White chocolate

White chocolateis a form ofchocolatemade ofcocoa butter,sugarandmilk. Unlikemilkanddark chocolate, it does not containcocoa solids, which darken the chocolate. White chocolate has an ivory color, and can smell of biscuit, vanilla or caramel, although it can also easily pick up smells from the environment and becomerancidwith its relatively short shelf life. Like milk and dark chocolate, white chocolate is used to makechocolate barsand as a coating inconfectionery.
Of the three traditionaltypes of chocolate, white chocolate is the newest. It was first commercially sold by Swiss companyNestléin 1936, but in the United States, manufacturing only started in 1984. Particularly in the early days of the product, there was much contention among consumers about whether white chocolate really was chocolate, but it gradually gained more acceptance. During the 21st century, manufacturers began producing more premium white chocolate, and in the United Kingdom the traditionally children's product was marketed to adults for the first time. Around 2005, a variant calledblond chocolatewas invented, produced by slowly cooking white chocolate across multiple days. In 2022, white chocolate accounted for 10% of the global chocolate market.
White chocolate is made in a five-step process. First, the ingredients are mixed together to form a paste. Next, the paste is refined, reducing particle size to a powder. It is then agitated for several hours in a process known asconching, after which the product is further processed to ensure the product sold is standardized. Finally, the chocolate istemperedby heating, cooling and reheating the mass, improving the product's appearance, stability and snap.
Before modern white chocolate was created, some products were referred to aswhite chocolate.While interpretations of what this term refers to differ, these products were certainly not white chocolate as it is known today. For example, the descriptorwhitein the title of an item called "white chocolate" in a list of supplies from 1783, could refer to something that was lighter than other chocolate, to denote that what it was made from was then classified as a cacao varietyTheobroma alba(white cacao),or alternatively it used an ancient method of preparing chocolate named "white cacao".
When modern white chocolate was created is unclear, but there is a consensus that the first commercial white chocolate tablet, Nestlé Galak (known asMilkybarin the United Kingdom), was launched by the Swiss companyNestléin 1936. Making white chocolate was said to be a way to use milk powder and cocoa butter, which were then produced in excess.According to Nestlé, white chocolate was originally a coating for a vitamin product they were making in conjunction with pharmaceutical groupRoche.Production of Milkybar was suspended in the UK in 1940 due toshortages of ingredients caused by WW2; it would take until 1956 before production resumed.Historically in the United Kingdom, white chocolate has been closely associated with children,and Milkybar has been marketed there as a chocolate for children.In fact, in 1961 Nestlé created "The Milkybar Kid", a blond boy sporting spectacles and a cowboy suit; it was only in 2010 that the character was portrayed by adults.As of 1992, the Milkybar constituted 80% of the£41,000,000 UK white-chocolate market.
In Spain, white chocolate became common in the early 1970s and by the late 1990s there were four rival brands selling white chocolate. Since the late 1970s in Japan,White Dayhas been celebrated on March 14, following its promotion by chocolate companies. On this day, men give white chocolate to women who had given them dark chocolate on Valentine's Day a month earlier.In 1973, a white chocolate variety ofTobleronewas created.
Around the start of the 21st century in the United Kingdom, chocolate makers began marketing white chocolate to adults, with Cadbury releasingCadbury SnowflakeandDream, and Nestle releasing white chocolate versions of Aero and Kit-Kat.As of 2017, white chocolate was considered acceptable for adults to eat, as seen by its inclusion in assortment boxes.Chefs within themolecular gastronomymovement in the 2000s used white chocolate, creating white chocolate fizzand pairing it withcaviarbased on the principles offood pairing.Since 2012, the French chocolate manufacturerValrhonahas sold "blond chocolate", invented around 2005 after white chocolate was accidentally left in abain-mariefor four days. As of 2024, Valrhona was lobbying the French government to recognize it as a separate type of chocolate.
AlthoughHebert Candiessays that they introduced white chocolate to America for the first time in 1956,white chocolate did not gain popularity until the 1980s, after a white chocolatemoussewas served by chefMichel Fitoussiin 1977 New York City.Imports rose from Europe, and the chocolate was considered trendy; it was marketed as European.Pastry chefsutilized the product's plasticity to construct decorations for cakes.White chocolate versions of desserts includingchocolate truffles, cheesecakes, brownies and chocolate chip cookies were made, even as the mousse remained the most popular.In desserts, it was often paired with berries to balance the richness of the chocolate.For the first time, in 1984, white chocolate was made and mass-distributed in the United States when Nestlé released Alpine White, a white chocolate bar containing almonds, which they marketed to the "female indulgence" market.Growth was driven by perceptions of white chocolate as "lighter and more delicate" than other types of chocolate.By the 1990s, however, white chocolate had become unpopular and disliked; a contemporary online survey featured opinions that white chocolate tasted like "candle wax" and was "for communist spies."Nestlé discontinued Alpine White in 1993, and a year laterThe Hershey CompanyintroducedHershey's Cookies 'n' Cremeto the US market, a white chocolate product embedded with cookie chunks.Hershey's new launch and Nestlé's new White Crunch bar, however, failed to turn around sales.
As of 2001, much of the "white chocolate" sold in the United States was made ofpalm kernel oilsorhydrogenated fatsand called "compound coating". It was sold as "ivory", "blanc", or just wrapped in clear plastic bags. Consumers had difficulty distinguishing white chocolate made with and without cocoa butter.TheFood and Drug Administrationforbade white chocolate being marketed as "chocolate" unless manufacturers held rare permits they had to be renew every fifteen months.In the early 90s, Hershey and the Chocolate Manufacturers Association (now part of theNational Confectioners Association) began lobbying the FDA to regulate a standard identity for white chocolate. The agency struggled to establish what percentage of cocoa was appropriate, and whether to permit the addition of antioxidants. In 1997, the FDA released a proposal for a standard identity,and in 2002, in response to a decade of lobbying, administrative burden of the permit system, and in order to make it easier to market US white chocolate internationally, the FDA regulated a standard of identity for white chocolate for the first time.This was enforced from 2004 and required white chocolate to be made of at least 20% cocoa butter.In the years that followed, as demand for cocoa butter sent the prices doubling between 2005 and 2015, some American chocolate makers switched to making higher-quality white chocolate.
White chocolate does not contain cocoa solids, the primary non-fat constituent ofchocolate liquor; these are replaced bymilk solids. During manufacturing, the dark-colored solids of the cocoa bean are separated from its fatty content, as with milk chocolate and dark chocolate, but, unlike with other forms of chocolate, no cocoa mass is added back. This makes cocoa butter the only cocoa ingredient in white chocolate.As pure pressed cocoa butter has a flavor that can be considered unpleasant in some applications, before it is used in white chocolate, it is partly deodorized. This involves steam distilling the cocoa butter under vacuumor by using solvents.If cocoa butter were fully deodorized, it would lose all cocoa flavor; as a result, less deodorized cocoa butters are used in dark chocolates, while white chocolates use more deodorized cocoa butter.
Beyond cocoa butter, white chocolate contains sugar, milk solids,emulsifiers(generally soylecithinorPGPR),and flavors (such as vanilla). Manufacturers vary the milk solids used to create different effects. Some use yogurt powder as a milk powder, as the acidity masks the sweetness of the sugar.Other manufacturers substitute milk powder for "white"chocolate crumb(a mixture of sugar, milk and cocoa butter dried simultaneously), to give it a caramelized flavor, and others make white chocolate softer by using skimmed milk powder and milk fat instead of full cream milk powder.The ratio between cocoa butter, sugar and milk fat impacts the quality, and higher-quality white-chocolate recipes require less sugar with more cocoa butter and milk fat.In some chocolate, some cocoa butter is substituted for cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) and cocoa butter substitutes (CBSs). CBEs are fats with similartriglyceridestructures, such aspalm oilandshea butter,while CBSs are fats with dissimilar triglyceride structures that are refined to have similar qualities of hardness, mouthfeel and flavor release. These include fully refined fats made frompalm kernelandcoconut oil.
The basic process of making white chocolate involves mixing, refining,conching, standardizing andtempering.
In the mixing phase, cocoa butter is combined with sugar, milk solids, emulsifiers and flavors.These ingredients are mixed until a rough paste is formed.After the ingredients are mixed, the mass enters a refining machine. This carries the mass through large steel rollers set to varying widths, turning the mass into a dry powder.White chocolate is then transferred to a conching machine.These machines mix and knead the mass, changing the flavor and texture.White chocolate is conched between 40 and 50 °C (104–122 °F), the lowest temperature of the traditional types of chocolate;conching at higher temperatures can give the chocolate undesirable flavors produced by theMaillard reaction.After conching, the viscosity and taste of the mixture is standardized by adding flavorings, emulsifiers or cocoa butter. This is necessary, given the use of automatic molding and enrobing equipment.
In the final step of production, the chocolate is tempered. While waiting to temper, the chocolate is kept in liquid-chocolate storage.Storing white chocolate for this time is particularly difficult compared to other types of chocolate, as it tends to thicken and caramelize at higher temperatures.To prevent this, the chocolate is constantly stirred while being held between 38 and 40 °C (100–104 °F).Before tempering, chocolate is heated to ensure all the cocoa butter that has crystallized has melted.In white chocolate, this occurs at about 40–45 °C (104–113 °F), lower than in milk and dark chocolates.During tempering, chocolate is cooled to the point where the cocoa butter can begin to crystallize, and then heated to ensure that of the various crystal structures, only the most stable remain. For white chocolate, the temperatures the chocolate is cooled to and then heated to are lower than those needed for other chocolates; up to 4 °C lower when compared to dark chocolate.High milk fat contents in white and milk chocolates reduces the temperature at which they solidify. As a result, they require longer cooling.The softness and viscosity of white chocolate makes it the most challenging chocolate for manufacturers to work with.
Regulations govern what may be marketed aswhite chocolate: since 2000 in theEuropean Union, white chocolate must be (by mass) at least 20% cocoa butter and 14% total milk solids, of which enough milk fat must be contained to make up 3.5%.Up to 5% of white chocolate's mass can be vegetable fats other than cocoa butter.In January 2022, theEuropean Food Safety Authoritybanned the food coloring agentE171(titanium dioxide), which had been used as a common whitener in some white chocolate products.
Since 2004 in the United States, theCode of Federal Regulationsdefines white chocolate as containing "not less than 20 percent by weight of cacao fat", "not less than 3.5 percent by weight ofmilkfatand not less than 14 percent by weight of total milk solids", and "not more than 55 percent by weight of a nutritive carbohydrate sweetener" (generallysucrose).Acceptable dairy elements when manufacturing white chocolate in the United States includeevaporated milk,skim milk,buttermilk, andmalted milk. White chocolate products may not containartificial coloringagents.Compared to milk and dark chocolates, white chocolate is permitted to contain an unusually high amount of emulsifiers; up to 1.5% of the formula, 50% more than what is permitted for other chocolates. It is also the only chocolate to which antioxidants can be added, to prevent it going rancid.Unlike in the EU, products in the US containing vegetable fats other than cocoa butter cannot be labelled "chocolate".
White chocolate has anivory colorand can smell of biscuit, vanilla or caramel, but can also easily pick up undesirable environmental smells. This can give it undesirable smells ofrancidityor cheese.White chocolate made from nondeodorized cocoa butter retains the aroma of chocolate, but has an unappealing taste to most consumers.Cocoa butter can contribute a yellow color to white chocolate, which can be considered undesirable.Milk fats in white chocolate carry flavors, serve asflavor precursors, and provide flavor, some of these produced throughout the production process.Undesirable flavors in white chocolate includes metal and paper or cardboard; the latter flavors can arise from exposure to oxygen.The flavor and texture of white chocolate is divisive; enjoyed by some for its "creamy" and "unctuous" texture, and disliked by others who perceive the flavor to be cloying.Compared to chocolates containing cocoa solids, white chocolate does not make consumers as thirsty.
Due to the absence of cocoa antioxidants, which act as natural preservatives and are predominantly found in dark chocolate, white chocolate typically has a shorter shelf life compared to both milk and dark chocolate. The presence of milk fats in white chocolate also means white chocolate cannot be packed in a transparent wrapper, as milk fat is delicate, and will decompose faster if exposed to light.Instead, metallized films are used.
White chocolate is 59%carbohydrates, 32% fat, 6%protein, and 1% water (see table). In a reference amount of 100 grams (3.5 oz), white chocolate supplies 2,250 kJ (540 kcal) offood energy, is a rich source (22% of theDaily Value, DV) ofriboflavin, and a moderate source (10–15% DV) ofpantothenic acid,calcium,phosphorus, andpotassium(table). White chocolate contains only trace amounts of the stimulantstheobromineandcaffeine, as these are present in the cocoa mass but not the cocoa butter.
As of 2022, white chocolate accounted for about 10% of the overall chocolate market.The smaller consumption of white chocolate compared to milk and dark chocolate has been attributed to white chocolate containing fewer aromatic compounds.White chocolate is also controversial among some members of the public as to whether it is "really" chocolate,contributing to a bad reputation added to by perceptions of it being too sweet and containing too many additives.During the 2010s, white chocolate consumption declined as consumers opted for dark chocolate in light of attention to claims made about health benefits.White chocolate, supplemented with fat-soluble colors and flavors, is often used to coat candies and cakes in the United States.
As of 2006, most white chocolate in the US was imported from Europe, with the chocolate makersGuittard,Baker'sandAskinosieresponsible for domestic production.In 2018, around half of the white chocolate sold was made of white chocolate bars, valued at US$19.18 billion.As of two years later, Nestle's Milkybar white chocolate was the most popular white chocolate sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland.Manufacturers sell white chocolate varieties of classic chocolate products, includingTwix,Kit KatandM&M's.
Belgium is a popular producer of white chocolate,often mixing it with milk or dark chocolates as decoration.As of 2019, Brazil was the largest market for white chocolate in South America, where it was the second most popular type of chocolate behind milk.Craft white chocolate is popular, particularly in Japan.As of 2024, demand forartisanalwhite chocolate is increasing. This is a product of a general increase in demand for premium chocolate, driven in part by an increase in demand fororganic, sugar-free, vegan and gluten-free chocolate. Beyond sales directly to customer, white chocolate is also sold industrially ascompound chocolate, to be used by bakeries, confectioners and for making cookies and biscuits. Thecosmeticsindustry also purchases white chocolate, based on beliefs that it can help with "skin renewal and rejuvenation". It is thus used in bodylotionsandwax.
Sugar-free and reduced sugar white chocolate containmaltitol, asugar alcohol, instead ofsucrose. As maltitol is a laxative, some manufacturers combine it with a fiber blend andstevia.Alternatively,sorbitolorfructoseare used as sucrose substitutes.Sugar-free white chocolate also substitutes milk ingredients for lactose-free variants.Other varieties of white chocolate include organic, vegan and gluten-free chocolate.
Blond chocolate is made by slowly heating white chocolate, which triggersMaillard reactions, creating a chocolate with light caramel flavor.White chocolate bars can be flavored and filled, including withbutterscotch, caramel, coffee,fondant, honey, mint,nougat, nuts and vanilla.