Does Dr. Pepper Have Caffeine? (Read This First)


Dr Pepper Caffeine

In 2020, the volume sales of regular and diet Dr. Pepper topped over half a billion and over 170 million 192-ounce cases respectively across the United States.

Dr. pepper ranks among the top five most popular soft drinks and although it is one of the oldest soda pops in the World, people still wonder whether it contains caffeine.

Whether you are a caffeine-cautious individual or someone who’s wondering whether you can get a decent punch from Dr. Pepper, this article explains everything about Dr. Pepper and caffeine.

So, Does Dr. Pepper Have Caffeine?

Yes, Dr. Pepper has about 42mg of caffeine per 12 fluid ounces of the drink which is much lower than the average 140mg of caffeine in a 12oz cup of coffee. However, caffeine-free regular and diet Dr. Pepper options are available for purchase.

How Much Caffeine Is In Dr. Pepper?

Diet Dr. Pepper has about 44.1mg of caffeine per 12 fl oz as compared to 42.6mg of caffeine per 12 fl oz of regular Dr. Pepper, as reported in a 2007 Study.

Dr. Pepper is available in different sizes and here is the average caffeine content per size.

  • 25mg of caffeine in a 7.5 fl oz bottle
  • 42mg of caffeine in a 12 fl oz bottle
  • 68mg of caffeine in a 20 fl oz bottle

For perspective, here is a chart that compares the caffeine in Dr. Pepper to the caffeine in coffee and tea.

Caffeine (mg) in 7.5ozCaffeine (mg) in 12ozCaffeine (mg) in 12oz
Dr. Pepper254268
Regular Coffee85140227
Black Tea3963105

Does Diet Dr. Pepper Have Caffeine?

Yes, diet Dr. Pepper has about 44.1mg of caffeine which is about 2mg more caffeine than regular Dr. Pepper. However, the diet Dr. Pepper has zero sugar and zero calories as it is sweetened with aspartame – a food sweetener that adds no calories.

If you wish to have a Dr. Pepper without sugar or caffeine, simply go for a caffeine-free diet Dr. Pepper.

Diet Dr. Pepper vs Regular Dr. Pepper vs Zero Sugar

The difference between the diet Dr. Pepper and regular Dr. Pepper is that the diet option has no calories or sugar whereas regular Dr. Pepper has about 12.5 calories and 3.2 grams of sugar per fluid ounce.

For instance, a 12oz can of diet Dr. Pepper has no sugar or calories whereas a 12oz bottle of regular Dr. Pepper packs 39 grams of sugar and 150 calories.

To visualize the effect of the calories, you would have to run for around 10 minutes at a speed of 8 miles an hour or jog for about 19 minutes to burn 150 calories. [Source]

The sugar and calories in regular Dr. Pepper are from fructose-rich corn syrup.

Both diet Dr. Pepper and zero sugar Dr. Pepper have a similar caffeine content and no sugar or calories. However, zero sugar Dr. Pepper has a more alluring taste than the diet option as the former uses both aspartame and acesulfame potassium as a sweetening agent. The Zero Dr. Pepper uses aspartame only.

Dr. Pepper vs Coke Caffeine

Dr. Pepper has more caffeine than coke. For example, a 12-ounce can of Dr. Pepper has 42 grams of caffeine as compared to 34 grams of caffeine in a 12-ounce can of coke.

Diet Dr. Pepper and diet coke have comparable amounts of caffeine as there are 44.1mg of caffeine in 12 ounces of diet Dr. Pepper and 46mg of caffeine in 12 ounces of diet coke.

Dr. Pepper vs Mountain Dew Caffeine

Mountain dew has about 54mg of caffeine per 12 fluid ounces as compared to 42mg of caffeine in 12 ounces of Dr. Pepper.

Mountain dew also has more calories and sugar than Dr. Pepper.

Here is a chart that compares the caffeine, calories, and sugar in Dr. Pepper, coke, and mountain dew

Dr. Pepper 12ozCoke 12ozMountain Dew 12oz
Caffeine423454
Sugar393946
Calories150140170

Is Dr. Pepper Root Beer?

No, Dr. Pepper is not root beer. Dr. Pepper and root beer use some similar ingredients such as fructose-rich corn syrup, caramel color, carbonated water, and sodium benzoate. However, Dr. Pepper has 23 authentic flavors which give it its unique complex taste.

Dr. Peppers also adds caffeine and phosphoric acid whereas root beer adds quillaia extract which foams the drink.

The phosphoric acid in Dr. Pepper adds a tangy undertone and inhibits the growth of bacteria and molds.

Traditionally, root beer is a caffeine-free drink made from the roots of the sassafras tree and was popular in North America. However, these days most root beer drinks no longer use the root bark extract of the sassafras tree.

is dr pepper root beer?

Can You Add Peanuts in Dr. Pepper?

Yes, you can add salted peanuts to Dr. Pepper to create a fizzing effect. The salt in peanuts also reduces the sweetness of the soda. You may also like the crunchy peanut effect as you sip on your soda.

Dr. Pepper Sugar Content

Dr. Pepper has about 3.2 grams of sugar per fluid ounce. Consequently, there are 24 grams, 39 grams, and 46 grams of sugar in 7.5oz, 12oz, and 20oz bottles of Dr. Pepper respectively.

Patrick

Patrick is first a coffee lover and then a trained barista. His bucket list includes sky diving and sipping on Java in the Himalayas.

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