If you love iced coffee on the go, then you’ve probably tried Chick-fil-A’s famous offerings. They offer a few different iced coffee beverages — regular iced coffee, vanilla iced coffee, caramel iced coffee, and frosted coffee.
The iced coffee (regardless of flavor) contains 80 mg in the smaller size and around 100 mg in the larger size. The frosted coffee contains 156 mg per serving.
Read on to learn more about the caffeine in Chick-fil-A iced coffee and how it compares to other brands.
Caffeine Content in Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee
The caffeine content in Chick-fil-A iced coffee varies depending on serving size and format.
Here’s the rundown:
Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee
There are two different sizes of Chick-fil-A iced coffee. One is 16 ounces, and the other is 24 ounces. Because of their difference in size, they do have different amounts of caffeine. The smaller size contains roughly 80 mg of caffeine, while the larger size contains around 100 mg of caffeine.
The FDA recommends that most people stick to a limit of around 400 mg of caffeine per day. While that’s not a hard and fast ceiling for everyone, it’s a good rough limit to avoid the stimulant having any long-term impacts on your health.
According to this guideline, you could theoretically drink five of the smaller-sized iced coffees from Chick-fil-A or four or the larger size per day. However, with 23 grams of sugar per serving (small) it’s unwise to do so.
Chick-fil-A Frosted Coffee
The most popular iced coffee beverage at Chick-fil-A is the “frosted coffee.” This milkshake-like beverage is thick, creamy, sweet, and indulgent.
Frosted coffee comes in one serving size which contains 156 mg of caffeine and significantly more sugar — 39 grams per serving. According to the FDA, you could consume around two and a half cups of frosted coffee without exceeding the recommended caffeine limit. However, the added sugar makes this more suited to a one-time treat than a daily brew.
For comparison, an eight-ounce cup of coffee made with arabica beans contains around 100 mg of caffeine, and the same serving made with robusta beans contains roughly 150 mg of caffeine. This means that the amount of caffeine in a Chick-fil-A iced coffee is below average.
How Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee Compares to Other Iced Brews
Chick-fil-A iced coffee is unique, but it’s not the only iced coffee available from a mainstream brand.
Here’s how the different brands of iced coffee stack up against one another:
|
Brand and Beverage |
Serving Size (fl oz) |
Caffeine Content (mg) |
|
Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee |
16 |
80 |
|
24 |
100 |
|
|
14 |
156 |
|
|
Starbucks Iced Coffee |
12 |
135 |
|
16 |
185 |
|
|
24 |
265 |
|
|
30 |
320 |
|
|
16 |
198 |
|
|
32 |
330 |
|
|
McDonald's Iced Coffee |
8 |
94 |
|
11.5 |
133 |
|
|
17 |
200 |
Using this information, we can see that the amount of caffeine in similar drinks from different companies varies.
Thankfully for those watching their caffeine intake, Chick-fil-A’s caffeine content does seem to be lower than other brands. This is likely because its iced coffee is made using a weak cold brew rather than espresso shot.
What Type of Coffee is Used in Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee
Chick-fil-A’s iced coffee is a little different from most of the other offerings on the market. The main reason for this is that its coffee is sourced a little differently — the brand gets its beans from “Thrive Farmers.” This ensures every cup is of high-quality quality and that the farmers are fairly compensated for their work.
The beans that Chick-fil-A uses are 100% arabica that Thrive produces only for them. The beans are all grown at high altitudes, leading to a smooth caramel and nut flavor in the final brews served in stores.
The coffee used in Chick-fil-A’s iced coffee is cold-brewed, which has a number of impacts on flavor. Arabica beans are higher in sugar and lower in caffeine than robusta beans and arabica and robusta blends. This means that their flavor is generally smoother and sweeter — these qualities are enhanced through cold brewing to create a flavorful brew with low acidity.
Is Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee Right for You?
If you’re looking to discover the new perfect coffee for you to have every morning, there’s a lot to bear in mind. If you make sure to enjoy Chick-fil-A’s iced coffee in moderation, then you may have found a great way to strike a healthy balance between taste and your dietary goals.
In terms of the overall flavor, Chick-fil-A’s iced coffee is best for people who enjoy sweet and creamy drinks. The fact that the coffee is cold brewed means that it has a naturally smooth and sweet flavor with low acidity. The large amount of sugar and milk added to the beverage enhances these characteristics further.
According to the nutritional information on Chick-fil-A’s website, its 16-ounce serving of iced coffee contains 130 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and 23 grams of sugar. While this is certainly not the most unhealthy drink out there, it’s worth saying that this is considerably more caloric and sugar-heavy than a simple cup of coffee. If you’re hoping to cut down on calories and sugar, you may be better off making your own cold brew coffee and filling a travel mug at home in the morning.
To make the drink a little healthier, you could consider customizing your order. Swap out whole milk for skimmed dairy or a plant-based alternative — this can reduce the amount of fat in the drink. You could also reduce the sugar content by opting for a sugar-free iced coffee. You may find that the natural sweetness of the cold brew coffee Chick-fil-A uses provides enough sweetness.
FAQs: Quick Facts About Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee
You’ve probably heard enough about Chick-fil-A’s iced coffee and its caffeine content. However, if you have any questions, check out the answers to the FAQs below.
1. How Much Caffeine is in Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee (Small and Large)?
The drink comes in two sizes. The small size is 16 oz and contains roughly 80 mg of caffeine. The large size is 24 oz and contains roughly 100 mg of caffeine.
Related: How Much Caffeine is in Coffee?
2. What Type of Coffee Does Chick-fil-A Use in Its Iced Coffee?
Chick-fil-A uses a custom blend of arabica beans. They get these beans through Thrive Farmers, meaning that the beans are of good quality, and the farmers themselves are paid a fair price for their crop.
3. Is Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee High in Caffeine Compared to Regular Coffee?
No, it’s not. Chick-fil-A’s iced coffee actually contains less caffeine than most regular brewed coffees, with the small 16 oz size containing around 80 mg. By comparison, an 8 oz cup of coffee brewed with arabica beans contains around 100 mg of caffeine.
4. Does Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee Contain Added Sugar?
Yes, it comes with 23 grams of added sugar. However, you can request that it be made unsweetened.
5. Can I Customize my Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee?
Yes, there are quite a few ways you can customize your Chick-fil-A’s iced coffee. You can choose from several options for different amounts of sweetness and different types of milk.
6. Does Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee Contain Artificial Ingredients?
No, it doesn’t. Ordering by default will get you a beverage made with arabica coffee beans, dairy milk, ice, and cane sugar. You can request to use different sweeteners, such as syrup, which may contain artificial ingredients.
7. Can I Get Chick-fil-A Coffee Without Milk or Sugar?
Yes, you can customize your Chick-fil-A coffee greatly. When customizing, you could request no sugar whatsoever to be added to your drink, and the same is true for milk. You can also add syrups and swap out the dairy milk for a vegan alternative.
8. Is Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee Available Year-Round?
Yes, Chick-fil-A iced coffee can be purchased all year round.
9. Does the Caffeine Content Vary Between Sweetened and Unsweetened Iced Coffee?
No, the caffeine is the same across those two drinks. The only thing that changes is the sugar content, which is greater in the sweetened beverage, of course.
10. Are There Several Flavors of Chick-fil-A Iced Coffee?
Yes, but franchise owners have a lot of control over what they offer. Most Chick-fil-A’s will offer regular iced coffee, vanilla iced coffee, and caramel iced coffee year-round. Chick-fil-A also offers certain drinks on a seasonal basis such as its Autumn pumpkin spice milkshake.
