Cocoa beans naturally contain caffeine, which means that all chocolate and cocoa derivatives contain at least some caffeine. Generally speaking, milder, light chocolate contains only small traces of caffeine, but dark chocolate can contain large amounts of the stimulant. What’s more, some confectionary companies choose to supplement natural caffeine content with more of the substance.
Billed as energy candy, Kopiko coffee candy not only tastes of coffee, but the company claims that four or five pieces of their original candy flavor contains the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. Although the manufacturer does not list the exact amount of caffeine in their candy, a cup of coffee contains roughly 100mg of caffeine, so a single piece of Kopiko coffee candy can be assumed to contain around 20mg of caffeine.
The company also makes a Cappuccino flavor candy, which they say has a smoother taste and around half the caffeine content of the original.
Does Kopiko Have Caffeine?
There are no legal requirements for manufacturers to list the caffeine content of their products on the packaging, which means that it can be difficult to determine exact figures.
In the case of Kopiko Coffee Candy, the producers have said that four or five pieces of the candy is equivalent to a cup of coffee. A cup of coffee has approximately 100mg of caffeine, so it is reasonable to assume that a single piece of Kopiko contains 20mg of caffeine, which is approximately half that of a can of coke, but considerably more than is found in most candy bars.
Kopiko Coffee Candy Flavors
The company has two flavors of candy currently available: the original coffee candy and a cappuccino candy. Kopiko caffeine content does depend on the flavor, with the original coffee candy containing 20mg per candy, and the cappuccino containing half that, or 10mg per candy.
| Kopico Coffee Candy (per candy): | 20mg |
| Kopico Cappuccino Candy (per candy): | 10mg |
How It Compares To Other Candy
All chocolate contains at least some caffeine because the cocoa bean naturally contains caffeine, which is extracted when chocolate is produced. Dark chocolate is known to have a higher caffeine content than plain and lighter chocolate. Below, we compare the caffeine levels in several candies, with all figures calculated per 100g of the product.
| Kopico Coffee Candy (per 100g): | 400mg |
| Hersheys Special Dark Chocolate (per 100g): | 50mg |
| Mars (per 100g): | 8mg |
| Oreo: | 12mg |
| Bali’s Best: | 85mg |
Caffeine In Candy
Cocoa beans naturally contain caffeine, albeit in a much lower concentration than in coffee beans. This means that all candy bars and all chocolate contain at least trace amounts of caffeine. As you can see from the figures above, everyday candies like Mars and Oreo contain very little caffeine. You would have to eat more than 20 Mars Bars to get the same amount of caffeine as you would from a cup of brewed coffee. Kopico Coffee Candy is different, and it only takes four or five sweets to enjoy the same amount of caffeine as found in a brewed coffee.
Conclusion
If you’re specifically looking for a caffeine hit, candy isn’t really the best way to go about it because the low caffeine concentration in cocoa beans means that this sweet treat has very little caffeine. However, some candies buck this trend, and Kopico Coffee Candy certainly stands out above other sweets. It contains 8 times the caffeine content of Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate, per 100g, and 50 times that of the Mars Bar. A handful of the candies will give the equivalent caffeine boost that you would get from a cup of coffee.
