McDonald's McCafé Caffeine Calculator
Pick a McCafé drink and a size to get its caffeine figure, how much of your day it uses, and how it compares to the next size up. The size step at McDonald's is unusual, and it catches almost everyone out.
How much caffeine is in McDonald's coffee? A small Premium Roast coffee has about 109 mg, a medium 145 mg and a large 180 mg. Espresso drinks work differently: a small latte is 71 mg but a medium is 142 mg — exactly double, because the medium gets a second shot. The strongest thing on the menu is an extra-large iced coffee at 320 mg.
McDonald's is the only major chain that won't publish caffeine
Dutch Bros, 7 Brew, Starbucks and Dunkin' all publish caffeine figures. McDonald's publishes detailed nutrition data but deliberately omits caffeine, on the grounds that the FDA doesn't require it. Asked directly, the company said it uses the USDA National Nutrient Database to estimate caffeine rather than testing, and acknowledged that not all McCafé products have been tested for caffeine content. Every number on this page — and on every other page you'll find — is therefore a compiled estimate, not a measured value. It's the best data that exists, and it's worth knowing that's what it is.
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Compiled estimatescaffeine in a medium Latte
Nothing added yet. Stack up a full day to see your running total.
Cup sizes vary by market — the large is 21 oz in some regions and 24 oz in others, and older McCafé formats used smaller cups entirely. Preparation also varies between franchises. Treat every figure as a reasonable estimate rather than a precise measurement.
Why the size you order matters more here
Most chains build a small and a medium espresso drink on the same single shot, so upsizing adds milk but no caffeine. McDonald's doesn't work that way. Its medium espresso drinks get a second shot, which means the caffeine doubles between small and medium. Brewed coffee, meanwhile, climbs gently. Same menu, two completely different rules.
The upsize that actually doubles your dose
Going from a small latte to a medium takes you from 71 mg to 142 mg. That's the single biggest proportional jump on the McCafé menu and it happens on the most commonly ordered drinks — latte, cappuccino, macchiato, Americano. If you want a bigger drink without a bigger dose, brewed coffee is the more predictable choice: a small to a medium there is a 36 mg step, not a 71 mg one.
Complete McCafé caffeine chart
Espresso drinks — latte, cappuccino, macchiato, Americano
| Drink | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latte | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Caramel Latte | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| French Vanilla Latte | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Iced Latte | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Cappuccino | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Caramel Cappuccino | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| French Vanilla Cappuccino | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Caramel Macchiato | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Iced Caramel Macchiato | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Americano | 71 mg | 142 mg | 178 mg |
| Espresso | 71 mg (single) | 142 mg (double) | — |
| Mocha | 86 mg | 167 mg | 200 mg |
| Iced Mocha | 86 mg | 167 mg | 200 mg |
Mochas run about 15–25 mg above the equivalent latte because chocolate carries its own caffeine. Flavoured syrups — caramel, French vanilla — add none.
Brewed and iced coffee
| Drink | Small | Medium | Large | X-Large |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Roast Coffee | 109 mg | 145 mg | 180 mg | — |
| Iced Coffee | — | 133 mg | 200 mg | 320 mg |
| Decaf Premium Roast | 8 mg | 11 mg | 14 mg | — |
The extra-large iced coffee at 320 mg is by some distance the strongest drink McDonald's sells — 80% of an adult's entire daily guideline in one cup, and nearly double a large hot coffee.
Frappés, tea and hot chocolate
| Drink | Small | Medium | Large | X-Large |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mocha Frappé | 100 mg | 125 mg | 180 mg | — |
| Frappé, other flavours | 75 mg | 90 mg | 130 mg | 100 mg |
| Hot Tea | 42 mg | 42 mg | 42 mg | — |
| Iced Sweet Tea | 38 mg | 50 mg | 66 mg | 100 mg |
| Hot Chocolate | 7 mg | 10 mg | 12 mg | — |
Two oddities worth flagging. Hot tea is listed flat at 42 mg in every size, because it's one tea bag regardless of cup. And the source data lists an extra-large non-mocha frappé at 100 mg, below the 130 mg large — almost certainly an error in the underlying figures rather than a real reversal, so treat that one with extra caution.
Five things people get wrong about McCafé caffeine
- A small brewed coffee beats a small latte. Premium Roast at 109 mg outguns a 71 mg latte. Espresso tastes stronger and concentrates more caffeine per ounce, but a small latte is one shot in a large cup of milk.
- Frappés are among the weakest coffee drinks on the menu. A small frappé is 75 mg, less than a small brewed coffee, and a large is 130 mg — under a medium latte.
- Iced coffee is much stronger than hot. A large iced coffee is 200 mg against 180 mg for a large hot, and the extra-large hits 320 mg. The brew ratio over ice is deliberately concentrated.
- Decaf is not caffeine-free. It runs 8–14 mg depending on size. Negligible for most people, but not zero.
- The large is a smaller step than you'd think. Espresso drinks go 71 → 142 → 178 mg, so the medium-to-large jump is only 36 mg despite a much bigger cup. Most of that extra volume is milk.
McDonald's vs Starbucks and Dunkin'
McCafé sits at the mild end of the fast-coffee market for espresso drinks, and mid-pack for brewed. The gap with Starbucks brewed coffee is substantial.
| 16 oz / medium drink | Caffeine |
|---|---|
| Starbucks Pike Place brewed (Grande) | 310 mg |
| Dunkin' original brewed (medium) | 210 mg |
| Starbucks Cold Brew (Grande) | 205 mg |
| Starbucks Caffè Latte (Grande) | 150 mg |
| McDonald's Premium Roast (medium) | 145 mg |
| McDonald's Latte (medium) | 142 mg |
| McDonald's Iced Coffee (medium) | 133 mg |
| 7 Brew latte (medium) | 120 mg |
| Dutch Bros Rebel, iced (medium) | 114 mg |
| Dutch Bros latte (medium) | 95 mg |
| McDonald's Mocha Frappé (medium) | 125 mg |
| Red Bull (8.4 oz) | 80 mg |
A medium McDonald's brewed coffee has less than half the caffeine of a Starbucks Grande Pike Place. If you switch between the two without thinking about it, that's a 165 mg swing — more than two cans of Red Bull — in what feels like the same order.
How many McCafé drinks a day is safe?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects in healthy adults.
| Drink | Servings to reach 400 mg |
|---|---|
| Small latte (71 mg) | About 5–6 |
| Small Premium Roast (109 mg) | About 3–4 |
| Medium latte (142 mg) | About 3 |
| Medium Premium Roast (145 mg) | About 3 |
| Large iced coffee (200 mg) | 2 |
| X-Large iced coffee (320 mg) | Just over 1 |
Lower ceilings are commonly cited for some groups: around 200 mg a day in pregnancy, and roughly 100 mg for adolescents — which a single medium latte already exceeds. Sensitivity varies a great deal between individuals, and genetics, medication, tolerance and pregnancy all shift where your own limit sits. Treat these as population-level guidance rather than a personal number, and talk to a doctor or pharmacist if you're pregnant, have a heart condition or anxiety disorder, or take medication that interacts with stimulants.
McDonald's caffeine: frequently asked questions
How much caffeine is in a McDonald's coffee?
A small Premium Roast has about 109 mg, a medium 145 mg and a large 180 mg. Espresso drinks are lower per size — 71 mg for a small latte and 142 mg for a medium.
How much caffeine is in a McDonald's iced coffee?
About 133 mg for a medium, 200 mg for a large and 320 mg for an extra-large. Iced coffee is brewed at a stronger ratio to survive the ice, which is why it beats the hot version size for size.
How much caffeine is in a McDonald's latte?
A small latte has 71 mg, a medium 142 mg and a large 178 mg. The medium contains exactly double the small because it's built on two espresso shots instead of one.
Does a medium McDonald's latte really have double a small?
Yes. McDonald's adds a second shot at medium, unlike many chains where a small and medium share one shot. It's the biggest proportional size jump on the McCafé menu.
How much caffeine is in a McDonald's frappé?
A Mocha Frappé has roughly 100 mg in a small, 125 mg in a medium and 180 mg in a large. Other flavours are lower at 75, 90 and 130 mg. Frappés are among the mildest coffee drinks McDonald's sells.
Which McDonald's drink has the most caffeine?
The extra-large iced coffee at about 320 mg — roughly 80% of an adult's entire daily guideline. Next is the large iced coffee and large mocha, both around 200 mg.
Does McDonald's decaf coffee have caffeine?
Yes, a small amount: roughly 8 mg in a small, 11 mg in a medium and 14 mg in a large. No decaf coffee is completely caffeine-free.
Does McDonald's publish caffeine content?
No. McDonald's publishes detailed nutrition data but omits caffeine, citing that the FDA doesn't require it. The company has said it uses USDA reference values to estimate caffeine and that not all McCafé products have been tested. Every published McCafé figure, including those here, is a compiled estimate.
Is McDonald's coffee stronger than Starbucks?
No. A medium McDonald's Premium Roast is about 145 mg against roughly 310 mg for a Starbucks Grande Pike Place. Starbucks brewed coffee is more than twice as strong at comparable sizes.
How much caffeine is in McDonald's sweet tea?
About 38 mg in a small, 50 mg in a medium, 66 mg in a large and 100 mg in an extra-large. Hot tea is listed flat at 42 mg in every size, since it's one tea bag regardless of cup.
Sources and method
McDonald's does not publish caffeine data, so no primary source exists. The figures on this page come from the most complete available compilation, which was obtained by contacting McDonald's customer service directly. McDonald's confirmed it estimates caffeine using USDA reference values rather than testing every product. Where the underlying data contains an apparent inconsistency — such as the extra-large frappé reading below the large — it is flagged in place rather than silently corrected. Sizes vary by market, and franchise-level preparation varies too.
- Caffeine Informer — McCafé coffee caffeine content guide, compiled from direct correspondence with McDonald's customer service
- McDonald's USA — published nutrition information (calories and macronutrients; caffeine not listed)
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference — the basis McDonald's states it uses for its own caffeine estimates
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — guidance on moderate caffeine consumption in pregnancy
This page is an independent reference and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by McDonald's. McDonald's, McCafé and drink names are trademarks of their respective owner. Because McDonald's does not publish or test caffeine content for all products, these figures are estimates and should not be relied on for medical purposes. Nothing here is medical advice.