Butter, Unsalted vs. Bittersweet Chocolate

Nutrition comparison of Butter, Unsalted and Bittersweet Chocolate


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of butter, unsalted versus bittersweet chocolate (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in butter, unsalted and bittersweet chocolate:

  • Both bittersweet chocolate and butter, unsalted are high in calories and saturated fat.
  • Bittersweet chocolate has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, butter, unsalted contains more Vitamin B12.
  • Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
  • Butter, unsalted has more beta-carotene than bittersweet chocolate, however, bittersweet chocolate contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than butter, unsalted.
  • Butter, unsalted has signficantly less carbohydrates than bittersweet chocolate.
  • Butter, unsalted is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Detailed nutritional comparison of butter, unsalted and bittersweet chocolate is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Butter, Unsalted (Butter, without salt) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Butter, Unsalted src
Image of Bittersweet Chocolate src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both bittersweet chocolate and butter, unsalted are high in calories. Butter, unsalted has 12% more calories than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 717 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, butter, unsalted is lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to bittersweet chocolate per calorie. Butter, unsalted has a macronutrient ratio of 0:0:100 and for bittersweet chocolate, 9:18:73 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Butter, Unsalted Bittersweet Chocolate
Protein ~ 9%
Carbohydrates ~ 18%
Fat 100% 73%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Butter, unsalted has signficantly less carbohydrates than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.06g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than butter, unsalted - bittersweet chocolate has 16.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and butter, unsalted does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Bittersweet chocolate and butter, unsalted contain similar amounts of sugar - bittersweet chocolate has 0.91g of sugar per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.06g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of protein and it has 15 times more protein than butter, unsalted - bittersweet chocolate has 14.3g of protein per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.85g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both bittersweet chocolate and butter, unsalted are high in saturated fat. Butter, unsalted has 56% more saturated fat than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 32.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 50.5g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Butter, unsalted is high in cholesterol and bittersweet chocolate has 99% less cholesterol than butter, unsalted - bittersweet chocolate has 2mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 215mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Butter, unsalted is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than bittersweet chocolate - butter, unsalted has 684ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Butter, unsalted has 480% more Vitamin E than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 2.3mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Bittersweet chocolate and butter, unsalted contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - bittersweet chocolate has 9.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Bittersweet chocolate has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, butter, unsalted contains more Vitamin B12. Both butter, unsalted and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.

Butter, Unsalted Bittersweet Chocolate
Thiamin 0.005 MG 0.147 MG
Riboflavin 0.034 MG 0.1 MG
Niacin 0.042 MG 1.355 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.11 MG 0.168 MG
Vitamin B6 0.003 MG 0.027 MG
Folate 3 UG 28 UG
Vitamin B12 0.17 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of calcium and it has 321% more calcium than butter, unsalted - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 24mg of calcium.

iron

Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of iron and it has 869 times more iron than butter, unsalted - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.02mg of iron.

potassium

Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of potassium and it has 33 times more potassium than butter, unsalted - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium per 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 24mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

carotenoids

Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]

For specific types of carotenoids, butter, unsalted has more beta-carotene than bittersweet chocolate per 100 grams, however, bittersweet chocolate contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than butter, unsalted per 100 grams.

Butter, Unsalted Bittersweet Chocolate
beta-carotene 158 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 38 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, butter, unsalted has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than bittersweet chocolate per 100 grams.

Butter, Unsalted Bittersweet Chocolate
alpha linoleic acid 1.18 G 0.117 G
Total 1.18 G 0.117 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both butter, unsalted and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Butter, Unsalted Bittersweet Chocolate
other omega 6 0.138 G 0.553 G
linoleic acid 1.83 G 1.435 G
Total 1.968 G 1.988 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Butter, Unsalted (Butter, without salt) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) .

Butter, Unsalted g

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G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does bittersweet chocolate or butter, unsalted contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both bittersweet chocolate and butter, unsalted are high in calories. Butter, unsalted has 10% more calories than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories in 100g and butter, unsalted has 717 calories.

Does bittersweet chocolate or butter, unsalted contain more calcium?
Bittersweet chocolate is a rich source of calcium and it has 320% more calcium than butter, unsalted - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 24mg of calcium.

Does bittersweet chocolate or butter, unsalted contain more iron?
Bittersweet chocolate is an abundant source of iron and it has 869 times more iron than butter, unsalted - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron in 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 0.02mg of iron.

Does bittersweet chocolate or butter, unsalted contain more potassium?
Bittersweet chocolate is a rich source of potassium and it has 33 times more potassium than butter, unsalted - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium in 100 grams and butter, unsalted has 24mg of potassium.