Chocolate
Caffeine in Dark Chocolate (1 oz)
24mg
per 1 oz
6% of FDA daily max
Is that a lot?
Dark Chocolate (1 oz) is 6% of the FDA’s recommended daily maximum, in a single 1 oz.
Dark Chocolate (1 oz)
Green tea
Espresso
Red Bull
Coffee
FDA daily max · 400mg
Before bed
When can I drink Dark Chocolate (1 oz) and still sleep?
Your Dark Chocolate (1 oz) cutoff
You drink it at
Bedtime
Dark Chocolate (1 oz) · 24 mg · assuming an average ~5 h half-life
At bedtime
8 mg
close to optimal
Latest safe Dark Chocolate (1 oz): 11:00 PM
How much caffeine is in Dark Chocolate (1 oz)?
An ounce of dark chocolate carries about 24 mg of caffeine, a quarter of a coffee's worth, with more cocoa meaning more kick. It's a mild lift, easy to overlook in something you think of as a dessert.
| Serving | Caffeine | Sugar |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | 24 mg | 7 g |
70–85% cocoa; higher cocoa = more caffeine.
Will Dark Chocolate (1 oz) affect your sleep?
At 24 mg, dark chocolate sits well under the 50 mg threshold, so a square or two has only a small effect on sleep. A larger evening portion of high-cocoa chocolate can still register for sensitive people.
Source: USDA FoodData Central