Bulk Cocoa Nibs
Bulk cocoa nibs are cacao beans that have been fermented, dried, shelled and cracked into small pieces. They are the starting point for all chocolate, sold before any grinding, sugar or added fat. For manufacturers, nibs deliver intense, slightly bitter cacao flavor and a firm crunch in a single-ingredient inclusion.
Source86 sources its cocoa nibs from Peru’s Amazon growing regions, including Huánuco, San MartÃn, Ucayali and Ayacucho. Two formats are available:
- Raw nibs: unroasted, with brighter, fruitier cacao notes.
- Roasted nibs: deeper chocolate and nutty flavor.
Both come in conventional and certified organic grades and are packed in 10–20 kg cartons for chocolate makers, bakeries, bar and snack brands, ice cream producers and craft brewers. USDA Organic, EU Organic, JAS, Kosher and BRCGS documentation is available on request.
Request a raw and a roasted sample to compare flavor in your product.
Product Data
| Botanical Identity | Theobroma cacao L. |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Cocoa nibs, cacao nibs |
| Ingredients | 100% cacao beans |
| Available Grades | Conventional, Organic |
| Appearance | Irregular cracked pieces; brown to dark brown |
| Odor and Flavor | Earthy aroma; mild, slightly sweet flavor |
| Particle Size | 3–8 mm |
| Origin | Peru (Huánuco, San MartÃn, Ucayali, Ayacucho) |
| Moisture | ≤4.5–5% |
| Packaging | 7.5 kg laminated bags, 2 per 10 kg carton; 15 kg and 20 kg cartons with HDPE liner; 200 g retail packs |
| Shelf Life | 15 to 24 months |
| Storage Conditions | 18–25°C, 45–65% RH, dry, away from sunlight and strong odors |
Request More Information
Need a quote, more info, or a sample? Fill out the form below, and we’ll be happy to help.
Are you a vendor? Please contact us here.
Certifications & Compliance
Source86 supplies bulk cocoa nibs with documentation commonly required for commercial ingredient sourcing and supplier qualification.
Documentation available upon request: Certificate of Analysis (COA) · Specification sheet · Nutritional information · Allergen statement · Heavy metals results (cadmium, lead, arsenic, mercury) · Country-of-origin documentation · Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
Certifications and statements (availability may vary by supplier, origin and production lot): USDA Organic (NOP) · EU Organic · JAS Organic · Kosher (Parve) · Gluten-Free · Free of the 14 EU major allergens
Producing facilities hold food safety certifications that vary by supplier, including BRCGS and HACCP.
Production & Sourcing
Peru is one of the leading sources of fine-flavor and organic cacao, grown largely by smallholder cooperatives in the Amazon basin. Source86 works with four Peruvian processors across several cacao regions, which spreads supply across different harvests, cooperatives and processing plants.
How It’s Produced
- Harvesting: Ripe cacao pods are cut from the tree and split open.
- Fermentation: Beans and pulp are fermented for several days to develop flavor precursors.
- Drying: Fermented beans are sun-dried to low moisture.
- Roasting (roasted nibs only): Beans are roasted to develop chocolate flavor.
- Cracking and Winnowing: Beans are cracked and the shell is blown away, leaving the nibs.
- Sorting, Sieving and Packing: Nibs are sieved to 3–8 mm, sorted for impurities, metal-detected and packed.
Harvest & Supply Availability
Peruvian cacao is harvested across much of the year, with peak periods varying by region. Dried beans are stored and processed into nibs year-round.
Applications
- Chocolate Making: Raw material for bean-to-bar chocolate and visible inclusions in chocolate bars.
- Bakery: Cookies, brownies, muffins and breads, as a crunchy, less-sweet alternative to chocolate chips.
- Bars and Snacks: Granola bars, protein bars, energy bites and trail mixes.
- Cereal and Granola: Breakfast cereals, granola and muesli.
- Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts: Crunchy inclusions in chocolate and coffee ice creams.
- Craft Brewing and Distilling: Cacao character in stouts, porters and infused spirits.
- Beverages and Flavor Extraction: Infused into syrups, extracts and cacao teas.
Functionality
Holds a firm, crisp texture in baked goods and cold applications.
Delivers intense chocolate flavor without added sugar.
Natural cocoa butter adds richness and melt.
Dark, irregular pieces signal real cacao.
Physical & Functional Characteristics
- Appearance: Irregular cracked pieces, 3–8 mm.
- Color: Brown to dark brown.
- Flavor: Bitter, intense cacao; fruity in raw nibs, roasty and chocolatey in roasted nibs.
- Composition: Approx. 550–590 kcal, 44–51 g fat, 23–39 g fiber and 12 g protein per 100 g, with about 2 g sugars.
- Dietary Suitability: Plant-based, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free. Single-ingredient, with no added sugar.
Benefits for Commercial Manufacturing
- Raw and Roasted Formats: One supply program covers both flavor directions.
- Single-Origin Peruvian Cacao: Supports origin storytelling and fine-flavor positioning.
- Strong Organic Coverage: NOP, EU and JAS organic options from multiple producers.
- Contaminant Documentation: Cadmium, ochratoxin and aflatoxin limits support QA approval for cacao.
- Container-Ready Logistics: Palletized and full-container quantities from Peru.
- Shelf Life: 15 to 24 months supports planned purchasing.
