Only dark chocolate is high in caffeine, containing 86 mg per 100g. Milk and white chocolates, as well as other chocolate sweets, have negligible amounts of caffeine.
Dark chocolate is high in caffeine!
Actually, dark chocolate is high in caffeine. Dark chocolate with at least 60% cocoa solids contains about 86 mg of caffeine per 100g! A small 1-oz serving contains about 24 mg of caffeine.[1]
Does milk chocolate have caffeine?
Only dark chocolate high in cocoa solids is high in caffeine, though. Milk chocolates, white chocolates, or other chocolate snacks contain negligible amounts of caffeine. In most cases, they contain only 1 mg of caffeine per 100g.
Which is the richest chocolate in caffeine?
The richest chocolate in caffeine is chocolate with 100% cocoa solids, which is used in baking. This chocolate contains about 240 mg of caffeine per 100g! A serving provides about 68 mg of caffeine.[2]
Caffeine content in hot chocolate, coffee & tea
We can also get some caffeine from hot chocolate. Cocoa powder has about 18 mg of caffeine per 100g. A serving provides 5 mg of caffeine. This dose is pretty low, though.
Other popular beverages, such as coffee and green tea, have more caffeine. For comparison, a cup of coffee has about 100 mg of caffeine. Moreover, a cup of green or black tea contains between 14 and 61 mg of caffeine. In fact, the caffeine content of coffee or tea depends on many parameters like brewing method and variety.[3,4]
Thus, hot chocolate has significantly less caffeine than coffee or tea. A serving of dark chocolate has about 82% less caffeine than a cup of espresso. Only decaffeinated coffee has less caffeine than dark chocolate.
However, a serving of dark chocolate has similar amounts of caffeine as compared to many tea varieties.
Can I get too much caffeine from dark chocolate?
Although dark chocolate is high in caffeine, it doesn’t contain too much caffeine. We can’t possibly get more caffeine than the maximum safe daily dose from chocolate. Certainly, we can’t get too much caffeine by eating chocolate sweets.
Can caffeine in dark chocolate affect sleep quality?
It’s better to avoid consuming dark chocolate late at night. Caffeine in chocolate may negatively affect the quality of sleep.
Actually, the best time to eat a piece of chocolate is in the afternoon, a couple of hours after the main meal of the day. Most people want to eat something sweet at that time. Dark chocolate can satisfy your sweet tooth. Also, reasonable amounts as part of a well-balanced diet are good for weight loss.
Moreover, the best time to drink a cup of coffee is about an hour before an event that demands energy or alertness.
