Quick answer: yes, Dr Pepper has caffeine. A standard 12-ounce can contains 41 mg of caffeine. That’s less than coffee (roughly 95 mg per 8 oz cup) and less than many energy drinks, but more than caffeine-free sodas like Sprite or 7UP. If you’re looking for a completely caffeine-free option within the Dr Pepper lineup, Caffeine Free Dr Pepper and Diet Caffeine Free Dr Pepper both exist with 0 mg.
But if you want the full picture — how Dr Pepper’s caffeine compares to other drinks, which specific Dr Pepper variants have caffeine, and whether the amount matters for your health — keep reading.
Caffeine Content Across Dr Pepper Varieties
Dr Pepper comes in several varieties, and the caffeine content is remarkably consistent across most of them. Here’s the complete breakdown per 12 fluid ounces:
| Dr Pepper Variety | Caffeine (per 12 fl oz) |
| Regular Dr Pepper | 41 mg |
| Diet Dr Pepper | 41 mg |
| Dr Pepper Zero Sugar | 41 mg |
| Dr Pepper & Cream Soda | 41 mg |
| Dr Pepper & Cream Soda Zero Sugar | 41 mg |
| Dr Pepper Made with Sugar | 41 mg |
| Dr Pepper Cherry | 40 mg |
| Dr Pepper Cherry Zero Sugar | 40 mg |
| Dr Pepper Cherry Vanilla | 40 mg |
| Caffeine Free Dr Pepper | 0 mg |
| Diet Caffeine Free Dr Pepper | 0 mg |
The pattern is straightforward: almost every Dr Pepper variety contains 40–41 mg of caffeine per 12-ounce serving. The only exceptions are the explicitly caffeine-free versions, which contain none at all. Diet versions have the same caffeine as regular — switching to diet changes the sugar and calorie content, not the caffeine.
How Diet Dr Pepper Caffeine Scales by Size
Since caffeine content is proportional to serving size, larger containers have more total caffeine. Here’s how Diet Dr Pepper scales:
| Serving Size | Total Caffeine | Per Fluid Ounce |
| 7.5 fl oz | 26 mg | 3.47 mg |
| 8 fl oz | 28 mg | 3.50 mg |
| 10 fl oz | 34 mg | 3.40 mg |
| 12 fl oz | 41 mg | 3.42 mg |
| 16 fl oz | 55 mg | 3.44 mg |
| 16.9 fl oz | 58 mg | 3.43 mg |
| 20 fl oz | 68 mg | 3.40 mg |
The per-ounce concentration stays essentially constant at about 3.4 mg per fluid ounce. The 20-ounce bottle — a common convenience store size — delivers 68 mg of caffeine, which is still well below a standard cup of coffee.
Dr Pepper vs. Other Caffeinated Drinks
Context matters when evaluating caffeine content. Here’s how Dr Pepper stacks up against other common beverages:
| Beverage | Caffeine | Serving Size |
| Dr Pepper (regular) | 41 mg | 12 fl oz |
| Coca-Cola Classic | 34 mg | 12 fl oz |
| Pepsi | 38 mg | 12 fl oz |
| Mountain Dew | 54 mg | 12 fl oz |
| Brewed Coffee | ~95 mg | 8 fl oz |
| Red Bull | 80 mg | 8.4 fl oz |
| Monster Energy | 160 mg | 16 fl oz |
| Sprite | 0 mg | 12 fl oz |
Dr Pepper sits squarely in the middle of the soda caffeine range — more than Coca-Cola and Pepsi, but less than Mountain Dew. It’s significantly lower than energy drinks and roughly half to one-third the caffeine of a cup of coffee. If you’re comparing it to Sprite, which has zero caffeine, the difference is significant. But compared to coffee or energy drinks, Dr Pepper’s caffeine content is modest.
What the Dr Pepper Caffeine Level Means for Your Health
The FDA considers 400 mg of caffeine per day to be a safe amount for most healthy adults. That’s roughly equivalent to 10 cans of Dr Pepper — far more than anyone typically drinks. For most people, the caffeine in Dr Pepper is not a health concern.
That said, caffeine sensitivity varies significantly between individuals. Some people metabolize caffeine quickly and barely notice 41 mg. Others — particularly children, pregnant women, and people with certain heart conditions — may need to limit caffeine intake more strictly. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 12 avoid caffeine entirely, and that adolescents limit intake to less than 100 mg per day.
If caffeine is a concern for you, Dr Pepper offers caffeine-free options that deliver the same 23-flavor taste without the stimulant. These aren’t always as widely available as the regular versions — availability has fluctuated in recent years due to supply chain issues — but they exist in most major grocery stores.
What’s in Dr Pepper
The ingredients in a standard Dr Pepper are: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup (or sugar in some formulations), caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural and artificial flavors (the famous “23 flavors”), sodium benzoate (preservative), and caffeine. The specific 23 flavors have never been publicly disclosed — it’s one of the most enduring trade secrets in the beverage industry.
The caffeine is added as an ingredient during production — it’s not naturally present in the flavoring. This is why it’s possible to make caffeine-free versions without changing the taste profile.
A Brief History
Dr Pepper was created in the 1880s in Waco, Texas by pharmacist Charles Alderton and first served at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store. It’s widely considered the oldest major soft drink brand in the United States — predating Coca-Cola by about a year. The drink was nationally marketed from 1904 onward after being introduced at the St. Louis World’s Fair.
Today, Dr Pepper is owned by Keurig Dr Pepper (formerly Dr Pepper Snapple Group), headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts. It’s the third most popular carbonated soft drink in the US, behind Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and it’s distributed in the US through a unique arrangement — bottled by both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo bottlers depending on the region.
The Bottom Line
Dr Pepper contains 41 mg of caffeine per 12-ounce can across nearly all its varieties. That’s a moderate amount — more than Coke, less than coffee, and far less than energy drinks. If you want the Dr Pepper taste without caffeine, grab the Caffeine Free version. If you’re fine with a moderate caffeine dose, the regular stuff won’t keep you up at night unless you’re particularly sensitive. For most people, the sugar content (39g per 12 oz can in the regular version) is a bigger health consideration than the caffeine.