How Many Calories In A Cup Of Coffee?

How many calories in a cup of Coffee? It depends. For the most, however, it’s good news. In this article, we will look into the factors that influence the calories in Coffee. We will also determine, once and for all, if your morning brew can complement a healthy and active lifestyle.

As soon as you know the facts, you can try some of our Coffees here at The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company. We pack every Coffee, Tea and Tisane fresh to order. This ensures not only quality but also consistency. What more could you want from your cuppa?

How Many Calories in a Cup of Coffee?

Rarely are two Coffees the same. There are different types of Coffee beans, as well as varying origins. There are also several roasting and, overall, processing methods. Is your beverage a decaf Coffee, for example? Is it a make-it-yourself brew from home or a speciality Coffee from a cafe? The possibilities are almost endless.

But does this come into the equation when we’re talking about calories in Coffee? Some aspects do; others don’t. As a rule of thumb, unless specifically stated otherwise, the type of Coffee bean has no impact on calories. That means that an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee and, say, a Hawaiian Kona Coffee contains the same amount of calories.

Equally, roasting makes no difference. Pick between Light-Medium, Medium, Medium-Dark and Dark without the worry of one being ‘better’ for you than another. What about Decaf? Contrary to popular belief, the decaffeination process does little to change the calories. What it does instead is significantly reduce the caffeine content. You can read more about this in our blog, “How Much Caffeine in a Cup of Coffee?”.

So what DOES influence it? Ultimately, it comes down to what you add to your brew. Black Coffee contains no significant amounts of macronutrients, fat, carbohydrates or protein. Therefore, when served without additions, it typically has no more than 4 calories per 8-oz cup.

Add milk (full fat, semi-skimmed or skimmed), sugar, syrup or cream, and this changes. This also means that many ‘fancy’ cafe-bought Coffees have more calories than ‘simple’ ones made at home.

Popular Cups of Coffee

How many calories in a cup of Coffee from a cafe? Below is a table showing the average calories in Coffee depending on what you pick from the menu.

It’s essential to note, however, that these calories can differ significantly depending on which cafe you visit. Each establishment, after all, will use different ingredients with varying calories.

This is to name but a few choices with but a few optional extras. If you’d like to know categorically how many calories in a cup of Coffee from a cafe, ask the barista. Most establishments can at least offer a rough estimate of how many calories they’re serving to their customers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are you still unsure of how many calories in a cup of Coffee from home? You might, after all, like adding optional extras to your morning cuppa the same way you’d buy them from a cafe. Below, we’ve answered some of your questions.

How Many Calories in Black Coffee no Sugar?

Starting with the basics, Black Coffee with no sugar has no more than 4 calories per 8-oz cup. This is as simple as it gets. Indeed, Black Coffee is no doubt the best choice if you’re looking to cut down on calories.

Things start to get more complicated, however, when you bring options like milk and sugar into the equation. This is when the calories in coffee start mounting up.

How Many Calories in Black Coffee with Sugar?

If we’re talking one teaspoon of sugar, expect an additional 16 calories. Add another teaspoon, and you of course have 32 calories. Put this together with Black Coffee, and you have 20 calories in a cuppa with one teaspoon and 36 calories with two.

How Many Calories in Coffee with Semi-Skimmed Milk?

On average, a small 15ml pot of semi-skimmed milk contains 13 calories. Plus the Coffee and you have an average of 17 calories. If this is too much for you, consider trying skimmed milk, which has 10 calories. With the Coffee, this comes to only 14 calories.

How Many Calories in Coffee with Full Fat Milk?

Full-fat milk, also known as full-cream milk, is the most calorific type you can choose. Indeed, when added to black Coffee, it provides an extra 19 calories. In other words, that’s 23 calories overall. It’s worth noting, though, that in reality, this is still relatively low compared to other beverages.

How Many Calories in Coffee with Soy Milk?

Soy milk is becoming an increasingly popular addition to Tea and Coffee. It is the product of soaking and grinding soybeans, followed by boiling the mixture and filtering out remaining particulates. When added to Coffee, it has about 20 calories. That’s around 24 calories altogether. 

How Many Calories in Coffee with Milk and Sugar?

Are you ready to do a bit of maths? Try to keep up! Coffee with full fat-milk and one teaspoon of sugar contains 39 calories. Coffee with full-fat milk and two teaspoons contains 55 calories. Then there is semi-skimmed milk.

A beverage with semi-skimmed milk and one teaspoon of sugar has 33 calories. One with two teaspoons, meanwhile, has 49. Moving onto skimmed milk, you can expect 30 calories with just one teaspoon of sugar. Add two teaspoons, and you have 46.

How Many Calories in Instant Coffee?

Instant Coffee is a type made by either freeze-drying or spray-drying the beans. After a few other stages, this ultimately creates a powder that forms your morning cuppa with convenience in mind. It’s the brew of choice for those who wish not to waste too much time making their Coffee.

But how many calories in a cup of Coffee when it comes to the instant variety? You might be pleased to know that there’s no difference to ‘regular’ Coffee. It all depends on what you add. Indeed, every question found in this FAQ can be applied to instant Coffee just as easily.

How Many Calories does Iced Coffee Have?

This beverage is exactly as it sounds: Coffee served chilled. It makes for a perfect choice during the warmer summer months, particularly days relaxing out in the garden. If you’d like to find out more information about it, please read our blog, “How to Make Iced Coffee”.

Despite sounding like an irresistibly ‘naughty’ treat, it isn’t. The same rules apply to this brew as they do to ‘regular’ Coffee or its instant counterpart. Seeing as, unsurprisingly, ice cubes contain no calories, you don’t need to worry.

Does Coffee with Cream have more Calories?

A popular alternative to milk is cream. It is not, however, the best option when it comes to cutting down the calories. Why? Most associate cream with dessert, which is in part due to its indulgent yet fattening calories. Expect about 120 calories in your morning cuppa with the addition of cream.

Does Hazelnut Coffee have Calories?

When it comes to flavoured brews, Hazelnut Coffee is one of the most common choices. As its name suggests, this beverage has distinct nutty flavours with every sip. But how many calories in a cup of Coffee when it has undergone flavouring?

Amazingly, there are no more calories in Hazelnut Coffee than its ‘regular’, instant or iced counterparts. Does this apply to every Flavoured Coffee? If we’re talking Flavoured Coffee beans, then yes. So-called ‘flavour-chemists’ (yes, that’s a thing) make it by adding flavouring oils to the Coffee beans. This coating enhances the taste without extra calories.

Does Flavoured Coffee have Calories?

As mentioned above, Flavoured Coffee Beans contain no more calories than any other type. This changes, however, when we’re talking about syrups. Indeed, if you’re asking the question “how many calories in Coffee with syrup added?”, the answer changes dramatically. 

Let’s momentarily return to your local cafe. When you ask for a flavouring syrup, you’re getting 20 calories per pump. In other words, that’s 16 grams of sugar - 4 teaspoons worth! If you’re looking to cut down, flavouring syrup is not the way to go. Why not instead choose one of our Flavoured Coffees? You can read them more about them in our blog.

Conclusion

We’ve learnt that determining the calories in Coffee can, at times, be difficult. When it comes to cafe-bought beverages, it’s best to ask your barista. When it comes to home brews, it mostly comes down to what you add. If you’re looking to cut down, consider avoiding cream, full-fat milk or flavouring syrups. Whatever you decide, be sure to buy your Coffee with us! 

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• How to Make Ice Coffee