How much caffeine is in a cappuccino? About 63 mg per shot of espresso, so a single cappuccino has about 63 mg and a double about 126 mg. A grande (16 oz) Starbucks Cappuccino has 150 mg, according to Starbucks. The milk and foam add no caffeine.
So a cappuccino has whatever its shots have, nothing more. To see what yours leaves in you at bedtime, enter it in the caffeine calculator.
Free toolCaffeine Cutoff CalculatorHow much caffeine is still in you at bedtime, and your latest cup.How much caffeine is in a cappuccino?
Count the shots and multiply by about 63 mg. USDA FoodData Central lists restaurant espresso at 212 mg of caffeine per 100 grams, about 63 mg in a 1 oz shot, and that's the only caffeine in the cup.
| Cappuccino | Shots | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Single (1 shot) | 1 | about 63 mg |
| Double (2 shots) | 2 | about 126 mg |
| Triple (3 shots) | 3 | about 189 mg |
| Starbucks Cappuccino, grande (16 oz) | 150 mg | |
| For comparison: brewed coffee, 8 oz | about 95 mg |
Shots aren't uniform. When researchers measured 104 espressos from coffee shops in Scotland, Italy and Spain, caffeine ranged from 48 to 317 mg per serving, and the same team also tested cappuccinos bought from commercial outlets. Treat 63 mg as an average. The espresso guide explains why shots differ so much.
How much caffeine is in a Starbucks cappuccino?
A grande (16 oz) Starbucks Cappuccino has 150 mg of caffeine, according to Starbucks' nutrition information. That's a little more than two average shots would give, a reminder that one shop's shots don't always match the USDA average.
Starbucks lists caffeine for the grande only, so we don't give other sizes here. For a tall or venti, the caffeine follows the shot count, so ask how many shots your size gets.
Cappuccino vs coffee: which has more caffeine?
A single cappuccino has less than an 8 oz brewed coffee, and a double has more. An 8 oz cup of brewed coffee has about 95 mg, based on USDA data.
| Drink | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| Cappuccino, single | about 63 mg |
| Brewed coffee, 8 oz | about 95 mg |
| Cappuccino, double | about 126 mg |
| Starbucks Cappuccino, grande | 150 mg |
| Brewed coffee, 16 oz | about 190 mg |
A cappuccino tastes strong because there's less milk around the espresso, not because there's more caffeine. Cup for cup at 16 oz, drip coffee usually has more.
Cappuccino vs latte: which has more caffeine?
Neither, if they have the same number of shots. Both are espresso plus milk. A latte has more steamed milk and a thin layer of foam; a cappuccino has less milk and a thick cap of foam. Milk and foam carry no caffeine.
Starbucks' own numbers show it: a grande Cappuccino and a grande Caffè Latte both list 150 mg. If you want the same caffeine in a smaller, stronger-tasting drink, the cappuccino is it. The latte guide covers lattes in detail.
How much caffeine is in a K-Cup or instant cappuccino?
It varies by brand, and we don't have a verified figure for pod or instant cappuccinos, so check the box. Some are made from instant or ground coffee mixed with milk powder and sugar rather than espresso shots, so the 63 mg per shot rule may not apply.
If the package lists caffeine, use that number in the calculator. If it doesn't, the cautious move is to count it like a regular cup of coffee, about 95 mg, until you know better. Sweetened cappuccino mixes are easy to drink late in the evening, which is exactly when an unknown dose matters most.
What's the latest time to drink a cappuccino before bed?
For an 11 PM bedtime, finish a single cappuccino by about 4:19 PM, a double by about 11:19 AM and a grande Starbucks Cappuccino by about 10:04 AM. These are the times each drink falls below 25 mg by bedtime, using the site's average 5-hour caffeine half-life.
| Cappuccino | Caffeine | Hours before bed | Bedtime 10 PM | Bedtime 11 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 63 mg | 6 h 40 min | 3:19 PM | 4:19 PM |
| Double | 126 mg | 11 h 40 min | 10:19 AM | 11:19 AM |
| Starbucks grande | 150 mg | 12 h 55 min | 9:04 AM | 10:04 AM |
| Triple | 189 mg | 14 h 36 min | 7:24 AM | 8:24 AM |
| For comparison: coffee, 8 oz | 95 mg | 9 h 38 min | 12:22 PM | 1:22 PM |
The after-dinner cappuccino, common on restaurant menus, is the one to watch. A double at 7 PM still leaves about 72 mg at 11 PM:
| Cappuccino at | Single (63 mg) | Double (126 mg) | Starbucks grande (150 mg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 AM | 12 mg | 24 mg | 28 mg |
| 1 PM | 16 mg | 32 mg | 38 mg |
| 3 PM | 21 mg | 42 mg | 49 mg |
| 5 PM | 27 mg | 55 mg | 65 mg |
| 7 PM | 36 mg | 72 mg | 86 mg |
The 25 mg line is a rule of thumb this site uses, not an official limit. Some people clear caffeine much more slowly than average. And sleeping through it isn't proof it had no effect: in an at-home study, a large dose of caffeine 6 hours before bed cut total sleep by more than an hour.
How to enjoy a cappuccino without losing sleep
- Order a single after lunch, or a decaf cappuccino after dinner.
- Count shots, not cups. Two doubles in a day are about 252 mg. The caffeine limit calculator shows how much room that leaves under the 400 mg the FDA cites for healthy adults.
- Check your own timing with the caffeine calculator.