Definition

Noun: 1. A natural, edible vegetable fat extracted from cocoa beans: It is the fatty component obtained from the cacao bean (Theobroma cacao). It is solid at room temperature but melts just below body temperature. 2. The primary ingredient in white chocolate: It is the fat that gives white chocolate its structure and texture, as white chocolate contains no cocoa solids, only cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. 3. A common ingredient in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals: Due to its moisturizing properties and melting point, it is widely used in lotions, lip balms, and some medicinal ointments.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The recipe calls for two tablespoons of cocoa butter to give the chocolate a smooth, glossy finish.
  • High-quality white chocolate must contain a significant percentage of cocoa butter.
  • She applied a lip balm made with cocoa butter to soothe her dry lips.

Advanced Usage

• "Deodorized cocoa butter": Cocoa butter that has been processed to remove its characteristic chocolate aroma and flavor. This form is often preferred for cosmetic applications where the chocolate scent is not desired.
  • The lotion uses deodorized cocoa butter so it has no chocolate smell.

Variants and Related Words

• Cacao butter: A synonym for cocoa butter, though sometimes used to specify the fat before extensive processing.
• Theobroma oil: A less common, scientific/technical name for cocoa butter, derived from the genus name of the cacao tree ().

Synonyms

• Cacao fat
• Theobroma oil (technical)

Related Phrases / Terms

• Cocoa solids: The non-fatty component of the cocoa bean, which provides the color and intense flavor to dark chocolate. Cocoa butter and cocoa solids are the two main components separated from the cocoa bean.
  • Dark chocolate contains both cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

Noun

1. the vegetable fat from the cacao that is extracted from chocolate liquor; the basis for white chocolate
2. a yellow-white fat from cocoa beans