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 |
| Dunkin Donuts Latte | 10 | 120 |
| Dunkin Donuts Cappuccino | 10 | 80 |
| Dunkin Donuts Mocha Swirl Latte | 10 | 230 |
| Dunkin Donuts Brewed Coffee | 10 | 15 |
| 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 Frappucino Blended Coffee (whip) | 16 | 430 |
| Starbucks Hot Chocolate (no whip) | 16 | 330 |
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 amount 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 amount 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.