Is White Chocolate Really Chocolate?

We take a deep dive into whether white chocolate is really chocolate. Most of us have grown up with memories of the Milky Bar kid on our screens selling us creamy white chocolate bars, but can we really call it chocolate?

The History of White Chocolate

White chocolate was first produced in 1936 when Nestle were making a children's formula. It was a vitamin enriched form of condensed milk, which when added to cocoa butter, formed a solid bar, thus accidentally creating white chocolate. Nestle realised they could make a non-medicinal version and then The Milky Bar was born.

…But is it Chocolate?

Technically white chocolate does not contain any cocoa particles, it is just cocoa butter mixed with sugar and sometimes a little bit of vanilla flavouring. It’s allowed to be called chocolate because the bulk of its ingredients is made from the fat from cacao. Cacao is the bean where all chocolate originates and while it is different in colour and flavour, it has a similar texture to milk chocolate.

Unlike dark chocolate, the healthy properties of white chocolate aren't that high as it does not supply significant doses of any essential nutrients to make up for the high calorie, sugar and fat content - but we say it can be enjoyed as a treat in moderation!

So scientifically, no, white chocolate technically isn't chocolate but I think it will forever be known and enjoyed as chocolate.