Brand guide
How to stop drinking Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper has a flavor nothing else matches, which is why it can be the hardest can to give up. This guide covers what is in a can and how to replace it.
Not medical advice. QuitSoda is habit support for adults. If caffeine, sugar, pregnancy, medicines, or a health condition affect your plan, ask your clinician.
Short answer: A 12 fl oz can of Dr Pepper lists about 41 mg of caffeine and 39 g of sugar, according to Keurig Dr Pepper. Count your cans and the moments you open them, pick an unsweetened drink for each moment, decide whether to keep some caffeine from tea or coffee, then cut back or set a quit date. The free 30-day challenge sends a short email each day to keep you going.
What is in a can of Dr Pepper
| Drink | Calories | Sugar | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Pepper | 150 | 39 g | about 41 mg |
| Diet Dr Pepper | 0 | 0 g | about 41 mg |
| Dr Pepper Zero Sugar | 0 | 0 g | about 41 mg |
Keurig Dr Pepper lists the same approximate caffeine for all three, so moving from regular to diet or zero sugar changes the sugar and calories but not the caffeine. For comparison, the brands list 34 mg in a 12 oz Coca-Cola Original, 38 mg in Pepsi, 46 mg in Diet Coke, and 54 mg in Mountain Dew. Checked Nov 3, 2026. Fountain drinks, bigger bottles, and other Dr Pepper flavors can differ, so check the label on yours.
More brands are in caffeine in soda and sugar in a can of soda.
How to stop drinking Dr Pepper
- Count your cans for three days. Write down the time and place for each one. The free 30-day worksheet has room for it.
- Pick a replacement for each moment. Very cold plain seltzer in the same glass, with ice, is the closest match for the fizz.
- Decide about caffeine. Each can has about 41 mg. You can keep some caffeine in unsweetened coffee or tea while you drop the can, or taper both.
- Choose your pace. Drop one can every few days with the taper plan, or pick a quit date and go all at once. Cold turkey vs cutting back compares the two.
- Clear the supply. Stop buying the 12-pack. Keep the replacement where the cans used to be.
- Run it for 30 days with the free 30-day challenge. It sends one short email a day.
If it's the taste you'll miss
Nothing unsweetened tastes like Dr Pepper, and pretending otherwise doesn't help. What does help is splitting the can into its parts: the cold, the fizz, the caffeine, and the routine. Cold seltzer covers the first two. Tea or coffee covers the caffeine. The same glass at the same time covers the routine.
Flavored sparkling water counts as soda on the QuitSoda challenge, even with no sugar. The only flavor that fits is a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime at home.
- Plain sparkling water or seltzer, very cold, with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime at home if you like.
- Unsweetened iced or hot tea, black or green.
- Unsweetened coffee, if the can was mostly about caffeine.
- Still water in a bottle you like, kept where the can used to sit.
Plan for the caffeine
At about 41 mg a can, three cans a day is about 123 mg from Dr Pepper alone. The FDA lists 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most adults. It also says that if you drink caffeine every day and want to cut back, it is best to do it gradually, and that caffeine withdrawal is not considered dangerous but can be unpleasant.
MedlinePlus lists headaches, drowsiness, irritability, nausea, and trouble concentrating as possible withdrawal symptoms and says they usually go away after a couple of days. If a headache is your worry, read headache after quitting soda.
If you drink Diet Dr Pepper or Zero Sugar
On the QuitSoda challenge, diet and zero sugar sodas count as soda, the same as flavored sparkling water. The taper heads toward unsweetened drinks, not toward a different can. More on that in how to quit diet soda.
Sources
- Keurig Dr Pepper Product Facts: Dr Pepper 12 fl oz, Diet Dr Pepper, and Dr Pepper Zero Sugar: calories, sugar, and caffeine per 12 fl oz (caffeine is listed as approximate).
- FDA: Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?: the 400 mg figure for most adults and the advice to cut back gradually.
- MedlinePlus (NIH): Caffeine: 12 oz cola range, withdrawal symptoms and how long they usually last, and who should check with a provider about caffeine.
- Coca-Cola US: Coca-Cola Original and Diet Coke: caffeine per 12 fl oz.
- PepsiCo product facts: Pepsi 12 fl oz and Mountain Dew: caffeine per can.
Quit Dr Pepper with a 30-day plan
Practice the next month with a simple plan. A welcome email, then one short email a day. No app. No credit card.
Frequently asked questions
How much caffeine is in Dr Pepper?
Keurig Dr Pepper lists about 41 mg of caffeine in a 12 fl oz can of Dr Pepper. It lists the same approximate amount for Diet Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper Zero Sugar.
How much sugar is in a can of Dr Pepper?
A 12 fl oz can of Dr Pepper lists 39 g of sugar, all of it added, and 150 calories, according to Keurig Dr Pepper.
Does Diet Dr Pepper have caffeine?
Yes. Keurig Dr Pepper lists about 41 mg in a 12 fl oz can of Diet Dr Pepper, the same approximate amount as regular. Diet cuts the sugar and calories, not the caffeine.
Will I lose weight if I stop drinking Dr Pepper?
QuitSoda does not promise weight loss. A can lists 150 calories, but what happens to your weight depends on what you eat and drink instead, along with many other things. The challenge is about changing the habit.
What can I drink instead of Dr Pepper?
Unsweetened still water, plain unsweetened sparkling water, and unsweetened tea or coffee. A squeeze of fresh lemon or lime at home is fine. Flavored sparkling water counts as soda on the challenge.