How much caffeine is in a mocha? About 63 mg per shot of espresso plus a few milligrams from the chocolate, so a two-shot mocha has roughly 130 to 150 mg. A grande (16 oz) Starbucks Caffè Mocha has 175 mg, and a grande Peppermint Mocha has 175 mg too, according to Starbucks. The milk adds no caffeine.
So a coffee-shop mocha has a bit more caffeine than a latte of the same size. To see what yours leaves in you at bedtime, put it into 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 mocha?
Count the shots at about 63 mg each, then add a small amount for the chocolate. USDA FoodData Central lists restaurant espresso at 212 mg of caffeine per 100 grams, about 63 mg in a 1 oz shot. A mocha is a latte with chocolate sauce or cocoa stirred in.
| Mocha | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| Mocha, 1 shot | about 63 mg plus the chocolate |
| Mocha, 2 shots | about 126 mg plus the chocolate |
| Starbucks Caffè Mocha, grande (16 oz) | 175 mg |
| Starbucks Peppermint Mocha, grande (16 oz) | 175 mg |
| Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha, grande (16 oz) | 150 mg |
| For comparison: Starbucks Caffè Latte, grande | 150 mg |
| For comparison: brewed coffee, 8 oz | about 95 mg |
Shots vary from shop to shop. When researchers measured 104 coffee-shop espressos in Scotland, Italy and Spain, caffeine ranged from 48 to 317 mg per serving, so 63 mg is a working average, not a promise.
Does the chocolate in a mocha add caffeine?
Yes, but only a little. Cocoa naturally contains caffeine. USDA lists natural unsweetened cocoa powder at about 12 mg per tablespoon, and a cup of standard hot cocoa at about 5 mg.
Starbucks' own figures show the size of the bump. A grande Caffè Mocha lists 175 mg and a grande Caffè Latte lists 150 mg, a 25 mg gap. That lines up with the 25 mg Starbucks lists for a grande Hot Chocolate, so the mocha sauce looks like the likely difference. At home, a spoonful or two of cocoa adds roughly 5 to 25 mg depending on the type. Our posts on hot chocolate and dark chocolate have the full breakdown.
How much caffeine is in a Starbucks mocha?
A grande (16 oz) Starbucks Caffè Mocha has 175 mg of caffeine, according to Starbucks' nutrition information. Starbucks gives caffeine for the grande on this drink, so we don't list other sizes. For a tall or a venti, ask how many shots go in and count about 63 mg each as a rough guide.
Is a mocha latte the same as a mocha?
Yes. "Mocha latte" and "mocha" mean the same drink: espresso, steamed milk and chocolate. The caffeine follows the same rule, shots plus a little chocolate.
How much caffeine is in a peppermint mocha?
A grande (16 oz) Starbucks Peppermint Mocha has 175 mg, the same as a regular Caffè Mocha. The peppermint syrup carries flavor, not caffeine. It's a seasonal drink, so this is the time of year a lot of people order one in the afternoon without thinking of it as a strong coffee.
At 175 mg, a grande Peppermint Mocha has about as much caffeine as five 12 oz colas and almost twice an 8 oz brewed coffee. It's a lot for a 3 PM treat.
How much caffeine is in a white chocolate mocha?
A grande (16 oz) Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha has 150 mg, according to Starbucks, 25 mg less than the regular mocha. That matches the grande latte, so in Starbucks' figure the white chocolate sauce adds no measurable caffeine. All of it comes from the espresso.
How much caffeine is in a mocha frappe or Mocha Frappuccino?
Less than a hot mocha, usually, because a Frappuccino is made with a coffee base rather than espresso shots. We cover every size of Starbucks Frappuccino, including the Mocha, in our Frappuccino guide. A mocha frappe from another shop depends on its recipe; if it's made with espresso, count the shots.
What's the latest time to drink a mocha before bed?
For an 11 PM bedtime, finish a one-shot mocha by about 4:19 PM, a two-shot mocha by about 11:19 AM and a grande Starbucks Caffè Mocha or Peppermint Mocha by about 8:57 AM. These are the times each drink falls below 25 mg by bedtime, using the site's average 5-hour caffeine half-life. The one- and two-shot rows leave out the small chocolate bump.
| Mocha | Caffeine | Hours before bed | Bedtime 10 PM | Bedtime 11 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 shot | 63 mg | 6 h 40 min | 3:19 PM | 4:19 PM |
| 2 shots | 126 mg | 11 h 40 min | 10:19 AM | 11:19 AM |
| Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha, grande | 150 mg | 12 h 55 min | 9:04 AM | 10:04 AM |
| Starbucks Caffè Mocha, grande | 175 mg | 14 h 2 min | 7:57 AM | 8:57 AM |
| Starbucks Peppermint Mocha, grande | 175 mg | 14 h 2 min | 7:57 AM | 8:57 AM |
| For comparison: coffee, 8 oz | 95 mg | 9 h 38 min | 12:22 PM | 1:22 PM |
Here's what a grande mocha leaves at an 11 PM bedtime, depending on when you drink it:
| Mocha at | 2 shots (126 mg) | White Chocolate Mocha (150 mg) | Caffè or Peppermint Mocha (175 mg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | 18 mg | 22 mg | 25 mg |
| 11 AM | 24 mg | 28 mg | 33 mg |
| 1 PM | 32 mg | 38 mg | 44 mg |
| 3 PM | 42 mg | 49 mg | 58 mg |
| 5 PM | 55 mg | 65 mg | 76 mg |
The 25 mg line is this site's rule of thumb, not an official limit. People clear caffeine at very different speeds. And falling asleep fine isn't proof it had no effect: in an at-home study, a large dose of caffeine taken 6 hours before bed cut total sleep by more than an hour.
How to enjoy a mocha without losing sleep
- Order a single shot or decaf after lunch. A decaf mocha keeps the chocolate and drops most of the caffeine.
- Pick hot chocolate in the evening if it's the chocolate you're after. A grande has 25 mg, a seventh of a grande mocha.
- Add up the day. A grande mocha plus a morning coffee is about 270 mg. The caffeine limit calculator shows how that sits under the 400 mg a day the FDA cites for healthy adults.
- Run your own times through the caffeine calculator.