How Many Calories in Coffee?

calories-in-coffee

I was enjoying my usual first cup of coffee the other morning and got to wondering – how many calories in coffee versus all of the other sweeteners and stuff we tend to add to it?

It turns out coffee really has no calories to speak of…

Brewed black coffee has 0-2 calories per cup.
One (1) oz of Espresso Coffee has 1 Calorie.
Flavored Coffee Drinks – OVER ONE-THOUSAND calories depending on the size and flavor.

I used the USDA estimate that an 8-12 oz cup of black coffee has somewhere between 0-2 calories per cup. A survey of other sources might show some slight variation in the exact number of calories. Nevertheless, all the sources showed that a cup of coffee has a negligible number of calories.

Coffee itself has little, if any calories. The calories come from what we add to our coffee. You know, cream, sugar and those crazy barista flavor syrups like peppermint-chocolate-mocha-whip! Are you curious how much damage all the additions can do in extra calories? Read on…

Calories in Black Coffee

An 8-12 ounce cup of black coffee has 0-2 calories according to the USDA. Other sources might show a difference of a calorie or two. I saw that Nescafe instant coffee can have up to 4 calories per cup. But the bottom line is that black coffee essentially has no real calories to worry about. All the sources I found agreed that a cup of plain, black coffee has a negligible number of calories.

Calories in White Coffee

A cup of coffee with milk usually has less than 20 total calories. Skim milk can add as little as 5 extra calories per serving. A cup of coffee with heavy cream adds about fifty extra calories per serving. If you learn to enjoy your coffee with skim milk or even whole milk, your morning cup of coffee will only set you back somewhere between 5-20 calories per cup. That’s not much to worry about. Is the half-and-half or heavy cream worth the extra 50 calories? That’s a personal choice and up to you to decide. For me, 2% or whole milk works just fine.

Calories in a Cup of Coffee

calories-white-coffee Now, let’s take a look at coffee with other stuff added. An 8 oz cup of coffee contains no real calories and no fat. But most people drink coffee and add cream, sugar, and other flavorings to complement the taste. It is those added extras that add calories.

Cup of brewed black coffee: 16 oz = 0-4 calories
Cup of coffee with sugar: 16 oz + 2 tbsp sugar = 100 calories
Cup of coffee with cream & sugar: 16 oz + 2 tbsp sugar + 2tbsp cream = 204 calories

Check out the number of calories 1 tablespoon adds of common extras people put in their coffee:

Skim milk: 5 calories
Cream (Half & Half): 20 calories
Whipping cream: 52 calories
Table sugar: 49 calories
Maple syrup: 51 calories
Corn syrup: 57 calories
Honey: 63 calories

Calories in Starbucks Coffee

Starbucks Espresso Beverages, Venti 20oz

many-calories-cup-coffee Caffè Latte 300 calories 15g fat

Caffè Mocha 420 calories 16g fat

Cappuccino 190 calories 9g fat

Caramel Macchiato 350 calories 13g fat

Cherry Mocha 490 calories 15g fat

Cinnamon Macchiato 400 calories 14g fat

Cinnamon Dolce Latte 390 calories 14g fat

Cinnamon Shortbread 490 calories 22g fat

Cordusio 380 calories 15 g fat

Calories in Mcdonald’s Coffee

McCafe, Large 21oz

Caramel Macchiato 400 Calories 12g fat

Cappuccino 210 Calories 11g fat

Mocha 500 Calories 17g fat

Latte 250 Calories 13g fat

Mocha Frappé 670 Calories 26g fat

5 Highest Calorie Coffee Drinks We Found

Biggby Avalanche Latte Creme Freeze – 1003 CALORIES

calories-in-flavored-coffee Biggby is a growing coffee chain in the USA. They have a mind boggling selection of high-calorie lattes and frozen coffees. This flavored coffee drink will give you the majority of your daily calorie needs in one 32 fluid ounce cup. A drink like this and one other meal will provide all the calories you will need in a whole day. A pint of ice cream has about 120 grams of carbs. Carbohydrates are a great source of energy, but you probably won’t be using it up right away. Any carbs that the body doesn’t use up are stored as fat.

Baskin Robins Caramel Cappuccino Blast – 1040 CALORIES

Ice cream based coffee drinks pile on the calories in a hurry! Most people don’t realize how calorie dense a drink like this really is. We have become conditioned to the misconception that solid food is where our calories come from. We wrongly believe drinks are relatively harmless and deliver only minor amounts of calories compared to an actual meal. How wrong we are. The 1040 calories is for a 32 oz large drink – but even the mini size delivers 430 calories.

Dunkin Donuts Frozen Coffee – 1060 CALORIES

This is Dunkin Donuts large size (32 fluid ounces) with cream and caramel flavor. For most people, it is half to two-thirds of their recommended daily allowance of calories. It also provides about 393 mg of caffeine. Your body takes a while to fully digest over a pint of ice cream due to the high fat content. Therefore, you’re going to feel a little bloated after finishing off a drink like this. Also, you will feel sluggish and your brain will become a bit foggy as your blood is directed to your gut. Any meal this rich in fat will leave you feeling lazy for an hour or two as your body goes through the digestion process.

Caribou Coffee Chocolate Caramel Truffle Mocha Cooler – 1330 CALORIES

Caribou Coffee definitely takes the prize for having the most calories in a coffee drink. For some people, this is almost a day’s worth of calories. One drink also delivers 111 grams of sugar and 76 grams of fat. That’s like eating 9+ tablespoons of sugar mixed with 7 tablespoons (almost a stick) of butter. Contrary to popular belief, you won’t get much of a sugar rush by pounding back over a pint of ice cream. There is no burst of energy because sugar is not a stimulant. Sugar does provide quick energy, but when it’s wrapped up in a bunch of fat, the effect is delayed – a time release instead of a big bang.

Are There Ways to Reduce Calories When Having Coffee Out?

If you really want to save on calories and your budget, just eliminate coffee shops from your daily routine completely. Dropping that morning latte can really help. However, if you just have to have a barista fix, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep the calories at a manageable level:

Order a Smaller Size. …
Go Sugar Free. …
Try Non-Fat Milk. …
Order “Light” or “Skinny” …
Skip the Whipped Cream

Calories in Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans

A few dark chocolate covered coffee beans are not high in calories, but calories can quickly add up if you eat too many because of the chocolate. They’re also contain fat and sugar. A 10-bean serving of chocolate covered espresso coffee beans has about 90 calories. Plain espresso beans have no calories at all.

Imagine a world in which chocolate and coffee are considered health foods. Nutritionists won’t go quite that far, but research indicates that dark chocolate and coffee offer many health benefits. Eating chocolate-covered espresso beans may actually lower your risk of disease if you eat them in moderation.

Bottom Line

Coffee itself is very low in calories. An 8-12 oz cup of black coffee delivers less than 5 calories. Some sources, like the USDA say black coffee has ZERO calories. If you like a dairy creamer in your morning coffee, try to use milk and not heavy cream. Skim milk will set you back only 5 calories. Heavy cream adds over 50 calories per tablespoon.

Flavored coffee drinks from your local coffee shop can pile on calories. Frozen coffee flavored drinks with ice cream are the absolute worst choice if you are trying to keep calories down. Frozen coffee drinks with ice cream can weigh in at a whopping ONE THOUSAND CALORIES or more!

There are steps you can take to minimize the calories you consume. Stay away from coffee shops entirely, if you can. Drink black coffee, use milk instead of cream, and use low calorie sweeteners instead of sugar.

Coffeemaker Mentor