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How much caffeine is in Dr Pepper?

Checked October 7, 2026 against Keurig Dr Pepper product facts · Half-life model: Institute of Medicine, FDA · Not medical advice

Short answer

41 mg

in a 12 fl oz can of Dr Pepper

3 h 34 min

until under 25 mg is left

Less than half a cup of brewed coffee, and it clears quickly: about 3 h 30 min to fall under 25 mg. The 20 fl oz bottle at 68 mg needs twice as long, so the size matters more than the flavor.

20 fl oz bottle68 mgmaker label
Diet and Zero Sugar41 mgsame as regular

General information from population studies (NIH, CDC, NSF, AASM). It is not medical advice and does not replace a clinician who knows you.

01Caffeine in every Dr Pepper flavor

Dr Pepper is unusually flat across its range. Keurig Dr Pepper lists about 41 mg per 12 fl oz for regular, Diet, Zero Sugar, Cream Soda, Strawberries & Cream and Blackberry, and 40 mg for Cherry. Switching to diet changes the sugar, not the caffeine. The maker prints every figure as "approx.", and caffeine is the last ingredient on the label, added rather than coming from the flavor.

The small cans are the lightest way to have one: the 7.5 fl oz mini can, including Creamy Coconut and Made with Real Sugar, is about 26 mg. Caffeine Informer lists regular at 42 mg and Cherry at 39 mg; the table uses the maker's own numbers.

ProductSizeCaffeinemg per fl ozCups of coffeeSource
Dr Pepper12 fl oz41 mg3.40.4Keurig Dr Pepper
Diet Dr Pepper12 fl oz41 mg3.40.4Keurig Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper Zero Sugar12 fl oz41 mg3.40.4Keurig Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper & Cream Soda12 fl oz41 mg3.40.4Keurig Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper Strawberries & Cream12 fl oz41 mg3.40.4Keurig Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper Cherry12 fl oz40 mg3.30.4Keurig Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper Blackberry12 fl oz41 mg3.40.4Keurig Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut7.5 fl oz26 mg3.50.3Keurig Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper Made with Real Sugar7.5 fl oz26 mg3.50.3Keurig Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper fountain drink12 fl oz41 mg3.40.4Keurig Dr Pepper
Caffeine Free Dr Pepper–0 mg00Keurig Dr Pepper
Caffeine Free Diet Dr Pepper–0 mg00Keurig Dr Pepper

mg per can or bottle as printed on the maker's product facts, checked October 7, 2026. "Cups of coffee" = an 8 fl oz cup of brewed coffee at 96 mg (Mayo Clinic).

02Dr Pepper by can and bottle size

The maker gives a figure for most packages: 26 mg in the 7.5 fl oz mini can, 29 mg in the 8.55 fl oz glass bottle, 55 mg in 16 fl oz, 58 mg in the 16.9 fl oz bottle and 68 mg in the 20 fl oz bottle. The 24 fl oz and 2 liter figures are worked out from the per-ounce rate, about 3.4 mg per fl oz.

SizeCaffeineShare of 400 mg/dayBasis
7.5 fl oz mini can26 mg7%Keurig Dr Pepper label
8.55 fl oz29 mg7%Keurig Dr Pepper label
12 fl oz can41 mg10%Keurig Dr Pepper label
16 fl oz55 mg14%Keurig Dr Pepper label
16.9 fl oz bottle58 mg14%Keurig Dr Pepper label
20 fl oz bottle68 mg17%Keurig Dr Pepper label
24 fl oz bottle82 mg21%Calculated by DozeClock from the maker's mg per fl oz
2 liter bottle (67.6 fl oz)231 mg58%Calculated by DozeClock from the maker's mg per fl oz

400 mg a day is the FDA's figure for healthy adults, not a target. Calculated rows: maker mg ÷ fl oz × size.

03When should your last Dr Pepper be?

At bedtime you would still have:

remaining = dose × 0.5^(hours ÷ 5). Half-life varies 1.5–9.5 h between people. How we calculate

Caffeine left after one 12 fl oz Dr Pepper (41 mg)
0h2h4h6h8h10h12h412110half gone at 5 h

Model: remaining = dose × 0.5^(hours ÷ 5). Half-life 5 h (Institute of Medicine 2001); shaded band = the FDA's 4–6 h.

At 41 mg the curve drops under 25 mg about 3 h 34 min after the last sip, so for a 10:45 pm bedtime a can finished by about 7:10 pm is already below that line. A 20 fl oz bottle needs about 7 h 13 min, which moves the finish-by time to around 3:30 pm.

04Last can by bedtime

BedtimeFinish a 12 fl oz byFinish a 2 liter bottle by6-hour line
9:00 pm5:25 pm4:55 am3:00 pm
9:30 pm5:55 pm5:25 am3:30 pm
10:00 pm6:25 pm5:55 am4:00 pm
10:30 pm6:55 pm6:25 am4:30 pm
11:00 pm7:25 pm6:55 am5:00 pm
11:30 pm7:55 pm7:25 am5:30 pm
12:00 am8:25 pm7:55 am6:00 pm
12:30 am8:55 pm8:25 am6:30 pm
1:00 am9:25 pm8:55 am7:00 pm

Finish-by = the time that leaves under 25 mg at lights out (this site's planning line, not a clinical threshold), rounded down to 5 minutes. 6-hour line: Drake et al. 2013, where 400 mg six hours before bed still cut sleep by more than an hour.

05Dr Pepper next to coffee, cola and other cans

DrinkServingmgHours to under 25 mg
Celsius12 fl oz20015 h
Monster Energy16 fl oz16013 h 23 min
Cold brew coffee12 fl oz (355 ml)15513 h 10 min
Brewed coffee8 fl oz (237 ml)969 h 42 min
Energy drink8 fl oz (237 ml)727 h 38 min
Espresso1 fl oz (30 ml) shot646 h 47 min
Mountain Dew12 fl oz545 h 33 min
Black tea8 fl oz (237 ml)474 h 33 min
Dr Pepper12 fl oz413 h 34 min
Cola12 fl oz (355 ml) can332 h
Green tea8 fl oz (237 ml)280 h 49 min

Brand rows: maker product facts, checked October 7, 2026. Other drinks: typical values from Mayo Clinic and USDA (data/caffeine.json). mg per serving, and servings differ in size.

A can of Dr Pepper sits between cola (about 33 mg) and Mountain Dew (54 mg), and well under a cup of brewed coffee (about 96 mg). At 3.4 mg per fl oz it is less than a third as strong as coffee ounce for ounce.

06Is 200 mg of caffeine a lot, and how much Dr Pepper is that?

200 mg is half of the 400 mg a day the FDA cites for healthy adults, roughly two cups of brewed coffee. In Dr Pepper it is almost five 12 fl oz cans (205 mg) or three 20 fl oz bottles (204 mg). A single can is about a tenth of the daily figure.

For sleep, a can in the afternoon is one of the easier caffeinated drinks to fit around a normal bedtime. What adds up is refills: two 20 fl oz bottles across an evening are 136 mg, and the last one sets the clock, not the first.

Who should ask first

Pregnancy, some heart conditions and some medicines change how much caffeine is sensible and how long it lasts. Ask a clinician rather than a calculator.

Questions people ask

Does Dr Pepper have more caffeine than coffee?
No. A 12 fl oz can has about 41 mg; an 8 fl oz cup of brewed coffee has about 96 mg. Even the 20 fl oz bottle (68 mg) is below one cup.
Which soda has the highest caffeine in it?
Of the sodas checked on this site, Mountain Dew Zero Sugar leads at 68 mg per 12 fl oz, then regular Mountain Dew at 54 mg. Dr Pepper (41 mg) is above cola (about 33 mg).
Is 200 mg of caffeine a lot?
It is half of the 400 mg a day the FDA cites for healthy adults. That would be almost five cans of Dr Pepper. People who are pregnant, sensitive to caffeine or on some medicines should ask a clinician about their own limit.
How much caffeine does a 20 oz bottle of Dr Pepper have?
About 68 mg, according to Keurig Dr Pepper's product facts for the 20 fl oz bottle. That is 17% of the FDA's 400 mg daily figure.

Related pages

Mountain Dew54 mg Energy drinks in general72 mg Last-coffee calculatorany drink, any bedtime Cutoff grid9 pm – 1 am

Sources

  1. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  2. Dr Pepper 12 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  3. Dr Pepper 7.5 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  4. Dr Pepper 8.55 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  5. Dr Pepper 16 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  6. Dr Pepper 16.9 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  7. Dr Pepper 20 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  8. Dr Pepper 24 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  9. Dr Pepper 2 liter — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  10. Diet Dr Pepper 12 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  11. Dr Pepper Zero Sugar 12 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  12. Dr Pepper & Cream Soda 12 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  13. Dr Pepper Strawberries & Cream 12 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  14. Dr Pepper Cherry 12 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  15. Dr Pepper Blackberry 12 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  16. Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut 7.5 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  17. Dr Pepper Made with Real Sugar 7.5 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  18. Dr Pepper Fountain Drink 12 fl oz — Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts (U.S.) — Keurig Dr Pepper
  19. Dr Pepper products — Keurig Dr Pepper (drpepper.com)
  20. Dr Pepper caffeine content — Caffeine Informer
  21. Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more — Mayo Clinic

General information from population studies (NIH, CDC, NSF, AASM). It is not medical advice and does not replace a clinician who knows you.

Photo by Piotr Pękala on Unsplash

Last reviewed by the DozeClock team: formulas re-run against the data files, sources re-checked. How we calculate · Corrections policy and log