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Vickie S
Can I substitute simi-sweet baking chocolate for semi-sweet chips? How many squares equal a 6oz or 12oz bag? Do I need to add sugar or anything else to the baking chocolate?
Thanks in advance for any info on the subject. I have several pounds of baking chocolate that I would like to use.

Vickie

Editor's note:

Hi Vickie,

The quick answer is:
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, can be substituted for 1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips. I'll post more info in a message following this one.

Happy Holiday Baking!

Betsy at Recipelink.com

Betsy at Recipelink.com

COCOA AND CHOCOLATE SUBSTITUTIONS
Source: Baker's Chocolate

- If your secret family recipe calls for cocoa powder, you can easily substitute BAKER’S Chocolate. Simply use one square of BAKER’S Unsweeted Baking Chocolate for every three tablespoons cocoa and one tablespoon shortening.

- For an indulgent treat, replace the chocolate chips in your favorite recipes with chocolate chunks made from BAKER’S Chocolate. BAKER’S Semi-Sweet, GERMAN’S Sweet, White and Bittersweet chocolate flavors are delicious as chunks.

- The best way to chunk chocolate is with a serrated cook's knife. Although a food processor is an indispensable piece of cooking equipment, it makes a mess out of baking chocolate.

- When "chunking" baking chocolate, bigger isn't necessarily better. The ideal chunk size is about 1/4 inch. Larger chunks could overwhelm the cookie dough and result in uneven baking.


COCOA AND CHOCOLATE SUBSTITUTIONS
Source: Land O Lakes

Chocolate Chips, Semi-Sweet:
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, can be substituted for 1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips. When substituting for chocolate chips, make sure to use the same type of chocolate (i.e. semi-sweet, milk).

Chocolate, Semi-Sweet:
3 tablespoons chocolate chips OR 1 square (1-ounce) unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tablespoon sugar can be substituted for 1 square (1-ounce) semi-sweet chocolate. 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus 7 tablespoons sugar plus 1/4 cup fat can be substituted for 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate. Bittersweet chocolate can be substituted for semisweet chocolate. There could be a slight difference in texture and flavor.

Chocolate, Sweet Baking (German's):
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1/3 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons fat can be substituted for 4 ounces German's sweet baking chocolate.

Chocolate, Unsweetened:
1 2/3 ounce semisweet chocolate (reduce sugar in recipe by 2 teaspoons) OR 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa plus 1 tablespoon butter, margarine or shortening can be used instead of 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate.

Cocoa, Unsweetened:
Dutch-processed cocoa may be substituted for unsweetened cocoa.


COCOA AND CHOCOLATE SUBSTITUTIONS
Source: Ghirardelli

Ghirardelli Bittersweet and Semi-Sweet
Chocolate can be used interchangeably.

Ghirardelli Unsweetened Chocolate and Ghirardelli Chocolate Semi-Sweet Baking Bars:
4 ounces of Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate equals 2 ounces of Ghirardelli Unsweetened Chocolate combined with 2 ounces of sugar.

Ghirardelli Unsweetened Premium Cocoa and Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa:
For each 1/2 cup of Unsweetened Premium Cocoa, use 1 cup of Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa and decrease the amount of sugar the recipe calls for by 1/2 cup.

Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa and Ghirardelli Unsweetened Premium Cocoa:
For 1 cup of Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa, use 1/2 cup Unsweetened Premium Cocoa and 1/2 cup sugar. Mix together prior to adding to the recipe.

Ghirardelli Unsweetened Chocolate and Unsweetened Premium Cocoa:
For every 1 ounce of Unsweetened Chocolate called for in a recipe, use 3 level tablespoons of Unsweetened Premium Cocoa and 1 tablespoon extra of butter, margarine, or vegetable shortening, as called for in the recipe.

Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa and Ghirardelli Unsweetened Baking Chocolate:
For every 1 ounce of Ghirardelli Unsweetened Baking Chocolate, use 6 level tablespoons of Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa; add 1 tablespoon extra of butter, margarine, or vegetable shorting, as called for in the recipe; and decrease the amount of sugar the recipe calls for by 3 level tablespoons.


COCOA AND CHOCOLATE SUBSTITUTIONS
Source: Betty Crocker

Semisweet baking chocolate:
1 oz = 1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate plus 1 Tbsp sugar

Semisweet chocolate chips:
1 cup = 6 oz semisweet baking chocolate, chopped

Unsweetened baking chocolate:
1 oz = 3 Tbsp baking cocoa plus 1 Tbsp vegetable oil or melted shortening or margarine


COCOA AND CHOCOLATE SUBSTITUTIONS
Source: Cornell University Cooperative Extension

Cocoa is a highly concentrated form of chocolate. In its concentration, more than 3/4 of chocolate's natural fat, cocoa butter, has been removed. It may be used in recipes calling for various forms of chocolate, but only after the fat is replaced. The following substitutions are all interchangeable.

A one-ounce square of unsweetened baking chocolate equals 3 tablespoons of cocoa plus 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening or oil. Do not use butter or margarine. This is also the substitution for 1 one-ounce envelope of pre-melted unsweetened chocolate.

6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate pieces or 6 one-ounce squares of semi-sweet chocolate is equal to 6 tablespoons cocoa, 7 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 cup shortening.

4 ounces of sweet cooking chocolate is equal to 4 tablespoons cocoa, 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar and 8 teaspoons of shortening.

Because most vegetable oils are lower in saturated fat than the natural fat found in chocolate, these substitutions will produce a finished product somewhat lower in saturated fat than if the original recipe was followed.

Carob has been used as a chocolate substitute with varying results. It may be substituted for part of the flour in a recipe, using 1/4 cup carob and 3/4 cup flour to equal one cup of flour. It also may be substituted for cocoa on a one-for-one basis. Carob contains a small amount of unsaturated fat, making it healthier to eat than chocolate. However, true chocolate lovers do not find carob to be an adequate substitution for chocolate, due largely to its flavor.
Vickie S Lancaster, CA
Betsy, Thanks so much for your quick response! You rock!
Vickie S
Anita from Ontario, Canada
Thanks so much for posting these chocolate substitutes. They were a great help to me. You are appreciated!!
Betsy at Recipelink.com
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