Sweet things

Dark chocolate nutrition, small servings, real numbers.

170 calories and 2.2 g of protein: that is 1 oz of dark chocolate. That is USDA’s figure for “Chocolate, dark, 70-85% cacao solids”. It is a strong source of iron and magnesium. Change the amount below for your own portion. The panel and the nutrient breakdown both update.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Every value traces to USDA FoodData Central (170273); Daily Values follow the FDA label rules.

How many calories does dark chocolate have?

At 598 calories per 100 g, 1 oz of dark chocolate comes to 170. The weights shown for each portion come straight from the USDA record.

How much protein is in dark chocolate?

1 oz of dark chocolate provides 2.2 g of protein. Set beside the 50 g reference intake, that is 4 percent. Protein is a minor part of dark chocolate, at 5 percent of its calories. The case for eating it lies elsewhere.

Divide its calories by source and you get 5 percent from protein, 64 percent from fat and 31 percent from carbohydrate.

Buying, keeping and using dark chocolate

Dark chocolate contains cocoa solids and cocoa butter with added sugar but no milk solids. You can buy it in bars, chips, or large blocks. Look for a glossy surface and a clean snap when broken. Avoid bars with a dull grey coating, which suggests poor storage.

This chocolate burns easily and must be melted gently over low indirect heat. Water is its enemy. Any condensation will cause the melted mass to seize into a dry, clumpy paste. The most common error is overheating the mixture, which permanently ruins the smooth texture and glossy finish.

Cooks use dark chocolate in sweet and savoury dishes. It forms the base of European ganache and French tarts. In Mexican cuisine, it balances the heat of chillies in rich mole sauces. It pairs naturally with raspberries, sea salt, and strong coffee.

The complete dark chocolate breakdown

The figures worth noticing in 1 oz of dark chocolate are iron (19 percent of the Daily Value), magnesium (15 percent of the Daily Value). The full list follows and tracks your selected portion.

Fibre is a genuine strength: 11 g in every 100 g, which is 39 percent of the Daily Value.

It carries 24 g of sugar per 100 g.

Dark chocolate against a daily budget

Budget-wise, 1 oz of dark chocolate costs 9 percent of a 2,000 calorie day and pays back 4 percent of the day’s protein. The TDEE calculator and macro calculator will tell you what those percentages look like against your own targets.

Three recipes built around dark chocolate

Written by the Calorie Counter Team. The nutrition under each one is not an estimate: every ingredient is matched to its USDA FoodData Central record and the totals are summed from those, then divided by the servings.

Snack · British

Dark Chocolate Pots

A chilled dessert made with melted dark chocolate, double cream and whole milk.

135 min · serves 4

412kcal

4.9gprotein

35gfat

19gcarbs

Ingredients

• dark chocolate 150 g
• double cream 150 g
• whole milk 100 g
• unsalted butter 25 g

Method

1. Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces.
2. Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl.
3. Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan until simmering.
4. Pour the hot liquid over the chocolate and butter.
5. Whisk the mixture until smooth.
6. Pour into four ramekins and chill for 2 hours.

Summed from 4 USDA records and divided by servings. Heat alters weight and a few nutrients, so read it as a close figure.

Breakfast · British

Dark Chocolate Porridge

A warm breakfast porridge made with rolled oats, water and dark chocolate.

10 min · serves 1

369kcal

8.9gprotein

16gfat

48gcarbs

Ingredients

• rolled oats 50 g
• water 250 g
• dark chocolate 30 g
• table salt 1 g

Method

1. Combine the rolled oats, water and salt in a saucepan.
2. Bring the liquid to a boil.
3. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
5. Stir in the dark chocolate until melted.

4 USDA records went into this total. It describes the ingredients as weighed, not the dish after cooking losses.

Dinner · Mexican

Beef and Dark Chocolate Chilli

A slow-cooked beef chilli flavoured with dark chocolate and mild spices.

65 min · serves 4

416kcal

26gprotein

27gfat

17gcarbs

Ingredients

• ground beef 500 g
• onion 150 g
• canned tomatoes 400 g
• olive oil 15 g
• chili powder 10 g
• dark chocolate 40 g
• table salt 5 g

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan.
2. Cook the onion for 5 minutes.
3. Add the beef and cook for 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the chilli powder, salt and canned tomatoes.
5. Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.
6. Stir in the dark chocolate until melted.

Built from 7 USDA ingredient records. A cooked dish never matches its raw sum exactly, but it stays close.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

Putting dark chocolate on a plate

Here is dark chocolate as part of a plate, with each component taken from its own USDA record and the total added up.

Dark chocolate beside its neighbours

Each food is shown per 100 g, in the form named beside it.

Dark chocolate, asked and answered

How many calories does 1 oz of dark chocolate have?

Count 170 calories. The source is the USDA record “Chocolate, dark, 70-85% cacao solids” (FDC 170273), which lists 598 calories per 100 g.

How much protein does dark chocolate have?

Per 100 g, dark chocolate contains 7.8 g of protein. 1 oz of dark chocolate therefore gives 2.2 g, which is 4 percent of a 50 g day.

Is dark chocolate good for weight loss?

That depends on the rest of the day, not on dark chocolate. For planning: 1 oz of dark chocolate is 170 calories and 2.2 g of protein, 5 percent protein by energy, so pair it with something that carries more protein.

What is dark chocolate a good source of?

1 oz of dark chocolate is strongest in iron at 19 percent, magnesium at 15 percent. Other nutrients are present in smaller amounts and are listed in the profile table.

Why has my dark chocolate turned grey?

This is chocolate bloom, caused by cocoa butter rising to the surface or moisture dissolving the sugar. It occurs when storage temperatures fluctuate. The chocolate remains safe to eat and can still be melted down for baking.

How do you fix seized dark chocolate?

Stir in a small amount of boiling water or vegetable oil, adding it spoonful by spoonful. This dissolves the sugar crystals and restores the liquid state. The rescued chocolate is best used for sauces rather than dipping.

Sources

• Chocolate, dark, 70-85% cacao solids — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170273
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9