Cacao Drops vs Blocks: Which Should You Choose?

"Should I buy drops or a block?" is one of the questions we get asked most. The short answer: it's the same cacao either way. Our drops and blocks are both 100% pure ceremonial cacao paste with nothing added. The only difference is the shape, which changes how you measure it, how quickly you can prepare it and what it costs per serve.

At a glance

	Drops	Blocks
What it is	Small moulded discs of cacao paste	A solid slab of cacao paste
Sizes	Amaru 2.5g drops, Uturunku 4g drops	Amaru 1kg, Uturunku 500g, Shansho 250g
Measuring	Easy: count out a rough measured amount	Shave and measure by the tablespoon (about 10g each)
Prep time	Quickest: straight into the cup	A minute or two to shave or chop
Melting	Melts quickly	Shavings melt quickly; chunks take longer
Cost per serve	Higher	Lower
Best for	Busy mornings, travel, beginners, easy portioning	Regular drinkers, value, ceremony and ritual

Cacao drops

Drops are our ceremonial cacao paste moulded into small discs, so there's no chopping or shaving. Each drop is a rough measured amount, which makes it easy to get a consistent serve every time.

• Amaru drops: about 2.5g each, so 8 to 12 drops makes a 20–30g serve
• Uturunku drops: about 4g each, so 5 to 8 drops makes a 20–30g serve

Pros

• Easy to measure: just count them out
• Quickest to prepare and melt
• Handy for travel, work or keeping in the pantry
• A great starting point if you're new to ceremonial cacao

Cons

• Higher cost per serve than blocks
• Not available for Shansho, which currently comes as a block only

Shop Amaru drops · Shop Uturunku drops

Cacao blocks

Blocks are the traditional way ceremonial cacao has been made and shared. You get more cacao for your money, and preparing it can become part of the ritual itself.

There are three easy ways to use a block:

1. Shave it all at once. Shave the whole block down and store the shavings in a sealed container or jar. Then just spoon out what you need each day. As a good approximation, 1 tablespoon of shavings is about 10g, so 2 to 3 tablespoons makes a 20–30g serve.
2. Shave as you go. Use a knife or grater to shave off your serve each time you make a cup.
3. Hack off a piece. Simply break or cut a chunk off the block when you need it. Chunks take a little longer to melt, so whisking or blending helps.

Pros

• Lower cost per serve
• Available across all three cacaos: Amaru, Uturunku and Shansho
• The shaving or chopping becomes a mindful part of your ritual
• Less packaging per gram

Cons

• Takes a minute or two to prepare
• Chunks need weighing or estimating (shavings are easy: 1 tablespoon is about 10g)

Shop Amaru block · Shop Uturunku block · Shop Shansho block

How to shave a cacao block

Watch our quick video to see how easy it is to shave a block of ceremonial cacao.

Which should I choose?

• Want the quickest, easiest option? Choose drops.
• New to ceremonial cacao? Start with drops for easy measuring.
• Drink cacao most days? Choose a block for better value.
• Love a slow, mindful ritual? Choose a block and shave it fresh.
• Want Shansho? It currently comes as a block only.

Not sure which cacao suits you? Read our guide, Amaru vs Uturunku vs Shansho: Which Ceremonial Cacao Is Right for You?

Our cacao research

Seleno Health was co-founded by Dr Corin Storkey (PhD) and Sally Huapaya. We travel to Peru to work directly with our cacao farmers, and we fund cacao research at the University of Otago, co-supervised by Professor Lyn Wise, to understand how cacao works from bean to brain. Read about our Bean to Brain cacao research.