McDonald’s is perhaps the most famous fast-food chain in the world. Nearly every country has a McDonald’s location, and it’s estimated there are over 40,000 locations open worldwide.
As the iconic golden curvy M logo drew more and more people in, gaining huge amounts of popularity, the executives came up with a second chain, located inside the McDonald’s locations, for those of us who don’t crave a burger with fries and a soda.
The introduction of McCafé in 1993 gave customers an option to have a coffee with a delicious pastry to accompany it instead of a burger and fries.
If you don’t have a McCafé near you, McDonald’s restaurants still serve a wide variety of coffee options for those who are on the go. Today, we will take a look at some of the available options and compare how they rank against each other in size, content, and caffeine levels.
So you’ll come away from here with the answer to that all-important question: How much caffeine is in McDonald’s coffee?
Is McDonald’s Coffee High in Caffeine?
I will tell you from the start – no two coffees are created equal. McDonald’s may use different coffee blends based on the operating region or even make two different coffee varieties in the same restaurant.
The caffeine amount in a specific product varies based on the amount of coffee used for making it and also the size of your drink.
The broad range for caffeine content is 70-200 mg per cup, depending on the cup size. Simplified, consider a small coffee to have 70 mg, a medium 140 mg, and a large 200 mg of caffeine per cup. I will give you a more detailed overview as well, but this is a handy rule to remember.
If you whip open the menu, you’ll see that they offer a dazzling array of products, both plain and flavored varieties. On a regular McCafe menu, you may find these coffee drinks:
- Cappuccino – made with espresso, steamed milk, and foamed milk, available in three sizes. Usually offered in multiple different flavors, like caramel or French vanilla.
- Latte – made with espresso and steamed milk, available in three sizes. Usually offered in multiple different flavors, like caramel or French vanilla, and either hot or iced.
- Mocha Latte – made with espresso and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle. Available in three sizes. Usually offered in multiple different flavors, either hot or iced.
- Americano – the diet option. Zero calories, no milk or sugar added. Made using only espresso and water. Available in three sizes.
- Premium Roast – 100% Arabica-based brewed coffee, always available fresh in three different sizes. Creamer and sweetener options are available.
- Frappé – basically a coffee milkshake, a cold beverage perfect on a hot summer day, topped with whipped cream and caramel. Available in three sizes and a variety of flavors based on the location.
Most of these coffee drinks are made using a shot of espresso and then diluting it with milk prepared in a variety of different ways.
Many of these coffees are also available in an “iced” version, in case you’re craving a cold and refreshing drink instead of a hot one. The iced versions are generally available throughout the year, but their popularity undoubtedly skyrockets in the summer months.
Most of these drinks can be customized to your liking, such as using a double shot of espresso or specific flavored syrups to make a fun and exciting beverage. Using a double shot of espresso doubles the amount of caffeine in your drink, so it’s a good option to choose if you feel like you can’t beat your grogginess.
Caffeine in Mcdonald’s Coffee by Size
McDonald’s offers their coffee products in three different sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. These size names are the same throughout the world, but the volume of each size differs from country to country.
For example, a Small cup in the USA can be comparable to a size Large in Japan. It has been noted by international tourists that visiting McDonald’s in the States gave them a shock – all the sizes are way larger than back home.
Because of these size differences, it’s impossible to give you a detailed account of the caffeine content of the coffees in each individual country that has a McDonald’s.
To compare, here’s a good resource on the caffeine content in McDonald’s coffee, which should give you the answers to how much caffeine is in McDonald’s coffee based on size.
Ask your local McDonald’s employees about the cup sizes they use to find out if these numbers are also accurate in your locale.
| Cup Size | Cup Volume | Caffeine Content | Caffeine in Decaf |
| Small | 12 oz / 350 ml | 70-100 mg | 8 mg |
| Medium | 16 fl oz / 470 ml | 90-170 mg | 11 mg |
| Large | 21 fl oz / 620 ml | 170-200 mg | 14 mg |
| Extra Large | 32 fl oz / 945 ml | 100-320 mg | Not available |
As you can see, the ranges are fairly small, with some outliers like frappés having about 25% less caffeine than other coffee drinks.
How Does The Caffeine in McDonald’s Coffee Compare to Other Beverages?
McDonald’s coffees have a really good quality-to-cost ratio that’s hard to beat. What’s even more important, you get your coffee almost as soon as you finish ordering without having to wait around for ages.
This is a very important aspect when considering our drinking routines. There are those occasions when we love a sit-down with a coffee to relax, but more often than not, people want to pay and go if they’re in a hurry.
If you buy a Large-sized coffee from McDonald’s, you get about half of the caffeine that’s safe to consume in a day. That’s why customers find it the best option for their morning coffee, as it nearly eliminates the need to “recharge” during the day. If you do need a recharge and don’t feel like having another coffee, here are some options to consider instead:
- Black tea – a good coffee alternative, the English favorite.
Average serving size: 1 cup – 50 mg of caffeine
- Energy drinks – easy to pick up at the supermarket, but have a high sugar content unless you specifically look for a Zero version.
Average serving size: 1 can – 90 mg of caffeine
- Soft drinks – Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, and other varieties can help you out in a pinch and are commonly found in vending machines.
Average serving size: 1 can – 30 mg of caffeine
None of these drinks offer you the same caffeine boost you would get from a large coffee. But considering how much caffeine is in McDonald’s coffee, I doubt you need a second one.
Caffeine in Popular Mccafe Drinks Available in Store
Some drinks are more popular than others, with McDonald’s workers reporting a rise in the popularity of lattes and flavored coffee drinks. This change in consumer preferences is attributed to Generation Z’s love for flavored and milky drinks compared to plain drip coffee.
McDonald’s is meeting customer demands and has released a diverse range of coffee beverages that are customizable with different syrups and toppings. However, it’s easy to be tricked into thinking these milky and diluted, barely coffee-colored drinks are low in caffeine.
Due to them being made using highly-concentrated espresso coffee, it’s easy to consume more caffeine than you had intended and later have trouble sleeping.
To prevent this from happening, I suggest that if you’re planning on having a McDonald’s coffee late in the evening, ask the barista to replace your coffee with the decaf version.
You can consult the following table beforehand to see how different drinks rank up to each other in caffeine content.
How Much Caffeine is in McDonald’s Coffee by Size and Type:
| Beverage | Small | Medium | Large |
| Brewed Coffee | 109 mg | 145 mg | 180 mg |
| Brewed Decaf | 8 mg | 11 mg | 14 mg |
| Americano | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Cappuccino (all flavors) | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Latte (all flavors) | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Caramel Macchiato | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Frappé | 75 mg | 90 mg | 130 mg |
You can instantly notice that many popular beverages have the same caffeine content. Why? Because McDonald’s uses the same amount of the same coffee as a base for americanos, cappuccinos, lattes, and macchiatos.
This is done in all coffee shops as it’s the most economical way to offer a broad range of products. The coffee varieties used may differ, so this chart might not represent the caffeine amount in the coffee offered by your local restaurant.
Is There Sugar in McDonald’s Regular Roast Coffee?
Regular McDonald’s coffee is made using unsweetened, medium-roasted Arabica beans either from the McCafé brand or by their regular coffee bean supplier. As it is one of the biggest sellers in volume, this coffee is constantly available, freshly brewed from the finest coffee beans McDonald’s has to offer.
If you are following a low-carb diet or are just trying to consume less sugar, the regular roast is perfect for you. McDonald’s can proudly confirm that their regular coffee doesn’t come with any added or hidden sugars or sweeteners.
According to their website, each customer has the option to add sugar or creamer to their coffee, but it’s a decision each person can make by themselves.
Coffee beans have a naturally low sugar content, most of which gets caramelized during the roasting process, giving coffee beans their distinctive dark color.
This means consuming plain black coffee is a great way to get your energy levels up without consuming extra calories from sugar.
How Much Caffeine is in a Large Iced Coffee From Mcdonalds?
Iced coffees are completely different beasts compared to hot coffees. McDonald’s, among other coffee places worldwide, saw the sudden rise of caffeinated cold drinks as a great opportunity to bring in more customers.
Opening the coffee menu really shows you how popular iced coffees have become: about half of the products offered are iced coffees!
Iced coffees come in the same three size varieties as hot coffees: Small, Medium, and Large. The sizes correspond to the same sizes in the hot beverage line, but iced coffees are served in plastic cups instead of the cardboard ones that hot drinks come in.
Most of the coffees McDonald’s offers also come in an iced variant, with the exceptions of an Americano and a cappuccino. You’re free to order an iced latte, macchiato, frappé, or even a plain iced coffee.
The majority of these are sweet, milky, and deserving of their rising popularity. But if that’s not what you’re into, don’t worry. You can get an iced coffee without any cream or sugar, just with the addition of ice cubes. Those who don’t enjoy getting a sugar rush with their caffeine boost report McDonald’s as their top place to get coffee.
If you want to know how much caffeine is in McDonald’s coffee made with ice, look no further.
| Beverage | Small | Medium | Large |
| Iced Coffee | 64 | 133 mg | 200 mg |
| Iced Mocha | 86 mg | 167 mg | 200 mg |
| Iced Latte (all flavors) | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Iced Caramel Macchiato | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Frappé | 75 mg | 90 mg | 130 mg |
These numbers are comparable to the caffeine content of hot drinks, thanks to the inclusion of the same coffee blends for both products. Unless you go with Mocha coffees, it’s a good rule to remember that a Small size has 70 mg of caffeine, and with each upgrade in size, another 70 mg is added to the cup.
What Are the Most Caffeinated Drinks at Mcdonald’s?
As they offer a wide variety of drinks, it’s only natural that they offer drinks with both high and low-level caffeine content. In the previous paragraph, I mentioned a rule to remember for estimating caffeine content in your drink, with a note about Mocha.
Iced and classic Mochas are the most caffeinated drinks available in McDonald’s, with 200 mg of caffeine in a Large Iced Mocha thanks to the use of coffee syrup, which pumps up the caffeine content. Other beverages are made using only espresso or brewed coffee, without the addition of extra coffee syrup, which explains their lower caffeine content.
If you want to add an extra boost to your coffee, be sure to ask the barista for an extra espresso shot in your coffee. With the addition of extra concentrated coffee, you can bring a large coffee drink’s caffeine content to over 200 mg per cup.
Mcdonald’s Coffee Vs. Starbucks Coffee
Starbucks is a world-conquering coffee giant known to all coffee enthusiasts and teenage girls (so many selfies with their Starbucks orders!). Starbucks offers customers their special blend coffee in a variety of sizes with almost endless customization options. Nearly everything can be substituted and switched out to make the drink of your dreams.
Some people love taking their time to customize their coffee orders, but a lot of the “old-school” and no-nonsense crowd prefer the McCafé or other cafés as their regular coffee haunt. Starbucks can be intimidating compared to a McCafé, and some people just stay loyal to their long-term coffee provider without needing to switch.
FAQ‘s
Does the caffeine content vary depending on the size of the coffee?
Yes, it does vary. A Small coffee has about half of the caffeine of a Medium one, and a Large coffee has double the caffeine of a Small one! If you’re concerned about your caffeine consumption, opt for a small coffee or ask to substitute your espresso with a decaf.
How much caffeine is too much?
Health experts and doctors don’t recommend consuming more than 400 mg of caffeine a day. A large coffee can already take up half of your daily caffeine allowance, so keep an eye on your consumption and don’t overdo it.
How long does caffeine stay in your system?
You may notice the effect of caffeine 15 minutes after drinking your coffee, and the level in your bloodstream peaks one hour later, which is why you feel so alert an hour after having your morning coffee. Caffeine can stay in your organism for up to 10 hours, after which your body will have processed it all.
Why Does Coffee Always Keep Me Up?
This is directly related to caffeine intake. Unless you specifically ask for a decaf, you will get a coffee that has at least 70 mg of caffeine in it. Drinking coffee too late in the day has a negative effect on sleep quality and may be the reason you can’t fall asleep at night.
Final Words
Many of us can’t live without caffeine, relying on it to wake us up and give us an extra boost to start the day.
Getting your coffee from McDonald’s is the ideal option for those who don’t have time or the equipment to make high-quality coffee at home. A variety of options ensures every customer finds something they like.
