Is Cocoa Butter Vegan Friendly? Despite having ‘butter’ in its name, Cocoa Butter is indeed suitable for vegans.
In case you didn’t know, Cocoa Butter is a common ingredient in chocolate and it is also used in some cosmetic beauty products.
In this article, we’re going to take a close look at Cocoa Butter to find out exactly where it comes from, what it’s used for and why it is suitable for those following a Vegan diet.
We’re also going to find out whether Cocoa Butter is Dairy Free or not.
We’re going to break this article up into the following sections:
• What is Cocoa Butter?
• Is Cocoa Butter Vegan?
• Is Cocoa Butter Dairy Free?
• Other Cocoa Butter Uses
• Anything Else to Consider?
• Wrapping Things Up – Final Thoughts
So, with the introductions out of the way, let’s start taking a closer look at Cocoa Butter to see whether it is indeed dairy free and suitable for Vegans or not.
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What is Cocoa Butter?
If you’re reading this article, you’re probably already familiar with Cocoa Butter, but let’s cover the basics quickly anyhow.
In case you didn’t already know, Cocoa Butter is pale-yellow, edible vegetable fat extracted from the cocoa bean.
Cocoa Butter is used as one of the key ingredients to make Chocolate and is also found in some beauty and cosmetic products such as moisturizers.
So, how is Cocoa butter made? It’s a relatively simple process.
After the Cocoa Beans are extracted from the inside of a Cocoa Fruit, the beans are cleaned, roasted and then usually pressed in hydraulic machinery. This produces a substance from which Cocoa Butter is extracted, and the remaining solids are processed into cocoa powder, which is another ingredient in Chocolate.
In case you didn’t know, most of Chocolate’s nutritional value, flavor and Caffeine comes from Cocoa powder.
However, it is the Cocoa Butter that is responsible for the bulk and melt-in-your-mouth texture of Chocolate.
Cocoa butter is solid at room temperature and is sold on its own as an ingredient.
So, now that we’ve covered the basics about Cocoa Butter, it’s time to start taking a look at whether it is Vegan Friendly and Dairy Free or not.
Cocoa Butter is one of the main ingredients in Chocolate (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Is Cocoa Butter Vegan?
The short answer to this question is that yes, Cocoa Butter is indeed Vegan friendly.
Many people assume that because the word ‘butter’ is involved, that it won’t be a Vegan friendly product. However, this is not the case – Cocoa Butter is indeed a plant-based Vegan ingredient.
As we have already explained above, Cocoa Butter is extracted from Cocoa Beans, and so there are no animal products involved in the production of it.
Of course, it is important to bear in mind that if you’re buying Cocoa Butter from a store, it may have other things added to it.
For this reason, we recommend carefully checking the ingredients label to double check that your Cocoa Butter of choice is indeed Vegan friendly.
Now it’s time to find out whether Cocoa Butter is Dairy Free or not.
Is Cocoa Butter Dairy Free?
The short answer to this question is that yes, Cocoa Butter is Dairy Free.
Again, that’s because despite the word ‘butter’ being involved, Cocoa Butter does not contain any Dairy or Animal products.
Instead, Cocoa Butter is extracted from Cocoa beans, making it a fully plant-based substance.
That being said, you should always check the ingredients label of the product in question to make sure that the Cocoa Butter you are thinking of buying doesn’t contain any added dairy ingredients.
Other Cocoa Butter Uses
So, what about the other uses of Cocoa Butter aside from helping to make our chocolate bars delicious?
Cocoa Butter is considered to be a ‘beauty tool’ which is known for being an effective moisturizer.
You can buy Cocoa Butter on its own and it is often applied directly to the skin for various reasons.
Cocoa Butter also has a use as an effective lip balm, thanks to its moisturizing properties.
It is also sometimes used as DIY soap and as an ingredient in other beauty and cosmetic products.
Cocoa Butter is also sometimes used as a natural alternative to shaving cream.
Some people also choose to cook using Cocoa Butter. This is because Cocoa Butter is thought to be stable at high temperatures.
It’s important to bear in mind that Cocoa Butter is high in fat and calories, so it should only be consumed as part of a healthy and balanced diet and in moderation.
Cocoa Butter is combined with Cocoa Powder to make chocolate (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Anything Else to Consider?
As always, you should always carefully check the label of any product you’re thinking of buying to make sure that it is indeed 100 per cent Vegan friendly and Dairy Free.
For example, if you are lactose intolerant or cannot eat dairy products for any other reason, you should always check product labels to be sure that what you are consuming doesn’t contain any ingredients that may cause issues for your conditions.
As we mentioned above, Cocoa Butter is very high in fat (it is basically pure fat), and it is also high in calories.
For this reason, we would only recommend consuming Cocoa Butter in moderation and as part of a healthy and balanced diet overall.
We also recommend speaking to a certified medical professional before making any major changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Wrapping Things Up – Final Thoughts
So, that brings us to the end of our look at Cocoa Butter and whether it is Vegan Friendly and Dairy Free or not.
Cocoa Butter is a fat which is extracted from Cocoa Beans and used to make chocolate amongst other things.
Most of Chocolate’s flavor and nutritional value comes from Cocoa Powder, but it is the Cocoa Butter that is responsible for the melt-in-your-mouth texture and bulk of Chocolate.
As it comes from plant source, Cocoa Butter is indeed Vegan Friendly and Dairy Free – but you should always check the label before consuming it to make sure that there are no additives in the product that could affect this.
We’ve also explained some of the basic uses of Cocoa Butter, ranging from a moisturizer to a lip balm.
Cocoa Butter is also sometimes used for cooking because it seems to be one of the more stable fats at high heats.
The main thing to bear in mind when it comes to the nutritional value of Cocoa Butter is that it is very high in fat and calories, so you’ll only want to consume it in moderation, and as part of a healthy and balanced diet.
