Does Chocolate Have Caffeine? How Much in Dark, Milk and White

Yes, chocolate has caffeine, but much less than coffee, and the darker it is the more it has. USDA data list about 80 mg of caffeine per 100 grams of 70 to 85% dark chocolate, or about 23 mg per ounce, compared with about 6 mg per ounce of milk chocolate and none in white chocolate (USDA FoodData Central). A 12-ounce cup of brewed coffee has 113 to 247 mg (FDA). Chocolate also carries far more theobromine, a related and milder stimulant. This guide gives the numbers by type and what they mean for sleep and your daily total.

It is educational, not medical advice.

Key Takeaways

• Dark chocolate: about 23 mg of caffeine per ounce at 70 to 85% cacao, from 80 mg per 100 g (USDA FoodData Central).
• Milk chocolate: about 6 mg per ounce, from 20 mg per 100 g (USDA FoodData Central).
• White chocolate: 0 mg, because it has no cocoa solids (USDA FoodData Central).
• Cocoa powder: 230 mg of caffeine and 2,057 mg of theobromine per 100 g of unsweetened powder (USDA FoodData Central).
• It is active: the caffeine and theobromine in a 50 g dark chocolate bar improved alertness and mood measures in a placebo-controlled study (Smit et al., 2004).

How Much Caffeine Is in Chocolate?

These are USDA FoodData Central values per 100 grams, with the per ounce amount (28.35 g) calculated from them. Brands vary, so read them as typical figures.

Chocolate	Caffeine per 100 g	Caffeine per ounce	Theobromine per 100 g
Dark, 70 to 85% cacao	80 mg	about 23 mg	802 mg
Dark, 60 to 69% cacao	86 mg	about 24 mg	632 mg
Dark, 45 to 59% cacao	43 mg	about 12 mg	493 mg
Semisweet	62 mg	about 18 mg	486 mg
Milk chocolate	20 mg	about 6 mg	205 mg
White chocolate	0 mg	0 mg	0 mg
Unsweetened cocoa powder	230 mg	about 65 mg	2,057 mg

Sources: USDA FoodData Central entries 170273, 170272, 170271, 167976, 167587, 167571 and 169593.

Why Darker Chocolate Has More Caffeine

Caffeine and theobromine both come from the cocoa solids. The higher the cacao percentage, the more cocoa solids in each bite, so the more of both. Milk chocolate swaps much of the cocoa for milk and sugar, and white chocolate is made from cocoa butter, which is why the USDA lists 0 mg of caffeine for it (USDA FoodData Central). Our guide to cacao vs cocoa explains how the two are made.

Chocolate vs Coffee

Item	Typical caffeine
1 oz dark chocolate, 70 to 85%	about 23 mg
1 oz milk chocolate	about 6 mg
8 oz hot cocoa made from mix	about 5 mg
12 oz green tea	37 mg
12 oz black tea	71 mg
12 oz brewed coffee	113 to 247 mg

Chocolate values are calculated from USDA data, including 2 mg of caffeine per 100 g of cocoa mix made with water (USDA FoodData Central); tea and coffee values are the FDA's typical amounts for 12 ounces (FDA). You would need about five ounces of 70 to 85% dark chocolate to match the low end of one cup of coffee.

Theobromine: the Other Stimulant in Chocolate

Chocolate carries roughly ten times more theobromine than caffeine. Unsweetened cocoa powder, for example, lists 2,057 mg of theobromine and 230 mg of caffeine per 100 grams (USDA FoodData Central). Theobromine is a close relative of caffeine with a gentler, longer effect, which our guide to theobromine vs caffeine compares in detail.

The two work together. In two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, the amounts of cocoa and methylxanthines found in a 50 g bar of dark chocolate (19 mg of caffeine with 250 mg of theobromine) improved energetic arousal and cognitive function compared with placebo, and both milk and dark chocolate levels of these compounds did better than white chocolate (Smit et al., 2004). Read more on our theobromine ingredient page.

Wondering about the drink? Our guide to whether hot chocolate is good for you covers calories, sugar and caffeine per cup, and our guide to theobromine benefits explains what theobromine itself does.

Can Chocolate Keep You Awake?

A square or two of milk chocolate is a small amount of caffeine, but a large bar of very dark chocolate or a strong cocoa drink in the evening adds caffeine and theobromine at once. If you are sensitive, enjoy darker chocolate earlier in the day. Our guide to how long caffeine lasts explains why late caffeine can follow you to bed.

Counting Chocolate in Your Daily Caffeine

The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most adults, and notes that chocolate is a well-known source of caffeine (FDA). When a packaged food contains chocolate, caffeine is not listed separately on the label; only the chocolate ingredient is (FDA). If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or sensitive to caffeine, ask your health care provider about your limit. Our guide to how much caffeine is too much has the full breakdown. Taking the sugar out of a cocoa drink does not change its caffeine; see sugar-free hot chocolate.

Where Our Products Fit

Mushroom Cacao is a mushroom hot chocolate made with cocoa powder, cacao powder and a high theobromine cocoa extract, with 500 mg each of lion's mane and cordyceps per serving, 15 calories and 0g sugar. Like any cocoa drink it contains a little natural caffeine along with theobromine, so it is not caffeine-free. For a fuller daily routine, the Energy Stack combines NAD+ Nasal Spray, Forage and Methyl B-12 Nasal Spray. See also cacao benefits, cocoa extract benefits and the Non-Stimulant Energy and Focus hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does dark chocolate have more caffeine than coffee?

No. An ounce of 70 to 85% dark chocolate has about 23 mg (USDA FoodData Central), while 12 ounces of brewed coffee has 113 to 247 mg (FDA).

Does milk chocolate have caffeine?

A little: about 6 mg per ounce, from 20 mg per 100 g (USDA FoodData Central).

Does white chocolate have caffeine?

No. The USDA lists 0 mg of caffeine and 0 mg of theobromine (USDA FoodData Central).

Does hot chocolate have caffeine?

Yes, a small amount. Cocoa mix made with water lists 2 mg per 100 g (USDA FoodData Central), about 5 mg in an 8-ounce mug. Drinks made with more cocoa powder have more.

Does cocoa powder have caffeine?

Yes. Unsweetened cocoa powder lists 230 mg of caffeine per 100 g (USDA FoodData Central), or about 12 mg in a 5 gram tablespoon.

How much chocolate equals a cup of coffee?

About five ounces of 70 to 85% dark chocolate matches the low end of a 12-ounce brewed coffee, based on USDA and FDA figures.

Can chocolate keep you awake at night?

A large amount of dark chocolate late in the evening can, because it adds caffeine and theobromine. Small amounts of milk chocolate hold little caffeine.

Is the caffeine in chocolate different from coffee?

It is the same compound. The FDA notes there is no difference in how your body handles caffeine from natural sources and added caffeine (FDA).

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central: Chocolate, dark, 70 to 85% cacao solids (FDC 170273); dark, 60 to 69% (FDC 170272); dark, 45 to 59% (FDC 170271); Candies, semisweet chocolate (FDC 167976); milk chocolate (FDC 167587); white chocolate (FDC 167571); Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened (FDC 169593); Cocoa mix, powder, prepared with water (FDC 174123). FoodData Central
2. Smit HJ, Gaffan EA, Rogers PJ. Methylxanthines are the psycho-pharmacologically active constituents of chocolate. Psychopharmacology. 2004. PubMed 15549276
3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much? FDA
4. Lelo A, et al. Comparative pharmacokinetics of caffeine and its primary demethylated metabolites paraxanthine, theobromine and theophylline in man. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1986. PubMed 3756065
5. Drake C, et al. Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. J Clin Sleep Med. 2013. PubMed 24235903

Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This article is for education only and is not medical advice.