A medium (16 oz) McDonald's brewed coffee has about 145mg of caffeine, and a small (12 oz) has about 109mg. Those numbers come from Caffeine Informer, which compiled them from McDonald's customer service, because McDonald's itself does not publish caffeine content.
Why McDonald's will not tell you
Most big chains publish caffeine alongside calories. McDonald's publishes nutrition data but leaves caffeine out of its official menu information, so every number you see anywhere is a compiled estimate. The figures below are the most consistent compiled values available. Large sizes and iced drinks vary the most, so we show those as ranges.
McDonald's caffeine by drink and size
| Drink | Size | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Brewed coffee | Small (12 oz) | 109mg |
| Brewed coffee | Medium (16 oz) | 145mg |
| Brewed coffee | Large (21-22 oz) | 180-190mg (est.) |
| Espresso | Single shot | 71-75mg |
| McCafe latte | Small (12 oz) | 71mg |
| McCafe latte | Medium (16 oz) | 142mg |
| Iced coffee | Small | ~133mg (est.) |
| Iced coffee | Medium | ~200mg (est.) |
| Frappe | Any size | 70-100mg (est.) |
| Decaf coffee | Any size | Under 5mg |
Espresso drinks scale by shot count: a small latte carries one shot, a medium two. Iced coffee reads higher than hot per size because of the brew ratio used over ice.
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 McDonald's compares
McDonald's brewed coffee sits below most specialty chains per ounce. See how it stacks up against Dunkin's caffeine content and Starbucks caffeine content, or skip the drive-thru match-up entirely and check how much caffeine your K-Cup makes at home.
Looking for a different drink? The full caffeine database has every chain and can we have verified.
FAQ
Does McDonald's publish official caffeine numbers? No. McDonald's publishes calories and nutrition but not caffeine. The numbers here were compiled by Caffeine Informer from McDonald's customer service responses.
How much caffeine is in a large McDonald's coffee? Roughly 180-190mg, treated as an estimate because the large size varies by market between 21 and 22 oz.
Is McDonald's decaf really caffeine free? No decaf is fully caffeine free. Expect under 5mg per cup, which is low enough that most people notice no effect.