Which Soda contains the most sugar? Soda, Pop, Fizzy Drinks, Fizzy Pop – those carbonated drinks which we all know and love. From a young age, we all seem enamored with soda drinks and their fizzy bubbles. However, as we get older, we all know we probably shouldn’t really drink them often. But life happens – you are out getting something to eat, or a drink and you just suddenly want an icy cold soda. I completely understand. After all, I am a complete sucker for Dr. Pepper. I love it – I am not going to lie and on occasion, I will treat myself to a Diet Dr. Pepper.
So out of the most popular sodas which contain the most sugar? That is the question I am going to be answering in this post.
To answer this question, I decided to rank the sugar content of 12 of the most popular sodas. These are regular sodas and not the “Diet” versions.
The results were very interesting. This is because there was a clear pattern of “types” of sodas falling within a certain sugar content range. Now let’s not make any mistake about it – all non-diet sodas are high in sugar. But there is still up to 24% difference in sugar content in the sodas I looked at.
So, let’s dig in – which soda contains the most sugar?
How Much Sugar is in Soda?
As a general rule, a 12 oz soda tends to contain 37g-46g of sugar per 12oz can. Mountain Dew and Root Beer sodas tend to contain the most sugar. Lemonade sodas such as 7Up, Sprite, and Sierra Mist tend to contain the least sugar.
1. Mountain Dew – 46g of Sugar
One of the highest sugar sodas on his list was Mountain Dew Original. So, if you love a bit of the ‘dew’ then I am sorry to disappoint. There are 46g of sugar in a 12oz can of Mountain Dew Original.
2. A&W Root Beer – 46g of Sugar
The other highest-sugar soda on this list is A&W root beer. So, if you are a Sassafras fan just be aware there are 46g of sugar per 12oz can of A&W root beer.
3. Barq’s Root Beer – 45g of Sugar
Barq’s Root beer has a super similar sugar content at 45g of sugar per 12oz can. It seems that root beer in general is a higher-sugar soda, with the sugar content usually coming in at 45g-46g of sugar in a 12oz can.
4. Fanta Orange – 44g of Sugar
Is orange soda your soda of choice? If so, you may be interested to know that there is 44g of sugar in a 12oz can of Fanta Orange.
5. Sunkist Orange – 44g of Sugar
Sunkist Orange has exactly the sugar content in a 12oz can at 44g of sugar.
6. Crush Orange – 43g of Sugar
Crush Orange contains a little bit less sugar, but there isn’t much in it. There are 43g of sugar in a 12oz can of Crush Orange. So, it seems that a lot of orange sodas contain around 43g-44g of sugar in a 12oz can.
7. Pepsi – 41g of Sugar
Okay, I can’t write a post on sodas without looking at one of the “giants of soda” – Pepsi. So how much sugar is in a 12oz can of Pepsi? 41g of sugar is the answer.
8. Dr. Pepper – 40g of Sugar
If you enjoy the unusual unique soda that is Dr. Pepper (like me) then you may be interested to know that there are 40g of sugar in a 12oz can of Dr. Pepper.
9. Coca-Cola – 39g of Sugar
Above I established that there are 41g of sugar in a 12oz can of Pepsi. But how about Pepsi’s main rival? How much sugar is in a can of Coke? Well actually slightly less than in a can of Pepsi – at 39g of sugar.
10. Sprite – 38g of Sugar
Is a refreshing Sprite your soda of choice? Well, there are 38g of sugar in a 12oz can of Sprite.
11. 7up – 38g of Sugar
There is also 38g of sugar in Sprite’s main competitor – 7up!
12. Sierra Mist – 37g of Sugar
Finally, there are 37g of sugar in a 12oz can of Sierra Mist. That is 9g less than a Mountain Dew or A&W root beer. It also seems safe to conclude that most lemonade-style sodas are slightly lower in sugar than other sodas coming in at 37g-38g of sugar per 12oz can.
Summary Table
Below is my summary table for all the 12 entries mentioned above. For each item, I include the total sugar per 12oz Can of soda.
| Soda | Sugar in a 12oz Can |
|---|---|
| Mountain Dew Original | 46g |
| A&W Root Beer | 46g |
| Barq’s Root Beer | 45g |
| Fanta Orange | 44g |
| Sunkist Orange | 44g |
| Crush Orange | 43g |
| Pepsi | 41g |
| Dr. Pepper | 40g |
| Coca-Cola | 39g |
| Sprite | 38g |
| 7up | 38g |
| Sierra Mist | 37g |
Conclusions About the Sugar Content of Regular Sodas
From the above, it seems like a few general conclusions about ten sugar content of sodas can be drawn:
- Mountain Dew is a higher-sugar soda at 46g of sugar:
- Root Beer also tends to be a higher-sugar soda at 45g-46g of sugar;
- Followed by orange sodas at 43g-44g of sugar;
- followed by colas at 39g-41g of sugar: and
- Lemonades tend to be a lower sugar soda at 37g-38g.
Sugar In Soda F&Q
Which Soda Has the Least Amount of Sugar?
Sierra Mist has a lower sugar content than a lot of sodas at 37g of sugar in a 12oz can. Lemonade-style sodas generally tend to have a lower sugar content than other sodas – Sprite and 7up both contain 38g of sugar in a 12oz can.
Which Two Sodas Have the Highest Sugar Content?
Mountain Dew and A&W Root Beer are higher-sugar sodas. Both these sodas contain 46g of sugar in a 12oz can.
How Much Sugar is in A 12oz Coke?
There are 39g of sugar in a 12oz can of Coke.
How Much Sugar is in A 12oz Mountain Dew?
There are 46g of sugar in a 12oz can of Mountain Dew Original
Which Soda Contains More Sugar – Coke or Mountain Dew?
Mountain Dew contains more sugar than Coke. There are 46g of sugar in a 12oz can of Mountain Dew Original and 39g of sugar in a 12oz can of Coke.
Which Contains More Sugar – Pepsi or Coke?
Pepsi contains slightly more sugar than Coke. There are 41g of sugar in a 12oz can of Pepsi vs 39g of sugar in a 12oz can of Coke.
Is Sprite High in Sugar?
Sprite contains 37g of sugar in a 12oz can. Whilst this is high in sugar this is actually a lower sugar content than most sodas.
How Much Sugar Is In a 12oz Dr. Pepper?
There are 40g of sugar in a 12oz can of Dr Pepper.
What is the Average Sugar in Soda?
A 12oz can of soda tends to contain 37g-46g of sugar.
Which Soda Contains the Most Sugar? – The Final Bite
Which soda contains the most sugar? What have we learned from the above? Well, firstly my personal favorite soda – Dr. Pepper contains 40g of sugar per serving. If you are looking to lower, your sugar content and still have a regular-style soda then your best option is to pick a Lemonade-style soda. As these appear to be lower in sugar than other versions. If a “Coke” is your soda of choice, then Regular Coca-Cola has less sugar than Regular Pepsi (there is a 2g difference between the two). However, if you are really trying to lower your sugar then really you should always be picking the Diet version of these drinks. Especially if that Soda you love is more than a once-in-a-while treat. Diet Dr. Pepper anyone?
And Remember…
Ingredients and/or manufacturing processes may change. Always double-check ingredient lists and nutritional information before purchasing any food items.
WANT TO FIND MORE LOW SUGAR OPTIONS?
Do you want to learn about some other low-sugar options at your favorite coffee chains, fast food, or restaurant joints, or just while you are shopping for groceries? If you do, then check out some of my other articles below:
