes with chocolate chips tend to ask for a volume of chips – like 1 cup, instead of a specific weight. A chocolate bar is measured initially in weight.
Many kitchens do not have a scale capable of measuring punches, and if you don’t, we suggest you do what’s commonly called “measuring with love.” Also, smashing up chocolate bars into tiny bits might be the most fun part of the recipe.
How do I use cocoa powder?
Cocoa powder will literally change the complexion of your recipe unless it was already going to be brown! Cocoa powder adds the sweet taste of chocolate to the entire baked good instead of just in chocolate dabs. The powder should be added when the wet ingredients are mixed together.
What are carob chips and how can I use them to replace chocolate chips?
Allergic to chocolate? Carob chips are a great way to replace chocolate chips without sacrificing too much flavor.
Carob chips are made of a pod and are grown in the Mediterranean. The big difference is that carob chips are naturally sweet and tastes a bit more naturally roasted than chocolate chips. For people seeking desserts with lower sugar content, this can be great!
Carob chips don’t melt quite as much as chocolate chips, so they can add a bit of welcome or unwelcomed crunch to your dessert recipe.
What other flavors of chips are out there?
We are sure you are going to ask: What if I want the natural meltiness of a chocolate chip, but I can’t have chocolate or we are all out of chocolate chips?
Try a different flavor of chip! How about butterscotch chips, cinnamon chips, or peanut butter chips? They should be in the same aisle as chocolate chips, and you might have them in your house anyway. The chips offer the same gooey meltiness with a different kind of sweet flavor.
Conclusion
We have offered a few replacements for chocolate chip and hope that you can find something to bake to your liking. Chocolate chip recipes are flexible and offer many ways to recreate similar flavorings and textures. So go make a batch, make too many of them, and learn a bit more about how to freeze your leftover desserts.
