Ardent Mills introduces cocoa replacement ingredient
Cocoa Replace is intended to give producers a versatile, clean, cost-effective solution.
Courtesy of Ardent Mills
Ardent Mills, a flour-milling and ingredient company, has introduced Cocoa Replace, a wheat-based, clean-label solution to cocoa powder, Developed in response to the need for ingredient flexibility, cost control, and supply assurance, the product is intended to replace 25% of cocoa powder in cakes, brownies, cookies and muffins.
According to Ardent Mills, Cocoa Replace has been introduced at a pivotal moment for food manufacturers, as ongoing ingredient volatility challenges both cost management and supply chain assurance. With cocoa prices rising nearly 400% over the past decade, this solution reportedly helps brands maintain product flavor and performance while navigating broader pressures, from supply disruption to evolving consumer demand for cleaner, simpler ingredients.
Cocoa Replace can be substituted for up to 25% of cocoa powder in standard formulations. It is a single-ingredient product, and (according to the supplier) therefore requires a minimal label change in wheat-based goods, streamlining reformulation for manufacturers and protecting brand trust at the shelf. It is also vegan, kosher-certified, and non-GMO.
Ardent Mills reports that while recognizing the complexity of cocoa flavor and the challenges to replicating it in a replacement product, the company validated the solution through sensory trials with trained panels and consumers. Results from both sensory screening trials by highly trained sensory experts and from consumers reportedly demonstrated that Cocoa Replace closely matches cocoa powder in sensory experience and acceptability, making it a viable alternative to cocoa in baking applications up to 25%2.
“Cocoa Replace is a targeted response to cocoa market volatility, but it’s also part of a broader strategy,” says Angie Goldberg, chief growth officer at Ardent Mills. “We’re focused on helping our customers build resilience into their supply chains and formulation strategies—supporting not just the challenges they face today, but the ones coming next.”
Cocoa Replace, says the company, reflects Ardent Mills’ effort to address customer challenges through purposeful innovation, helping customers strengthen supply reliability, reduce ingredient cost,s and respond to shifting market demands. The new ingredient is intended to help food brands adapt faster and reformulate with confidence.
"Cocoa Replace is a powerful example of how Ardent Mills equips customers to navigate disruption with practical, high-impact solutions,” remarks Sergio Machado, senior director of R&D. “This ingredient innovation showcases our R&D agility and our ability to collaborate closely with customers to transform real-time market challenges—whether rising input costs, clean-label reformulations or shifting consumer expectations—into scalable, commercial-ready innovations.”
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