The 19 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? 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 to 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. However you order them, here are the strongest Starbucks drinks.

With all of the excitement around Starbucks' seasonal drinks and secret menu delights, it's hard to believe that there are still faithful, loyal Starbucks customers who swear by a simple cup of brewed coffee at Starbucks. Even still, Starbucks serves up this simple drink in a selection of roasts.

At the time of writing, Starbucks offers a Sunsera blonde roast, a medium roast in Pike Place, and two dark roasts: Sumatra and Caffe Verona. We've noticed that the actual brews offered inside the cafe can vary, so be prepared with an alternative roast if your favorite is not available. Curiously, Starbucks does not offer a defined caffeine count for each roast. Instead, on the menu, you'll find a range of 315 to 390 milligrams for each, making simple brewed coffee among the strongest Starbucks drinks.

We imagine that the range may have everything to do with the way brewed coffee is prepared in cafes. Coffee is weighed in batches by baristas and added to machines for the brewing process. Since it's measured out by human hands (as opposed to the espresso, which is dispensed by a machine), there's more opportunity for wiggle and variance.

Because it's made with more coffee grounds than regular cold brew, Nitro Cold Brew has more caffeine than any other cold beverage on Starbucks' menu. This nitrogen-infused pick-me-up was gradually added to menus at Starbucks stores from 2016 to 2019. Since then, it has contributed to the whopping 75% of the chain's beverage sales made up of cold drinks in mid-summer and early fall 2022.

Fortunately for those who enjoy this smoother, sweeter take on cold brew, Starbucks also offers its Nitro Cold Brew in a can. One 9.6-ounce can has 155 milligrams of caffeine, making it the perfect compromise for the Nitro Cold Brew fan wanting to cut down on their caffeine consumption.

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.

Starbucks introduced its take on a cortado as part of the 2025 winter menu. Starbucks' basic cortado is served in a short cup (which is a significant notch down from a tall) with three ristretto blonde espresso shots, containing 230 milligrams of caffeine. On top of the espresso, baristas add steamed whole milk to the drink. Essentially, it's an efficient, quick way to get a swift caffeine kick; the Cortado is one of the strongest Starbucks drinks on the menu.

While this is a tasty, espresso-rich drink, we should note that it is notably different from the typical cortado mix. Most coffee shops aim for a one-to-one mixture of espresso and steamed milk in a cortado, but in the cortado from Starbucks, you'll get a whole lot more milk than that one-to-one mixture. With a triple shot, we have to imagine Starbucks adding this extra milk because a one-to-one meeting of espresso and steamed milk may be too strong for the latte and Frappuccino-loving customer base of Starbucks. The more milk there is, the less the espresso will bite.

Starbucks' Caffè Americano is a simple yet satisfying combination of brewed water and espresso that can be served hot or iced. Ordered as-is, a grande Americano at Starbucks has three shots of their signature espresso roast, which gives the beverage the bold flavor it's known for.

However, you can customize the caffeine in your Americano by changing the number of shots or changing the espresso roast. There's Starbucks' blonde espresso, which is the base of some of their sweeter drinks, and there's a decaf option. To take your caffeine customization a step further, you can even order ⅓, ½, or ⅔ decaf.

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 The National Coffee Association reporting that the popularity of cold brews has risen a staggering 300% since 2016 (via the SupplySide Food & Beverage Journal), 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.

The flat white, which originated in either Australia or New Zealand in the 1980s, is made with ristretto espresso shots. Italian for "restricted," a ristretto shot, also known as a short shot, is the first portion of a full shot of espresso. This technique results in about an ½ ounce shot, whereas a full shot is about 1 ounce, so a ristretto shot is naturally less caffeinated than a full shot of espresso. But, since Starbucks' flat white recipe calls for three ristretto shots, you can be sure that a grande will energize you for the day ahead.

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.

Of the cold brews currently on the menu at Starbucks, four of them are packed with 185 milligrams of caffeine each: Chocolate Cream Cold Brew, Cinnamon Caramel Cream Cold Brew, Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew, and Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. The most established of these is the vanilla version, which was introduced in 2016, and the coffee giant's latest introduction is the salted caramel flavor, which debuted in 2022.

Like many of Starbucks' other in-store options, Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew and Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew are available in 40-ounce bottles at major retailers like Target, and a 12-ounce serving of each brew has 150 milligrams of caffeine. Although Starbucks doesn't sell bottles of the chocolate or cinnamon caramel varieties, they do have a Dark Chocolate Oatmilk Cold Brew, which also has 150 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-ounce serving.

Part of the 175 milligrams of caffeine in Starbucks' Caffè Mocha comes from the cocoa in the mocha sauce — 1 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 4 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.

What's the difference between a Blonde Vanilla Latte and a regular vanilla latte? The espresso. Available hot or iced, the standard recipe for Starbucks' Blonde Vanilla Latte calls for two shots of their blonde espresso, which was introduced in 2018 and has the highest concentration of caffeine of all of Starbucks' espresso roasts. By comparison, a regular vanilla latte with two shots of Starbucks' signature espresso roast has 150 milligrams of caffeine.

While they're not available year-round, two of Starbucks' holiday drinks are also made with blonde espresso and also have 170 milligrams of caffeine in a 16-ounce serving: the Gingerbread Latte and the Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte. Speaking of which, did you know that there are holiday drinks you can order year-round from Starbucks' secret menu? (You can thank us later.)

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.

The Cinnamon Dolce Latte quickly became a fan favorite when it launched as a limited-time holiday drink in 2006 and is one of the best-value drinks to order at Starbucks. Available hot or iced, Cinnamon Dolce Lattes are one of several drinks on Starbucks' menu with 150 milligrams of caffeine, as they are made with two shots of Starbucks' signature espresso and topped with four pumps of cinnamon dolce syrup and cinnamon dolce sprinkles.

Likely because of its popularity and staying power, Starbucks offers several cinnamon dolce-inspired products for fans to use at home, including ground coffee, K-Cup pods, and creamer. Both the ground coffee and the K-Cup pods are flavored blonde roasts, which makes them more caffeinated than the in-store version.

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.

While a drink like a cortado aims to balance out the espresso, an iced espresso is even more espresso-forward. In a basic doppio iced espresso, you'll get two espresso shots boasting 150 milligrams without any added sugar. You can also order an iced espresso in a single, triple, or quad.

If all you're looking for is an icy boost of caffeine, then this is the perfect drink. However, we love using the iced espresso as a blank slate to create a custom, sweet drink. For instance, Starbucks recently featured a delightful iced espresso drink on its Not-So-Secret Menu channel on Instagram. We ordered it as a triple iced blonde roast espresso with caramel drizzle on the cup, a splash of oat milk, two pumps of brown sugar and caramel syrups, and salted caramel cream cold foam. The resulting drink was a spectacularly tasty (if a little complicated) iced espresso drink. Truly, the iced espresso is a far-underappreciated blank canvas.

For those who love a milky coffee but don't want that bite of espresso, a Caffè Misto may be the perfect compromise. This hot drink is an even mixture of hot coffee and steamed milk. Since the milk is steamed, it won't cool down your coffee in the slightest, which is another great perk of this drink. In a grande Caffè Misto, you'll have somewhere around half a grande serving of brewed coffee, which Starbucks figures is about 150 milligrams. However, since the brewed coffee can fluctuate within a range of caffeine measurements, we imagine that the Caffè Misto might also have some variance in caffeine content.

For customization, swap out the milk for a non-dairy plant milk or even a richer dairy, like vanilla sweet cream. Like other coffee drinks, you also have the option to add any of Starbucks' syrup or sauce flavors. If you like a particular variety of brewed coffee, that request could also be accommodated if the coffee is ready in the cafe, but it's a customization you'll need to make in person at the drive-through or counter, since that's not an option you'll find on the app.

Ingredient-wise, Starbucks' Mocha Frappuccino is pretty straightforward: whole milk, three pumps of Frap Roast, three pumps of mocha sauce, and whipped cream. All in all, you're looking at 100 milligrams of caffeine. 

Here's else something this Frap has going for it: 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.