With its bitter-sweet taste, chocolate is a beloved treat that millions of people enjoy. Yet, many of us overlook the caffeine content in this treat.
How much caffeine is in chocolate? This deliciously informative article will help you explore the answer and explore some interesting facts about it. So grab a bar of your favorite chocolate, and let’s get buzzed!
How Much Caffeine In Chocolate?
Chocolate often contains 10 to 50mg per 55-gram bar. Darker chocolate has a higher caffeine content than lighter one.
The primary ingredients of chocolate are cocoa solids and cocoa butter, both of which come from cocoa beans. Among the two ingredients, caffeine is only present in cocoa solids.
We usually determine the caffeine content by checking the chocolate’s color. As a general rule, the darker the color, the more caffeine the chocolate has.
There are three main types of chocolate. Since they differ in color, you can guess that their caffeine content varies.
[display-posts id=”141″ image_size=”thumbnail” posts_per_page=”1″]
Dark Chocolate
As the name implies, dark chocolate is dark in color, indicating a high caffeine level. A 55-gram bar of dark chocolate contains 40 to 50 mg of caffeine.
However, please note that this figure fluctuates depending on the amount of cocoa used to make the product. The type of cacao used in the production process will also play a vital role here.
White Chocolate
White chocolate is caffeine-free due to the lack of cocoa solids. More specifically, this sweet treat only contains cocoa butter, milk solids, and sugar.
As a result, if you need a sweet, tasty chocolate treat without having to experience the caffeine effects, white chocolate should be your way to go.
White Chocolate
Milk Chocolate
A 50-gram bar of milk chocolate contains 10 mg of caffeine. The primary ingredients for this treat are cocoa nibs, cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, and an emulsifier.
Milk chocolate has a hue mixture of brown (from chocolate) and white (from milk). It also gets the taste from these two ingredients, offering you a delicious, fatty, and slightly bitter treat.
Aside from the caffeine level, dark and milk chocolate differ in multiple terms. This video will show you the ultimate showdown:
Caffeine In Chocolate By Brands
The proportion of the ingredients affects the flavor and caffeine content of chocolate. Since chocolate manufacturers apply different methods, their products have different tastes.
For example, a Dove dark chocolate bar (1.3 ounces) has 21 mg of caffeine. Besides, it contains 174 mg of theobromine.
On the other hand, 1.5 ounces of a Dagoba New Moon dark chocolate bar contains up to 34 mg of caffeine.
[display-posts id=”176″ image_size=”thumbnail” posts_per_page=”1″]
Caffeine Of Chocolate Vs. Other Drinks
Tea and coffee are two famous caffeinated beverages. They both have a higher caffeine content than chocolate.
Tea
We make tea by soaking the tea plants, especially the leaves, in boiled water. Among all types of tea, black tea has the highest caffeine content.
An eight-ounce cup of tea generally has about 64 to 112 mg of caffeine. Green tea is less caffeinated, with about 30 to 50 mg of caffeine per cup.
Yellow tea contains more caffeine than green tea, from 40 to 50 mg, whereas oolong tea has 39 mg.
Most types of tea come are more caffeinated than chocolate. Yet, the answer still depends on the specific ingredients and how you make them.
For example, a single bar of dark chocolate can provide a higher caffeine level than tea in the middle range.
[display-posts id=”166″ image_size=”thumbnail” posts_per_page=”1″]
Coffee
Coffee is the most famous caffeinated beverage. Its caffeine content depends on many factors, such as the type of coffee beans, roasting method, brewing technique, and more.
Typically, a shot of espresso contains about 64 mg of caffeine. Meanwhile, an eight-ounce cup of brewed coffee has up to 95 mg.
Coffee and tea are more caffeinated than chocolate
What Type Of Chocolate Contains The Most Caffeine?
Dark chocolate has the highest caffeine content because it contains more cocoa solids. The darker the hue, the more cocoa solids it has.
For example, if dark chocolate has 45-59 cocoa solids, its caffeine content is around 12 mg. Meanwhile, with more than 70 cocoa solids, this figure can climb up to 22.7 mg.
Besides, the caffeine levels in cocoa solids differ from region to region. Cacao from the Caribbean and South America contains more caffeine than those from Africa.
Besides, according to research, cacao from Peru, Venezuela, and Ecuador has the most caffeine levels. Meanwhile, cacaos with the least caffeine content come from Mexico and West Africa.
[display-posts id=”207″ image_size=”thumbnail” posts_per_page=”1″]
Can Chocolate Keep You Awake?
Chocolate contains caffeine, but it’s much lower than the caffeine content found in tea and coffee. Hence, chocolate won’t keep you awake. However, it increases arousal and prevents you from entering the deeper stage of drowsiness.
So, if you need a slight energy boost during the day, consider a piece of dark chocolate. It will help you stay alert and focused. Besides, the low caffeine content won’t cause sleeplessness.
Furthermore, chocolate has other nutrients, such as antioxidants, magnesium, and iron, making it healthier than coffee.
Nevertheless, please be mindful of the sugar content in chocolate. To avoid the risk of obesity and diabetes, only consume it in moderation.
Chocolate is also a good idea to keep you awake
Conclusion
So as you can see, chocolate is not only a mood booster because of its sweetness. Thanks to the caffeine content, it can wake you up, too.
Next time you get the chocolate bar, remember that you will satisfy your sweet tooth and receive an energy boost at the same time.
So go ahead and feel the buzz! Thank you for reading!
