Does Matcha Have Caffeine? How Much, Compared With Coffee and Green Tea

Part of our Alpha GPC & NeuroMatcha guide library.

Matcha has a reputation as the calmer alternative to coffee, which leads some people to assume it has little or no caffeine. It has plenty. Here is how much caffeine matcha contains, how it compares with coffee and green tea, why it can feel different, and how to work out what is in your own cup.

What you'll learn

• Why matcha contains caffeine, and why more than steeped green tea
• How much caffeine is in matcha per gram and per drink
• Whether matcha has more caffeine than coffee, and whether ceremonial grade has more
• Why matcha may feel different from coffee, and how to time it around sleep

Why matcha has caffeine

Matcha is green tea, and all tea from the Camellia sinensis plant naturally contains caffeine. Two things make matcha different from a regular cup of green tea:

• You drink the whole leaf. Matcha is the leaf ground into a fine powder and whisked into water or milk, so you take in all of its caffeine instead of only what steeps out of a tea bag.
• It is shade-grown. Tea plants for matcha are covered before harvest. In one study of tea plants grown for matcha, shading raised both caffeine and L-theanine levels in the leaves (Chen et al., 2022).

How much caffeine is in matcha?

Caffeine in matcha is usually measured per gram of powder, and it varies by product. A U.S. study of commercially available teas measured these averages (Meyer et al., 2023):

The highest matcha in that study had 35 mg per gram, and the same paper cites an earlier analysis of 12 matcha products that found 14.4 to 34.1 mg per gram (Meyer et al., 2023). Regular green tea leaves contain a little less per gram, and with a tea bag you drink only what steeps into the water, while with matcha you drink the leaf itself.

To estimate a drink, multiply the grams of powder by that range:

Blends like NeuroMatcha contain less caffeine per scoop than plain matcha because only part of each serving is matcha; the rest is a mushroom blend, Alpha-GPC, MCT oil and other ingredients (Product Facts). Some of our matcha recipes, such as white matcha hot chocolate, list the caffeine per serving.

Does matcha have more caffeine than coffee?

Usually not per drink. A matcha made with 1 to 2 grams of powder typically has less caffeine than a 12-ounce cup of brewed coffee. A strong matcha made with several grams can come close to a smaller cup of coffee, so the honest answer is that it depends on how much powder you use. Compared with a cup of steeped green tea, matcha usually has more.

Does ceremonial matcha have more caffeine?

In the U.S. study above, it did on average: ceremonial-grade matcha averaged about 31 mg per gram and culinary-grade about 26 mg (Meyer et al., 2023). Products vary, though, so a label or lab test is a better guide than the grade alone.

Why matcha may feel different from coffee

Matcha also contains L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea. One analysis of a matcha powder found 16.1 mg of caffeine and 9.85 mg of L-theanine per gram (Koláčková et al., 2022). In a study of the two together, a drink with 40 mg of caffeine and 97 mg of L-theanine improved accuracy on a task-switching test and self-reported alertness (Giesbrecht et al., 2010).

Research on matcha itself is limited. In one trial run by a tea company, the faster reaction times seen after a single serving of matcha were attributed mainly to its caffeine (Baba et al., 2021). So many people describe matcha as smoother than coffee, but it is still a caffeinated drink and can affect sleep and jitteriness the same way.

Will matcha keep you awake?

It can if you drink it late. Caffeine reaches its peak in your blood within about an hour, and you may feel it for 4 to 6 hours (MedlinePlus). A 2023 meta-analysis found that a typical cup of coffee (about 107 mg) should be finished at least 8.8 hours before bed to avoid losing sleep (Gardiner et al., 2023). A smaller matcha leaves less caffeine in your system by bedtime, but it is not risk-free, so morning or early afternoon is the safer default.

How to work out the caffeine in your cup

1. Find the grams. Weigh your usual scoop once, or check the serving size in grams on the label.
2. Look for "caffeine per serving." Many blends list it in milligrams; that is the number to compare.
3. If there is no caffeine number, use the range above: about 14 to 35 mg per gram of plain matcha.
4. Count everything else. Coffee, tea, soda and energy drinks all add to your daily total.

Who should keep an eye on caffeine

The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects in healthy adults, about two to three 12-ounce cups of coffee (FDA). Count every source, including tea, soda and energy drinks.

Check with your health care provider first if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding (FDA), or if you have a sleep disorder, anxiety, migraines, GERD or ulcers, an irregular heartbeat or high blood pressure, or take medicines that interact with caffeine (MedlinePlus).

Common myths (quick reality check)

• Myth: Matcha is tea, so it has very little caffeine. Reality: Because you drink the whole leaf, matcha delivers more caffeine than steeped green tea; a drink made with 2 grams has roughly 28 to 70 mg.

• Myth: Matcha always has more caffeine than coffee. Reality: Per drink it usually has less than a 12-ounce brewed coffee. It depends on how much powder you use.

• Myth: The L-theanine in matcha cancels out the caffeine. Reality: L-theanine may change how caffeine feels, but it does not remove it. Matcha can still affect sleep if you drink it late.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Does matcha have caffeine?

Yes. Matcha is powdered green tea, and because you drink the whole leaf it contains more caffeine than steeped green tea. Lab tests have found about 14 to 35 mg of caffeine per gram of matcha powder.

How much caffeine is in a cup of matcha?

It depends on how much powder you use. A drink made with 2 grams of matcha has roughly 28 to 70 mg of caffeine, compared with about 113 to 247 mg in a 12-ounce cup of brewed coffee.

Does matcha have more caffeine than coffee?

Usually not per drink. A matcha made with 1 to 2 grams of powder typically has less caffeine than a 12-ounce brewed coffee, although a strong matcha made with several grams can come close.

Does matcha have more caffeine than green tea?

Usually yes. Regular green tea leaves contain a little less caffeine per gram, and with matcha you drink the ground leaf instead of only what steeps into the water.

Does ceremonial matcha have more caffeine than culinary matcha?

On average it did in a U.S. study of commercial teas: about 31 mg per gram for ceremonial grade and about 26 mg for culinary grade. Individual products vary.

Can I drink matcha at night?

It can affect sleep because it contains caffeine. Caffeine peaks within about an hour and can be felt for 4 to 6 hours, so morning or early afternoon is the safer default.

Related guides

• Does matcha make you poop?
• How to make a matcha latte
• What does matcha taste like?
• Does mushroom coffee have caffeine?
• Mushroom matcha vs mushroom coffee
• Why Alpha GPC is paired with matcha
• Does Alpha GPC keep you awake?
• A morning focus routine with matcha

Disclaimer and when to seek help

This article is for general education and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to your health care provider about caffeine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a heart condition, anxiety or a sleep disorder, or take medication.

References

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?" Content current as of August 28, 2024.
2. MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine). "Caffeine".
3. Meyer BR, et al. "Catechin composition, phenolic content, and antioxidant properties of commercially-available bagged, gunpowder, and matcha green teas." Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 2023;78(4):662-669. doi:10.1007/s11130-023-01121-2
4. Koláčková T, et al. "The effect of in vitro digestion on matcha tea (Camellia sinensis) active components and antioxidant activity." Antioxidants, 2022;11(5):889. doi:10.3390/antiox11050889
5. Chen X, et al. "Effect of shading on the morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics as well as the transcriptome of matcha green tea." International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022;23(22):14169. doi:10.3390/ijms232214169
6. Baba Y, et al. "Effects of daily matcha and caffeine intake on mild acute psychological stress-related cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults: a randomized placebo-controlled study." Nutrients, 2021;13(5):1700. doi:10.3390/nu13051700
7. Giesbrecht T, et al. "The combination of L-theanine and caffeine improves cognitive performance and increases subjective alertness." Nutritional Neuroscience, 2010;13(6):283-290. doi:10.1179/147683010X12611460764840
8. Gardiner C, et al. "The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis." Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2023;69:101764. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101764