A latte made with a double shot of espresso has about 154 mg of caffeine in a 16 oz cup, according to Caffeine Informer. A smaller latte built on a single shot lands around 77 mg. That is the whole answer in one line, because milk contributes zero caffeine. Every milligram in your latte comes from the espresso, so the only question that matters is how many shots are in the cup.
Behind the bar, that is the first thing you learn about this drink. A 20 oz latte is not a stronger latte. It is usually the same espresso as the 16 oz with more steamed milk poured on top.
Upsizing buys milk, not caffeine
Here is the quirk most customers never notice. At Starbucks, a tall Caffe Latte has 75 mg of caffeine, a grande has 150 mg, and a venti also has 150 mg, per Caffeine Informer's Starbucks latte data. The tall gets one shot, and the grande and hot venti both get two. Pay for the venti and you get four more ounces of milk at the exact same caffeine level.
If you actually want more caffeine, the move is an extra shot, not a bigger cup. An added shot raises the total by roughly 75 mg and usually costs less than the size jump. If you want less, order the smallest size, since that is typically where the single-shot build lives.
Latte caffeine by chain and size
These numbers come from Caffeine Informer's compiled lab and brand data. Espresso drinks vary shot to shot, so treat them as solid averages rather than lab certificates for your exact cup.
| Drink | Size | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Single espresso shot | 1.5 oz | 77 mg |
| Typical latte, single shot | 8 to 12 oz | 77 mg |
| Typical latte, double shot | 16 oz | 154 mg |
| Starbucks Caffe Latte | Tall, 12 oz | 75 mg |
| Starbucks Caffe Latte | Grande, 16 oz | 150 mg |
| Starbucks Caffe Latte | Venti, 20 oz | 150 mg |
| Dunkin latte | Medium, 14 oz | 166 mg |
| McCafe latte | Small, 12 oz | 72 mg |
| McCafe latte | Medium, 16 oz | 144 mg |
| McCafe latte | Large, 21 oz | 178 mg |
| Drip coffee, for comparison | 8 oz | 163 mg average |
Sources: espresso, Starbucks latte, Dunkin latte, McCafe latte, and brewed coffee, all on Caffeine Informer.
Two things jump out of that table. First, Dunkin's medium latte at 166 mg beats a Starbucks grande at 150 mg in a smaller cup, which tracks with Dunkin pulling notably strong shots. You can see how their whole menu stacks up on our Dunkin caffeine guide. Second, a plain 8 oz drip coffee averages 163 mg, beating a 16 oz double-shot latte at half the volume. Ounce for ounce, drip is the stronger drink.
Why the shot-to-shot variance? Caffeine Informer's espresso testing found double shots ranging from 58 mg all the way to 185 mg depending on the beans, dose, and pull. Robusta blends, bigger doses, and longer extractions all push the number up. That range is why no chart can promise your exact cup, only the average.
Decaf lattes are low, not zero
A decaf latte still carries a little caffeine. Peet's decaf espresso, one of the few with published numbers, tests at 10 mg per 1.5 oz shot. So a double-shot decaf latte runs somewhere around 20 mg. That is trivial for most people but worth knowing if you are cutting caffeine completely. We break down the whole category in does decaf have caffeine.
Half-caff is the practical middle ground: ask for one regular shot and one decaf shot and you land near 85 to 90 mg in a 16 oz cup, using the averages above.
For context, the FDA cites 400mg of caffeine a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects in healthy adults. How caffeine affects you depends on your own tolerance and health, so treat these numbers as information, not advice.
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How a latte compares to other drinks
Against the rest of the espresso family, the latte is middle of the pack. A cappuccino or flat white built on the same two shots has the same 154 mg, just with less milk. The big swings happen when you leave espresso entirely. Cold brew concentrates run far higher per cup, and we charted the major brands in our cold brew caffeine guide. Going the other direction, a matcha latte usually lands below a double-shot latte. And if you order from the green siren regularly, the full menu breakdown lives in our Starbucks caffeine guide.
Looking for a different drink? The full caffeine database has every chain and can we have verified.
FAQ
How much caffeine is in a 16 oz latte? About 154 mg when it is made with a standard double shot of espresso, per Caffeine Informer. Starbucks lists its grande Caffe Latte at 150 mg, and a McCafe medium latte tests at 144 mg, so most 16 oz lattes cluster around 150 mg.
Does a latte have more caffeine than regular coffee? Not per ounce. A 16 oz double-shot latte carries about 154 mg, while a plain 8 oz cup of drip coffee averages 163 mg. Drip delivers more caffeine in half the volume, so it is the stronger drink ounce for ounce.
How much caffeine is in a decaf latte? Around 10 mg per decaf shot, based on Peet's published decaf espresso number, so a double-shot decaf latte runs roughly 20 mg. Decaf is low but never zero.