Generally speaking, using either one is fine for these bars! Again, I use organic versions of both, therefore, the difference might be slight in the taste when it comes to using either one. Also, cacao powder tends to be more expensive, but I love purchasing mine from Navitas Organics. In technical terms---Chocolate is actually made from Cacao beans (or seeds). It’s said that companies who use the term ‘Cacao’ are referring to the beans, pods, or ground up version of the beans. However, the term Cocoa is often referred to as the powdered version of it all (which is formed after the fat is pressed out of the bean).