Does Hot Chocolate Have Caffeine? Versus Coffee, Tea, And More

Maybe your like

HealthlineSubscribe

Nutrition

Does Hot Chocolate Have Caffeine? How It Compares to Other Beverages

Medically reviewed by Natalie Olsen, R.D., L.D., ACSM EP-C — Written by Claire Gillespie — Updated on April 10, 2018

Hot chocolate vs. other chocolate drinks
Hot chocolate vs. coffee
Hot chocolate vs. tea
Hot chocolate vs. soft drinks
Takeaway

Hot chocolate contains a small amount of caffeine, not nearly as much as coffee or black tea. That said, it might be enough to serve as your afternoon pick-me-up.

Although many people think of hot chocolate as a soothing winter beverage, it actually contains caffeine, which is is a naturally occurring stimulant that’s often used to provide a much-needed energy boost.

The exact amount of caffeine found in hot chocolate depends on how your drink is made. For example, a 16-ounce (oz.), or grande, cup of Starbucks’ hot chocolate contains 25 milligrams (mg) of caffeine.

Hot chocolate made with cocoa mix is usually less caffeinated. Take Swiss Miss, for example. One packet of their standard hot chocolate mix makes one 6-ounce cup of hot chocolate and contains 5 mg of caffeine.

If you want to put hot chocolate’s caffeine content into context, you can compare it to the average caffeine content of other drinks. Read on to learn how hot chocolate stacks up against coffee, tea, and more.

How does hot chocolate compare to other chocolate drinks?

Anything made from chocolate is guaranteed to contain some measure of caffeine. That’s because chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which contain caffeine.

The exact amount of caffeine will vary depending on the manufacturer and whether other ingredients are used to make the drink.

As a rule of thumb, dark chocolate drinks are usually the most caffeinated. That’s because dark chocolate contains more cocoa solids than milk chocolate.

Here’s what you can usually expect with:

Ready-to-drink chocolate milk: 1 cup (8 oz.) contains 0-2 mg of caffeine
Chocolate liqueurs: Bailey’s Chocolat Luxe and many other liquors are caffeine-free
Mexican chocolate-based drinks: 1 cup (8 oz.) of Stephen’s Mexican Hot Chocolate contains around 1 mg of caffeine, and others are comparable

How does hot chocolate compare to different coffee drinks?

Coffee is usually high in caffeine. The exact amount will depend on the type of coffee, the amount of beans or grounds used, and the brewing technique.

Here’s what you can usually expect with:

Decaf: 1 cup (8 oz.) contains about 2 mg of caffeine
Regular (black): 1 cup (8 oz.) contains on average 95 mg of caffeine
Espresso: 1 shot (30 ml) contains about 63 mg of caffeine
Instant coffee: 1 cup (8 oz.) of instant coffee contains 63 mg of caffeine
Cold brew: one 12 oz. (tall) serving of Starbucks’ cold brew contains 155 mg of caffeine, while its 30 oz. (trenta) serving contains 360 mg of caffeine
Latte or mocha: 1 cup (8 oz.) contains 63-126 mg of caffeine

How does hot chocolate compare to different teas?

Tea is usually moderate in caffeine. As with coffee, the exact amount of caffeine will depend on the type of tea, the number of bags or amount of leaves used, and the brewing process and time. Herbal tea contains no caffeine.

Here’s what you can usually expect with:

Black tea: 1 cup (8 oz.) contains 25-48 mg of caffeine
Green tea: 1 cup (8 oz.) contains 25-29 mg of caffeine
Oolong tea: 1 cup (8 oz.) contains an average of 36 mg of caffeine
White tea: 1 cup (8 oz.) contains an average of 37 mg of caffeine
Pu-erh tea: 1 cup (8 oz.) of black Pu-erh contains 60-70 mg of caffeine, whereas 1 cup (8 oz.) of green Pu-erh contains 30-40 mg of caffeine
Chai tea: 1 cup (8 oz.) contains between 31-45 mg of caffeine, while a Starbucks chai tea latte contains about 95 mg.
Kombucha: kombucha usually contains up to half of the caffeine content found in the tea it’s made with, or none if made with an herbal tea

How does hot chocolate compare to soft drinks?

Although most soft drinks are high in caffeine, some contain no caffeine at all.

Here’s what you can usually expect with:

Pepsi, regular: one 20-oz serving contains 63 mg of caffeine
Coca-Cola, regular, or Coke Zero: one 20-oz serving contains 56-57 mg of caffeine
Dr. Pepper, diet or regular: one 20-oz serving contains 68 mg of caffeine
Mountain Dew, diet or regular: one 20-oz serving contains 91 mg of caffeine
Barq’s root beer, regular: one 20-oz serving contains 38 mg of caffeine
Ginger ale: one 12-oz serving is caffeine-free
Sprite: one 12-oz serving is caffeine-free

The bottom line

Hot chocolate does contain small amounts of caffeine, but much less than tea, coffee, and the majority of soft drinks. If you want a chocolate-based drink with no caffeine at all, go for ready-to-drink chocolate milk.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Basicreport: 14185, beverages, tea, oolong, brewed. (2016).https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4259
Basicreport: 14201, beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water,decaffeinated. (2016).https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4271
Basicreport: 14209, beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water. (2016).https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4277
Basicreport: 14210, beverages, coffee, brewed, espresso, restaurant-prepared.(2016).https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/4278
Basicreport: 14538, beverages, cocoa mix, low calorie, powder, with added calcium,phosphorus, aspartame, without added sodium or vitamin A. (2016).https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show?ndbno=14538
Basicreport: 19902, chocolate, dark, 45-59% cacao solids. (2016).https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6451
Basicreport: 43369, beverages, chocolate-flavored drink, whey and milk based. (2016).https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/8718
Caffeinechart. (n.d.).https://cspinet.org/eating-healthy/ingredients-of-concern/caffeine-chart
ChinJM, et al. (2008). Caffeine content of brewed teas.http://www.pkdiet.com/pdf/Caffeine%20BrewedTeas.pdf
Frequentlyasked questions. (n.d.).https://www.indulgentfoods.com/faq-stephens/
Katz DL,et al. (2011). Cocoa and chocolate in human health and disease. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1089/ars.2010.3697
The leaf.(n.d.).http://theteaspot.com/about-tea.html
MayoClinic Staff. (2017). Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more.https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20049372
Nariño70 cold brew: Tall. (n.d.).https://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/brewed-coffee/cold-brew-coffee#size=11044804
Nariño70 cold brew: Trenta iced. (n.d.).https://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/brewed-coffee/cold-brew-coffee#size=11044801
Nutrientlists. (2018).https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/nutrients/report?nutrient1=262&nutrient2=&nutrient3=&fg=&max=25&subset=0&offset=25&sort=c&totCount=5058&measureby=g
PedanV, et al. (2017). HPTLC fingerprint profile analysis of cocoa proanthocyanidinsdepending on origin and genotype. DOI:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814617314450
Tazo:Chai organic. (n.d.).http://www.tazo.com/black-tea/chai-organic

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Natalie Olsen, R.D., L.D., ACSM EP-C — Written by Claire Gillespie — Updated on April 10, 2018

Health Conditions

Condition Spotlight

Wellness Topics

Product Reviews

Featured Programs

Featured

Lessons

Newsletters

Lifestyle Quizzes

Health News

This Just In

Top Reads

Video Series

Find Your Bezzy Community

Follow us on social media

Nutrition

How does hot chocolate compare to other chocolate drinks?

How does hot chocolate compare to different coffee drinks?

How does hot chocolate compare to different teas?

How does hot chocolate compare to soft drinks?

The bottom line

How we reviewed this article:

related stories

Read this next

Contact