“Are there Calories in a Cup of Coffee,” is like asking “Are flowers red?” The question is dependent on what you add to your coffee. This post contains affiliate links.

As a coffee addict who loves saving money on Starbucks but also makes my own coffee at home, I always look up to this question because I get terrified after reading the nutritional facts.

It is easy to spike your daily calorie intake by adding tons of sweeteners and goodies to your coffee. As a matter of fact, even zero-calorie sweeteners could possibly make you crave sweets even more.

Calories in a Cup of Coffee

These are some estimated calories that you can find in a cup of coffee along with possible popular additives that you might enjoy.

Black Coffee: If you are singing a brewed coffee without any sweeteners then this should be only zero calories. This is only for plain coffee because once you get into the flavored coffee it ends up adding calories. If you are a KCup user be sure you check out Zero Calorie Kcups if you are trying to be conscientious of your intake. 

Coffee with Sugar: I try to avoid sugar but sometimes coffee is too bitter. I prefer using Stevia since it is a natural zero-calorie sweetener. One teaspoon of sugar adds approximately 16 calories to your cup of coffee. So if you add two teaspoons of sugar, you’d be consuming around 32 calories. Still not bad but too much sugar is not healthy for you.

Coffee with milk or cream: Adding milk or cream to your coffee will also increase its calorie content. The number of calories depends on the type and amount of milk or cream used and of course which product you are using.. Here are some approximate calorie counts for different options:

Whole milk (1 ounce): Around 18-20 calories
Half-and-half cream (1 ounce): Approximately 39-40 calories
Light cream (1 ounce): Roughly 29-30 calories
Heavy cream (1 ounce): About 51-52 calories

If you are looking for a low-calorie option I like Coffemate Sugar Free options. It depends on the flavor but the ones I have found are 15 calories per teaspoon.

Coffee with Syrup: It depends on the syrup brand that you like. My favorite and the best value is Torani’s Sugar-Free Syrup. I personally love the Vanilla flavor syrup which is zero calories!

Common Types of Coffee and Calories in a Cup of Coffee

Plain Black Coffee: A cup of black coffee typically contains less than 5 calories. Remember each additive from those listed above will increase this number by quite a bit.

Espresso: This is my family’s favorite (not mine) and it is highly concentrated and very strong. It is usually considered “a shot of espresso”. It only has 1-2 calories. At this point, who is even counting?

Americano: This is my favorite although I usually just have Black Coffee. An Americano is made by diluting espresso with hot water. It has a similar calorie content to black coffee, so it’s typically just a couple of calories from the Espresso.

Cappuccino: A traditional cappuccino is made with equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam. A small 8oz is approximately 80-100 calories. But if you are purchasing a Venti that is 20 oz. You will need to do some fun math to figure out those calories.

Latte: A latte is made with espresso and steamed milk, often topped with a small amount of milk foam. This is about 120 calories which are coming from Whole Milk. You can cut some out by using skim milk instead.

Mocha: A mocha is essentially a latte with the addition of chocolate syrup or powder. This calorie intake is higher than the rest but is totally dependent on what is being added. You will need to get the amounts of each one to get a more accurate estimate.

Frappuccino: Frappuccinos are blended iced beverages that often contain coffee, milk, ice, and various flavorings. I find when I have ordered these out the Calorie intake is so high (over 500) so this is also dependent on what is put into it to make it. There are so many flavors and variants of how it could be made.

Tips on Keeping your Coffee Calorie In-take Low:

1. The best tip I have is to start drinking black coffee without any additives. I have done this before and it isn’t my favorite way to drink coffee but eventually, after about 30 days I started to get used to drinking coffee this way.
2. Drinking plain black coffee is too bitter for some people. I would stay to stick to a zero-calorie sweetener. I prefer Stevia since my doctor said it was a better option than sugar or those that contain aspartame.
3. Choose low-fat dairy whenever there is an option. Skim milk and oat or almond milk are always good options.
4. Portion Control: Take a look at the size of the coffee you are ordering. Do you really need that many oz of coffee? After all, many contain more sugar than anything else.
5. If adding syrups look for Sugar-Free. These could possibly add so much to your coffee even in small amounts.