Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short): calories, sugar and caffeine

A Short Classic Hot Chocolate made with semi-skimmed milk contains 163 kcal, 16.8g of sugar (2.3 teaspoons) and 13.4mg of caffeine. It is classified as NOVA 4 under the NOVA food processing classification system.

Size: Short | Milk: Semi-Skimmed Milk | Allergens: Milk

Nutrition by serving: calories, sugar and caffeine

Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) contains 163 kcal, 7.3g of fat (5g saturated), 17.6g of carbohydrate (16.8g sugar), 5.8g of protein, 0.1g of salt and 13.4mg of caffeine.

Nutrition by serving: Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)

Serving	Calories	Salt	Sugar	= teaspoons	Carbs	Protein	Caffeine
Per serving	163 kcal	0.1g	16.8g	2.3 tsp	17.6g	5.8g	13.4mg

Sugar in Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)

Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) contains 9.3g of free sugar per serving. Moderate free sugar

The NHS free sugar limit is 30g a day for adults, 24g for children aged 7 to 10 and 19g for children aged 4 to 6. Sugars naturally present in milk are excluded.

Free sugar by serving: Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)

Serving	Adult (female) 30g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 30g	Age 7 to 10 24g	Age 4 to 6 19g
Per serving	9.3g 31%	9.3g 31%	9.3g 31%	9.3g 39%	9.3g 49%

Boone calculates these percentages from Starbucks UK published nutrition data against UK Dietary Reference Values and NHS free sugar and salt limits. Free sugar, salt, calories and saturated fat are limits to stay under; fibre is a target to reach. For guidance only.

Calories in Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)

Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) contains 163 kcal of calories per serving. Low calories

Daily calorie needs vary by age and sex.

Calories by serving: Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)

Serving	Adult (female) 2000 kcal	Adult (male) 2500 kcal	Age 11 to 17 1936 kcal	Age 7 to 10 1553 kcal	Age 4 to 6 1291 kcal
Per serving	163 kcal 8%	163 kcal 7%	163 kcal 8%	163 kcal 10%	163 kcal 13%

Saturated fat in Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)

Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) contains 5g of saturated fat per serving. Moderate saturated fat

The saturated fat guideline is 20g a day for women and 30g for men, and lower again for children.

Saturated fat by serving: Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)

Serving	Adult (female) 20g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 20g	Age 7 to 10 18g	Age 4 to 6 16g
Per serving	5g 25%	5g 17%	5g 25%	5g 28%	5g 31%

Salt in Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)

Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) contains 0.1g of salt per serving. Low salt

Children have lower salt limits: 3g a day for ages 4 to 6 and 5g for ages 7 to 10.

Salt by serving: Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)

Serving	Adult (female) 6g	Adult (male) 6g	Age 11 to 17 6g	Age 7 to 10 5g	Age 4 to 6 3g
Per serving	0.1g 2%	0.1g 2%	0.1g 2%	0.1g 3%	0.1g 5%

Fibre in Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)

Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) contains 2g of fibre per serving. Low fibre

Fibre is a target to reach rather than a limit to stay under.

Fibre by serving: Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)

Serving	Adult (female) 30g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 25g	Age 7 to 10 20g	Age 4 to 6 15g
Per serving	2g 7%	2g 7%	2g 8%	2g 10%	2g 13%

Free sugar vs total sugar

Where the sugar comes from: Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)

Serving	Total sugar	Free (added) sugar	Naturally occurring	Free sugar in teaspoons
Per serving	16.8g	9.3g	7.5g	2.3 tsp

Made with semi-skimmed milk, about 7.5g of the sugar in this drink is lactose, which occurs naturally in milk and does not count towards NHS free sugar limits. That leaves 9.3g of free sugar.

Boone derives the lactose figure from the milk protein in each build, at 1.3g of lactose per gram of milk protein, a ratio taken from Starbucks' own unsweetened milk drinks where all of the sugar is lactose.

NHS daily free sugar limits: 30g for adults and children 11+, 24g age 7 to 10, 19g age 4 to 6.

UPF classification: is Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) ultra-processed?

NOVA 4: ultra-processed

Reading the published ingredient list, this build contains carrageenan, emulsifiers, flavourings, propellant gases, stabilisers.

NOVA groups foods by how far they are from their whole-food form, not by how nutritious they are. The milk you choose changes this classification.

Ingredients

Semi-skimmed milk milk [Semi-skimmed MILK ], mocha sauce [water, sugar, cocoa powder, fat-reduced cocoa powder, vanilla extract], reduced fat [cream 34% ( MILK ), sugar (6%), , propellant gas: nitrous oxide, propellant gas: nitrogen, emulsifier: mono and di glycerides of vanilla flavouring, stabiliser: carrageenan.], mocha drizzle [water, sugar, cocoa powder, fat-reduced cocoa powder, vanilla

Allergens at a glance

Allergen information: Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)

Wheat / Gluten	Not present
Rye	Not present
Barley	Not present
Oats	Not present
Spelt	Not present
Tree Nuts	Not present
Peanuts	Not present
Sesame	Not present
Soya	Not present
Milk	Present
Eggs	Not present
Fish	Not present
Crustaceans	Not present
Molluscs	Not present
Celery	Not present
Mustard	Not present
Lupin	Not present
Sulphur Dioxide	Not present

All Starbucks beverages are hand crafted and prepared with shared equipment, so no drink can be guaranteed allergen free.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)?+

Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) contains 163 kcal, 8% of an adult's 2,000 kcal daily reference intake and 13% of the daily intake for a child aged 4 to 6.

How much sugar is in Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)?+

Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) contains 16.8g of total sugar, of which about 7.5g is lactose from the semi-skimmed milk and 9.3g is free sugar, roughly 2.3 teaspoons. Boone measures the free sugar against NHS limits: 31% of an adult's daily allowance and 49% for a child aged 4 to 6.

How much caffeine is in Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)?+

Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) contains 13.4mg of caffeine. The NHS advises adults stay under 400mg a day, and pregnant women under 200mg.

How much saturated fat is in Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)?+

Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) contains 5g of saturated fat, 25% of the 20g daily guideline for an adult woman and 17% of the 30g guideline for an adult man.

How much protein is in Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short)?+

Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) contains 5.8g of protein, which Boone calculates as 12% of a 50g adult daily target.

Does the milk change the nutrition of a Classic Hot Chocolate?+

Yes. Swapping the milk changes the calories, fat, sugar and protein, and by different amounts depending on the drink and size. Boone lists every milk and size as its own build so the figures are exact rather than estimated.

Is Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) suitable for children?+

Its 9.3g of free sugar is 49% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6.

Is Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate (Short) ultra-processed?+

Boone classifies this build as NOVA group 4, based on the carrageenan, emulsifiers, flavourings, propellant gases, stabilisers named in its published ingredient list.