Cinnamon vs. Cocoa Powder
Nutrition comparison of Cinnamon and Cocoa Powder
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cinnamon
versus
cocoa powder
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cinnamon and cocoa powder:
- Both cocoa powder and cinnamon are high in calcium, calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Cocoa powder has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate.
- Cocoa powder is an excellent source of protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cinnamon (Spices, cinnamon, ground) and Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both cocoa powder and cinnamon are high in calories. Cocoa powder is very similar to cocoa powder for calories - cocoa powder has 228 calories per 100 grams and cinnamon has 247 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cinnamon is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to cocoa powder per calorie. Cinnamon has a macronutrient ratio of 5:92:3 and for cocoa powder, 18:54:29 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cinnamon | Cocoa Powder | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 5% | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 92% | 54% |
| Fat | 3% | 29% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both cocoa powder and cinnamon are high in carbohydrates. Cinnamon has 39% more carbohydrates than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 57.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and cinnamon has 80.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both cocoa powder and cinnamon are high in dietary fiber. Cinnamon has 44% more dietary fiber than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 37g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cinnamon has 53.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Cocoa powder and cinnamon contain similar amounts of sugar - cocoa powder has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and cinnamon has 2.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of protein and it has 391% more protein than cinnamon - cocoa powder has 19.6g of protein per 100 grams and cinnamon has 4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cocoa powder is high in saturated fat and cinnamon has 96% less saturated fat than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 8.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cinnamon has 0.35g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Cinnamon has more Vitamin C than cocoa powder - cinnamon has 3.8mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cocoa powder does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Cinnamon has more Vitamin A than cocoa powder - cinnamon has 15ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cocoa powder does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Cinnamon has 22 times more Vitamin E than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 0.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cinnamon has 2.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cinnamon has 11 times more Vitamin K than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cinnamon has 31.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cocoa powder has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate. Both cinnamon and cocoa powder contain significant amounts of niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Cinnamon | Cocoa Powder | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.022 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.041 MG | 0.241 MG |
| Niacin | 1.332 MG | 2.185 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.358 MG | 0.254 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.158 MG | 0.118 MG |
| Folate | 6 UG | 32 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both cocoa powder and cinnamon are high in calcium. Cinnamon has 683% more calcium than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium per 100 grams and cinnamon has 1002mg of calcium.
iron
Both cocoa powder and cinnamon are high in iron. Cocoa powder has 67% more iron than cinnamon - cocoa powder has 13.9mg of iron per 100 grams and cinnamon has 8.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both cocoa powder and cinnamon are high in potassium. Cocoa powder has 254% more potassium than cinnamon - cocoa powder has 1524mg of potassium per 100 grams and cinnamon has 431mg 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,
| Cinnamon | Cocoa Powder | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 112 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lycopene | 15 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 222 UG | 38 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cocoa powder has more linoleic acid than cinnamon per 100 grams.
| Cinnamon | Cocoa Powder | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.044 G | 0.44 G |
| Total | 0.044 G | 0.44 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Cinnamon or Cocoa Powder .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Cinnamon (Spices, cinnamon, ground) and Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) .
Cinnamon g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cocoa Powder g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does cocoa powder or cinnamon contain more calories in 100 grams?Both cocoa powder and cinnamon are high in calories. Cocoa powder is quite similar to cocoa powder for calories - cocoa powder has 228 calories in 100g and cinnamon has 247 calories.
Does cocoa powder or cinnamon have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both cocoa powder and cinnamon are high in carbohydrates. cinnamon has 40% more carbohydrates than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 57.9g of carbs for 100g and cinnamon has 80.6g of carbohydrates.
Does cocoa powder or cinnamon contain more calcium?
Both cocoa powder and cinnamon are high in calcium. Cinnamon has 680% more calcium than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium in 100 grams and cinnamon has 1002mg of calcium.
Does cocoa powder or cinnamon contain more iron?
Both cocoa powder and cinnamon are high in iron. Cocoa powder has 70% more iron than cinnamon - cocoa powder has 13.9mg of iron in 100 grams and cinnamon has 8.3mg of iron.
Does cocoa powder or cinnamon contain more potassium?
Both cocoa powder and cinnamon are high in potassium. Cocoa powder has 250% more potassium than cinnamon - cocoa powder has 1524mg of potassium in 100 grams and cinnamon has 431mg of potassium.