Does Chocolate Have Caffeine? Is It Enough to Keep You up at Night?

We often talk about the amount of caffeine in drinks like coffee and tea, but does chocolate have caffeine? Simply put: Yes, caffeine is naturally found in chocolate and different kinds of chocolate have varying amounts; the darker the chocolate the more caffeine it likely has. But how much caffeine is in chocolate compared to caffeinated drinks—and is it enough to ruin a good night's sleep? Here, an expert chocolatier breaks down what there is to know about chocolate and caffeine.

How Much Caffeine Is in Chocolate?

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, often referred to as cocoa solids, the seeds from cocoa trees that naturally contain caffeine. To make the chocolate we know and love, cocoa beans are fermented, dried, roasted, and ground up before being mixed with other ingredients and flavorings. Although there is naturally caffeine in chocolate, for the most part, there’s a negligible amount compared to the caffeine in coffee, certain teas (like black and green teas), and soft drinks. Here's a breakdown for reference.

• An average, 12-ounce can of soda contains 30 to 40 mg of caffeine. 
• An 8-ounce cup of green or black tea contains somewhere between 30 to 50 mg of caffeine (green tea typically has less caffeine than black tea).
• An 8-ounce cup of coffee contains 80 to 100 mg of caffeine.
• An 8-ounce can of an energy drink can contain anywhere from 40 to 250 mg of caffeine.

As for chocolate, the caffeine amount can vary depending on the type of chocolate, the cocoa beans' growing conditions, and the cocoa source, explains chocolatier Liron Gal. Darker chocolates—bittersweet and semisweet, for instance—typically have the most caffeine. Milk chocolate typically contains less caffeine, because it contains fewer cocoa solids. And white chocolate has no caffeine at all because it isn’t actually made using cocoa solids.

“In general, a 3.5-ounce bar of dark chocolate can include 50 to 150 mg of caffeine,” Gal says. That’s quite a range, and 150 mg is an impressive amount of caffeine—but that’s a maximum. Plus typically, people consume more coffee in one sitting than chocolate. Gal adds that there's technically another stimulant in cocoa beans called theobromine: “This increases energy levels, but the spike isn't as large as caffeine."

Caffeine in Dark Chocolate

Because dark chocolate contains the most cocoa beans or cocoa solids, it contains the most caffeine. Those higher percentages seen on dark chocolate bars—85%, 77%—represent the amount of cocoa solids in the bar. The higher the percentage of cocoa solids, the darker or more bitter the chocolate, the lower the sugar content, and the more antioxidants.

This is also an indicator that the chocolate contains more caffeine because it's made with more cocoa solids. The USDA lists the caffeine content in dark chocolate bars ranging from 70 mg for 45- 59% cocoa solids to 81 mg for 70-85%.

Caffeine in Milk Chocolate

According to the FDA, milk chocolate must contain at least 12% milk solids and 10% chocolate liquor (which is non-alcoholic). Since milk chocolate by definition has less cocoa solids than dark chocolate (due to the addition of 12% or more milk solids), it also contains less caffeine. According to the USDA, a 1.5-ounce bar of milk chocolate contains about 9 mg of caffeine.

Caffeine in White Chocolate

Many people don’t consider white chocolate to be real chocolate because it contains no cocoa solids. This also means that white chocolate is naturally caffeine-free. “White chocolate only contains cocoa butter, and not cocoa solids (cocoa butter is the fat that is extracted from cocoa solids), and therefore doesn't contain caffeine,” Gal explains.

Caffeine in Hot Chocolate

Although we may consume more hot cocoa in one sitting than a chocolate bar, it doesn’t necessarily mean more caffeine. Most packaged hot chocolate mixes you’d make at home usually contain 5 mg or less of caffeine. “In hot chocolate, the chocolate will have a lot of milk added, so even if the chocolate [itself] is on the higher end in terms of caffeine content, there won't be much in the hot chocolate,” Gal notes.

You’ll want to be more careful when ordering hot chocolate at a cafe or coffee shop. For reference, a grande hot chocolate at Starbucks has around 25 mg of caffeine for a 16-ounce serving. While this is less than other caffeinated drinks, it's important to consider if you’re monitoring sneaky caffeine sources, or trying to keep your kids away from too much caffeine.

What's the Recommended Daily Amount of Caffeine?

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day (equivalent to two to three 12-ounce cups of coffee) is typically considered safe for the average adult. But everyone metabolizes this stimulant differently, so if caffeine gives you headaches, causes jitters, anxiousness, a faster heart rate, or another side effect, definitely refrain from consuming high amounts. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, have a conversation with your doctor about the amount of caffeine they advise you to drink.