does cocoa powder have caffeine ?

Before handing out those hot cocoa to your kids, ask yourself this question – does cocoa powder have caffeine and if yes, how much caffeine is in cocoa powder?

With winter fast approaching, you might be stocking up on those hot cocoa powder to save for those cold snow days, with your kids off of school and you all end up in your basement with a movie going accompanied by some popcorn and yes the hot cocoa!!!

The answer to this above question is a straight YES!! And to give you an idea of how much caffeine is in cocoa powder, below is a tip for you:

Tip: A 100 gram (3.5 ounce) of unsweetened cocoa powder has a substantial amount of 230 milligrams of caffeine!!

USDA

Now compare this with how much caffeine is in your coffee, to get a fair idea, do check out this article that shows which brand of coffee has the most caffeine.

Tablespoon of cocoa powder

If you are have bought one of those Starbucks Hot Cocoa tins and wondering how much cocoa powder to add to your glass of warm water or milk, here is a tip for you. First find an answer to does hot chocolate have caffeine and you can find some information on the back of the tin itself.

1 tablespoon is equal to 5 grams of cocoa powder.

1 tablespoon of cocoa powder generally has 103mg of theobromine, which is another form of stimulant similar to caffeine.

What’s the difference between Cocoa & Cacao?

Although they sound similar, Cacao is a plant based substance derived from unroasted cacao beans and then cold pressed. Whereas Cocoa is roasted Cacao that has been ground into fine powder, and both cocoa and cacao contain caffeine.

Did you know that Cocoa also acts as a fiber-rich prebiotic that encourages “good” bacterial growth, and promotes good digestive power.

To know more about the health benefits of Cocoa & Cacao, read this article by Livestrong.

Caffeine in Coffee vs Cocoa

Caffeine in coffee can vary for a number of reasons and hence we see all the different brands and roasts available in the market. The processing method, brewing technique and brewing time all play a key role in determining the amount of caffeine in any coffee.

Whereas in Cocoa, a 3.5 ounce portion of cocoa powder contains 230 milligrams of caffeine and that is a standard across all brands.

When it comes to coffee, for example, an 8 ounce cup of regular brew contains anywhere between 95 to 165 milligrams of caffeine. Compared to 47 to 64 milligrams of caffeine in one ounce serving of brewed espresso.

For those of you who cant take high levels of caffeine consumption, you still have the decaf brew option with a minimal of 2 to 5 milligrams of caffeine in a 8 ounce regular decaf brew.

If you ask if Cocoa is better than coffee, then we can do a head-to-head comparison between the two and see that cocoa offers an important nutritional benefit since it is rich in plant based nutrients. It also improves blood circulation to the brain and heart, prevent blood clots, and help decrease blood pressure.

The health benefits of drinking coffee are also quite a few, like it doesn’t significantly increase your cardiovascular disease risk, boosts your energy and stimulates physical performance. However, one should keep in a check on the amount of caffeine intake and take precautions depending on their health conditions.

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