A cold rainy day calls for a cup of rich, decadent hot chocolate with biscuits on the side. However, have you ever wondered if cacao powder contains caffeine? You may be avoiding coffee and limiting your tea intake to cut down your caffeine, but how about chocolate?
Does Cocoa Have Caffeine?
So, does cocoa contain caffeine? It all begins from where it started. Chocolate came from cocoa beans of the cacao trees. When cocoa beans are thawed, their liquid contains cocoa butter and cocoa solids. Both cocoa butter and solids can be used to make chocolate, and the caffeine comes only from the cocoa solids, but not the cocoa butter.
You can usually determine the amount of caffeine in chocolate based on its intensity. The darker the chocolate, the more cocoa solids it typically contains. Thus, higher caffeine content. This being said, it is safe to say that white chocolate does not contain caffeine as it is made only of cocoa butter.
Sometimes, additional caffeine may be added to chocolate products in order to provide an energy boost, such as chocolate energy bars. This is why the amount of caffeine contained in chocolate products may vary.
Comparison of Caffeine Content in Chocolate and Other Foods or Drinks
In general, tea and coffee are highly associated with caffeine. Here’s a comparison of caffeine content between tea, coffee, and chocolate:
Caffeine Content in Chocolate
According to USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), the amount of caffeine contained in:
- 100 grams of Cocoa Powder is 230 mg.
- 100 grams of Dark Chocolate is 43 mg.
- 100 grams of Milk Chocolate is 20 mg.
- Meanwhile, White Chocolate has 0 caffeine.
Although chocolate contains caffeine, the caffeine content is relatively small when compared to other types of food or drinks that contain caffeine. So, if you’re really looking for an energy boost from caffeine, chocolate is not exactly the right choice.
Caffeine Content in Coffee
Coffee is known to have higher caffeine content, widely used to keep you up in the morning and to increase energy. However, different types of coffee also have different caffeine content. This depends on the roasting process, storage, and brewing method used to make the coffee.
According to USDA, the caffeine content in a cup of freshly-brewed coffee (237 ml) ranges from 2 to 95 mg. On the other hand, a cup of a packet of instant coffee contains less caffeine, ranging from 30 to 50 mg. Moreover, caffeine-free (or decaffeinated) coffee also has different caffeine content. Despite of its name, this coffee still contains very little caffeine ranging from 1 to 5 mg.
Caffeine Content in Tea
Tea contains less caffeine than coffee, but more than chocolate. However, similar to the two other beverages, tea also has a variety of caffeine content, depending on the type.
According to USDA, a 100 g regular tea usually contains caffeine of 11 mg, less caffeine than black tea which usually contains 40 mg of caffeine per 100 g. Moreover, packaged teas usually contain a caffeine content of 8 mg every 100 grams.
Now you have just gained a new fact about chocolate and its caffeine content. If you are looking for the best-quality chocolate for your business, Tulip Chocolate provides all types of chocolates for your needs–dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, cocoa powder, you name it! Check out our full list of chocolate in the product section.
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