Your coffee has zero calories, a few calories or a lot of calories.
I’m willing to bet that no one really thinks about calories in their coffee; especially the people that drink it straight black. Do you think about calories if there is creamer in it? What about adding sugar and milk? Does a sweetener, such as Sweet-n-Low, add any calories? Well, those are great questions and we will answer every one of them, and then some.
After you read this article, you will have a complete understanding of just how much calories are actually in that wonderful cup of joe you drink every day.
What is a calorie?
Britannica describes a calorie as, “A calorie is a unit that is used to measure energy. The Calorie you see on a food package is actually a kilocalorie, or 1,000 calories. A Calorie (kcal) is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius.” Ok, what about in terms the average Joe can understand? This simply means the word “calorie” is the measurement of energy in the foods we eat. Depending on the calories listed on the label, you will now know the amount of energy you will receive from that particular food or drink.
How many calories in coffee?
As a rough estimate, an 8 oz. cup of coffee contains only one calorie and zero fats.
Calories have been around since the beginning of time and most everything we eat has some, to some extent. With the exception of water and the occasional ice cube, there are calories everywhere. As for coffee, there are very little calories in a cup of coffee, so little in fact, that you really have no need to count it, if you drink it black.
If you add creamer, sugar, sweetener or milk; well then, you have something to count. Here is a label from the USDA showing just how much calories are in a cup of black coffee:
Coffee
Sources include: USDA
| Amount Per 1 cup (8 fl oz) (237 g) | |
| Calories 1 | |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0 g | 0% |
| Saturated fat 0 g | 0% |
| Polyunsaturated fat 0 g | |
| Monounsaturated fat 0 g | |
| Trans fat regulation 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium 5 mg | 0% |
| Potassium 116 mg | 3% |
| Total Carbohydrate 0 g | 0% |
| Dietary fiber 0 g | 0% |
| Sugar 0 g | |
| Protein 0.3 g | 0% |
As you can see, there isn’t much to worry about. If you are watching your diet and counting calories, you may want to take a look at what you are putting in your coffee for flavor. I’m not a fan of black coffee, but I sure love those different creamers they have for us! Take a look at the chart below for further clarification on how many calories are floating around in that cup of coffee you love so much:
| Drink | Calories |
|---|---|
| Black coffee | 2 |
| Iced black coffee | 2 |
| Espresso | 20 |
| Cold press (nitro cold brew) | 2 |
| Brewed coffee from flavored beans | 2 |
| Coffee with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of French vanilla creamer | 32 |
| Coffee with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of skim milk | 7 |
| Coffee with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) half-and-half and 1 teaspoon of sugar | 38 |
| Nonfat latte | 72 |
| Flavored latte | 134 |
| Nonfat cappuccino | 46 |
| Nonfat macchiato | 52 |
| Nonfat mocha | 129 |
| Nonfat frozen coffee drink | 146 |
| Bulletproof coffee with (470 mL) coffee, (28 g)butter, (14 g) coconut oil | about 325 |
So you see, by looking at the labels before adding anything to your coffee, you will know exactly how much “energy” you are getting from the calories. These are just a few mentioned, so I’m sure if you look further in to the flavors of your favorite, you will find exactly what you are looking for.
Calories In Coffee + Extras
| COFFEE + EXTRAS | SERVING (g) | CALORIES |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee + Skimmed Milk | 100g | 11 |
| Coffee + Skimmed Milk & 1 Sugar | 100g | 34 |
| Coffee + Semi Skimmed Milk | 100g | 15 |
| Coffee + Semi Skimmed Milk + 1 Sugar | 100g | 38 |
| Coffee + Whole Milk | 100g | 21 |
| Coffee + Whole Milk & 1 Sugar | 100g | 45 |
The Best Low/Zero Calorie Coffee
| TYPE | SERVING (oz) | CALORIES |
|---|---|---|
| American Espresso Coffee | 1 oz. | 1 |
| Brewed Coffee | 8 oz. | 2 |
| Brewed Decaf Coffee | 8 oz. | 0 |
While it’s ok to enjoy coffee with milk, sugar or cream but overdoing that can result in weight gain and fats.
From the table, you should stick to plain coffee. It may not satisfy your taste buds for a few days; you’ll eventually start enjoying it. For more ideas on various types of coffee you can make see our page here.
Should You Avoid Coffee To Lose Weight?
Nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky says, “It depends on the type of coffee you drink. A plain cup of brewed coffee has less than five calories — and no fat. But if you dress up your coffee with extras, whether at home or your favorite coffee shop, you also add extra calories.”
Majority of the studies show that caffeine boosts metabolic rate and promotes fat burning. It also suppresses your appetite.
That being said; as long as you are consuming plain brewed coffee, you aren’t consuming any calories or a very little.
To lose weight, you should only cut sugar, milk, and cream and drink regular coffee.
TBH, I drink three cups of plain coffee daily during winter and switch to green tea during summer since both the drinks promotes fat loss and keeps your body and mind refreshed.
How many calories are in my favorite coffee flavors?
Any of the coffee drinks you make with milk and sugar will be much higher in the calories than plain coffee. Also keep in mind that, the number of calories in the milk you add to your coffee drink will depend on what type of milk you use. Take a look below for more clarification:
- WHOLE Milk – 146 calories per 1 cup serving
- Skim Milk – 83 calories per 1 cup serving
- Almond Milk – 60 calories per 1 cup serving
- 2% Milk – 102 calories per 1 cup serving
Why Almond Milk for coffee?
No one really thinks of almond milk as “actual” milk, but the benefits are amazing. For one, its dairy free; so those that are lactose intolerant or have an allergy to dairy can drink this with no problem at all. It’s also soy free, calcium-rich and it only has 60 calories for a 1 cup serving. Why not give this one a try? It could be your next favorite thing to add to coffee without worrying about all the calories. Blue Diamond Almond Milk is a great brand, but there are others out there. Give it go, tell us what you think. (However, if you have allergic reaction to nuts, you will want to avoid this milk.)
Flavored Coffee creamer and calories
Coffee Mate and International Creamers have a very good variety of the perfect creamers for your coffee. Dunkin Donuts even came out with their brand of creamers for us to enjoy! To be honest, the calories are not that bad, though they may taste like they are because it’s so creamy. All the flavors out there have about 35 calories per tablespoon of creamer. They add sugar to it, it becomes a different story. Most of the flavored brands have between 5-6 grams of sugar. There is no need to add more sugar on top of this because it’s really quite sweet to begin with. There are some of the companies that offer sugar-free creamers. The French Vanilla Sugar-Free International Creamer is out of this world. You honestly can’t tell a difference between the regular and this one. To avoid and cut down on some calories consider making your own coffee creamer to control the calorie count.
Coffees’ with the most calories
When it comes to coffee and counting calories, every little bit of information you get is a good thing. Below is a list of coffees’ that are currently on the market. The calories in some may surprise you, for good and bad calorie counts.
| TYPE | SERVING (oz) | CALORIES |
|---|---|---|
| Instant Coffee | 1 rounded tsp. dry powder | 4 |
| Instant Coffee | 8 oz. | 4 |
| Espresso Coffee | 1 oz. | 1 |
| Brewed Coffee | 8 oz. | 2 |
| Brewed Decaf Coffee | 8 oz. | 0 |
| Brewed Coffee (w/2tbsp of cream) | 9 oz. | 106 |
| Brewed Coffee (w/2tbsp of half & half) | 9 oz. | 42 |
| Brewed Coffee (w/2tbsp of whole milk) | 9 oz. | 20 |
| Brewed Coffee (w/2tbsp of 2% milk) | 9 oz. | 17 |
| Brewed Coffee (w/2tbsp of skim milk) | 9 oz. | 12 |
| Brewed Coffee (w/2tbsp plain powdered non-dairy creamer) | 9 oz. | 68 |
| Brewed Coffee (w/2tbsp plain liquid non-dairy creamer) | 9 oz. | 42 |
| Homemade Latte (6oz whole milk) | 8 oz. | 91 |
| Homemade Latte (6oz whole milk) w/sugar | 1 tsp. | 107 |
| McDonald's Cappuccino | 16 oz. | 130 |
| McDonald's Latte | 16 oz. | 180 |
| McDonald's Mocha | 16 oz. | 330 |
| McDonald's Brewed Coffee (Large) | 16 oz. | 0 |
| McDonald's Iced Coffee (Flavored) | 17 oz. | 270 |
| McDonald's Iced Coffee (Regular) | 17 oz. | 280 |
| Dunkin Donuts Latte | 10 oz. | 120 |
| Dunkin Donuts Cappuccino | 10 oz. | 80 |
| Dunkin Donuts Mocha Swirl Latte | 10 oz. | 230 |
| Dunkin Donuts Brewed Coffee | 10 oz. | 15 |
| Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee (no milk) | 16 oz. | 10 |
| Dunkin Donuts Coffee Coolatta with cream | 16 oz. | 400 |
| Dunkin Donuts Iced Mocha Raspberry Latte | 16 oz. | 230 |
| Starbucks Brewed Coffee | 16 oz. | 5 |
| Starbucks Caffè Americano | 16 oz. | 15 |
| Starbucks Caffè Latte | 16 oz. | 220 |
| Starbucks Caffè Mocha (no whip) | 16 oz. | 290 |
| Starbucks Caffè Mocha (whip) | 16 oz. | 360 |
| Starbucks Cappuccino | 16 oz. | 140 |
| Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha (whip) | 16 oz. | 560 |
| Starbucks Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino Blended Coffee (whip) | 16 oz. | 430 |
| Starbucks Hot Chocolate (no whip) | 16 oz. | 330 |
| Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino | 16 oz. | 240 |
| Starbucks Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino | 16 oz. | 500 |
| Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino | 16 oz. | 390 |
| Baskin Robins Cappuccino Blast | 24 oz. | 480 |
| Dairy Queen Cappuccino MooLatté | 16 oz. | 500 |
| Dairy Queen Caramel MooLatté | 16 oz. | 630 |
| Arbys Jamocha Swirl Shake | 16 oz. | 610 |
| Burger King Mocha Joe Iced Coffee | 16 oz. | 360 |
How do you like those numbers? Are you surprised to see some of them so high? I have to admit, I was surprised at how high some of the calories were in a few of them. As most of you probably don’t think too much about calories when you are craving your favorite coffee drink, it’s important to know just the same. With the amount of “energy” the calories give you, you may be careful how big your coffee is each day.
What’s The Best Coffee Drink For You?
Whether or not you are on a diet plan, the best coffee drink for is “American Espresso + Water.” It has very few to zero calories and low caffeine content.
Decaf coffee is also a great option. Not only it has low or zero calories but also 97% of the caffeine is removed.
Quick Tip: Try to prepare coffee at home. This way you’ll have control over those toppings and additives.
When you add sugar, cream or even milk to your coffee, you are not only drinking more calories but also ingesting fats. Dr. An says, “These daily intakes may seem small, but the extra calories every day can add up to extra pounds.”
Important Things To Consider
- Sugar: It is better not to use sugar to avoid fats. However, to satisfy that sweet tooth, you can add a very little quantity of it. Strictly prohibit yourself from using sweeteners. They do more harm. Using artificial sweeteners may increase your cravings for sweet items.
- Cream: I know it makes your cup delicious and thick, but it contains a lot of calories and can make you obese. You should avoid cream or only add one tsp. of it.
- Milk: You can drink milk coffee. I recommend using skimmed milk. Though it does add up the total caloric intake, still it is a better option than sugar or cream. However, you should limit milk coffee to only once or twice a week.
I hope you are pretty well aware of how many calories are present in a cup of coffee.
Let us know how many calories you’ve been consuming in the past.
Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners
Sugar only has about 16 calories per teaspoon, which is a lot less than one would think considering how sweet it makes food and drinks. Artificial sweeteners are a lot sweeter-tasting than you would be accustomed to. They are very sweet; therefore, not a lot is needed to sweeten your favorite thing. There is a difference between them. Sugar will increase your blood sugar while artificial sweeteners do not. That is one of the main reasons people use them. Diabetics can use this substitute without worrying about blood sugar levels. Stevia is the best one of them all because it contains NO calories at all; it’s been shown to lower blood sugar levels and also blood pressure. Take a look at the back of the boxes before you purchase; see what it says as far as calories go and how much is needed to sweeten foods and/or drinks. Artificial sweeteners may also help with weight loss if used properly.
Final Thoughts
Coffee is a must for more than 3/4 of the world, at any time, day or night. Calories will always be around, whether we want them or not. Eye-opening facts on how many calories there are in some favorites we have. You may reduce the amount you drink to one a day, in the morning, so you can properly rest at night. If you have a coffee with a lot of calories, do yourself a favor and take a short walk to help get yourself moving. Guilty pleasures in everyday life are few and far between. Treat yourself, even if it’s once or twice a week; give yourself the indulgence to enjoy something you crave.