What Can You Use Instead of Chocolate Chips?

Chocolate chips can be replaced with chopped dark chocolate, cacao nibs or raisins; which one to choose depends on the sweetness level and texture the recipe needs. Chocolate chips are specially made to largely hold their shape in oven heat, so that difference is worth keeping in mind when choosing an alternative. How do you use chopped chocolate? A bar of dark, milk or white chocolate roughly chopped with a knife easily stands in for chocolate chips; chopped pieces melt a bit more in the oven than ready-made chips and leave more irregular pools, though the difference in flavor is barely noticeable. Avoid chopping the pieces too finely, or they will disappear completely into the batter. Chilling the chocolate in the freezer for a few minutes before chopping stops it from crumbling or starting to melt as you cut it, a handy trick especially in a warm kitchen. What do cacao nibs and other alternatives add? Cacao nibs are cracked, roasted cocoa beans, and they are distinctly bitter rather than sweet; they will not give the melting sweetness of chocolate chips, but they add a crunchy texture and an intense cocoa aroma, making them a good fit for sugar-free or low-sugar recipes. Dried fruit like raisins or chopped dried apricots offer a different flavor profile; they do not really replace chocolate, but they create a similar burst of texture in each bite, which works well in cookies and granola. Can cocoa powder make up for it? If there are no chocolate chips and only cocoa powder is on hand, a few 15 ml measures of cocoa powder stirred into the batter give a general chocolate flavor, though this method carries the taste without the bite of texture that chips give. When the two methods are used together—cocoa powder and chopped chocolate—both flavor and texture are balanced. Where is the difference least noticeable? In cake batters with a high liquid content, chopped chocolate melts almost the same way ready-made chips do, so the result looks nearly identical. In stiffer doughs like cookies, chopped chocolate can spread a little more, so leaving slightly more space between pieces on the baking sheet helps. Does shelf life change? Ready-made chocolate chips can sit unopened at room temperature for months thanks to their coating; chopped chocolate lasts about as long, though left exposed to air it can develop a whitish bloom on the surface from sugar or fat crystallizing. That bloom does not spoil the flavor, it only affects how it looks, and it usually disappears once baked. Points to Keep in Mind

Whichever alternative you use, if the recipe specifies a gram amount rather than by volume, weigh the chopped chocolate to the same weight, since gaps between chopped pieces can throw off a volume measurement. The quality of the chocolate also matters, one with a higher cocoa percentage gives a richer flavor.