How Ruby Chocolate Gets Its Pink Color

Chocolate is so beloved by the masses that the very word invokes feelings of comfort, luxury, and indulgence. Interestingly, it's also incredibly divisive, with chocolate purists debating whether dark or milk chocolate blends are king. White chocolate is even more controversial — so much so that the FDA once ruled it out as real chocolate. Just as it seemed things couldn't get any more heated, ruby chocolate came on the scene.

This rosy-pink confection has caused quite a stir among chocolate lovers. Some are delighted to have a fresh, new flavor, while others claim ruby chocolate is even less legitimate than white. However, though its signature hue and bright, fruity flavor set it apart, ruby chocolate is derived from the same cocoa beans as its three older siblings.

By far, the most alluring thing about ruby chocolate is its color. Dark and milk chocolate get their rich brown hues from roasted, processed cocoa beans. White chocolate is white because it's derived from cocoa butter. So, where does ruby chocolate's blush come from? While some say the color is artificial, it's likely the natural result of a chemical reaction with citric acid that occurs during the chocolate-making process.

Citric acid isn't usually an ingredient in chocolate candy and confections unless it contains citrus-based ingredients, like orange peels. Knowing this, we can make an educated guess that citric acid may give ruby chocolate its striking color by changing the cocoa beans' pH and turning unfermented beans a reddish hue. Cocoa beans used for ruby chocolate typically have a dark purple hue before fermentation, and the purple color turns pink after adding citric acid. These beans would then be added to a white chocolate base, forming ruby-colored chocolate. A similar process occurs in other foods, such as butterfly pea flower tea. When you add lemon juice or another acid, this tea starts blue and lightens to bright pink. 

However, this is only a guess, and the process behind ruby chocolate's color will likely remain a secret for now. In the meantime, those who love baking with chocolate have a fresh, new flavor profile to add to their favorite treats. Ruby chocolate has a velvety-smooth texture, perfect for melting into candy or stirring into ganache.

Further, its tart, fruit-forward tasting notes offer an interesting way to freshen up chocolate-covered caramels, classic chocolate chip cookies, or even your favorite pancake batter. It's also a great pairing for white chocolate, as the ruby chocolate's acidity can cut through the white chocolate's richness, balancing their flavors. But this ruby chocolate didn't just happen overnight.

Ruby chocolate was created by Barry Callebaut – the leading chocolatier in Switzerland and one of the top producers worldwide — and made its debut in 2017. Callebaut took out a patent on ruby chocolate in 2009, but it had been under development since 2004. However, it took the chocolatier nearly a decade to perfect the process.

The company sources ruby cocoa beans from Ecuador, Brazil, and the Ivory Coast, as they have the same terroir, which influences the beans' qualities. According to Barry Callebaut, it "developed a test that can identify if the sourced beans meet the required specifications to produce the fourth type of chocolate, ruby chocolate."

Despite occasionally dropping small hints, the company has expressed no interest in sharing how ruby chocolate gets its hue — and with good reason. After working tirelessly to uncover the key to this brightly colored confection, it deserves to keep the secret safe.