Home / Cocoa Products / Raw Cocoa Nibs
Radad International supplies raw cocoa nibs, the cracked, shell-free pieces of fermented, sun-dried African cocoa beans, to chocolate makers, bakers, food brands and traders worldwide. 100% cocoa, with nothing added.
Product
Raw cocoa nibs, cracked and winnowed
Ingredients
100% cocoa, nothing added
Origin
Africa, including Nigeria
Samples
Specification sheet and sample on request
Cocoa, nothing added
Cracked and winnowed clean
Cocoa butter by weight
Trade code for broken cocoa beans
Export documents with every shipment
Overview
On this page: Size, fat and nutrition | Raw vs roasted | How nibs are made | Flavour | What is inside | Nibs vs other cocoa products | Uses | Buying guide | FAQs
Cocoa nibs are small, crunchy pieces of cocoa bean. After fermentation and drying, the beans are cracked open and the thin shell is winnowed away, leaving the pure inner part of the bean in pieces.
A nib is simply a cocoa bean without its shell. Nothing is added and nothing is taken out, so a nib keeps all of the cocoa solids and all of the natural cocoa butter. That is why nibs taste deeply of chocolate, with a dry bitterness, a crisp crunch and sometimes a hint of fruit or nuts, and no sugar to soften them.
Nibs are also the starting point for other cocoa products. Grind them and the cocoa butter melts into cocoa mass; press that and you separate cocoa butter from the cake that becomes cocoa powder. Buyers choose nibs when they want the whole bean's flavour and texture in a convenient, ready-to-use form.
Nibs are sold raw (from unroasted beans) or roasted. The range on this page is raw cocoa nibs made from African beans and supplied in bulk by Radad International.
In international trade, cocoa nibs fall under HS code 1801.00, the heading for cocoa beans whole or broken, raw or roasted.
Buyer's guide
Buyers usually ask three things first: how big are the pieces, how much fat is in them, and what do they contain. This guide answers those questions and covers the other points that affect how nibs perform in your process.
Cocoa nibs are not one uniform size. Cracking breaks each bean into irregular pieces, and the pieces are then graded by sieving so that you receive a consistent size. Size changes how nibs behave: small pieces blend and melt quickly, while large pieces keep their crunch in baking and toppings. Nib size is normally agreed per order, so tell us the size you need.
Size band
Typical piece size
Best for
Fine
About 1 to 2 mm
Blends, baking mixes, spreads and ice cream
Standard
About 2 to 4 mm
Bean-to-bar production, general baking and granola
Coarse
About 4 to 8 mm
Toppings, snacking, trail mix and visible crunch
These are common size bands in the nib trade. Nibs always carry some natural size variation and a small share of fines (dust-like fragments). Tell us the size you need and we will confirm availability on the specification sheet.
A nib is a whole bean without its shell, so about half of it is fat. That fat is natural cocoa butter, which is why nibs are energy-dense and why they melt into a smooth paste when ground. The values below are typical for raw cocoa nibs and are based on the figures in Radad's whole cocoa bean and cocoa mass specification sheets.
Component
Typical value per 100 g
Total fat (cocoa butter)
52 to 56 g on dry matter
Energy
About 600 kcal
Protein
10 to 12 g
Carbohydrates
10 to 15 g, including fibre and a very small amount of natural sugar
Added sugar
None
Minerals (ash)
2 to 4 g, including magnesium, iron, copper and potassium
Polyphenols
8 to 10 g
Theobromine
1.0 to 2.5 g
Caffeine
0.1 to 0.7 g
Values overlap, so they do not add up to 100 g, and they vary with bean origin, fermentation and batch. These are typical figures, not a lab result for a specific lot. Ask for the specification sheet for exact values on your order.
Good nibs are cracked and winnowed so that very little shell remains, with no stones, sticks or other foreign matter. Our cocoa mass specification limits shell to a maximum of 1.75% on a nib basis, which shows the level of cleanliness to expect. Ask us for the shell and foreign-matter limits on the nib specification sheet.
Raw nibs have not been roasted, so they have not been heat treated. Many food manufacturers add their own roasting or heat-treatment step before use. Ask us for microbiological and mycotoxin results, and tell us the limits your market requires.
Store nibs in a clean, cool, dry, odour-free place, at 25 °C or below and 70% relative humidity or less, the conditions used in our cocoa mass specification. Because nibs are about half fat, keep them away from heat, moisture and strong smells. Packing format and shelf life are confirmed on the specification sheet.
Cocoa nibs are a single-ingredient product with no added sugar, dairy or flavouring, and they are naturally plant-based. They are classified under HS code 1801.00 and are usually labelled simply as cocoa nibs. Tell us if you need documents for a specific market.
Raw vs roasted
Both are cracked, winnowed cocoa beans. The difference is heat. Roasting changes the flavour, the aroma and how you use the nib, so it helps to know which one fits your recipe.
Feature
Raw cocoa nibs
Roasted cocoa nibs
Flavour
Bright, bitter and slightly fruity or acidic, with a green, raw-cocoa edge
Deeper, rounder and nuttier, closer to the taste of finished chocolate
Aroma
Fresh, earthy and fruity
Toasted, warm and chocolatey
Colour
Light to medium brown
Darker brown
Control
You choose the roast profile and roast to your own recipe
Ready to use, with the roast already done
Best for
Bean-to-bar makers who roast their own, and recipes that want a bright cocoa character
Snacking, baking and toppings where a mellow, familiar flavour is wanted
From Radad
Raw cocoa nibs, the product on this page
Tell us in your enquiry if you need roasted nibs and we will confirm what we can supply
How nibs are made
Good nibs are made long before the cracking stage. Farm-level fermentation and drying decide the flavour, and careful cleaning and winnowing decide how pure the nib is.
01
Everything starts with ripe pods. The beans are fermented for several days, which develops chocolate flavour, then sun-dried so they can be stored and shipped. Good nibs cannot be made from poorly fermented beans, so this stage sets the ceiling for quality.
02
Dust, stones, sticks and damaged beans are removed so that only sound, whole beans move on. Clean input means a clean nib, free of foreign matter.
03
The beans are cracked open into small pieces. This breaks the thin outer shell away from the inner bean and creates the broken, irregular shape that gives nibs their name.
04
Air currents blow the light shell away from the heavier nib pieces. What remains is the nib. The shell is a separate by-product with its own uses, covered in our guide to cocoa bean shells and husks.
05
Nibs are checked for shell, foreign matter and defects, then packed for transport. Tell us your volume and destination and we will advise on packing and shipping, with export documents supplied with every shipment.
Flavour and texture
Think of the deepest dark chocolate you have tasted, then take away the sugar. Nibs are crisp, intense and bitter-sweet in character, and they reward being paired with something that balances them.
Nibs break with a clean snap and keep their texture in baking, granola and chocolate.
Unsweetened cocoa solids give a dry, intense, dark-chocolate bitterness that sugar and dairy balance well.
Depending on origin and fermentation, nibs can carry hints of red fruit, nuts and a little acidity.
A strong cocoa aroma with no sugar, vanilla or flavouring to mask it.
African cocoa is known for the bold, classic chocolate character behind most of the world's chocolate.
Honey, dates, vanilla, coffee, nuts, citrus, sea salt and dairy, anything that softens the bitterness.
What is inside
A nib is a whole bean without its shell, so it holds everything the bean contains. These are the main building blocks.
The natural fat of the bean makes nibs energy-dense and gives chocolate its melt.
The part of the nib that carries flavour and dark colour, along with protein and starch.
Because the whole bean is kept, nibs are a fibre-rich cocoa ingredient.
Cocoa contains minerals such as magnesium, iron, copper and potassium.
Natural plant compounds behind cocoa's bitter taste and mild stimulant effect.
Raw nibs are unsweetened, so sweetness depends entirely on how you use them.
Nibs vs other cocoa products
All five come from the same bean. The difference is how far the bean has been processed and what has been separated out.
Product
What it is
Form
Typical uses
Whole cocoa beans
Fermented, dried seeds of the cacao pod, shell still on
Hard whole beans
Grinding, trading and bean-to-bar production
Cocoa nibs
Beans cracked and winnowed to remove the shell
Crunchy pieces
Chocolate making, baking, toppings and snacks
Cocoa mass (liquor)
Nibs ground until the cocoa butter melts into a paste
Solid blocks once set
Dark chocolate, couverture and pressing
Cocoa butter
The natural fat pressed out of cocoa mass
Pale, solid fat
Chocolate, confectionery and cosmetics
Cocoa powder
The pressed cake left after the butter is removed, then milled
Fine powder
Baking, drinks, ice cream and coatings
Uses
Cocoa nibs are one of the most versatile cocoa ingredients. Use them whole for crunch, grind them for chocolate, or steep them for a drink. Here are the main ways our customers put them to work.
Roast if needed, then grind and refine nibs into dark chocolate with full control of origin and flavour.
Fold into cookies, brownies, scones and breads for crunch and a deep cocoa bite.
Scatter over chocolate bark, truffles and tarts as a crisp, bitter-sweet finish.
Sprinkle over yoghurt, porridge and granola for texture without added sugar.
Mix with dried fruit and nuts for a crunchy, naturally unsweetened snack.
Stir into ice cream, mousse and puddings as a crunchy, intense cocoa inclusion.
Blend into smoothies or steep for a rich, chocolatey drink.
Brew nibs like tea for a warm, aromatic cocoa infusion.
Add depth to chili, mole, rubs and sauces with a touch of bitter cocoa.
Buying guide
Nibs look simple, but quality varies a lot between suppliers. These six checks help you compare offers fairly, whoever you buy from.
Good nibs contain very little shell and no stones, sticks or other foreign matter.
Consistent pieces melt, roast and bake evenly, and look better in finished products.
Nibs should smell of cocoa, with no mould, smoke or off-odours.
Low moisture and careful packing protect nibs from mould and keep them crisp in storage.
Ask for microbiological results, and for mycotoxin and heavy metal testing where your market requires it.
A supplier should be able to state the origin and supply export documents for your port.
Get a quote
Tell us your volume and destination, and the Radad team will send a specification sheet, a sample on request and a quotation.
Call or WhatsApp
+971 522 501 039Monday to Sunday, 09:00 AM to 06:00 PM (Dubai time)
How to order
Ordering raw cocoa nibs from Radad International works the same wherever you are.
01
Share your volume, destination port and whether you need raw or roasted nibs.
02
We send the specification sheet, and a sample on request.
03
You get a clear quote with packing and shipping terms.
04
Your order is packed and shipped with full export documents.
FAQs
Quick answers about what cocoa nibs are, how they taste, how to use them and how to buy them. Click a question to see the answer.
More from Radad
Cocoa nibs sit in the middle of the cocoa chain. Explore the products that come before and after them.
Fermented, sun-dried African beans for grinders and chocolate makers.
View Whole Cocoa Beans
Pure ground cocoa, the foundation of every chocolate, in solid blocks.
View Cocoa Mass
Dutch-process powder in light and dark brown for baking, drinks and confectionery.
View Alkalized Cocoa PowderKeep reading: how chocolate is made from bean to bar, 25+ uses of cocoa beyond chocolate and how to start a craft chocolate business.