Butter Buds cocoa alternative aims at conserving costs

Cocoa Butter Buds is designed to mimic the flavor of authentic chocolate.

Butter Buds highlights cost-effective alternative to cocoa powder — Marcus Z-pics - stock.adobe.com

Courtesy of Butter Buds / Adobe Stock

Butter Buds, known for its dairy concentrate ingredients, recently highlighted Cocoa Butter Buds, a concentrated powder made with real cocoa fat, that provides formulators with a cost-effective alternative to cocoa powder. Cocoa Butter Buds reportedly mimics the real chocolate flavor consumers are familiar with—which is ever-important as cocoa prices reach historic highs, the brand says.

“Cocoa Butter Buds uses our proprietary enzyme modification and real cocoa fats from the cocoa bean to create a concentrated ingredient solution that helps manufacturers improve chocolate flavor in their formulations at a fraction of the cost of chocolate,” says Michael Ivey, national sales director, Butter Buds Inc. “Rich chocolate flavor is based on an ideal ratio of cocoa fat to cocoa solids, and chocolate flavorings with imbalanced ratios make it challenging for formulators to add enough cocoa fat to balance flavors without adversely affecting texture and nutritional profiles while also keeping costs affordable. Using Cocoa Butter Buds, formulators can cost-effectively achieve the elusive real-chocolate flavor consumers are sure to love without breaking the bank.”

Consumers have continued to experience rising chocolate prices on shelves—with retail prices up 10% in 2023. On the New York commodities market, cocoa prices reached as high as $11,722 in 2023—a historical new height caused by declining production in Africa, where Ghana and the Ivory Coast produce 60% of the globe’s chocolate supply. This is the third year in a row of declining cocoa production in these countries, meaning costs will continue to climb in 2025. In response, baking, snack, and confectionery manufacturers will need to adjust their pricing or learn to adjust formulations with lower-cost alternatives.

Cocoa Butter Buds reportedly rounds out chocolate flavor and adds rich, longer-lasting cocoa fat notes to any food or beverage where cocoa powder is used. With very low cost-in-use rates, typically 0.5%, Cocoa Butter Buds can offer real cost optimization with minimal formulation and nutritional profile adjustments. This Butter Buds solution has had proven success in a variety of chocolate formulations, such as:

Chocolate Frosting: With a combination of Cocoa Butter Buds with other Butter Buds ingredients—Buttermilk Buds and Butter Buds-Ghee—30-40% reduction in cocoa powder was reached while maintaining real chocolate flavor.
Instant Hot Chocolate Powder: Using Cocoa Butter Buds reduced cocoa powder usage from 10% to 8% and was able to round out sweetness and restore perception of cocoa bitter notes.

“Anywhere you use cocoa powder, you can use Cocoa Butter Buds, from snacks and baked goods to beverages and more,” says Ivey. “It’s an easy-to-use, water-soluble solution that helps manufacturers improve chocolate flavor like never before. It contributes less than 0.07% fat to the final formulation yet provides complete chocolate flavor without adding significant fat or cost and is also Kosher and Halal certified.”

“Now manufacturers can achieve meaningful cost savings while also benefitting from our team of experienced food scientists to develop successful formulations,” adds Ivey. “We are here to help manufacturers overcome challenges in the market and Cocoa Butter Buds will ensure their next product delivers all the rich, chocolatey taste, texture, and long-lasting cocoa fat notes that are sure to satisfy consumers.”

To learn more about Cocoa Butter Buds, click here.