Caffeine in drinks
How much caffeine is in M&M's?
Sources checked claim by claim by an AI review. Approved for publishing by Oleksii Y. on 2026-10-19.
One 1.69 oz package of milk chocolate M&M's (48 g) of M&M's has 6.7 mg of caffeine, according to USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central (SR Legacy).
How M&M's compares
- Strength: 14 mg per 100 g.
- One 1.69 oz package of milk chocolate M&M's (48 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 9 other candy bars and chocolate candies in our candy bars chart, 1 has more caffeine per serving and 8 have less.
How much will be left at bedtime?
1 × 1.69 oz package of milk chocolate M&M's (48 g) of M&M's
Left at 11:00 PM (8 h later), average metabolism
≈ 2.2 mg
Range 1.1–3.4 mg (fast to slow metabolism)
6.7 mg is already at or under the 50 mg this tool aims to have left at bedtime.
Estimate from a simple model: half-life of 3, 5 or 8 hours, 50 mg bedtime target. How we calculate
Caffeine by size
| Serving | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| 1.69 oz package of milk chocolate M&M's (48 g) | 6.7 mg |
| 1 singles bag of peanut M&M's (54 g) | 5.4 mg |
How long does M&M's 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 1.69 oz package of milk chocolate M&M's (48 g) of M&M's (6.7 mg), about 3.4 mg is still in your body 5 hours later and about 1.7 mg after 10 hours. If you clear caffeine slowly (an 8-hour half-life), about 2.8 mg is left after 10 hours.
Estimated caffeine left at 11:00 PM from one 1.69 oz package of milk chocolate M&M's (48 g) (6.7 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) | ≈ 0.8 mg | 0.2–1.8 mg |
| 12:00 PM (11 h before bed) | ≈ 1.5 mg | 0.5–2.6 mg |
| 3:00 PM (8 h before bed) | ≈ 2.2 mg | 1.1–3.4 mg |
| 6:00 PM (5 h before bed) | ≈ 3.4 mg | 2.1–4.3 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 59 servings.
- Up to 200 mg at one time for healthy adults (EFSA): about 29 servings in one go.
- Up to 200 mg a day in pregnancy (EFSA, NHS): about 29 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
USDA's figures for M&M's are estimates worked out from the ingredient list and the maker's nutrition data, not lab measurements, so treat these small amounts as approximate.
How the serving amount was worked out: USDA estimate: 14 mg per 100 g for milk chocolate M&M's and 10 mg per 100 g for peanut M&M's, both calculated from the ingredient list and the maker's data, not measured in a lab; 48 g × 0.14 = 6.72 mg, rounded to 6.7 mg; 54 g × 0.10 = 5.4 mg.
Common questions
How much caffeine is in M&M's?
USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central (SR Legacy) gives 6.7 mg of caffeine per 1.69 oz package of milk chocolate M&M's (48 g). Other sizes are in the table on this page.
How many M&M's 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 6.7 mg per 1.69 oz package of milk chocolate M&M's (48 g), that is about 59 servings if M&M's is your only source. In pregnancy the reference is 200 mg a day.
How late can I drink M&M's?
One serving has about 6.7 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.
How long does M&M's stay in your system?
Of the 6.7 mg in one 1.69 oz package of milk chocolate M&M's (48 g), roughly 3.4 mg remains after 5 hours and 1.7 mg after 10 hours with our average 5-hour half-life. From fast to slow metabolism, 10 hours later it is between 0.7 and 2.8 mg.
Where the number comes from
- Candies, MARS SNACKFOOD US, M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies. USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central (SR Legacy). FDC ID 169583, nutrient "Caffeine" (262): 14 mg per 100 g, derivation FLM (estimated formulation, manufacturer data); portion "package (1.69 oz)" = 48 g. M&M's own site (mms.com) gave no caffeine figure we could read on 2026-10-13, so these numbers are USDA's. Accessed 2026-10-09. Source ↗
- Candies, MARS SNACKFOOD US, M&M's Peanut Chocolate Candies. USDA Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central (SR Legacy). FDC ID 169582, nutrient "Caffeine" (262): 10 mg per 100 g, derivation FLM; portion "serving 1 singles bag" = 54 g. Accessed 2026-10-09. 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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