A 12 fl oz can of regular Dr Pepper has 39 grams of sugar, all of it added sugar: about 9.75 teaspoons, in 150 calories. A 20 fl oz bottle has 65 g. Diet Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper Zero Sugar have 0 g. I checked these figures against Keurig Dr Pepper's product facts on October 5, 2026.
I love this drink, and the sugar is still real. One regular can already goes past the American Heart Association's daily added-sugar limit for both women and men. So here is the full nutrition label, the numbers by bottle size, what 39 g looks like in teaspoons, and the zero-sugar versions to reach for when you want the taste without the load.
This is general information, not medical or dietary advice. For guidance on your own sugar or calorie intake, check with a doctor or registered dietitian.
Dr Pepper nutrition label (12 fl oz can)
This is the Nutrition Facts panel for a standard 12 fl oz can, copied line by line from Keurig Dr Pepper's product facts page (checked October 5, 2026). The serving size is the whole can.
| Nutrient (per 12 fl oz) | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 150 | |
| Total fat | 0 g | 0% |
| Sodium | 55 mg | 2% |
| Total carbohydrates | 40 g | 14% |
| Total sugars | 39 g | |
| Added sugars | 39 g | 78% |
| Protein | 0 g | |
| Caffeine (listed separately by KDP) | about 41 mg |
Ingredients, in label order: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural and artificial flavors, sodium benzoate (preservative), caffeine.
So the sugar in a US can of Dr Pepper comes from high fructose corn syrup. If you would rather have it with cane sugar, that is Dr Pepper Made with Real Sugar, which has its own label. The caffeine figure has its own deep dive in how much caffeine is in Dr Pepper, and the full ingredient story (and what the 23 flavors might be) is in the 23 flavors of Dr Pepper.
How many teaspoons of sugar are in a can of Dr Pepper?
About 9.75 teaspoons, which is near enough to 10 that it is worth picturing ten teaspoons going into a glass. The math uses 4 grams of sugar per teaspoon, the same conversion the American Heart Association uses (it equates 36 g with 9 teaspoons):
- Grams: 39 g in a 12 fl oz can
- Teaspoons: 39 ÷ 4 = about 9.75 teaspoons
- Tablespoons: 9.75 ÷ 3 = about 3.25 tablespoons
- 20 fl oz bottle: 65 g, or roughly 16 teaspoons
How much sugar is in a 20 oz Dr Pepper? (Every size)
The can is not the only way people drink it, and the bigger the container, the faster it adds up. Keurig Dr Pepper publishes a separate label for each bottle and can size, and I read every one of these on its product facts site on October 5, 2026. Two rows are my own math and marked as such: the 2 liter label is per 12 fl oz serving, so the whole-bottle figure is calculated, and the fountain row is scaled from the 12 oz label at 3.25 g of sugar and 12.5 calories per fluid ounce.
| Size | Calories | Sugar | Teaspoons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 fl oz mini can | 90 | 24 g | ~6 |
| 12 fl oz can | 150 | 39 g | ~9.75 |
| 16 fl oz bottle | 190 | 52 g | ~13 |
| 16.9 fl oz bottle | 210 | 55 g | ~14 |
| 20 fl oz bottle | 240 | 65 g | ~16 |
| 32 fl oz fountain cup, no ice (scaled) | ~400 | ~104 g | ~26 |
| 2 liter bottle, whole thing (calculated) | ~845 | ~220 g | ~55 |
The fountain row assumes a cup filled with soda only. Ice displaces soda, so a real large cup usually holds less, and free refills push it the other way. The honest read: a 20 oz bottle is about one and two-thirds cans' worth of sugar, and a 32 oz fountain cup filled to the brim is about two and two-thirds. The Dr Pepper product page has the same sizes with the caffeine for each, and the fountain figure from Keurig Dr Pepper's own fountain calculator.
What 39 grams of sugar actually means
Here is the part that surprises most people. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 25 g (6 teaspoons) of added sugar a day for women and 36 g (9 teaspoons) for men.
That means a single 12 oz can of regular Dr Pepper (39 g) is over the entire day's recommended added sugar for both women and men, before you eat anything else. A 20 oz bottle comes close to double the men's limit on its own. This is not meant to scare anyone off a treat; it just makes the daily-habit math clear. Whether a daily can is actually a problem gets its own honest answer in is Dr Pepper bad for you.
Why the label says 78%, and why it is not 78 grams
You will sometimes see Dr Pepper quoted as having "78 grams of sugar" or being "78% sugar". Both come from misreading the label, and the confusion spreads, so it is worth clearing up.
A 12 oz can has 39 grams of added sugar. The 78% printed beside it is the percent Daily Value: 39 g measured against the FDA's Daily Value of 50 g of added sugars for a 2,000-calorie diet. Read that percentage as grams and you double the real number. The other number people mix up is the 40 g of total carbohydrate, which sits on the line directly above the sugars.
The zero-sugar swaps
The zero-sugar versions are not a watered-down compromise; they are the same brand family with the sugar and calories taken out. Both of these labels read 0 calories, 0 g total sugars and 0 g added sugars on Keurig Dr Pepper's product facts (checked October 5, 2026).
- Diet Dr Pepper: 0 calories, 0 g sugar, sweetened with aspartame. For a closer look at what is in it, see what sweetener is in Diet Dr Pepper.
- Dr Pepper Zero Sugar: 0 calories, 0 g sugar, sweetened with aspartame plus acesulfame potassium, and pitched as tasting closer to the original than classic Diet.
- Dr Pepper Cherry Zero: the cherry twist with none of the sugar.
- Dr Pepper & Cream Soda Zero Sugar: the cream soda flavor at 0 calories and 0 g sugar, against 39 g in the full-sugar cream soda can.
Diet and Zero Sugar keep the same 41 mg of caffeine as the original but drop all 150 calories and all 39 g of sugar. For anyone cutting back on sugar, swapping the daily can for Zero is the simplest way to drop 39 g a day without giving up the flavor. If you want to try the swap, you can grab a 12-pack of Dr Pepper Zero Sugar (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.), pick up Diet Dr Pepper by the 12-pack, or stick with the classic and grab a 12-pack of regular Dr Pepper if you would rather just drink less of it.
Does Dr Pepper have more sugar than Coke?
Not in any way that matters. A 12 oz can of Coca-Cola and a 12 oz can of Pepsi land within a couple of grams of Dr Pepper's 39 g, so all three are in the same neighborhood on sugar and calories. The side-by-side numbers, plus caffeine and taste, are in Dr Pepper vs Coke vs Pepsi. The real difference is flavor, built on its 23 flavors, and if you enjoy it in recipes rather than straight, a Dr Pepper float or one of the other Dr Pepper recipes at least turns the sugar into an occasional treat rather than a daily default.
Frequently asked questions
How much sugar is in a can of Dr Pepper?
A 12 fl oz can of regular Dr Pepper has 39 g of sugar, and all 39 g are added sugar. That is about 9.75 teaspoons, more than the American Heart Association's daily added-sugar limit for both women (25 g) and men (36 g).
How many grams of sugar are in a can of Dr Pepper?
39 g in a 12 fl oz can, per the label on Keurig Dr Pepper's product facts site. The 40 g you sometimes see is the total carbohydrate line, which sits directly above sugars on the label.
How many teaspoons of sugar are in a can of Dr Pepper?
About 9.75 teaspoons, at 4 g of sugar per teaspoon. In tablespoons that is a little over 3 (about 3.25).
How much sugar is in a 20 oz Dr Pepper?
65 g, roughly 16 teaspoons, in 240 calories, per Keurig Dr Pepper's label for the 20 fl oz bottle. That is close to double the American Heart Association's daily added-sugar limit for men.
How many calories are in a can of Dr Pepper?
A 12 fl oz can of regular Dr Pepper has 150 calories. A 20 fl oz bottle has 240. Diet Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper Zero Sugar have 0 calories.
What does the 78% on the Dr Pepper label mean?
It is the percent Daily Value for added sugars. The 39 g in a can is 78% of the FDA's 50 g Daily Value for added sugars on a 2,000-calorie diet. It does not mean the drink is 78% sugar or contains 78 g.
Does Diet Dr Pepper have sugar or calories?
No. Diet Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper Zero Sugar both have 0 calories and 0 g of sugar. They use the sweeteners aspartame (Diet) or aspartame plus acesulfame potassium (Zero Sugar) instead.
Is Dr Pepper high in sodium?
Not particularly. A 12 oz can has 55 mg of sodium, which is 2% of the Daily Value. The sugar is the number to watch, not the sodium.
The bottom line
A 12 oz can of regular Dr Pepper is 150 calories and 39 g of added sugar, about 10 teaspoons, and that single can already exceeds the American Heart Association's daily added-sugar guideline. Bigger sizes scale up fast: a 20 oz bottle is 240 calories and 65 g of sugar. If you want the flavor without the load, Dr Pepper Zero Sugar and Diet Dr Pepper deliver it at 0 calories and 0 sugar with the same caffeine. Enjoy the real thing as a treat, just count it as one.