Coffee 101: How Many Calories in A Cup of Coffee

By August 5, 2017

make coffee at home

I am trying to lose weight. Should I cut back on coffee intake? How many calories in a cup of coffee? What if I choose black coffee? 

Actually, it depends on the type of coffee you drink.  A simple black coffee may have less calories. But if you dress up your coffee with extras, you also add extra calories. Now, let’s learn more details. (Tips: What to Put in Coffee to Make it Taste Better)

How many calories should you eat per day?

To learn if you need to cut down on coffee, first let’s learn the calories that we need per day. According to the USDA,  the calories intake varies depending on gender, age, and activity level. Please read the following daily calorie intake:

Person Calories per day
Women, 19–51 years old 1,800–2,400
Men, 19–51 years old 2,200–3,000
Children and adolescents, 2–18 years old 1,000–3,200

How many calories in a cup of black coffee? 

Black coffee refers to coffee served as a beverage without cream, milk or sugar. Black coffee is almost zero calorie. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, one cup of 8 ounces of regular brewed coffee contains only 2 calories, and 1 fluid ounce of black espresso holds only 1 calorie. In this sense, you do not need to reduce the black coffee intake for weight loss.However, it is another situation when you add extras to your black coffee. (But there is another conception that caffeine helps burn fat, it that true? )

Black coffee

How many calories in a cup of coffee with milk, sugar of cream?

Coffee drinks are high in calories due to what we add to the coffee. No matter Latte, Cappuccino or Macchiato you ordered in the coffee shop are dressed up with milk or sugar. Let’s learn from the chart on the calories of different coffee extras.

Coffee Extras Calories/tbsp
Whipping cream 52
Cream (half & half) 20
Whole milk 9
Fat-free milk 5
Almond milk 8
Sugar 48
Maple syrup 51
Corn syrup 57
Honey 63

The best coffee for you

If you want to reduce the amount of calories in your cup of coffee, the best option is to Americano (espresso + water). Believe it or not, espresso drinks have less caffeine than brewed drinks. Also, you can choose brewed black coffee, which is also low in calories. Last but not least, minimize the amount of coffee extras, which may help remove a significant amount of Calories. 

Americanno has less calories

To make coffee at home, you can try to use French Press, Moka Pot, or Coffee Dripper

You may be interested:

Why Should You Avoid Adding Sugar to Coffee

How Can You Sweeten Coffee without Sugar

5 Homemade Iced Coffee Drinks for Summer

Tags: Coffee 101

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