Substitutions / dark chocolate
What to use instead of dark chocolate
Use cocoa powder at 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp fat / 1 oz. Works well in baked goods and sauces, but loses the snap and melt of solid chocolate.
Every option, best first
| Use instead | How much | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa powder | 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp fat / 1 oz | Works well in baked goods and sauces, but loses the snap and melt of solid chocolate. |
| Semi-sweet chips | 1:1 by weight | Slightly sweeter and contain stabilizers, so they don't always melt as smoothly for coating or ganache. |
| Carob chips | 1:1 by weight | Naturally sweeter and caffeine-free, but the flavor is noticeably different — earthier and less complex. |
How much is a cup of dark chocolate?
Substituting by volume and weighing are different problems, and the second one has an exact answer. Weigh dark chocolate in grams →
A word on how to read these
A substitution is a trade, not an equivalence. The ratio gets the quantity right; the third column is the part worth reading, because it tells you what you are giving up. In a stew, most of these are invisible. In a cake — where flour, liquid, fat and leavening are in a fixed relationship — the same swap can change the crumb.
Why baking notices and stew doesn't →
Where these came from
These substitutions were written by Gather's own kitchen model — the same one the app uses when you tap an ingredient and ask what else would work — then checked and saved as a fixed list in July 2026. Nothing on this page is generated while you read it. They are a good starting point and not a substitute for tasting as you go.