Is Baking Cocoa Powder Acidic or Alkaline?
Cocoa powder, baking (dried) is strongly alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
Heavily defatted baking cocoa is a concentrate. Most of the fat and water has been removed, leaving potassium and magnesium at high density, hence −35.7. That does not make chocolate alkaline, because chocolate adds sugar, cocoa butter and often milk powder, which dilute the cocoa. A teaspoon of pure cocoa powder in your oatmeal or oat milk, on the other hand, makes a small but real alkaline contribution.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, baking cocoa powder (dried) ranks #1 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More acid-forming are Cocoa powder (alkalized) (−31.7), Potato chips (plain) (−17.0), Potato chips (paprika flavor) (−17.0).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is baking cocoa powder acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Cocoa powder, baking (dried) has a PRAL of −35.7 per 100 g, so it counts as strongly alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much baking cocoa powder do I need for a noticeable effect?
A small serving (40 g) of baking cocoa powder adds −14.3 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of baking cocoa powder roughly offsets one of them.
Why is baking cocoa powder alkaline even though it is not a typical alkaline food?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Cocoa powder, baking provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−35.7).
Cocoa Powder, Baking logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
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Compare all Sweets & Snacks: Sweets & Snacks table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.