The 20 Drinks At Starbucks With The Most Caffeine

If there's one word that's synonymous with Starbucks, it's caffeine. The international coffee powerhouse has been powering people across the country and around the world for more than 50 years.

But what is caffeine, and why do we crave it? According to Healthline, caffeine is a natural stimulant that blocks the neurotransmitter that relaxes our brains and ultimately causes feelings of fatigue. Caffeine can also get our blood pumping and increase the dopamine in our systems. Fortunately for night owls who sometimes need to be early birds, caffeine lives up to its promises quickly, with the caffeine from a cup of coffee taking about 20-60 minutes to kick in.

No matter what your caffeine needs, Starbucks has you covered — even if you prefer caffeine-free drinks. Each of the caffeine amounts listed below are for the 16-ounce version of the drink unless otherwise noted. Of course, you can usually scale up to a venti (20 ounces) or down to a tall (12 ounces) or short (8 ounces) as needed based on what you're fueling up for.

Starbucks' Pike Place Roast is the second runner-up for the highest caffeine count. Although this medium roast is named after Starbucks' first store in Pike Place Market in Seattle, which opened in 1971, it has only been on the Starbucks menu since 2008.

While light roasts like Starbucks' blonde roast are roasted until the first crack, medium roasts are roasted right up until the second crack, somewhere between 410 and 440 degrees Fahrenheit. The longer cooking time at a higher temperature is what makes a medium roast less caffeinated than a light roast, but Pike Place can still put plenty of pep in your step — especially since you can buy and brew it in the comfort of your own home.

Since nitro cold brew is the base for these creamy creations, they both offer a significant serving of caffeine. However, the addition of cream (and, in the case of the Cinnamon Caramel Cream Nitro Cold Brew, syrup) means that these drinks have less nitro cold brew and, therefore, less caffeine.

The Vanilla Sweet Cream Nitro Cold Brew also comes in a can, offering 9.6 ounces with 110 milligrams of caffeine. Although there isn't a can equivalent to the Cinnamon Caramel Cream Nitro Cold Brew, Starbucks does sell a 9.6-ounce can of Dark Caramel Nitro Cold Brew with 155 milligrams of caffeine.

While Starbucks launched its Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso in spring 2021, its Iced Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso just debuted at the start of 2024. Both of these plant-based beverages are brewed with Starbucks' blonde espresso, which is what gives them an extra jolt of caffeine.

For a less caffeinated option, you can always make your own iced shaken espresso at home using the espresso of your choice. Just keep in mind how that swap will affect the taste, as darker roasts with less caffeine also come with bolder flavors.

Cold brew is exactly what it sounds like: Coffee that has been brewed (well, steeped, to be exact) in cold water instead of hot water. And with Food & Beverage Insider reporting that the popularity of cold brews has risen a staggering 300% since 2016, it's no wonder Starbucks currently has nine cold brews on their menu, plus several seasonal cold brews available for a limited time throughout the year.

Where caffeine is concerned, the cold brew at Starbucks is less caffeinated than some of their competitors' cold brews. A regular-sized cold brew at Dutch Bros has 240 milligrams of caffeine, while Dunkin's medium cold brew has 260 milligrams of caffeine.

Starbucks' Reserve line offers a range of rare coffees from around the world that are available in Starbucks Reserve stores like the one in the Empire State Building. Some of their selections, however, are more widely available in local Starbucks stores, including those from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Malawi, and Vietnam, and each of these brews has 195 milligrams of caffeine.

Which of these brews you jump-start your day with depends on what flavor profile you're in the mood for. The Ethiopian blend has hints of lavender and lemon. The Guatemalan option has notes of candied orange, dark chocolate, and graham crackers. The brew from Malawi has cedar, citrus, and ginger flavors. And the Vietnamese grounds deliver the taste of cocoa peel and toffee nut.

Part of the 175 milligrams of caffeine in Starbucks' caffè mocha comes from the cocoa in the mocha sauce. Per the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one tablespoon of cocoa contains about 12 milligrams of caffeine. However, one tablespoon of cocoa processed with alkali, like the cocoa in the mocha sauce in Starbucks' caffè mocha, as well as its hot chocolate, has about four milligrams of caffeine. Also known as Dutch-process, this type of natural cocoa is treated with an alkalizing agent to make it less acidic, resulting in a darker, smoother-tasting cocoa.

According to American Dining Creations, historians believe that iced coffee was first developed in Algeria in 1840 when French soldiers added water to their coffee when they ran out of milk and drank it cold to offset the hot weather. Nowadays, it's hard to imagine a world without the infinitely customizable iced coffee, but it's only been on the Starbucks menu since 2006.

The caffeine content of iced coffee varies widely among national retailers, and Starbucks falls somewhere in the middle. Sixteen-ounce iced coffees at Dunkin', The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Caribou Coffee, and Tim Hortons are more caffeinated than Starbucks'.

In 2020, the National Coffee Association reported that consumption of espresso-based drinks like cappuccinos was up by 50% from 2015 to 2020, thanks in part to coffee drinkers in the 25-39 age group. A combination of equal parts frothed milk, steamed milk, and espresso, Starbucks' cappuccino calls for two shots of Starbucks' signature espresso roast.

Of course, this classic coffee, which has been on the menu at Starbucks since 1986, can be customized to your personal caffeine needs. For those who prefer a stronger cuppa — and maybe room for an extra helping of caffeine — but still want the familiar foam of a cappuccino, a bone-dry cappuccino, which doesn't include milk, might be just the ticket.

What's in a name? Well, in the macchiato's case, it's Italian for a dash, mark, spot, or stain. Essentially, this beverage is made by adding a dash of milk to two shots of espresso.

Naturally, Starbucks' Caramel Macchiato, which has been on the menu for more than 25 years, is a classic macchiato enrobed in vanilla syrup and caramel drizzle. Available hot or iced in-store, you'll likely also find Starbucks Caramel Macchiato in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store. Forty-ounce bottles of pre-made caramel macchiato are sold at major retailers like Walmart, and a 12-ounce serving packs 125 milligrams of caffeine.

Ingredient wise, Starbucks' Mocha Frappuccino is almost identical to its Java Chip Frappuccino: whole milk, three pumps of Frap Roast, three pumps of mocha sauce, and whipped cream. There are just two tiny differences, which ultimately result in a mere 5 milligrams difference in caffeine: The Java Chip version has Frappuccino Chips and mocha drizzle, and the mocha variety doesn't.

There's one thing the mocha has going for it that the Java Chip doesn't: A bottled version you can buy in stores nationwide. Starbucks first bottled its Frappuccino formula for grocery stores in 1996, and they're still widely available today, nearly 30 years later. In addition to the bottled Mocha Frappuccino, Starbucks offers bottled caramel, coffee, vanilla, and white chocolate mocha flavors. Not only are these glass bottles great for on-the-go, but they also offer a bit of flexibility in the caffeine department: the 13.7-ounce bottle has 105 milligrams of caffeine, while the 9.5-ounce option only has 70.