Brewed cacao beans are roasted, milled, and brewed like coffee. It’s created from cacao plant seeds and has a robust fragrance. Cacao outperforms coffee in terms of taste because it lacks the bitterness of coffee. Instead of coffee’s straightforward bitterness, cacao has the richness of its chocolatey flavor.

Former coffee drinkers choose brewed cacao instead of coffee because to its caffeine sensitivity, taste, and other characteristics. So we explore how the rivalry between brewed cacao and coffee began and who keeps the crown for you.

Brewed Cacao vs Coffee: Which Is Better?

When comparing brewed cacao to regular coffee as a regular coffee drinker, we notice several features that pique our interest. But, can cacao eventually replace coffee? Let’s look at the appearance, brewing methods, content, and most importantly, flavor!

Brewing Method

There are a plethora of coffee brewing techniques, ranging from espresso machines to French presses to Moka Pots to Pour Overs to Drip brews. Aeropress and pour-over coffee are the most common varieties in North America; however, you have the option of countless others.

Cacao has only two brewing methods: French Press for 5 to 7 minutes before straining or cold brew. Cold-brew cacao is prepared by putting the beans in a jar with cold water for 24 hours.

Appearance

Cacao is typically light brown to medium dark brown, depending on the brewing method. Although the majority of the cocoa fat is removed, a little amount of fat remains on top of the brewed cacao.

Coffee is usually light to dark brown in color, but it has a lot of crema on top, depending on the variety.

Flavor

Cacao takes the cake in terms of flavor – it’s smooth, rich, somewhat thick, and almost sweet. It coats the mouth with each sip but isn’t as powerful as coffee.

Sweet coffee has a creamier mouthfeel, although it is more robust with some nutty and caramel undertones. It has a greater bitterness to it than cacao does.

Nutritional Content

Cacao is high in minerals, especially antioxidants and theobromine, which is a great caffeine replacement. It has a more neutral pH reading than coffee, which is acidic.

Coffee contains 95 milligrams of caffeine per cup, whereas cacao has only 15 mg. Both beverages have no calories and are low in sugar.

Variations

The nutritional value and purity of cacao are usually maintained when it is consumed straight. Sugar can decrease the overall health value when combined with brewed cacao. It may, however, be turned into a cold brew or mixed with milk to be drunk.

In this area, coffee is the most interesting. It may be used to make coffee beverages like Frappes or mixed into alcoholic drinks.

Brewed Cacao’s Origins

The technique of preparing, roasting, and grinding cacao beans for consumption is thought to go back to the Olmecs of Mexico’s southern region in 1500 BC. However, because the Olmecs left little written history, most of what we know about its beginnings comes from the Mayan and Aztec empires.

The Mayans are credited with producing, drying, roasting, and grinding the cacao beans. People began consuming it as a sacred beverage after discovering that cacao was beneficial to health.

When the Aztecs obtained cacao from the Mayans, they treated it with similar (if not more) care. In fact, cacao beans became one of their major money surrogates, given to gods, used in funerary rituals, and distributed to Aztec soldiers for an extra boost of energy.

Varieties of Coffee

Coffee comes in a variety of forms, and it’s almost impossible to list them all. For those seeking for a fast, powerful caffeine hit, we have espresso. The latte is one of the most popular varieties of coffee with milk, while the frappe is the fizzy, cold version for people who want to eat and drink at the same time.

FAQs

Is Brewed Cacao Better Than Coffee?

It’s difficult to select between them. Cacao, unlike coffee, is less acidic and can help people with GERD or those looking for a coffee substitute. It also contains a lot of theobromine, which is a stimulant that works differently from caffeine and isn’t addictive.

How Much Caffeine Is in Brewed Cacao?

Brewed cacao contains little caffeine. It has about the same amount of caffeine as decaf coffee when compared to some coffee types.

What Is the Difference Between Cocoa vs Cacao?

Cacao and cocoa come from the same plant, but they are processed differently. Cacao is the most pure form of chocolate; it’s simply extracted from the beans. The cocoa butter in cacao beans is extracted using a cold press, and the residual grounds are transformed into cocoa powder. Additives such as milk powder or sugar may be present in cocoa powder, but not in cacao.