From muffins, cookies, cakes, ganache, icings, and dips, chocolate chips are a must-have staple in your pantry. For richness and creaminess, white chocolate chips are the way to go. But if you want the chocolaty flavor to truly stand out, then bittersweet or semisweet ones can get the job done. Flavors like mint and peanut butter can make things more interesting!
We've done some research and created a list of 10 best chocolate chips for baking to help you make the perfect choice. Our top choice is Hu's Gems Dark Chocolate. These baking chocolate chips are crafted from cacao, unrefined coconut sugar, and cocoa butter, and they contain no artificial ingredients. Curious about other products? Check out more below! We've also included a buying guide reviewed by a professional chef to help you figure out which chips work best for you.
Quick List - Top Baking Chocolate Chips
Enjoy Life Foods
Best Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Chips With Natural Ingredients
Jim Quast (JQ) is a lifelong professional restaurant and corporate R&D chef who loves everything food-related and the tools, both big and small, to make those great food memories. He's a super huge BBQ, grill, and kitchen gadget fanatic. JQ has spent the last 30+ years trying to figure out what works to make your kitchen life easier and fun. If you can use it to slice it, dice it, cook it, smoke it, or store it, he's been there checking it out. Food = Life!
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When choosing the right baking chocolate chips, there are a few things that you can take into consideration, like flavor, size, shape, and sourcing of the ingredients and manufacturers. For more details, give this buying guide a look.
Before considering anything else, you'll need to decide what kind of chocolate chips work best for your recipe. In this section, we'll talk about some of the most popular chocolate chip types out there and some key features to keep in mind before making your choice.
Out of the many types of chocolate, bittersweet chocolate chips, also known as dark chocolate chips, are the least sweet, with a cacao content of around 70 percent. They will bring out a rich and intense chocolaty flavor with just a hint of bitterness.
Since baking recipes often contain ingredients such as sugar, cream, milk, nuts, and dried fruits, adding bittersweet chocolate can help balance the sweetness level and make the chocolate flavor pop. Bittersweet chocolate chips are very versatile and can be used for all kinds of recipes.
Semisweet chocolate chips have a cacao content of 50 to 60 percent and are a bit sweeter and less bitter than dark chocolate chips. However, they both can be used pretty much interchangeably and are always convenient to keep on hand.
Bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chips are made mostly of cocoa beans, sugar, and emulsifiers. Milk chocolate chips have added condensed or powdered milk, making them especially buttery and able to melt in your mouth.
Their silky-smooth and creamy texture will help you make velvety ganache, icing, and pudding. Since milk chocolate chips are pretty sweet already, you might want to use them in recipes that are not too sugary, like pancakes or muffins.
White chocolate isn't chocolate in the technical sense, since it contains no cocoa solids. It's a confection made up mostly of cocoa butter, milk, and sugar and has a creamy, rich flavor.
Use white chocolate chips for recipes such as molten white chocolate cake, white chocolate cheesecake, or white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.
Besides the traditional bittersweet, semisweet, and white chocolate chips, you'll find many flavored products that can add a special touch to your baked goods. Many flavored chocolate chips contain no real chocolate at all and are mostly made of fats, sugars, and flavorings.
Vanilla is an all-around flavor that works for many baked goods. It delivers a subtly sweet fragrance that will linger. Coffee chocolate chips can add the rich and warm aroma of coffee to your baked goods. If you want something cool and refreshing, you can opt for mint chocolate chips. Peanut butter and butterscotch are also tempting flavors that you'll want to try.
Chocolate chips come in different sizes, from mini to large and even extra-large, but are often smaller than 10 millimeters, or under 3/8 of an inch, in diameter. Some people think that the size doesn't matter in baking since the chocolate will melt. But when it comes to baking with chocolate chips, size does matter!
If you're making mini baked goods that don't require a long time to bake, you'll want small chocolate chips since they take less time to melt and will create a smooth texture. With big chocolate chips, you might need to chop them into smaller pieces so they can melt more quickly and evenly.
And of course, don't forget the oversized chips that will give you more chocolate in each bite. Try them in muffins, bread, or giant chocolate chip cookies!
Generally, chocolate chips are manufactured to look like teardrops with flat circular bottoms. Chips with a teardrop shape disperse evenly in the dough and are often the best choice for baking.
Some chips are rectangular or square shapes. Chips that have too many angles usually don't distribute evenly in dough, so you might end up with a bite that contains no chips and the next bite chock-full with bits of chocolate that got burnt in the oven since the sharp corners were exposed. But there is a benefit to non-teardrop shapes.
Regular chocolate chips are made with less cocoa butter and more emulsifier to keep the teardrop shape intact. In contrast, chocolate chunks usually started off as chocolate bars, which contain more cocoa butter and fewer emulsifiers, and are just broken into smaller pieces for easy baking use. Arguably, cocoa butter provides more of a melty, soft, silky feel.
Cocoa farms are often associated with poor working conditions as well as child labor and in some cases, even slavery. To make sure that your chocolate chips are made from cocoa beans that have been cultivated fairly, opt for a product that bears a fair-trade logo.
It represents the manufacturer's commitment to pay cocoa producers appropriate wages and to not use any processing techniques that are exploitative. This helps developing countries give back to their working communities. Fair-trade also prohibits the use of children as workers.
Fair-trade standards also include not using genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) and dangerous agricultural chemicals. The certification organization Fairtrade International incentivizes farmers to use organic production methods. If you are looking to avoid artificial additives, GMOs and pesticides, you can go for products that are certified organic.
If you are following a special diet or have food allergies, then look carefully at the ingredients to find out which chocolate chips are suitable for you.
For example, if you are vegan then you'll have to find replacement ingredients for the dairy added to milk chocolate chips. Choose products made with oat milk, almond milk, coconut oil, or soy and sunflower oils. Lecithin is added to chocolate to preserve it and keep it smooth and creamy. It's usually made from soy, but may be egg-based.
If you are living the keto lifestyle or on a low-sugar diet, then read the label carefully to know the amount of sugar added to the chocolate chips. You can also look for sugar alternatives such as erythritol, monk fruit, or stevia.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hu Gems Dark Chocolate | ![]() | Best Large-Size, 70% Cocoa Chips | |
2 | Ghirardelli Premium Baking Chips | ![]() | Best Bittersweet Chocolate Chips Without Artificial Ingredients | |
3 | Lily's Dark Chocolate Baking Chips | ![]() | Best Fair-Trade Chips Great for Low-Carb and Low-Sugar Diets | |
4 | Enjoy Life Foods Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips | ![]() | Best Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Chips With Natural Ingredients | |
5 | Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips | ![]() | Best Mint Chocolate Chips for a Refreshing Flavor | |
6 | Guittard Milk Chocolate Baking Chips | ![]() | Best Soy-Free Chips With a Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture | |
7 | King David White Choco Chips | ![]() | Naturally Sweet, Delightfully Creamy | |
8 | ChocZero Sugar Free Baking Chips | ![]() | Best Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips With Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans | |
9 | Nestlé Toll House Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Flavored Morsels | ![]() | Best Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Combination to Give Your Desserts a Special Touch | |
10 | Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips | ![]() | Best Extra Dark Chocolate Chips That Work Great for Multiple Recipes |
Made with simple ingredients such as cacao and cocoa butter, these dark chocolate chips are smooth with a note of natural bitterness. Instead of processed sugar or artificial sweeteners, this product is sweetened with coconut sugar which is low glycemic index and won't raise your blood sugar level.
Another selling point is that this product doesn't contain any artificial additives, preservatives, or stabilizers. It's also suitable for a variety of diets, from dairy-free to gluten-free to vegan.
A few buyers mentioned that the chocolate chips were quite large. So for recipes such as cookies, they had to break them up a little.
Nonetheless, for various reviewers, these chocolate chips truly lived up to their name "Gems." Not only were they great for baking, but they also made a scrumptious snack that helped satisfy chocolate cravings. On top of that, they melt well and reviewers say they work great for baking.
Chocolate addicts are probably familiar with Ghirardelli, a reputable brand that has been making chocolate since 1842. And its long history tells you something about the quality of the chocolate.
With a 60 percent cocoa content, these chocolate chips strike an exquisite balance between sweetness and bitterness. You'll also be delighted to hear that this product contains no artificial ingredients.
A few buyers noted that the size of the chocolate chips was quite large for things like cookies, so some ended up having to chop them into smaller pieces.
Regardless, reviewers say they make great cookies and brownies. The chocolate chips had a smooth and creamy texture and didn't taste cloyingly sweet. They say they melt well and the cookie recipe on the package is great too!
The best bit about these rich dark chocolate chips is the fact they use exclusively non-GMO and fair-trade ingredients. They are sweetened naturally with stevia and contain around one gram of net carbs per serving. So if you're following a low-carb and low-sugar diet, this product might be a great choice for you.
A few people noted that this product contained erythritol, a sugar alcohol that might cause digestive issues like bloating and diarrhea to some people. However, for various reviewers, these chocolate chips worked like a charm. They maintained their shape well and were fairly small, making them a great addition to cookies or brownies.
Crafted with only three all-natural ingredients, these chocolate chips are free from artificial fillers, preservatives, and common allergens such as gluten, soy, dairy, and peanuts. You'll also be glad to know that the chocolate is made from sustainably-harvested cocoa beans.
These chocolate chips were a staple for various buyers. They melted perfectly and worked great for baking, making a dipping sauce, and munching as well. And thanks to their small size, they blended well in virtually all kinds of desserts.
Mint chocolate chips always deliver a special zing to make your desserts extra refreshing. And if you're a fan of minty sweet treats, you might want to try out these baking chips from Andes!
You can sprinkle some on top of your hot chocolate or vanilla ice cream for extra decadence or use some to make mint chocolate chip cookies or brownies.
For many reviewers, these mint chocolate chips tasted smooth, melted well, and hardened without being grainy. Various people also found desserts dotted with these chocolate bits particularly yummy and addicting. They also impart a beautiful color to baking goods.
Containing ingredients such as milk, cocoa butter, cacao beans, vanilla, and sugar, these milk chocolate chips bring a rich and scrumptious taste to your baked goods.
What further sets this product apart from other counterparts is that it uses sunflower lecithin instead of soy lecithin as an emulsifier. Sunflower lecithin can be extracted naturally without the use of chemicals and is allergy-friendly.
Many reviewers called this product their all-time favorite, saying they're extra-large sized and perfect both for baking and for nibbling on. Other buyers mentioned that the taste was so smooth that they couldn't help but devour all the chocolate chips before even using them for baking.
King David White Choco Chips offer a rich, creamy taste without any dairy, making them a fantastic vegan alternative for baking and snacking. These small, smooth chips melt easily, making them perfect for dairy-free ganache, cookies, or even homemade white hot chocolate. Certified Kosher under the strict supervision of the Central Rabbinical Congress, they meet high-quality standards while remaining completely lactose-free. Each bag contains 250 grams of delicious plant-based white chocolate, ensuring you have plenty for all your favorite recipes.
Sweetened with monk fruit, these chocolate chips contain zero grams of sugar per serving, and unlike other products made with sugar alcohols, don't have any artificial aftertaste.
Plus, this product features straightforward ingredients such as unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, and sunflower lecithin without any artificial additives or preservatives. It's infused with Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans, which add a rich and buttery vanilla aroma to your desserts.
Some reviewers were not a fan of this product, saying the texture was a bit waxy. However, for people who are following a keto or low-carb diet, these chocolate chips were a game-changer.
They didn't taste overly sweet, melted beautifully, and did the trick for all recipes that asked for chocolate chips. They also tasted satisfying on their own.
These milk chocolate and peanut butter-flavored baking chips give your desserts a pop of flavor. They're made without any artificial flavors or preservatives, so you won't taste anything off-putting at all!
Also, the manufacturer uses responsibly-sourced cocoa through the Nestle Cocoa Plan which promotes better farming, better social conditions, and better quality of cocoa.
These chocolate chips earned the love and trust of many reviewers. The milk chocolate and peanut butter combo was a winner and elevated the flavor of all kinds of baked goods from brownies to cookies to cakes. The chocolate chips also didn't taste too sweet and they melted easily into the dough.
Hershey's dark chocolate morsels are made with rich and creamy chocolate and go well with a variety of recipes, from pancakes, to muffins, to chocolate chip cookies. You can also melt them to make smooth and glossy ganache or to dip your favorite fruits. Another great point about this product is that it contains no artificial ingredients.
Dark chocolate often doesn't contain milk, but some consumers noted that these chips do, so those who are lactose-intolerant should take caution. On the other hand, many reviewers, especially those who were chocoholics, were smitten with this
product.
With a rich and chocolatey flavor, they made baked goods taste scrumptious and irresistible. Plus, the chocolate chips were all melty and soft but didn't blend completely into the desserts. Other buyers were also satisfied with the texture, mentioning that it didn't feel waxy like some other chocolate chips on the market.
There is no question that great baking is a challenge. You have to think about the ratio of wet to dry ingredients and then get the right form and measurement for each different ingredient. But there are various products that can make your life a bit easier. Check out our articles below to find out what they are!
No. 1: Hu |Gems Dark Chocolate
No. 2: Ghirardelli |Premium Baking Chips
No. 3: Lily's|Dark Chocolate Baking Chips
No. 4: Enjoy Life Foods|Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Chips
No. 5: Andes|Creme de Menthe Baking Chips
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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