What Is Chocolate, semi-sweet and How Can I Use It?
If semi-sweet chocolate has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 994 recipes to try it in.
What is semi-sweet chocolate?
Semi-sweet chocolate is a chocolate which has a level of sweetness that falls between sweet milk chocolate and bitter-sweet chocolate.
Most people know semi-sweet chocolate as dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is chocolate that does not contain milk solids, for example extra-bittersweet, bittersweet, and semi-sweet chocolate.
Semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolates contain cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, and sometimes soy lecithin (which acts as an emulsifier).
The quality and blends of cocoa beans, amount and quality of the added ingredients, and the processing determines the quality of the chocolate.
Each brand has its own special formula and method of processing.
Bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolates contain at least 35% chocolate liquor in North America and 43% in Britain.
The best chocolates can contain up to 70% chocolate liquor. The higher the content of chocolate liquor, the more rich and flavoursome the chocolate.
Bittersweet chocolate generally has a stronger chocolate flavour than milk chocolate or sweet chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate generally contains more sugar than bittersweet chocolate.
Semi-sweet chocolate will keep for several years, if well wrapped and stored in a cool dry place with good air circulation.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup chips (6 oz package) (168g)Where found
Semi-sweet chocolate is usually found in the baking supplies section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group
Chocolate, semi-sweet is a member of the Sweets US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
How much does semi-sweet chocolate weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup chips (6 oz package) | 168 grams |
| 1 cup large chips | 182 grams |
| 1 cup mini chips | 173 grams |
| 1 oz (approx 60 pcs) | 28 grams |
Related
Sweets
| In Chinese: | 巧克力（半甜） | |
| British (UK) term: | ||
| en français: | chocolat mi-sucré | |
| en español: | chocolate semi-dulce |
Recipes using semi-sweet chocolate
There are 994 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Cinnamon Brownies
Cinnamon-spiked fudgy brownies with cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and a cinnamon cocoa frosting on top. Mexican chocolate-inspired warm-spiced treat.
Super Chocolate Truffles
Super chocolate truffles use semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate, butter, and orange liqueur for a rich, boozy ganache cut into squares and rolled in cocoa. Classic French confection, dressed up with Cointreau.
Silky Chocolate Truffles
Silky chocolate truffles with semi-sweet chocolate, butter, and egg yolks rolled in cocoa powder. Five-ingredient French-style confection that turns pantry basics into an elegant gift.
Miss Lulu's Chocolate Waffles
Vintage chocolate waffles made with melted semisweet chocolate and folded egg whites for a tender, cake-like texture. Serve hot with syrup, whipped cream, or a scoop of ice cream for brunch or dessert.
White Chocolate Chip Cookies
White chocolate chip cookies built on a deep chocolate dough loaded with creamy white chocolate chips. Sour cream keeps them soft, melted semi-sweet gives them brownie-like depth.
Fudgy Picnic Muffins
Fudgy picnic muffins: a brownie-meets-muffin hybrid with melted semi-sweet chocolate, two cups of pecans, and just enough flour to hold it together. Freezes well for picnics and lunchboxes.
Mrs. F's Double-Rich Chocolate Cookies
Double chocolate cookies baked low and slow for fudgy centers and crisp edges. Cocoa powder plus semi-sweet chips deliver deep chocolate flavor in every bite.
Never on Sunday Chocolate Ice Cream
Never on Sunday chocolate ice cream is a custard-based churned dessert built on cocoa, semi-sweet chocolate, and a hit of whiskey stirred in just before freezing. Triple-chocolate punch in every scoop.
Aunt's Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies
Chocolate chip raisin cookies baked low and slow for crisp golden edges and chewy centers. Two cups each of plump raisins and semi-sweet chips packed into every cookie.
Chocolate Brownies, Low Cal
Low-calorie chocolate brownies made with melted semi-sweet chocolate and egg whites instead of yolks or butter. A lighter brownie with a fudgy bite and powdered-sugar dusting.
Supernatural Brownies
Supernatural brownies are Nick Malgieri's legendary fudge bricks: a full pound each of butter and semisweet chocolate, eight eggs, two sugars, and a shiny crackled top. Bakes a full half-sheet, rests overnight for perfect texture.
Super Chocolate Chip Cookies
Giant chocolate chip cookies baked in foil pans to hold their extra-thick shape. Butter and shortening blend creates crispy edges and soft, melty centers loaded with chocolate.
Logozzo's Chocolate Truffles
Logozzo's chocolate truffles made from a buttery dark ganache rolled into rich bite-sized balls and finished in cocoa, chopped nuts, or dipped in melted chocolate. Classic European confections from a five-ingredient base.
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies recipe
Hot Baja Coffee
A new, delicious coffee made with kahlua and creme de cacao that can warm anyone up in the morning!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Whole wheat oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies pack quick oats, hearty whole wheat flour, chocolate chunks, and nuts into a chewy lunchbox cookie. Wholesome enough for breakfast, sweet enough for dessert.
Rum Truffles
Rum truffles are classic chocolate ganache truffles flavored with rum extract and rolled in cocoa-sugar. A 30-piece batch of giftable, no-bake holiday confections.
Baker's Truffles
Baker's truffles roll melted semi-sweet chocolate with creamed butter, egg yolk, powdered sugar, and vanilla into 1-inch chilled candy balls coated in chopped nuts or coconut. Old-school no-cream truffles with deep cocoa richness.
Chocolate Raspberry Toasted Hazelnut Ice Cream
Chocolate Raspberry Toasted Hazelnut Ice Cream recipe
Tom's Chocolate Chip Brownies
Tender sour cream brownies studded with chocolate chips. The sour cream creates extra-moist texture that stays fudgy for days in this simple one-bowl recipe.
Best Chocolate Walnut Cookies
Slice-and-bake chocolate walnut cookies built on a flourless-style dough with a pound of melted semi-sweet chocolate, espresso, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Crackly tops, fudgy centers, almost no flour.
Best Chocolate Walnut Cookies
Slice-and-bake chocolate walnut cookies built on a flourless-style dough with a pound of melted semi-sweet chocolate, espresso, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Crackly tops, fudgy centers, almost no flour.
Simply the Best Chocolate Brownies
Fudgy chocolate brownies with both unsweetened and semi-sweet chocolate plus a hit of sour cream for tang and tenderness. Dense, dark, and bakery-style.
Deep Dark Chocolate Fudge Cookies
Deep dark chocolate fudge cookies loaded with three forms of chocolate: cocoa, semisweet, and unsweetened. Dense, fudgy interior with optional powdered sugar coating for crackle-top contrast.
Hazelnut Chunk Brownies*
Fudgy hazelnut chunk brownies loaded with toasted hazelnuts and chopped semisweet chocolate in a cocoa-rich, butter-heavy batter. Barely set centers, dense and deeply chocolatey.
