Is Hot Chocolate Good for You? Nutrition, Sugar and Caffeine

Hot chocolate can be a good choice when it is made with real cocoa and modest sugar, but many cups are closer to a sweet drink than a health drink. A cup of homemade hot cocoa with milk has about 193 calories, 24 g of total sugars and 285 mg of calcium, plus small amounts of caffeine and theobromine (USDA FoodData Central). Unsweetened cocoa powder brings fiber, magnesium and cocoa flavanols, and natural cocoa keeps far more flavanols than Dutch processed cocoa (Miller et al., 2008). This guide covers nutrition, what research shows on cocoa flavanols, caffeine and how to make a better cup.

It is educational, not medical advice.

Key Takeaways

• Homemade with milk: about 193 kcal, 24 g total sugars and 285 mg calcium per cup (USDA FoodData Central).
• Mix with water: about 113 kcal and 19 g total sugars in a 6 oz serving (USDA FoodData Central).
• Cocoa powder: 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa has about 12 kcal and 2 g fiber (USDA FoodData Central).
• Flavanols: natural cocoa averaged 34.6 mg of flavanols per gram, heavily alkalized cocoa 3.9 mg (Miller et al., 2008).
• Research: in older adults, high flavanol cocoa drinks for 8 weeks improved scores on several thinking tests (Mastroiacovo et al., 2015).

Hot Chocolate Nutrition

Serving (USDA)	Calories	Total sugars	Caffeine	Theobromine
Homemade hot cocoa with milk, 1 cup	about 193 kcal	about 24 g	about 5 mg	about 170 mg
Cocoa mix made with water, 6 oz	about 113 kcal	about 19 g	about 4 mg	about 91 mg
Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tbsp	about 12 kcal	under 1 g	about 12 mg	about 111 mg

Figures are calculated from USDA values per 100 g for homemade hot cocoa (USDA FoodData Central), cocoa mix prepared with water (USDA FoodData Central) and unsweetened cocoa powder (USDA FoodData Central). The milk version carries more protein and calcium; the sugar figure includes the natural sugar in milk as well as added sugar. Recipes and mixes vary, so the label on your own tin is the best guide.

The Good Parts: Cocoa, Fiber and Minerals

Cocoa is the part that makes hot chocolate interesting. One tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder has about 2 g of fiber, 27 mg of magnesium and 0.75 mg of iron for about 12 calories (USDA FoodData Central). Made with milk, a cup also adds protein and calcium (USDA FoodData Central).

Cocoa is also one of the richest food sources of flavanols, a group of plant compounds. How much survives depends on processing. In a survey of commercial cocoa powders, natural cocoas averaged 34.6 mg of flavanols per gram, lightly alkalized cocoas 13.8 mg, medium 7.8 mg and heavily alkalized cocoas 3.9 mg, falling steadily as the alkali treatment increased (Miller et al., 2008). Alkalizing, often called Dutch processing, gives a darker, milder cocoa. Our guide to cacao vs cocoa explains the processing steps, and cacao benefits covers raw cacao.

What Research Shows on Cocoa Flavanols

In the Cocoa, Cognition and Aging study, 90 older adults without signs of cognitive decline drank a cocoa drink every day for 8 weeks with 993 mg, 520 mg or 48 mg of cocoa flavanols. Both higher flavanol groups finished the Trail Making tests faster than the low flavanol group, and verbal fluency improved most in the highest flavanol group, while scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination did not differ between groups (Mastroiacovo et al., 2015).

Those drinks were made to deliver set amounts of flavanols. Everyday hot chocolate is rarely labeled for flavanols, and alkalized cocoa holds far fewer (Miller et al., 2008), so a typical mug is not the same as the study drinks. Our guide to cocoa extract benefits goes deeper on concentrated cocoa.

The Not So Good Parts: Sugar and Extras

Sugar is where many cups go wrong. A 6 oz serving of cocoa mix made with water has about 19 g of total sugars and very little else (USDA FoodData Central). Whipped cream, marshmallows and syrups add more. If you drink hot chocolate often, the mix you use matters more than any single nutrient in the cocoa. For a mug with no sugar at all, see our guide to sugar-free hot chocolate.

Does Hot Chocolate Have Caffeine?

A little. A cup of homemade hot cocoa has about 5 mg of caffeine, against about 95 mg in an 8 oz cup of brewed coffee (USDA FoodData Central; USDA FoodData Central). It also has about 170 mg of theobromine, a milder relative of caffeine found in cocoa (USDA FoodData Central). That makes hot chocolate a low caffeine evening drink for most people, though very sensitive sleepers may still notice it. Our guides to caffeine in chocolate and theobromine vs caffeine have the details. If you drink hot chocolate before bed, see our guide to mushroom hot chocolate for sleep.

How to Make a Healthier Hot Chocolate

• Start with unsweetened cocoa: natural cocoa keeps the most flavanols (Miller et al., 2008).
• Sweeten lightly: add sugar or honey to taste rather than using a sweet mix.
• Pick your milk: dairy milk adds protein and calcium; plant milks vary, so check the label.
• Add flavor without sugar: cinnamon, vanilla or a pinch of salt.
• Skip the toppings most days: save whipped cream and marshmallows for special occasions.

If you are cutting back on coffee, hot chocolate also appears in our list of coffee alternatives.

Curious about cocoa with functional mushrooms added? Our guide to mushroom hot chocolate covers what is in a cup and how it compares with coffee.

Where Our Products Fit

Mushroom Cacao is a mushroom hot chocolate made with cocoa and cacao, with 500 mg each of lion's mane and cordyceps per serving, 0 g sugar and 15 calories per serving. It is not caffeine-free, because cocoa and cacao naturally contain some caffeine. Read more on our theobromine ingredient page and the Non-Stimulant Energy and Focus hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is hot chocolate healthy?

It can be. Cocoa brings fiber, minerals and flavanols, but many mixes are mostly sugar; a 6 oz serving made with water has about 19 g of total sugars (USDA FoodData Central).

Is hot chocolate better than coffee?

They do different jobs. Hot cocoa has about 5 mg of caffeine per cup against about 95 mg in 8 oz of brewed coffee (USDA FoodData Central; USDA FoodData Central), so it is the gentler choice later in the day.

Is hot chocolate good before bed?

It is low in caffeine, about 5 mg per cup, but it also has about 170 mg of theobromine (USDA FoodData Central). Most people sleep fine after it; very sensitive sleepers may prefer it earlier.

Is dark hot chocolate healthier?

Darker usually means more cocoa and less sugar. Check whether the cocoa is natural or Dutch processed, since alkalizing lowers flavanols (Miller et al., 2008).

How many calories are in hot chocolate?

About 193 kcal in a cup of homemade hot cocoa with milk and about 113 kcal in 6 oz of mix made with water (USDA FoodData Central; USDA FoodData Central).

Does hot chocolate count toward calcium?

Made with milk, yes: a cup of homemade hot cocoa has about 285 mg of calcium (USDA FoodData Central).

Is cocoa powder or a hot chocolate mix better?

Unsweetened cocoa powder lets you control the sugar: 1 tablespoon has about 12 kcal and 2 g fiber (USDA FoodData Central), while mixes come pre-sweetened.

Can I drink hot chocolate every day?

Many people do. Keep an eye on the sugar in your mix and your total caffeine for the day; see how much caffeine is too much.

Sources

1. Miller KB, Hurst WJ, Payne MJ, et al. Impact of alkalization on the antioxidant and flavanol content of commercial cocoa powders. J Agric Food Chem. 2008. PubMed 18710243
2. Mastroiacovo D, Kwik-Uribe C, Grassi D, et al. Cocoa flavanol consumption improves cognitive function, blood pressure control, and metabolic profile in elderly subjects: the Cocoa, Cognition, and Aging (CoCoA) Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015. PubMed 25733639
3. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central: Milk, chocolate beverage, hot cocoa, homemade (FDC 171277); Beverages, Cocoa mix, powder, prepared with water (FDC 174123); Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened (FDC 169593); Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water (FDC 171890). FoodData Central
4. Gu L, Kelm MA, Hammerstone JF, et al. Concentrations of proanthocyanidins in common foods and estimations of normal consumption. J Nutr. 2004. PubMed 14988456
5. Baggott MJ, Childs E, Hart AB, et al. Psychopharmacology of theobromine in healthy volunteers. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2013. PubMed 23420115

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