Do Cacao Nibs Contain Caffeine? Cocoa VS Brewed Coffee

Most faced paced working professionals or true lovers of life(yes coffee enjoyers like me), want the mental acuity, energy without the jitters, anxiety, and sense of impending doom that comes along with the cortisol spike that caffeine imposes on us humans. So why does cacao offer a superior mental acuity experience if it contains much less caffeine than coffee? You're saying that I don't need to ignore heart palpitations and sleepless nights to enjoy a little boost in sharpness and motivation throughout the day? Where do I sign up? Let's start on understanding what macro and micronutrients that cacao has to offer vs the singular benefit that coffee has to offer (with negative side effects).

Those of us looking to cut out or severely cut down on our caffeine consumption may have many reasons to do so. From the spike-and-crash cycle and jitters associated with coffee to the simple fact that it is a habit-forming chemical, there really is no shortage of reasons to want to look for an alternative. And for anyone who has spent time looking into it, high flavanol or raw cacao may seem like that perfect alternative, coming from an entirely different plant and having theobromine as its main stimulant instead of caffeine. 

Theobromine is known to be less habit-forming and comes without nearly as much risk of the other negative effects any regular coffee drinker likely knows about. In addition, cacao comes in several forms from bars to nibs to powder and more, allowing you to consume it regularly with as much convenience or added ritual as you’d like. This does beg the question however, do cacao nibs (and high flavanol and raw cacao in other forms) still contain an amount of caffeine, and what does that mean for caffeine-sensitive users or others simply looking to cut down on their consumption?

The simple answer to this question is, yes, cacao nibs or any other raw or high flavanol cacao product will have some amount of caffeine. As it is a chemical the plant naturally contains and high flavanol cacao is typically made to disturb the plant’s natural nutrients as little as possible, this is simply unavoidable, though it does not tell the whole story. As mentioned in our other recent blog on Brewed Cacao vs. Coffee, you’re getting significantly less caffeine from cacao than you are from coffee (as low as 10-15 mg vs. upwards of 100 per serving), but cacao has other properties that make the dose feel even smaller. High Flavanol Cocoa Powder, unlike coffee, contains cocoa butter, a healthy fat that helps slow the absorption of caffeine in the body.

Do Cacao Nibs Contain Caffeine? The short answer is yes, but since there are other micro and macronutrients present in cacao, the caffeine intake has a healthy buffer to not stress out the immune system.

So, in summary, while switching to cacao nibs from coffee does not technically eliminate your caffeine consumption entirely, it does drastically reduce it while also reducing the risk of the negative effects of the chemical. To learn about more of the differences between cacao and coffee and see why cacao is the much superior option, check out either of our recent blogs on the subject here:

The short answer is yes, and it is a tree nut. HOWEVER, there is no promise of cacao being processed in a gluten free facility and that is what you should watch out for if you have a gluten allergy.  

Yes but watch out! You need to look for 100% cacao powder with absolutely no ingredients added to get the pure product. And do not believe the hype! Not all 100% cacao products are healthy. If you're looking to improve you're health with cacao, you're looking for High Flavonoid Cocoa, such as High Flavanol Cocoa Powder or High Flavanol Chocolate. 

So is Cacao Powder Dairy Free? Yes. There is absolutely no dairy in 100% Cacao Products,   but watch out for other fillers added into chocolate, which is now common. 

Writer Researcher: Trey Norbey