Why a popular ice cream flavor might keep you awake
A few scoops from your favorite ice cream stand is a real treat in the summertime and, let’s face it, every other time of year. But what you might not know is that the contents of your cone could be caffeinated.
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Those opting for popular flavors like vanilla or strawberry are safe from a secret energy spike, but if your mind is set on coffee-flavored ice cream, you might be bouncing off the walls after your dessert is finished.
Of course, the culprit in this scenario is real coffee. Haagen-Dazs uses Brazilian coffee beans in its recipe. The exact caffeine content is not listed on the Haagen-Dazs website, but according to the independent consumer-advocacy Center for Science in the Public Interest, there are 29 milligrams of caffeine in just a 4-ounce serving.
Ben & Jerry’s is another popular brand that has multiple coffee-flavored ice creams, including Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz!, which features coffee ice cream with espresso bean fudge chunks. The recipe lists coffee extract and coffee as well as cocoa powder, which naturally contains about 12.4 milligrams of caffeine per tablespoon.
According to the USDA, one 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee has 95 milligrams of caffeine in it, so depending on how much ice cream you plan on eating, you could end up with a buzz. If you're a coffee fan looking for a caffeine kick, wake up with a latte, cappuccino, macchiato or other coffee drink.
