How much caffeine is in cocoa powder?

As an Amazon Associate, Barista Life earns from qualifying purchases.

Unsweetened cocoa powder has about 12.4mg of caffeine per tablespoon (5.4g), from the USDA figure of 230mg per 100g (USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 169593). Gram for gram that makes cocoa the most caffeinated thing in the chocolate aisle, nearly three times dark chocolate, but nobody eats it by the 100g: a tablespoon in a mug of homemade hot chocolate is about an eighth of a cup of brewed coffee.

Cocoa powder in context

Concentrated on paper, mild in the mug

Cocoa powder is what remains after cocoa butter is pressed out of the bean, so the caffeine that was spread through the whole bean concentrates in the powder. That is why its 230mg per 100g beats every chocolate bar. The serving size is what saves your sleep: recipes call for a tablespoon or two, delivering 12 to 25mg per mug.

Packet hot chocolate is far weaker than the homemade version because mixes are mostly sugar and milk powder. USDA puts a prepared mug from mix at about 4.1mg, roughly a third of one tablespoon of straight cocoa.

Where to find it

Check cocoa powder prices on Amazon

Compare it

• Cocoa powder vs brewed coffee: the caffeine numbers
• Cocoa powder vs espresso: the caffeine numbers
• Cocoa powder vs hot chocolate: the caffeine numbers
• The full chocolate caffeine guide
• The verified caffeine database

For context, the FDA cites 400mg of caffeine a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects in healthy adults. Tolerance and health vary, so treat these numbers as information, not advice.

FAQ

How much caffeine is in cocoa powder? About 12.4mg per tablespoon (5.4g) of unsweetened cocoa powder, from the USDA figure of 230mg per 100g.

Does cocoa powder have more caffeine than coffee? Per 100g, yes: 230mg versus roughly 40mg for brewed coffee. Per serving, no: a tablespoon of cocoa is 12.4mg against 95mg in an 8 oz cup.

How many tablespoons of cocoa reach 400mg of caffeine? About 32 tablespoons, from 12.4mg each against the 400mg daily amount the FDA cites for healthy adults.

Sources: the cocoa powder figure (230mg per 100g, 12.4mg per 5.4g tablespoon) is USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 169593 (source); dark chocolate (80mg per 100g) is SR Legacy 170273 and hot chocolate from mix (4.1mg per mug) is SR Legacy 174123. Brewed coffee (95mg per 8 oz) and espresso (63mg per 1 oz) reference values are from USDA FoodData Central.