How Many Calories in Coffee?
1 oz of Espresso Coffee has 1 Calorie
And from then on it gets worse…
Here are some common coffee drinks, and it doesn’t take a genius to see that if you are looking after your weight – you’ll stick to black coffee or straight espresso.
| Beverage | Volume (oz) | Calories |
| Instant coffee | 1 tsp | 4 |
| Instant coffee | 8 | 4 |
| Espresso Coffee | 1 | 1 |
| Brewed Coffee | 8 | 2 |
| McDonald’s Cappuccino | 16 | 130 |
| McDonald’s Latte | 16 | 180 |
| McDonald’s Mocha | 16 | 330 |
| McDonald’s Brewed Coffee (Large) | 16 | 0 |
| McDonald’s Caramel Frappe – Most Fattening at McDonald’s | 21 | 670 |
| Dunkin Donuts Latte | 10 | 120 |
| Dunkin Donuts Cappuccino | 10 | 80 |
| Dunkin Donuts Mocha Swirl Latte | 10 | 230 |
| Dunkin Donuts Brewed Coffee | 10 | 15 |
| Dunkin Caramel Swirl Frozen Coffee – Most Fattening at Dunkin | 32 | 1170 |
| Starbucks Brewed Coffee | 16 | 5 |
| Starbucks Caffè Americano | 16 | 15 |
| Starbucks Caffè Latte | 16 | 220 |
| Starbucks Caffè Mocha (no whip) | 16 | 290 |
| Starbucks Caffè Mocha (whip) | 16 | 360 |
| Starbucks Cappucino | 16 | 140 |
| Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha (whip) | 16 | 560 |
| Starbucks Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino Blended Coffee (whip) | 16 | 430 |
| Starbucks Hot Chocolate (no whip) | 16 | 330 |
| Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino – Most Fattening at Starbucks | 24 | 600 |
This is the Starbuck’s effect in action. Starbucks turned a low (or no) calorie beverage into a sugar-fat laden monstrosity.
Sick Yet? Check out our guide on quitting coffee here.
I, however, love coffee, but I only drink straight espresso.
Maybe I’m addicted. I tell myself there are worse things to be addicted to, and that makes me feel better.
Most people slam coffee as being bad for you, but plain black coffee has a lot of researched health benefits.
This cup of espresso has just 1 calorie.
It’s the Milk and Sugar!
Coffee drinks are high in calories due to what we add to the coffee.
Caffeine is a bitter chemical so we tend to sweeten it up – with milk, sugar, or syrups.
The larger the drink volume – the more milk you will be getting. With espresso-based drinks (latte, cappuccino) – the amount of water in the drink is minimal (typically 45ml / 1.5 fl. oz per espresso shot).
You do the math:
A 16 ounces Grande Latte from Starbucks will have two espresso shots (~ 3 oz) — that leaves around 13 ounces of 2% milk (depending on how much foam tops the drink) – so there’s 198 Calories already.
Add in cream, a pump of flavored syrup, and some sugar – and you are in for a very calorie-dense drink – more like sweetened milk than coffee.
I think I’m beginning to sound like a coffee snob.
Calories in Coffee Extras
If all else fails, maybe Snoopy can help.
| Extras |
Calories (per Tablespoon)
|
| Cream |
52
|
| Half-and-half |
20
|
| Whole milk |
9
|
| Fat-free milk |
5
|
| Almond Milk |
8
|
| Sugar |
48
|
| McDonald’s Coffee Cream (liquid) |
20
|
| Plain nondairy creamer (powder) |
33
|
| Plain, light nondairy creamer (powder) |
25
|
| Flavored nondairy creamer (powder) |
45
|
| Flavored, reduced-fat nondairy creamer (powder) |
40
|
| Plain nondairy creamer (liquid) |
20
|
| Plain, light nondairy creamer (liquid) |
10
|
| Flavored nondairy creamer (liquid) |
35
|
| Flavored, reduced-fat nondairy creamer (liquid) |
20
|
Coffee is almost Zero Calorie
According to the USDA nutrient database – an 8-ounce cup of coffee (brewed from grounds) has just 2 (yes two) Calories. The calories come from a tiny amount of protein and some mono-unsaturated oils.
A coffee bean has oils in it (which is why a barista often needs to clean their espresso machine to prevent an oily build-up).
Sometimes a really bad coffee can be due to the oils in it becoming rancid (this often occurs from dark roasts, which cause a subsequent release of oils – if the beans are stored for a long time the oils may go slightly rancid).
So: coffee beans + water = virtually calorie-free.
The Best Coffee Drink For You Is…
If you are looking at reducing the number of calories in your diet and coffee is your thing: It’s time to work on that sweet tooth.
The best option is to drink an Americano (espresso + water).
Believe it or not, espresso drinks have less caffeine than brewed drinks (where the water is in contact with the coffee grounds for a longer time).
Minimize the number of extras you put into your coffee – and you may well remove a significant amount of Calories from your diet.
To save even more calories see our 10 Easy Kitchen Hacks for Healthy Cooking.
Nutrition sources: Starbucks. Mcdonald’s, Dunkin Donuts.
Photo Credit: JonathanCohen.
Ted Kallmyer is an ISSA certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, author, and macros coach. He has helped hundreds of clients reach their body transformation goals.47 Comments
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I drink Mocha ice coffee with almond milk and no sugar how many calories are in that?
You’d have to measure the amount of almond milk since it seems like the only thing providing nutrition.
I totally agree! And thank you for letting me know where the calories come from Black coffee.
I do, as a matter of fact, I sometimes put in 3 to 4 tablespoons. Not very healthy, but when I do drink it, it has to be sweet.
It depends on the type of coffee you drink. A plain cup of brewed coffee has less than 5 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.
How can McDonald’s 16 oz brewed coffee have 0 calories if we’ve established 8 oz brewed coffee has 2 calories? I think McDonald’s is full of 💩💩 in their nutrition info. If they’re 🤥 about 4 calories in coffee, what about that Big Mac? What does that REALLY contain?
Totally agree
Who tf puts a tablespoon of sugar in their coffee
I did this morning. All my teaspoons were dirty. 🤦♀️ Tastes like 💩
I do, as a matter of fact, I sometimes put in 3 to 4 tablespoons. Not very healthy, but when I do drink it, it has to be sweet.
Me, I hate coffee but love the cream and sugar