I made the same homemade chocolate ice cream recipe six times, changing only the cocoa powder, and served them blind to five different taste testers. Five of the cocoa powders were from King Arthur Baking, with Hershey’s Special Dark included as a familiar comparison.
Simply by changing the cocoa powder, I got dramatically different flavor profiles—from rich and creamy to fruity, smoky, intensely dark, and even slightly bitter.
Based on the testers’ overall reactions, here’s how they ranked:
1. Bensdorp Cocoa Powder — Our Favorite
Bensdorp was the clear overall winner. Tasters consistently described it as mild, creamy, smooth, and pleasantly chocolatey, with more of a classic milk-chocolate character than an intensely dark one. It had enough chocolate flavor to be satisfying without becoming bitter or overpowering. One tester specifically thought it would work especially well as a base for something like Rocky Road. Bensdorp Cocoa Powder | King Arthur Baking Company
Overall: Smooth, creamy, balanced, and very easy to like.
2. Hershey’s Special Dark — Runner-Up
Special Dark also received strong reviews. Tasters found it rich and distinctly chocolatey while remaining fairly smooth. One person noted a slightly grainier texture, but the flavor itself was well received across the group. It was a little more assertive than Bensdorp, making it a good option when you want an ice cream that reads unmistakably as dark chocolate without going too far into bitter territory. HERSHEY’S COCOA SPECIAL DARK 100% Cacao Cocoa, 8 oz can
Overall: Rich, familiar dark-chocolate flavor with good balance.
3. Double Dark Cocoa Powder
Double Dark produced a considerably more intense chocolate ice cream. One tester called it “really good” and thought it would be an excellent choice specifically for someone requesting dark chocolate ice cream. Others found the flavor too dark, with a slightly burnt quality. Double Dark Cocoa Blend – King Arthur Baking Company
Overall: A strong choice for dark-chocolate fans, but less universally appealing than the top two.
4. Burgundy Cocoa Powder
Burgundy had a deep, intense cocoa flavor and a smooth texture, but the reactions were mixed. Some tasters appreciated its stronger chocolate character, while others found it less sweet and somewhat unusual, with descriptions suggesting smoky, slightly salty, or brownie-batter-like notes. Burgundy Cocoa – King Arthur Baking Company
Overall: Complex and intensely chocolatey, but more distinctive—and therefore more polarizing.
5. Triple Cocoa Powder
Triple Cocoa was mild and smooth, but it didn’t deliver as much straightforward chocolate flavor as the higher-ranked cocoas. Tasters picked up some unusual fruity or nutty notes, and a couple found it somewhat grainy or flat. Another described it simply as too bland. Triple Cocoa Blend – King Arthur Baking Company
Overall: Smooth and mild, but lacking the depth we wanted in chocolate ice cream.
6. Black Cocoa Powder
Black Cocoa was easily the most extreme of the group. It produced a very dark, smoky, almost roasted flavor, which several tasters found too strong or slightly burnt. Rather than tasting like a classic chocolate ice cream, it seemed better suited to situations where that distinctive ultra-dark cocoa flavor is intentional.
It could be interesting paired with other bold flavors—one tester suggested something like burnt almond—but on its own it was our least favorite. Black Cocoa Powder | King Arthur Baking
Overall: Extremely dark and roasty; interesting as a specialty ingredient, but not our choice for a stand-alone chocolate ice cream.
About These Cocoas
Most of the cocoa powders in this taste test were Dutch-process cocoas, meaning they were treated with alkali to reduce their natural acidity. Dutch processing generally produces a darker color and a smoother, less acidic chocolate flavor than natural cocoa powder.
That doesn’t mean all Dutch cocoas taste alike. The powders we tested varied in cocoa origin, fat content, degree of alkalization, and whether they were blends of different cocoa types. Bensdorp and Burgundy are traditional Dutch-process cocoas; Black Cocoa is much more heavily alkalized; Double Dark blends Dutch-process and black cocoa; and Triple Cocoa combines Dutch-process, natural, and black cocoas. Hershey’s Special Dark is also an alkalized dark cocoa.
For ice cream, these differences matter primarily for flavor and intensity, rather than for leavening chemistry as they would in baked goods. Our tasting made that especially clear: simply choosing a different cocoa powder produced noticeably different chocolate ice creams, even when everything else in the recipe stayed the same.
The Verdict
For a chocolate ice cream I wanted most people to enjoy, I’d reach for Bensdorp first, with Hershey’s Special Dark a close second. The homemade ice cream cocoa powder taste test reinforced that your choice of cocoa powders matters: these made dramatically different ice creams, ranging from creamy milk chocolate to fruity, smoky, bitter, and almost burnt flavors. Once you choose the flavor you like best, make chocolate ice cream with it!