Foods Highest in Caffeine

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Top 50 whole foods per 100g, from USDA Standard Reference and Foundation databases

Beverages, tea, instant, unsweetened, powder ranks #1 of 50 for Caffeine, at 5714.0MG per 100g.

What These Caffeine Rankings Mean

This ranking surfaces the top 50 whole foods for Caffeine, pulled from USDA Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases. Those two sources intentionally exclude branded and processed entries, which keeps the list focused on raw ingredients where nutrient content reflects the food itself rather than fortification or recipe adjustments. There is no established FDA Daily Value for Caffeine, so amounts are reported in absolute terms (MG per 100g edible portion).

At the top of the ranking sits Beverages, tea, instant, unsweetened, powder, delivering 5714.0MG per 100g. The top three (Beverages, tea, instant, unsweetened, powder, Beverages, coffee, instant, regular, powder, Beverages, tea, instant, sweetened with sodium saccharin, lemon-flavored, powder) together form a practical "big lever" set, foods where a single serving meaningfully moves daily intake. The visual bars beside each row scale against the top food, so you can see at a glance whether a lower-ranked food is still a strong source or a distant runner-up.

Because this page excludes branded products, it is the right tool for comparing whole-food cooking choices rather than packaged-food shopping decisions, for those, the per-food pages and the branded search tools cover the same nutrient at product level. All values are reported per 100g edible portion, which means the raw numbers can be directly compared but real-world servings differ (a 100g portion of spinach is very different from 100g of almonds by volume). The nutrition guides linked below explain how to translate % DV and per-100g figures into practical daily targets and how to read nutrition labels when comparing whole foods to their processed equivalents.

→ Compare the top three Caffeine sources side-by-side

# Food Amount % DV
1 Beverages, tea, instant, unsweetened, powder 5714.0 MG -
2 Beverages, coffee, instant, regular, powder 3142.0 MG -
3 Beverages, tea, instant, sweetened with sodium saccharin, lemon-flavored, powder 2240.0 MG -
4 Beverages, coffee, instant, with chicory 2063.0 MG -
5 Beverages, tea, instant, lemon, unsweetened 1794.0 MG -
6 Beverages, coffee, instant, regular, half the caffeine 1571.0 MG -
7 Candies, dark chocolate coated coffee beans 839.0 MG -
8 Candies, milk chocolate coated coffee beans 800.0 MG -
9 Beverages, coffee, instant, mocha, sweetened 360.0 MG -
10 Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened 230.0 MG -
11 Beverages, coffee, brewed, espresso, restaurant-prepared 212.0 MG -
12 Beverages, tea, instant, decaffeinated, unsweetened 169.0 MG -
13 Beverages, tea, instant, lemon, with added ascorbic acid 124.0 MG -
14 Beverages, coffee, instant, decaffeinated, powder 122.0 MG -
15 Chocolate, dark, 60-69% cacao solids 86.0 MG -
16 Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares 80.0 MG -
17 Chocolate, dark, 70-85% cacao solids 80.0 MG -
18 Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened, processed with alkali 78.0 MG -
19 Cocoa, dry powder, hi-fat or breakfast, processed with alkali 72.0 MG -
20 Candies, sweet chocolate 66.0 MG -
21 Candies, semisweet chocolate 62.0 MG -
22 Candies, semisweet chocolate, made with butter 62.0 MG -
23 Beverages, tea, instant, decaffeinated, lemon, diet 57.0 MG -
24 Beverage, instant breakfast powder, chocolate, sugar-free, not reconstituted 52.0 MG -
25 Baking chocolate, unsweetened, liquid 47.0 MG -
26 Candies, chocolate, dark, NFS (45-59% cacao solids 90%; 60-69% cacao solids 5%; 70-85% cacao solids 5%) 47.0 MG -
27 Chocolate, dark, 45- 59% cacao solids 43.0 MG -
28 Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water 40.0 MG -
29 Beverages, Energy Drink with carbonated water and high fructose corn syrup 38.0 MG -
30 Beverages, coffee, brewed, breakfast blend 37.0 MG -
31 Beverages, malted drink mix, chocolate, powder 37.0 MG -
32 Beverages, tea, instant, lemon, sweetened, powder 35.0 MG -
33 Beverages, THE COCA-COLA COMPANY, NOS energy drink, Original, grape, loaded cherry, charged citrus, fortified with vitamins B6 and B12 34.0 MG -
34 Beverages, THE COCA-COLA COMPANY, NOS Zero, energy drink, sugar-free with guarana, fortified with vitamins B6 and B12 34.0 MG -
35 Beverages, Cocoa mix, low calorie, powder, with added calcium, phosphorus, aspartame, without added sodium or vitamin A 34.0 MG -
36 Beverages, Energy Drink, Monster, fortified with vitamins C, B2, B3, B6, B12 33.0 MG -
37 Beverages, Energy drink, ROCKSTAR 33.0 MG -
38 Beverages, Energy drink, ROCKSTAR, sugar free 33.0 MG -
39 Beverages, Energy drink, FULL THROTTLE 33.0 MG -
40 Beverages, Energy Drink, sugar free 32.0 MG -
41 Beverages, Energy drink, AMP 31.0 MG -
42 Candies, MARS SNACKFOOD US, MILKY WAY Midnight Bar 30.0 MG -
43 Candies, NESTLE, CRUNCH Bar and Dessert Topping 30.0 MG -
44 Beverages, Energy drink, RED BULL, sugar free, with added caffeine, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 30.0 MG -
45 Beverages, Energy drink, AMP, sugar free 30.0 MG -
46 Beverages, MONSTER energy drink, low carb 30.0 MG -
47 Beverages, Energy drink, RED BULL 29.0 MG -
48 Beverages, coffee, ready to drink, milk based, sweetened 28.0 MG -
49 Alcoholic beverage, liqueur, coffee, 63 proof 26.0 MG -
50 Beverages, coffee, instant, regular, prepared with water 26.0 MG -

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is highest in Caffeine?

Beverages, tea, instant, unsweetened, powder is the food highest in Caffeine, with 5714.0MG per 100g.

How much Caffeine do I need per day?

There is no established FDA Daily Value for Caffeine. Consult a healthcare professional for guidance on appropriate intake levels.

What are good whole food sources of Caffeine?

Top whole food sources of Caffeine include Beverages, tea, instant, unsweetened, powder, Beverages, coffee, instant, regular, powder, Beverages, tea, instant, sweetened with sodium saccharin, lemon-flavored, powder, and more. These rankings are based on USDA Standard Reference and Foundation food data, measured per 100g edible portion.

Source: USDA FoodData Central — Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases. Branded and processed products are excluded. All values per 100g edible portion.
Source: FDA Daily Value reference — Caffeine (no established DV) based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
This information is for reference only and should not replace professional dietary advice.