Drinks
Calories in Coffee
One cup of coffee has about 104 kcal, with 2.9 g of protein, 16.4 g of carbohydrate and 3.4 g of fat. The figure is from the Indian Nutrient Databank and is for instant coffee made with 75 ml of milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Black coffee with no sugar has next to nothing; a sweeter or milkier cup has more.
Nutrition in 1 cup of coffee
| Nutrient | 1 cup of coffee | 2 cups of coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 104 kcal | 208 kcal |
| Protein | 2.9 g | 5.8 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 16.4 g | 32.8 g |
| Total fat | 3.4 g | 6.8 g |
| Dietary fibre | 0 g | 0 g |
| Sugars | 16.3 g | 32.6 g |
Of this energy, about 61% comes from carbohydrate, 28% from fat and 11% from protein.
1 cup of coffee is about 5% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 6% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
For comparison, ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians list 1 cup, made with 2 teaspoons of sugar and 100 ml of milk at about 110 kcal.
These figures are from the Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB), which calculates each dish from a standard recipe using Indian food composition data. They describe that recipe and that serving: a larger portion, or more oil, ghee or sugar, gives more. Source: Vijayakumar A, Dubasi HB, Awasthi A, Jaacks LM. Development of an Indian Food Composition Database. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2024;8(7):103790 (Indian Nutrient Databank, INDB).
What this figure covers
The figure is for a sweet, milky instant coffee, not for coffee as such. The databank's recipe makes a single cup from coffee powder, water, 75 ml of milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar. ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians give a close figure, 110 kcal, for a cup made with 2 teaspoons of sugar and 100 ml of milk. The two cups are built differently: the databank's has more sugar and less milk, ICMR-NIN's has less sugar and more milk, and they land within a few calories of each other. A South Indian filter coffee, which is mostly milk, or a cafe drink in a large cup, will sit above both.
Coffee powder itself contributes almost no energy. Carbohydrate supplies 61% of the 104 kcal, and practically all of the 16.4 g is sugar: the tablespoon stirred in, plus the milk's own. Fat supplies 28% and protein 11%, and both come from the milk. Take the sugar out and what remains is the energy of 75 ml of milk. Take the milk out as well and it is black coffee, which is why the same drink can be almost calorie-free or a small snack.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 1 cup. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
| Ingredient | In the recipe | In 1 cup of coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 75 ml | 75 ml |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp |
What changes the number
- 01
The sugar in the cup
The recipe stirs in 1 tablespoon, which makes a sweet cup. A level teaspoon of sugar is about 16 kcal, so every teaspoon left out takes that much off and every teaspoon added puts it on: the same coffee with one extra teaspoon is 120 kcal, and with two it is 136 kcal.
- 02
Milk: how much and which kind
The reference cup holds 75 ml of milk. A filter coffee or a milk coffee made with a full cup of milk has several times that, and the fat rises with it. Full-cream and buffalo milk carry more fat than toned milk, so the same recipe gives different cups in different kitchens.
- 03
Black, or with milk
Black coffee with no sugar has almost no energy, because the powder brings next to none. The 104 kcal belongs entirely to the milk and sugar, so a black coffee drinker and a milk coffee drinker are not counting the same drink.
- 04
Cup size and cafe extras
A cafe mug is larger than a home tea cup, and cream, flavoured syrups and whipped toppings all go on top. Half the reference cup is about 52 kcal; a tall cafe coffee with syrup sits well above the full one.
How coffee compares
Other dishes of the same kind, one serving each, lightest first. Serving sizes differ, so read the serving before the number.
| Dish | One serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chai | 1 cup of chai | 34 | 0.8 |
| Jal Jeera | 1 glass of jal jeera | 42 | 0.6 |
| Kashmiri Kahwa | 1 cup of Kashmiri kahwa | 64 | 0.4 |
| Nimbu Pani | 1 glass of nimbu pani | 73 | 0.1 |
| Salted Lassi | 1 glass of salted lassi | 80 | 5.7 |
| Aam Panna | 1 glass of aam panna | 96 | 0.4 |
| Coffee | 1 cup of coffee | 104 | 2.9 |
| Sattu Drink | 1 glass of sattu drink | 125 | 3 |
| Sweet Lassi | 1 glass of sweet lassi | 158 | 5.7 |
| Mango Milkshake | 1 glass of mango milkshake | 202 | 6.1 |
| Cold Coffee | 1 glass of cold coffee | 207 | 4.8 |
| Banana Milkshake | 1 glass of banana milkshake | 226 | 6.4 |
| Thandai | 1 glass of thandai | 256 | 9.1 |
| Kesar Milk | 1 glass of kesar milk | 268 | 8.3 |
In a meal and in a day
One cup of this coffee is about 5% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 6% of a woman's. Two cups come to 208 kcal and three to 312 kcal, with 8.7 g of protein and 49.2 g of carbohydrate across the three, most of that carbohydrate being sugar. For someone who drinks coffee through the working day, that is the size of a small meal taken in sips, with little to show for it in fullness. The milk does bring some protein and calcium, so a milk coffee is not empty; it is the tablespoon of sugar in each cup that deserves a second look.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Drop from a tablespoon of sugar to a level teaspoon, then to half, over a few weeks.
- Drink it black, or with a splash of milk, when the coffee is for alertness and not for a snack.
- Keep the milk but skip the sugar, which holds on to the protein and calcium and loses most of the carbohydrate.
- Ask for a small cup with no syrup or cream when ordering outside.
Before you rely on the number
The sugar is the caveat. The databank counts 16.3 g of sugars in this one cup, and three cups a day would carry 49.2 g of carbohydrate, nearly all of it sugar. People who feel they hardly eat sweets often take most of their sugar this way. Whether coffee itself suits someone with high blood pressure or acidity, or during pregnancy, is a separate question from its calories and one to settle with a doctor or dietitian.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Coffee: common questions
How many calories are in black coffee?
Almost none. Coffee powder and water bring next to no energy, which is why the calories of any coffee come from what is added. The 104 kcal on this page is for instant coffee with 75 ml of milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar; leaving both out leaves a cup with practically nothing to count.
How many calories are in coffee with milk and sugar?
About 104 kcal for a cup made with 75 ml of milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar, by the Indian Nutrient Databank's recipe. A cup with less sugar and the same milk is lower; a milkier filter coffee or a large cafe cup is higher. The coffee powder itself hardly counts.
How many calories are in 2 or 3 cups of coffee a day?
Two cups of the reference coffee come to about 208 kcal and three to about 312 kcal. Adding one more teaspoon of sugar to a cup takes it from 104 kcal to 120 kcal, so the daily total depends as much on how sweet each cup is as on how many there are.
Does cold coffee have more calories than hot coffee?
In this set of recipes, yes. A glass of cold coffee made with cream comes to 207 kcal against 104 kcal for a cup of hot instant coffee, because the glass is larger and holds more milk, more sugar and cream as well. A cup of chai made the light way is 34 kcal.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
South Indian Filter Coffee
The recipe on this site, step by step.
Milk: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Is Coffee Good or Bad for You? Blood Pressure, Acidity and How Much
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
How Much Sugar Is Safe per Day? WHO Limits in Teaspoons and Indian Foods
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie counter
Add up a whole plate in rotis, katoris and cups.
Calories in every dish
All the cooked dishes, with calories per serving.
Learn to read a plate
Certification in Nutrition
Estimating what is on a plate and turning it into a meal plan is taught in this NNWA course.