Starbucks nitro cold brew comes in a delicious range of flavors, like sweet cream and caramel.
What makes it special, however, is the nitrogen. This ingredient makes the beverage much frothier and creamier than regular coffee.
So what is the Starbucks nitro cold brew caffeine content?
Starbucks nitro cold brew contains approximately 200 mg of caffeine, but this varies depending on the variant. A nitro cold brew without any extra flavors contains 215 mg, while a black unsweetened canned nitro cold brew contains 155 mg of caffeine.
In this article, I’ll explore the caffeine content in Starbucks nitro cold brew — looking at how much caffeine you can expect in different variants — and how much caffeine is in the canned Starbucks nitro cold brew coffees you can buy at grocery stores.
I’ll also compare how much caffeine there is in the various cold brew variants and their regular brew counterparts.
The caffeine content of Starbucks nitro cold brew variants
The nitro cold brew is unique compared to Starbucks’ regular cold brew beverages because it contains nitrous gas to make it smoother and creamier.
Although all nitro cold brew variants have caffeine, they differ based on the variant, as I’ll get into below:
Starbucks nitro cold brew
This is a plain cold brew that contains brewed coffee, but it’s been slow-steeped to make it smoother and more delicious.
Adding nitrogen boosts its sweetness without the need for any sugar, so it’s great for low-calorie coffee lovers:
- A tall (12-oz or 355 ml) nitro cold brew contains 215 mg of caffeine
- A grande (16-oz or 473 ml) beverage contains 280 mg of caffeine
Note the considerable difference in caffeine content between the tall and grande. That’s something to keep in mind the next time you order at Starbucks.
Starbucks salted caramel cream nitro cold brew
The salted caramel nitro cold brew is sweet with cold foam, so it’s perfect for hot summer days.
You can enjoy it in tall (12 oz or 355 ml) or grande (16 oz or 473 ml) sizes, with the tall one containing 200 mg of caffeine and a grande containing 270 mg of caffeine.
Nitro cold brew with cinnamon oat milk foam
This is another low-cal nitro brew that contains the following ingredients:
- Sweet cinnamon
- Oatmilk cold foam
- Vanilla syrup
It contains 190 mg of caffeine if you purchase a tall 12-oz (355 ml) cup.
On the other hand, a grande contains 275 mg, making it perfect for a big burst of caffeine to start your day.
Vanilla sweet cream nitro cold brew
This smooth, velvety coffee contains a float of vanilla sweet cream. It’s great for days when you want something a little more exciting than a regular cold brew.
A tall 12-oz (355 ml) cup contains 200 mg of caffeine, while a 16-oz (473 ml) grande contains 265 mg of caffeine.
You can learn how to make your own vanilla sweet cream cold foam at home by following this recipe!
Nitro cold brew with cascara cold foam
Cascara is the dried skin of coffee cherries. This smooth cold brew contains cascara-flavored cold foam in the form of cascara syrup and:
- Dark brown sugar
- Maple syrup
This nitro cold brew comes in four sizes. Here’s what to know about their respective caffeine content:
- Tall (12 oz or 355 ml): 145 mg
- Grande (16 oz or 473 ml): 190 mg
- Venti (24 oz or 710 ml): 280 mg
- Trenta (30 oz or 887 ml): 320 mg
Nitro cold brew with cinnamon almond milk foam
Another low-calorie cold brew drink with just 40 calories, this nitro cold brew variant contains delicious ingredients, so it’s great if you want a more flavorful coffee than a regular cold nitro brew. The ingredients include:
- Almond milk cold foam
- Vanilla syrup
- Sweet cinnamon
A nitro cold brew with cinnamon almond milk foam comes in both tall (12 oz or 355 ml) and grande (16 oz or 473 ml) sizes.
The tall cup has 190 mg of caffeine, and the 16-oz contains 275 mg.
Nitro cold brew with dark cocoa almond milk foam
If you want a nitro cold brew with bolder flavors and chocolate, this one contains the following:
- Sweet mocha sauce
- Almond milk cold foam
- Cocoa powder
The tall (12-oz or 355 ml) size contains 195 mg of caffeine, while the grande (16 oz or 473 ml) has 280 mg.
If you don’t have a sweet tooth, this nitro cold brew may appeal to you because the combination of coffee and cacao makes it slightly bitter.
Starbucks nitro honey almond milk cold brew
Although this cold beverage has almond milk like some other nitro cold brew variants, it’s blended with honey, so it tastes sweet and creamy.
It comes in tall (12 oz or 355 ml) and grande (16 oz or 473 ml), with the tall version containing 210 mg of caffeine and the grande containing 290 mg.
Starbucks canned nitro cold brew
Besides the nitro cold brew versions you can order at Starbucks, there are also canned nitro brew coffees you can buy from Starbucks or grocery stores.
The moment you open the cans, the nitro produces a creamy foam that makes your coffee a real treat to drink.
These canned nitro cold brews come in three flavors:
- Black Unsweetened. This contains 155 mg of caffeine per 9.6-oz (284 ml) can, along with just ten calories. It’s made with pure coffee.
- Dark Caramel. This canned nitro cold brew contains 155 mg of caffeine and 45 calories. While the unsweetened black variety doesn’t contain any sugar, this one contains 8 g (0.28 oz) per can.
- Vanilla Sweet Cream. This can of cold coffee contains 110 mg of caffeine. It has the most calories and sugar out of all the canned varieties, with 70 calories and 11 g (0.39 oz) of sugar per can.
Starbucks nitro cold brew vs. other Starbucks drinks
If you want to try a Starbucks nitro cold brew, but you’re worried about the caffeine content, you might wonder how it stacks up against other Starbucks beverages and if the cold brew process results in higher caffeine content.
To find out, it’s important to know how a Starbucks nitro cold brew is made.
A Starbucks nitro cold brew contains an unsweetened black cold brew that gets slow-steeped for 24 hours before nitrogen is added to it to produce micro-bubbles.
The reason the coffee grounds get steeped so long is for the cold water to absorb the flavor and caffeine. Once it’s been steeped in cold water, the coffee gets strained:
Since the coffee gets brewed with cold water, this reduces the extraction of caffeine compared to brewing coffee with hot water.
However, the amount of caffeine in cold brews is nothing to sneeze at: It has a higher coffee-to-water ratio (up to 2.5 times more coffee) than what you’ll find in the regular hot brewing process.
The long process of steeping the coffee also helps to boost the caffeine content, while the lack of ice in a nitro cold brew means that there’s more water than coffee.
This means it will be stronger.
A Starbucks nitro cold brew usually contains more caffeine than some other popular Starbucks coffee beverages.
Here’s a quick comparison of nitro cold brew with regular cold brew varieties, as well as some hot beverages you can order at Starbucks:
- Starbucks cold brew coffee. This drink contains a bit less caffeine than a plain nitro cold brew. A tall (12-oz or 355 ml) coffee contains 155 mg instead of the 215 mg you’ll find in a nitro cold brew.
- Vanilla sweet cream cold brew. This beverage contains 145 mg of caffeine, while a Vanilla Sweet Cream nitro cold brew has 200 mg.
- Starbucks cold brew coffee with milk. A tall (12-oz or 355 ml) beverage contains 155 mg. This is the same amount of coffee you’ll consume when drinking some canned nitro brew beverages.
- Starbucks cinnamon almond milk macchiato. In a tall (12-oz or 355 ml) size, this hot beverage contains 75 mg of caffeine. This is much less than the nitro cold brew with Cinnamon Almond Milk Foam, which has 190 mg.
- Salted caramel cream cold brew. This cold coffee contains 145 mg of caffeine, while the Salted Caramel Cream nitro cold brew has 200 mg of caffeine.
- Cold brew with dark cocoa almond milk foam. This beverage, which doesn’t contain nitro, has 160 mg of caffeine, while the nitro cold brew with dark cocoa almond milk foam contains 195 mg.
- Cold brew with cascara cold foam. This drink contains 145 mg of caffeine, while the nitro version has 200 mg.
If you’re interested in learning more about how hot and cold beverages are made and want more details about their differences, you should read my comprehensive guide, “Cold Brew vs. Hot Brew: All the Differences You Need To Know.”
Final thoughts
If you love cold Starbucks beverages, you should sample their nitro cold brews, which come in various flavors.
Starbucks nitro cold brew’s caffeine content is quite high, with a plain cold brew containing 155 mg of caffeine.
Some of its variants contain much more than that. Of course, the bigger the drink, the more caffeine it will have.
