Cacao in energy bars: powder, nibs or coating

Cacao enters an energy bar in three forms, and each does a different job. Cacao powder gives flavour and colour. Cacao nibs give texture and small points of bitterness. A coating gives the bite and the look. At Color of Vietnam, cacao is an ingredient we often talk about in the PLAY Nutrition oat bars, so this piece explains what each form does, where it goes wrong, and what we ask suppliers before we buy.

From bean to three forms

Cacao beans come out of the pod, ferment for a few days and are dried. At the processor they are roasted, shelled and cracked into small pieces. Those pieces are nibs. Grinding nibs finely gives cacao mass. Pressing the mass separates cacao butter from a cake, and the cake is milled into cacao powder. A coating is usually a blend of cacao powder, sugar and a fat, or real chocolate made with cacao butter.

Vietnam has cacao growing regions, and imported cacao is also on the market. Origin is a required line in our specification, but flavour and consistency between lots decide the supplier.

Powder: flavour, colour and a little fat

Powder is the easiest form to use in a bar. It goes straight into the mix of oats and binder. The bitterness of cacao balances the sweetness of the syrup or dates, which is why bars with cacao are often described as less sweet even when the recipe has no less sugar. Powder also gives colour, and colour is what a buyer sees before tasting.

Two things to know when choosing a powder:

• Natural or alkalised: natural powder is lighter, slightly acidic and clearly bitter. Alkalised powder, treated with an alkali to reduce acidity, is darker and rounder. Swap one for the other in the same recipe and both the colour and the taste change.
• Fat content: cacao powder keeps some cacao butter. A fattier powder tastes fuller but can make the mix slippery, which affects how well the bar binds when pressed.

Nibs: texture and bitterness in points

Nibs are the least processed form. They are crunchy, clearly bitter, roasted in aroma, and they do not melt in the mouth the way powder does. In an oat bar, nibs create crunchy, bitter points inside a chewy, sweet base.

Nibs are also the hardest form to run in production. The pieces are hard and do not stick, so they make the mix harder to hold together. Large nibs fall out at the cut face. Small nibs disappear into the base and lose their effect. Nib size is therefore a parameter that has to be written down, not just the word nibs.

Coating: the bite, and a list of things to manage

A cacao coating makes a bar look more like confectionery and gives that feeling of biting through a thin layer before reaching the centre. But a coating brings a lot with it:

• Heat: a coating melts when a delivery van stands in the sun, and develops a white bloom (fat that has separated to the surface) when it goes through warm and cool cycles. In a hot, humid climate this is a daily reality, not a rare risk.
• The line: it needs a coating step and a cooling tunnel, which not every facility has.
• Cost: the coating and the extra step raise the price of the bar by more than the flavour they add.
• Labelling: a coating made with a fat other than cacao butter cannot be called chocolate in many places.

For these four reasons our current bars use cacao as powder, nibs are in trials, and coating sits on the waiting list until a suitable line and cold chain are in place.

An example: nibs in a PLAY Nutrition sample

Recently we trialled adding nibs to the PLAY Nutrition oat and cacao bar, with the question written in advance: can nibs add crunch without making the bar fall apart. The sample from our partner facilities tasted very good. Bitterness in points, a clear roasted aroma, and a quick yes to the second-piece question.

The problem was in the wrapper. On opening, a layer of loose nibs sat at the bottom. The cut face explained it: nibs at the two ends of the bar were not held by the oat base, and the knife pushed them out as it passed. A wrapper full of crumbs does not look like a good bar to anyone. The tracking sheet reads: adjust and retry, with smaller nibs, one step more pressure at the press, and a request to the supplier for a nib size specification so that we order the right size next time.

For powder or nibs, we ask suppliers the same set of questions: natural or alkalised, fat content, particle size or fineness, moisture, a COA (certificate of analysis) for every lot, origin, and the Halal status of that exact product code. Price is discussed after the sample has been through the review table.

If you want to learn to tell which form of cacao is inside a bar and why, our Fresher Product R&D (FMCG) role in Hanoi is open on the Careers page. If you supply cacao, send your specification and COA through the Contact page and we will put your sample into the next trial round.