Ever since it was first launched more than 100 years ago, Oreo has gained something of a cult status. This sandwich cookie is made of two wafers (or cookies!) glued together with a creamy center. It's a treat that appeals to biscuit and cookie lovers all over the world.
And one question that often comes up is whether or not oreo is considered "chocolate". We wish we could put you out of your misery with this one, but the answer is both a yes and a no. Keep reading to know more.
Is Oreo Chocolate?
The jury is still out on this one!
Some people say that the utterly delicious, indulgent taste of Oreo can leave one's taste buds in chocolate heaven. However, the taste of chocolate you get from Oreo will differ significantly from the taste of actual chocolate - although there will be a taste of chocolate all the same.
This is because while Oreo is marketed as a biscuit, its primary ingredient is cocoa - the magic ingredient from which you get chocolate. Oreo also contains small amounts of real chocolate, which leads to many considering it "chocolate."
And if you've given your taste buds the chance to enjoy the chocolatey goodness of Oreos with chocolate filling or the Double Stuff variant - which has 1.86 times the amount of crème found in regular Oreos - you'll know what we're talking about!
One taste and nobody could deny these works of art are not chocolate.
Technically, however, many people would still argue that Oreos are cookies, so they can't be considered chocolate.
What Makes Oreos Not Chocolate?
The cocoa in Oreos is refined through the method of alkalization. This means it undergoes the famous " Dutch process " to get rid of acidity.
This process suppresses the traditional chocolate flavor but does give it the characteristic Oreo flavor in return. It also gives it a darker color to produce the dark Oreo cookies/wafers.
Oreos also contain minimal, almost trace amounts of actual chocolate, making Oreos, well, not "chocolate."
This defense is further solidified when you consider the types of Oreos available.
While you can go out on a limb to call the chocolate-filled Oreos chocolate biscuits, you can't really extend the sentiment to Oreos with vanilla-flavored white crème filling and other types of Oreos that do not have chocolate.
So, as you can tell, there's no winning this particular debate.
What Is Oreo Made Of?
Oreo is made with large amounts of cocoa and a little bit of chocolate, but it also contains lots of other ingredients - as any complex cookie recipe should!
Oreo's ingredient list is printed on the back of their packages, so we do have a rough idea of what it is made of. Although the company does not specify the percentage or amounts of the ingredients used.
The sweet, sugary crème, aka the filling, is probably made of artificial flavor, soy lecithin, canola or palm oil, high fructose corn syrup, and sugar. As for the cookies, they're made using cocoa, cornstarch, leavening (baking soda or calcium phosphate), salt, unbleached enriched flour (folic acid, niacin, reduced iron, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, and wheat flour), and chocolate.
Together, the crème and cookies create the popular Oreo.
Is Oreo Dark Chocolate?
As the cookies rock a dark brown or black color, many people wonder whether Oreo is dark chocolate.
That would depend on what you're referring to.
If you're talking about the cookies or wafers, you want to remember that the cocoa in oreo is alkalized or dutch processed. This means, the cocoa beans are soaked in a solution that rids them of acidity and mellowness, but the process also gives the cocoa powder a darker color.
However, if you're talking about dark chocolate-filled Oreos, those contain dark chocolate-flavored crème to make them even more indulgent.
So, you could consider them "dark chocolate" the same way you would consider regular Oreos "chocolate."
How Much Real Chocolate Is In An Oreo?
Are you a hardcore Oreo lover who won't accept "maybe, maybe not" as an answer?
Maybe it's time you come to your own conclusion.
Oreos contain minimal, and we mean minimal, amounts of chocolate. One look at the ingredient list printed on the back of your Oreo pack will tell you that.
Now, before you say the percentages or amount of the ingredients isn't printed so we can't know for certain - you should know that the ingredient list always starts with the main ingredients, with the other ingredients placed in the decreasing order of their amounts used.
And chocolate is pretty far down that list.
Is Oreo Vegan?
Living the vegan lifestyle can be hard enough as most products on the market contain some form of animal-sourced ingredients, but it's doubly hard when you love your cookies and biscuits.
That's right. Oreo is not vegan.
While there are no dairy products or meat directly used in Oreos, the cookies may have dairy products due to cross-contact, making them unsuitable for consumption for vegans.
For those who don't know what cross-contact means, it happens when small amounts of milk come into contact with either the cookies or the equipment used to make them, which can transfer the properties of one into the other.
This is not a huge deal for many vegans, but it may be a deal-breaker for many others.
