The pros: Â Trader Joe's Organic Fair Trade Cacao Powder is new to shelves as is Trader Joe's Maca Powder. This is rich and has solid chocolate flavor.
The cons: Â Nothing really stands out.
The verdict: Â
Let me deal with the first point of confusion. When I first started to draft this post I spelled this item as "cocoa" thinking that it is the same thing as "cacao." However, further research says while they are similar there are stark differences beyond just the simple spelling of this item. According to Chowhound "Cacao is essentially the purest form of chocolate that you can eat. It is an excellent source of antioxidants, fiber, monounsaturated fats, and contains high levels of magnesium." When comparing that information against the nutritional label, there is a decent amount of fiber and some other nutrients register with a serving size of just one tablespoon.
Now, this isn't the type of thing you eat straight from the bag. Regardless of whether you keep cocoa or cacao in your home, they can be used interchangeably. I chose the path of using the smoothie recipe included on this package. The smoothie recipe was delicious. It reminded me of a peanut butter cup flavored smoothie without the added sugar and with a banana taste thrown in. The smoothie actually made me feel full until lunch which I was a bit surprised about. One tablespoon only added 20 calories and two grams of fiber. I'm sure there are lots of other chocolate smoothie recipes out there, but the recipe on back is a starting point on which to experiment.
In just one tablespoon it was added a rich chocolate flavor. As for the bitterness, it was a bit harder to decipher as almond milk and bananas add their own sweetness. One tablespoon was more than enough to flavor a milk shake richly. I would really consider adding more than that. Would I bake with it? Yes, absolutely. Have I tried that yet? Not yet. But it is on the list of things to do with the resealable bag.
For $3.99 for 8 ounces, this isn't cheap but you are getting all the buzzworthy elements: organic, fair trade, and cacao (not cocoa).
Here is the visual run down of what you get if you buy this product:
The bag of Trader Joe's Organic Fair Trade Cacao Powder:
The nutritional information and the ingredient:
How Trader Joe's describes this product and one suggestion on how to use this product:
After being made into that smoothie above you get:
Would I buy this again?  Yes, if I run out of cacao powder then I would reach for Trader Joe's Organic Fair Trade Cacao Powder again. However, using this 1 tablespoon at a time, it might be a while before I need to buy it again.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe's for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Timothy Cain says
Great review. But how did you get this before me???
becomebetty says
Hey Tim! Its been on my local Trader Joe's shelves for 2 weeks. I'm on the east coast so maybe that has something to do with it. I found it in the new products endcap.
nutfreemomblog says
For the longest time I was confused by cocoa and cacao 🙂 this looks really good though. I am wondering if it's made in a facility with nuts....if it's made by trader jos, I think it does have the cross contact risk. hrm. Thanks for posting!
becomebetty says
I looked over the bag and there was nothing mentioning any allergy information on my bag. I'm not sure of what guarantee that is that some cross contamination didn't happen, but as far as packaging there were no allergy warnings.
Linda says
This may sound a bit dumb lol but I was reading your article because I bought this about a week ago and I was looking at the label and it didn’t mention it having magnesium so I was wondering if it in fact has it or not? Thank you for your help
becomebetty says
Hey Linda! There are no dumb questions on here. Just the pursuit of knowledge and reviews. Now, unless it is mentioned on the nutrition label, then I can't be 100% sure. I only photograph what is in front of me. That being said, I was curious (I love chocolate alot!), so I tried to find some resources that might be helpful. Maybe you can check this article (see #8) which deals with this topic: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-rodale/the-11-best-sources-of-ma_b_1817556.html
When in doubt, I'd reach out to Trader Joe's for the more definitive answer. Here is the link to do so: https://www.traderjoes.com/contact-us/product-feedback
I hope that helps at least somewhat. There are no dumb questions on here and you are always welcome to stop by, share or ask questions. But at the end of the day, I'm not a food scientist and can't give you a guaranteed answer to your question.
Laura says
I have been enjoying a smoothie every other day since finding this product. However, I’m getting a little bored with this recipe & I’m looking for another easy drink recipe... any suggestions? I am clueless in the kitchen & terrible with experimenting.
becomebetty says
Hey Laura! Glad you like the recipe. Unfortunately, I don't have another smoothie recipe up currently. But perhaps this will help: https://greenblender.com/smoothies/5247/smoothie-recipes-with-chocolate
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon says
Great site! I bought a bag of Trader Joe’s Cacao Organic Powder, but read a warning (posted later) that it contained cancer causing Cadmium, that California Prop. 65 rules must be informed to the consumer. Have you any info on this? Thank you!
becomebetty says
Hey Sharon! I haven't seen anything as a consumer, as I'm based out of New York. If the packaging gets any updates I'll try to post it here. We've actually seen various products have regional differences and different packaging. I report on what I get my hands on. If you do see different packaging send me an email and pictures, and I'll post it and credit you for the images.
Cindy says
Is this a nut-free product, processed in a plant that doesn’t have nuts? I need to be sure I’m baking with a product safe for kids with nut allergies.
becomebetty says
I'd reach out to Trader Joe's directly to find out.