Caffeine in drinks
How much caffeine is in Chocolate milk?
Data checked against the source on 2026-10-03 by Oleksii Y.
One 1 cup (248 g) of Chocolate milk has 2.5 mg of caffeine, according to USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central (FNDDS).
How Chocolate milk compares
- Strength: 1 mg per 100 g.
- One 1 cup (248 g) has as much caffeine as less than a sixth of a cup of brewed coffee, which has 94.8 mg per 8 fl oz cup.
- Of the 7 other chocolate foods and drinks in our chocolate chart, 6 have more caffeine per serving and 1 has less.
How much will be left at bedtime?
1 × 1 cup (248 g) of Chocolate milk
Left at 11:00 PM (8 h later), average metabolism
≈ 1 mg
Range 0–2 mg (fast to slow metabolism)
3 mg is already at or under the 50 mg this tool aims to have left at bedtime.
What sleep studies found near this dose
- Gardiner et al. 2025 (randomized trial): In 23 healthy young men, 100 mg taken 12, 8 or 4 hours before bed had no significant effect on measured or self-rated sleep.
- Gardiner et al. 2023 (meta-analysis): To avoid losing sleep time, the authors suggest a coffee (107 mg per 250 ml) at least 8.8 hours before bed.
Estimate from a simple model: half-life of 3, 5 or 8 hours, 50 mg bedtime target. How we calculate
How long does Chocolate milk stay in your system?
Our model halves caffeine every 5 hours for average metabolism, and every 3 or 8 hours for fast or slow metabolism. From one 1 cup (248 g) of Chocolate milk (3 mg), about 2 mg is still in your body 5 hours later and about 1 mg after 10 hours. If you clear caffeine slowly (an 8-hour half-life), about 1 mg is left after 10 hours.
Estimated caffeine left at 11:00 PM from one 1 cup (248 g) (3 mg), using a half-life of 5 hours for average metabolism and 3 to 8 hours for the range. How we calculate
| Had at | Left at bedtime (average) | Range |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM (15 h before bed) | ≈ 0 mg | 0–1 mg |
| 12:00 PM (11 h before bed) | ≈ 1 mg | 0–1 mg |
| 3:00 PM (8 h before bed) | ≈ 1 mg | 0–2 mg |
| 6:00 PM (5 h before bed) | ≈ 2 mg | 1–2 mg |
How many fit in a day?
Reference amounts are for caffeine from all sources combined. Counted at the upper end of the stated amount, one serving at a time:
- Up to 400 mg a day for most healthy adults (FDA, EFSA): about 160 servings.
- Up to 200 mg at one time for healthy adults (EFSA): about 80 servings in one go.
- Up to 200 mg a day in pregnancy (EFSA, NHS): about 80 servings.
These are reference amounts for groups of people, not a personal limit. Some people feel jittery or sleep worse on much less. See the cutoff calculator for timing.
Good to know
Health Canada lists 8 mg of caffeine for a 237 ml glass of chocolate milk.
How the serving amount was worked out: USDA lists 1 mg per 100 g; 248 g × 0.01 = 2.5 mg.
Chocolate milk vs other cocoa drink drinks
- Hot chocolate: Chocolate milk has less caffeine than hot chocolate per 100 g (1 vs 3 mg). Chocolate milk: 2.5 mg per 1 cup (248 g); Hot chocolate: 7.4 mg per 1 cup, made with milk (248 g).
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Chocolate milk has less caffeine than unsweetened cocoa powder per 100 g (1 vs 230 mg). Chocolate milk: 2.5 mg per 1 cup (248 g); Unsweetened cocoa powder: 12.4 mg per 1 tbsp (5.4 g).
Common questions
How much caffeine is in Chocolate milk?
USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central (FNDDS) gives 2.5 mg of caffeine per 1 cup (248 g).
How many Chocolate milk servings can I have in a day?
The FDA and EFSA cite up to 400 mg of caffeine a day, from all sources combined, for most healthy adults. At 2.5 mg per 1 cup (248 g), that is about 160 servings if Chocolate milk is your only source. In pregnancy the reference is 200 mg a day.
How late can I drink Chocolate milk?
One serving has about 3 mg, which is at or under the 50 mg our calculator aims to have left at bedtime, so it sets no cutoff for a single serving. Several servings add up.
Does Chocolate milk have more caffeine than Hot chocolate?
Chocolate milk has less caffeine than hot chocolate per 100 g (1 vs 3 mg). Chocolate milk: 2.5 mg per 1 cup (248 g); Hot chocolate: 7.4 mg per 1 cup, made with milk (248 g).
How long does Chocolate milk stay in your system?
Of the 3 mg in one 1 cup (248 g), roughly 2 mg remains after 5 hours and 1 mg after 10 hours with our average 5-hour half-life. From fast to slow metabolism, 10 hours later it is between 0 and 1 mg.
Where the number comes from
- Chocolate milk, whole. USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central (FNDDS). FDC ID 2705467, nutrient "Caffeine" (262): portion "1 cup" = 248 g. Accessed 2026-10-02. Source ↗
- Caffeine in foods. Health Canada. Table 2 "Average amounts of caffeine in food and drink", row "Chocolate milk | 8 oz | 237 ml | 8 mg" Accessed 2026-10-02. Source ↗
Recipes and labels change. If a number here no longer matches the label, the label wins.
General information, not medical advice
If you feel unwell after caffeine — for example chest pain, a fast or irregular heartbeat that does not settle, fainting, confusion or trouble breathing — get urgent medical help. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, take medication, or have a heart, liver or anxiety condition, high blood pressure or a sleep disorder, ask a doctor or pharmacist what amount is right for you.
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2024). Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? FDA Consumer Updates. fda.gov ↗
- European Food Safety Authority. Caffeine | EFSA. EFSA topic page (summary of the 2015 Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine). efsa.europa.eu ↗
- NHS. Foods to avoid in pregnancy. NHS. nhs.uk ↗
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