Is There Caffeine in Hot Chocolate? How Much per Mug (UK)

How much caffeine is in hot chocolate?

It depends on how much cocoa goes in: the darker the mug, the more caffeine. Most UK tubs don’t list caffeine, so these figures come from USDA, Starbucks UK and the NHS.

Starbucks lists the same caffeine with any milk, as it comes from the cocoa in the mocha sauce. We couldn’t find a published caffeine figure for Costa’s hot chocolate, so ask in store. Cocoa also contains theobromine, a milder stimulant related to caffeine: about 200mg in 10g of cocoa powder.

See also cocoa powder vs hot chocolate powder.

Will hot chocolate keep you awake?

Usually not. The NHS insomnia advice is to avoid tea and coffee for at least 6 hours before bed. EFSA, the EU food safety body, found that a single 100mg dose of caffeine may affect sleep in some adults when taken close to bedtime.

A mug from a mix, at about 5mg, is far below that. A rich dark mug or large café drink is nearer a third of a cup of tea: noticeable if you’re sensitive. People clear caffeine at very different speeds: see how long caffeine lasts.

Sugar matters too. Our healthy hot chocolate guide covers whether hot chocolate is good before bed, and our bedtime routine for adults shows where a warm drink fits.

How much caffeine is in Reishi Cacao?

Our Reishi Mushroom Adaptogenic Complex is a hot chocolate powder, and it isn’t caffeine-free. Ingredients, in label order: cocoa powder, reishi mushroom, maca root and coconut sugar.

Plain cocoa has about 2.3mg of caffeine per gram, so even if a 4 to 8g serving (1 to 2 teaspoons) were pure cocoa it would hold 9 to 18mg; as a blend it has less. It’s small, but we’d enjoy it in the afternoon or early evening, not last thing at night. Reishi has no authorised health claims, so it’s a hot chocolate to enjoy, not a remedy. It’s for adults (18+), and we don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Want a caffeine-free drink nearer bedtime? Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex is a berry drink powder with 148mg of magnesium per serving, and magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue. For more on reishi drinks, see reishi cacao and mushroom hot chocolate.

How to have hot chocolate with less caffeine

• Use less cocoa. One heaped teaspoon (about 5g) instead of two roughly halves it, to about 12mg.
• Try white hot chocolate. White chocolate uses cocoa butter but none of the dark cocoa solids, so little or no caffeine, though plenty of sugar.
• Go smaller. A Starbucks short has less than half the caffeine of a venti.

Our hot chocolate recipes include a lighter after-dinner mug, and our dairy-free guide covers plant milks. Cutting back generally? See decaf coffee and does caffeine cause anxiety.

Can children drink hot chocolate?

A small mug is low in caffeine, so for most children the sugar matters more. The NHS says tea and coffee aren’t suitable for babies or young children, and sugar shouldn’t be added to a baby’s food or drinks.

The UK has no official caffeine limit for children. EFSA suggests up to 3mg per kg of body weight a day for children and teenagers, so about 60mg for a child weighing 20kg. A mug made from a mix, at about 5mg, is well inside that. The sugar is the bigger issue: the NHS maximum for free sugars is 19g a day for children aged 4 to 6 and 24g for those aged 7 to 10.

Keep children’s mugs small and skip rich dark versions near bedtime.

Can you drink hot chocolate when pregnant?

Yes. The NHS advises no more than 200mg of caffeine a day in pregnancy, and hot chocolate counts towards it along with tea, coffee, cola and chocolate. A mug from a mix adds about 5mg and a rich homemade mug up to 32mg, so two cups of tea and a hot chocolate still fit. If unsure, ask your midwife or GP.

For a caffeine-free bedtime mug, see our guide to magnesium sleep drinks and what each contains.