Caffeine in Starbucks Lattes (Every Size, Hot & Iced)

Trying to figure out how much caffeine is in a Starbucks latte? Here's the caffeine content for all sizes of hot and iced lattes. The amount might actually surprise you!

Caffeine in Starbucks Lattes

Day-in and day-out Starbucks lattes are a customer favorite. One sip and it’s easy to see why.

This caffeinated coffeehouse classic, is a delightful balance of strong espresso and creamy milk. It’s often sweetened with flavored syrup, as well.

Like all-things-Starbucks, you have options when it comes to ordering a latte. You can get it hot with steamed milk or order it cold, served over ice.

But do you wonder how much caffeine is in a Starbucks latte?

It can actually be a little confusing, since a larger drink doesn’t always have more caffeine.

That’s correct—a bigger size latte like a hot 20-ounce venti has the same caffeine content as a 16-ounce grande.

If that seems illogical, keep reading to see exactly how baristas make this standard Starbucks espresso beverage and how to order a latte with the amount of caffeine you want.

What Determines the Amount of Caffeine in a Latte at Starbucks

Every milligram of caffeine in a Starbucks latte comes from the brewed espresso.

This means, the total caffeine content in a Starbucks latte depends on two things: the number of shots of espresso in the drink and the type of espresso roast used.

A Starbucks latte brings together espresso and milk and the caffeine content is based on the espresso roast and number of shots in the drink.

Number of Shots of Espresso in a Starbucks Latte

Starbucks hot lattes come in four sizes: short, tall, grande and venti.

Whereas, iced lattes come in three sizes: tall, grande and venti.

According to the Starbucks recipe card for lattes, short and tall lattes get one shot of espresso and have 75-85 milligrams of caffeine, depending on the roast selected.

Grande lattes and hot venti lattes have two shots and 150-170 milligrams of caffeine.

And an iced venti latte gets an extra shot of brewed espresso for a total of three, and has a caffeine content of 225-255 milligrams.

Shots of Espresso for Every Size Latte

8-ounce Short (hot only): 1 shot
12-ounce Tall (hot and iced): 1 shot
16-ounce Grande (hot and iced): 2 shots
20-ounce Venti (hot): 2 shots
24-ounce Venti (iced): 3 shots
30-once Trenta (iced): Lattes not available in this size

Eagle eyes will notice that a venti iced latte has one more shot of espresso than a venti hot latte.

Why? A venti cold drink is actually four ounces larger than its hot counterpart.

Without the additional shot, the proportion of espresso to milk would be off.

Starbucks Espresso Roast Options

Starbucks has three roasts to pick from: dark, light and decaf.

Like all decaf espresso roasts, Starbucks decaf espresso drinks have trace amounts of caffeine.

Here’s what you can expect from the two caffeinated espresso roasts.

Signature Dark Espresso Roast: 75 milligrams of caffeine per shot
Blonde Roast (Light): 85 milligrams of caffeine per shot

A hot Starbucks latte and an iced latte both in tall size cups. — Lattes at Starbucks are made with dark roast brewed espresso, but you can request light roast which has 10 milligrams more caffeine per shot.

Caffeine Content for Every Size Starbucks Latte

Now that you see exactly how many shots of brewed espresso are in every size latte, it’s easy to figure out the total caffeine content for every size drink.

Caffeine in a Short Latte

This 8 ounce size is for hot drinks only and gets 1 shot of brewed espresso. If you want more caffeine, skip the tall size and jump up to a grande.

Short Dark Espresso Roast: 75 milligrams
Short Blonde Espresso Roast: 85 milligrams

Caffeine in a Tall Latte

The caffeine content in a Starbucks tall latte is the same as a short since both sizes are made with 1 shot of brewed espresso.

Tall Dark Espresso Roast: 75 milligrams
Tall Blonde Espresso Roast: 85 milligrams

Tall Starbucks latte in a hot cup and a tall iced Caffe Latte. — A tall Starbucks Caffè Latte and a tall iced latte each contain one shot of brewed espresso and 75 milligrams of caffeine.

Caffeine in a Grande Latte

A Starbucks grande latte is made with 2 shots of brewed espresso and has double the caffeine content of a short or tall.

Make note, hot grande and hot venti sized lattes have the same amount of caffeine, however an iced grande latte has less caffeine than an iced venti latte.

Grande Dark Espresso Roast: 150 milligrams
Grande Blonde Espresso Roast: 170 milligrams

Caffeine in Venti Latte

A hot venti latte gets 2 shots of brewed espresso and an iced venti gets 3 shots.

Venti is the largest size latte you can get at Starbucks.

If you want to boost the caffeine beyond what’s in a venti size, order an extra shot of espresso.

Hot Venti Dark Espresso Roast (20 ounce latte): 150 milligrams
Hot Venti Blonde Espresso Roast (20 ounce latte): 170 milligrams
Iced Venti Dark Espresso Roast (24 ounce latte): 225 milligrams
Iced Venti Blonde Espresso Roast (24 ounce latte): 255 milligrams

Trenta Latte

Starbucks espresso drinks are not available in trenta size. Opt for an iced coffee or cold brew instead.

If you’re in need of a lot of caffeine, take a look at the The Absolute Most Caffeinated Iced Drink at Starbucks or head on over to this list of the 19 Most Caffeinated Starbucks Drinks: Highest to Lowest.

Caffeine in Flavored Lattes

Starbucks is known for their flavored lattes.

Perhaps the Pumpkin Spice Latte is the most famous of them all.

Personally, my favorite is the Chestnut Praline Latte that’s become a mainstay of the holiday menu. (Fingers crossed it stays that way!)

One absolutely delicious latte is the Vanilla Bean Coconutmilk Latte.

It’s not on the menu, but you can still order it. Made with one of Starbucks dairy alternatives, this latte is a great summertime treat.

Grid showing 5 flavors of Starbucks hot and iced lattes. — The amount of espresso and caffeine is the same no matter the flavor Starbucks latte you order.

No matter your go-to latte flavor combination, the caffeine content is the same as a regular Caffè Latte.

In other words, adding syrup and toppings does not change the amount of espresso shots.

Caffeine in Starbucks Latte vs Coffee

Now that you know the amount of caffeine in a latte, you might be wondering how it compares to brewed coffee.

Overall, Starbucks lattes have less caffeine than all other coffee beverages of the same size.

Even though the caffeine in a shot of espresso is highly concentrated, only .75-2.25 fluid ounces of brewed espresso goes into a latte. The rest is steamed milk or cold milk and ice.

Take a look at my Ultimate Guide to Caffeine in Starbucks Coffee to see exactly how the caffeine content in a latte compares to iced coffee, cold brew and all of Starbucks brewed coffee blends.

Questions You May Have

How much caffeine is in a Starbucks tall latte?

A 12-ounce tall latte (hot) has the same amount of caffeine as an 8-ounce short. Both sizes are made with 1 shot of espresso and have 75 milligrams of caffeine, as prepared according to the menu.

How much caffeine is in a Starbucks grande latte?

Grande lattes at Starbucks (hot and iced) are prepared with two shots of brewed espresso. This means they contain 150 milligrams of caffeine and have twice as much caffeine as both a tall and short latte.

Which has more caffeine, a latte or coffee?

Hands-down, all Starbucks brewed coffee beverages have a higher caffeine content than espresso drinks. While the caffeine is very concentrated in a shot of espresso, the fact is not many ounces of espresso go into the actual handcrafted beverage.