Grevista cocoa powder has close to 7 mg of epicatechin in every gram, about 40 mg in a level tablespoon. If epicatechin is part of why you choose a cocoa, three things shape what ends up in your cup or bowl: the type of cocoa, how much you use and how you prepare it.
What is epicatechin?
Epicatechin is a flavanol: a plant compound from the same family as the catechins in green tea. In cocoa it appears on its own and as the building block of longer chains called procyanidins. Together they make up what researchers call cocoa flavanols, and epicatechin is the one most often measured and compared.
How much epicatechin is in Grevista cocoa powder?
An independent laboratory in Ho Chi Minh City measured epicatechin in both our cocoa powder and our cocoa beans. The powder came out several times richer than the beans: pressing out the cocoa butter leaves the flavanols in a smaller, more concentrated weight of cocoa solids.
| How much cocoa | Epicatechin, about |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 14 mg |
| 1 tablespoon (6 g, one serving on our label) | 40 mg |
| 2 tablespoons | 80 mg |
The full laboratory report is on our Lab Results & Awards page, next to our polyphenol and heavy metal results.
How should you use cocoa for the epicatechin you want?
People look up epicatechin for different reasons: a morning drink, a post-workout shake, baking, or simply picking between two brands. The amount in the spoon stays the same; what changes is how much cocoa you use and how you treat it.
| What you want | What works well | Recipe or guide |
|---|---|---|
| A daily cocoa drink | 1–2 tablespoons of natural cocoa, made into a paste and stirred into warm milk rather than boiling it | Hot chocolate with cocoa powder |
| A smoothie or shake | 1–2 teaspoons blended cold with banana, yogurt or milk | Cocoa smoothie guide |
| A cocoa coffee or mocha | 1–2 teaspoons whisked into fresh coffee | Cocoa powder in coffee |
| Baking | Natural cocoa in recipes that use baking soda; Dutch-process suits recipes that use only baking powder, with less epicatechin | Baking with cocoa powder |
| Comparing brands | “Natural” or “non-alkalized” on the label and a lab result given per gram | 5 ways to choose a good cocoa |
How does processing shape epicatechin?
Each step from bean to powder plays a part, and alkalizing plays the biggest one.
- Fermentation and drying build the chocolate flavor. Our beans are grown in Đắk Lắk and fermented the traditional way, in wooden boxes lined with banana leaves.
- Roasting develops aroma; we keep it to the minimum the flavor needs.
- Alkalizing (Dutch-processing) darkens cocoa and softens its taste, and it removes a large share of the flavanols. In a survey of commercial cocoa powders, natural cocoas held several times the flavanols of heavily alkalized ones (Miller et al., 2008), and a Spanish study found alkalizing took away about two-thirds of the epicatechin on average (Andres-Lacueva et al., 2008).
Grevista cocoa is natural, never alkalized. For how the two styles behave in baking, see natural vs Dutch-process cocoa powder.
How is epicatechin measured?
Laboratories separate the compounds in a cocoa extract and compare each one with a pure epicatechin standard, then report the result per gram of cocoa. Epicatechin is a single compound; “total flavanols” and “total polyphenols” are whole groups, so their numbers run much higher. When you compare cocoas, compare the same measure per the same weight.
How do you get the most from your cocoa?
- Pick natural cocoa: the package or listing says “natural” or “non-alkalized”.
- Stir it into warm, not boiling, liquid and enjoy it fresh.
- Store it airtight in a cool, dry, dark cupboard.
- Use plain cocoa rather than sweetened mixes, which bring more sugar and less cocoa to each spoon.
Start with our hot chocolate with cocoa powder, see what is in a tablespoon for calories, fiber and minerals, and read high-flavanol cocoa powder for the wider flavanol picture.
Where to buy
Grevista Pure Trinitario Cocoa Powder: unsweetened, non-alkalized, one ingredient, with the epicatechin, polyphenol and heavy metal reports published in full. Sold on Amazon in a 200 g box and 250 g and 500 g luxury gift boxes.
Grevista is our own brand: we distribute this cocoa and earn revenue when you buy it on Amazon. Disclosure. Compare all three sizes on the Grevista cocoa powder page.
Sources
- Grevista epicatechin and polyphenol laboratory reports, published on our Lab Results & Awards page.
- Miller KB et al. Impact of alkalization on the antioxidant and flavanol content of commercial cocoa powders. J Agric Food Chem. 2008.
- Andres-Lacueva C et al. Flavanol and flavonol contents of cocoa powder products: influence of the manufacturing process. J Agric Food Chem. 2008.
Written by the Grevista Editorial Team. Last updated October 14, 2026. How we check facts: Editorial Policy.