Coffee fruit vs coffee: how the caffeine really compares (and where our bars fit)

If you have heard that coffee grows inside a fruit, you may also have heard of coffee cherry tea. It is not made with coffee leaves, but with the fruit left over from processing the beans, often considered "waste". It is commonly called cascara.

That background sets up an important question. If cascara comes from the coffee fruit, how does its caffeine compare to regular coffee and what does that mean for snacks made from coffee fruit like ours.

First, a useful benchmark

In lab work commissioned by Square Mile Coffee Roasters, cascara’s caffeine measured much lower than brewed coffee. Square Mile writes, “even at the strongest, longest brew, the caffeine content of cascara came in at 111.4 mg/L, compared to about 400–800 mg/L in brewed coffee,” then asks, “if the caffeine content is fairly low, why do we feel so energized after just a couple of cups” Square Mile Coffee Roasters

So cascara is roughly a quarter of coffee by caffeine. Good to know. Now let us talk about coffee fruit the way we use it and how that changes both the feel and the function.

Cascara is not coffee fruit

Cascara is usually the dried skin of the coffee cherry, brewed like a tea. Coffee fruit is the whole soft tissue around the bean, mucilage, pulp, and skin. That is what we use. We do not dry it. We pressure press the fresh fruit into a concentrate to help protect delicate antioxidants that can be lost to oxygen and time during drying.

The caffeine comparison you can feel

Here is a clear comparison by drink type and by bar so you can choose your level with intent

• Single espresso about 30 mL, about 60 mg caffeine, typical guideline.
• Medium flat white about 355 mL, two shots, about 120 mg caffeine.
• Matcha latte about 240–355 mL using 1–2 g powder, about ~60–90 mg caffeine (rule of thumb: ~30–45 mg per gram).
• Energy drink about 250 mL can, about ~80 mg caffeine. Larger 500 mL cans are often about ~160 mg.
• Hot chocolate about 250–300 mL, typically ~5–20 mg caffeine depending on cocoa content.
• Decaf coffee about 240–300 mL, typically ~2–5 mg caffeine.
• I Am Grounded bar — 20 mg: Lemon Coconut, Salted Caramel, Blueberry Cashew
• I Am Grounded bar — 40 mg: Cocoa Almond
• I Am Grounded bar — 60 mg: Espresso Peanut Butter

With those anchors in mind, here is how to fit coffee fruit bars into your day for steady, predictable energy.

Antioxidants and why our method helps

Coffee fruit is naturally rich in polyphenols. One review describes coffee cherry and cascara as having “rich phytochemical content and antioxidant properties” with abundant chlorogenic acids and related phenolics across regions and extraction methods Antioxidants, MDPI.

In practice, antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress and support normal cell signalling. Process matters. Drying the husk for cascara exposes it to oxygen and time, which can degrade sensitive compounds. We work with the fresh whole coffee fruit and pressure press it into a concentrate to help protect those delicate polyphenols and to keep flavour clean.

Coffee fruit as a natural nootropic

Beyond caffeine, coffee fruit supports brain friendly pathways. In a single dose human study, a 100 mg whole coffee fruit concentrate “significantly increased plasma BDNF levels” within the first two hours after intake. BDNF is a protein associated with learning, memory, and neuroplasticity British Journal of Nutrition. A research brief summarises an average increase of about 143 percent in the hours following consumption Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.

What that means for how it makes you feel, is that many people describe coffee fruit energy as clear and composed. Caffeine provides alertness, while the fruit’s unique compounds support the body’s own signalling related to focus and learning.

So when should you choose what

• Choose coffee when you want the ritual and a bigger single hit, for example a flat white on the school run.
• Choose a bar when you want control
  • 20 mg for a gentle start Lemon Coconut, Salted Caramel, Blueberry Cashew.
  • 40 mg for a moderate lift Cocoa Almond.
  • 60 mg for a bigger lift Espresso Peanut Butter.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand notes there is “no recognised health based guidance value” for caffeine, however recommend maximum 400mg per adult daily. If you are sensitive or pregnant, follow your health professional’s advice and the FSANZ consumer guidance FSANZ.

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FAQs

Is coffee fruit the same as cascara
No. Cascara is typically the dried skin brewed like tea. We use fresh, pressure pressed whole coffee fruit, mucilage, pulp, and skin, which supports better antioxidant retention and a cleaner flavour. Square Mile’s lab summary puts cascara at “111.4 mg/L at the strongest brew” versus “about 400–800 mg/L” for brewed coffee. Source

How much caffeine is in a bar compared with an espresso or flat white
Lemon Coconut 20 mg. Salted Caramel 20 mg. Blueberry Cashew 20 mg. Cocoa Almond 40 mg. Espresso Peanut Butter 60 mg. A single espresso about 30 mL is about 60 mg. A medium flat white about 355 mL with two shots is about 120 mg. Shot sizes vary by café. General ranges CSPI. Local advice FSANZ.

Is coffee fruit a nootropic
Yes. A single 100 mg dose of whole coffee fruit concentrate “significantly increased plasma BDNF levels” in healthy adults within two hours. British Journal of Nutrition. A research brief reports an average increase of about 143 percent. ADDF.

Sources

• Square Mile Coffee Roasters – Cascara and caffeine
  “Even at the strongest, longest brew, the caffeine content of cascara came in at 111.4 mg/L,” versus brewed coffee “about 400–800 mg/L.”
• British Journal of Nutrition – Coffee fruit and BDNF
  Human study reporting a significant acute increase in plasma BDNF after a single 100 mg whole coffee fruit concentrate.
• Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation – Research brief
  Concise overview noting an average BDNF increase of ~143% following whole coffee fruit extract.
• Antioxidants (MDPI) – Coffee cherry/cascara chemistry
  Review describing coffee cherry as rich in phytochemicals and antioxidant properties, including chlorogenic acids.
• CSPI – Caffeine chart
  Broad reference ranges for caffeine across common beverages.
• FSANZ – Caffeine consumer advice
  Local guidance on caffeine exposure and higher risk groups in Australia and New Zealand.