Is Oreo Considered Chocolate? [Explained]
Oreo is, arguably, one of the oldest biscuits across the world. This sandwich cookie was first introduced about 109 years ago. Today, Oreo is known as the best-selling product in the United States. In recent years, there has been a lot of talking and arguments regarding the consumption of Oreo cookies; one of which is whether or not Oreos can be considered chocolate.
Oreos are considered chocolate. The cookies are made of chocolate but in small amounts. It also contains a large amount of cocoa, which is the main ingredient for making chocolate. People argue that Oreo cookies aren’t chocolate because they are cookies.
How much chocolate is present in an Oreo cookie? What exactly is Oreo made of? Why do Oreos not taste like chocolate? As you read on, you’ll find answers to these burning questions and a few others.
Is Oreo Chocolate?
One of the many questions that people ask Oreo sandwich cookies is; do they contain chocolate? To answer this question, I’ll say yes and no. Here is why.
I’m sure you’ll agree with me that Oreo is one of the biggest cookie brands in the world. The company, which was founded about a century ago, makes different cookie flavors. Unfortunately, not all the flavors have chocolate; which explains why I earlier added “no” as an answer to the question.
For instance, Nabisco Oreo Golden is one of the many flavors that you’ll find out there. This product debuted in 2004 as an alternative to the original chocolate-flavored wafers. Furthermore, Oreo Golden comes with a vanilla flavor.
Both the original Oreo chocolate-flavored wafers and Oreo Golden vanilla-flavored wafers come with the same creme filling. The only difference between the two products, however, is that the latter doesn’t come with the chocolate.
That said, anyone that’s only familiar with the taste of Nabisco Oreo Golden will argue with you that Oreo isn’t chocolate. However, that’s not entirely true. There are tons of Oreo cookies out there that are made with chocolates.
A good example of chocolate-made Oreo cookies is the Nabisco Oreo Chocolate Creme product. This particular cookie flavor debuted in 2001. It came as an alternative to the original vanilla-flavored white crème. [1]
Another chocolate flavor is the Mint Oreo Chocolate, which debuted in 2015. The cookie packs several amazing ingredients, including a sufficient amount of chocolate, cocoa, mint, and lemon.
That’s not all; Mega Stuf Oreo and Double Stuf Oreo are the other types of cookies that have chocolate as one of their ingredients. Double Stuf Oreo was introduced in 1974 and comes with almost double the normal amount of chocolate filling for the cookies.
That said, the bottom line is you can generally consider Oreo cookies as chocolate. While doing that, you need to keep in mind that the brand makes several different flavors and not all of them are chocolate.
Do All Oreos Contain Chocolate?
The importance of chocolates in cookies cannot be overstressed. In case you don’t know, the primary function of chocolates in cookies, such as Oreo, is that it makes it pretty much easier for people to shape the sweetness and flavor of the cookie.
As you already know, not all Orea cookies are made using chocolate. However, you need to keep in mind that a larger percentage of the cookies are made using chocolate.
Here’s the thing; each of these products has a certain chocolate level. Some only have chocolate present in small quantities while others usually have a large amount of chocolate in them. Furthermore, cocoa is the primary ingredient for making chocolate. And interestingly, cocoa is present, to a large extent, in most Oreo cookies.
The bottom line is there’s only a small amount of real chocolate in Oreo cookies. The products have a large amount of cocoa, which is usually processed with alkali. This removes the characteristic chocolate notes in the cookies.
What Are Oreos Made Of?
As you already know, chocolate is one of the ingredients used for making Oreo cookies. However, you need to understand that this substance only makes up a small fraction of the entire ingredients used to manufacture Oreo sandwich cookies.
Another ingredient, which you already know about, for making Oreo cookies is cocoa. Compared to chocolate, the company utilizes a large amount of cocoa during its production process. However, the cocoa is usually processed with alkali; which explains why the cookies often come with dark brown color.
Furthermore, the main ingredients used during the production process of Oreo cookies are unnatural refined sugar and unbleached enriched flour – this comes as a combination of several different substances, including wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, folic acid, and many more.
Other ingredients used for making more cookies include palm oil, canola oil, high fructose corn syrup, salt, soy lecithin, and artificial flavor. [2] Moreover, Oreo cookies are also made of leavening agents. The leavening is usually baking soda, calcium, or a combination of the two substances.
Why Do Oreos Not Taste Like Chocolate?
The Chocolate Creme cookie is one of the most popular cookies produced by Oreo. The product is known to have a very dark brown color.
As earlier mentioned, the very dark brown color of Oreo chocolate creme cookies is achieved during the alkalization process of cocoa. This also explains why the product doesn’t taste like chocolate.
Don’t get it twisted; many Oreo cookies have chocolate present in them. However, the amount of chocolate in these products is very small. The cocoa added to the cookie is supposed to introduce a more chocolate taste. Unfortunately, the intense alkalization process of the cocoa powder has eliminated most of the characteristic chocolate notes in the cookies.
Is Oreo Vegan?
Oreo chocolate cookies aren’t vegan. That’s so because certain substances used to produce the products, such as honey (present in regular Oreo Mint flavor), are animal-sourced ingredients.
Furthermore, according to a rep from Oreos parent company (Mondelēz International, Inc.), Oreos most likely have “cross-contact” with milk. [3] This explains why the product is not entirely vegan.
Before diving into the nutritional details, please review our Nutritional Disclaimer page for important context and clarifications.
