Starbucks vs Costa Christmas Drinks 2026: Which Have the Most Calories and Sugar?
You know Christmas is on its way when you can’t walk past Starbucks or Costa without seeing an enormous picture of a festive coffee covered in cream, chocolate sauce and what looks suspiciously like half the biscuit aisle sprinkled on top!
I don’t know about you, but I think there’s something lovely about stopping for a Christmas coffee when you’re out shopping. You’ve spent an hour wandering around trying to find presents for people who insist they don’t want anything, your feet are aching, and suddenly sitting down with a gingerbread latte sounds like the best idea you’ve had all day. Although, knowing me, I’d probably spend the entire time remembering things I should have bought in the shops I’ve just walked past!
Both Starbucks and Costa have some rather tempting drinks on their Christmas menus for 2026, including returning favourites and new creations involving peppermint, gingerbread, chocolate orange and even brownies.
But have you ever wondered just how many calories are in some of these drinks?
I’ve been looking through the nutritional information, and I must admit that some of the figures surprised me. The most calorific Starbucks Christmas drink I’ve identified contains 443 calories and 59g of sugar, while Costa’s most indulgent drink in this comparison contains 411 calories and 50g of sugar.
To put that into perspective, you could easily drink more than 400 calories while wandering around the shops and still fancy a sandwich afterwards.
Now, before anyone thinks I’m about to suggest we all spend Christmas drinking black coffee and looking longingly at the hot chocolate menu, don’t worry. Anyone who has followed Just Average Jen for a while will know that I’ve had plenty of experience with weight loss, and I certainly don’t believe that enjoying the occasional treat means you’ve done something wrong.
However, I do think there’s a big difference between choosing to enjoy something and having it regularly without realising what’s in it. That’s especially true when you’re trying to lose weight, because drinks are one of those things that are surprisingly easy to forget about when you’re thinking about your daily calorie intake.
So, I’ve compared the Starbucks and Costa Christmas drinks for 2026, looked at the sugar content and picked out some of the lower-calorie options too. Whether you’re a gingerbread latte lover, a hot chocolate fan or someone who just wants the most chocolatey drink on the menu, here’s what you might want to know before ordering. If you fancy some lunch to go with it, then I have also compared festive sandwiches for 2026 you might like to check for ideas.
Which Starbucks and Costa Christmas drinks have the most calories?
If you were expecting Costa’s new brownie hot chocolate to take the top spot, you might be surprised to discover that Starbucks has two Frappuccinos that come in slightly higher.
The highest-calorie drink I’ve identified in the Starbucks UK nutrition and allergen information is the Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino, with 443 calories and 59g of sugar for a Grande made with whole milk.
Just one calorie behind is the Peppermint Chocolate Cream Frappuccino, with 442 calories and 56g of sugar.
Over at Costa, the Ultimate Yule Brownie Hot Chocolate tops the comparison with 411 calories and 50g of sugar in a medium takeaway serving.
Here’s how the ten most calorific drinks from the two chains compare.
| Christmas drink | Coffee shop | Calories | Sugar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino | Starbucks | 443 | 59g |
| Peppermint Chocolate Cream Frappuccino | Starbucks | 442 | 56g |
| Ultimate Yule Brownie Hot Chocolate | Costa | 411 | 50g |
| Ultimate Yule Brownie Chocolate Latte | Costa | 405 | 48g |
| Terry’s Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate | Costa | 366 | 42g |
| Eggnog Latte | Starbucks | 354 | 41.5g |
| Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Matcha | Starbucks | 336 | 38.8g |
| Peppermint Hot Chocolate | Starbucks | 332 | 44.5g |
| Peppermint Mocha | Starbucks | 330 | 43.8g |
| Toffee Nut Coffee Frappuccino | Starbucks | 321 | 38.4g |
Figures refer to the specified Starbucks Grande and Costa Medium recipes. The two highest Starbucks Frappuccino figures are for whole-milk versions. Costa takeaway figures are used where stated. Milk choices, toppings and other customisations can change the nutritional information.
The first thing that stands out to me is how many of these drinks contain more than 300 calories. I think we’re all aware that something covered in cream and chocolate isn’t going to be particularly low in calories, but when you’re ordering a coffee rather than sitting down for a meal, it’s easy to overlook just how much you’re having.
And, of course, if you’re anything like me, you might be tempted by a cake or biscuit while you’re waiting to order. Coffee shops certainly know how to make their cake displays look appealing!
Starbucks Christmas drinks 2026: The calories and sugar compared
Starbucks has really embraced peppermint for Christmas this year, alongside returning favourites including the Eggnog Latte, Gingerbread Latte and Toffee Nut drinks.
Its festive menu is available to Starbucks Rewards members from 29 October, with the full UK launch taking place on 5 November 2026.
I think peppermint is one of those flavours that divides people. Some absolutely love chocolate and mint together, while others think it makes their chocolate taste like toothpaste! Personally, I can see why it’s popular at Christmas, particularly when it’s combined with something rich and chocolatey.
Here’s how the Starbucks drinks compare.
| Starbucks Christmas drink (Grande) | Calories | Sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino (whole milk) | 443 | 59g |
| Peppermint Chocolate Cream Frappuccino (whole milk) | 442 | 56g |
| Eggnog Latte | 354 | 41.5g |
| Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Matcha | 336 | 38.8g |
| Peppermint Hot Chocolate | 332 | 44.5g |
| Peppermint Mocha | 330 | 43.8g |
| Toffee Nut Coffee Frappuccino | 321 | 38.4g |
| Toffee Nut Crème Frappuccino | 317 | 34.8g |
| Gingerbread Coffee Frappuccino | 315 | 37.5g |
| Gingerbread Crème Frappuccino | 311 | 33.9g |
| Gingerbread Latte | 244 | 29g |
These are the selected Grande recipes from the supplied comparison and the official holiday nutritional guide, not every possible Starbucks drink or milk combination.
You can find more information in Starbucks’ official UK nutrition and allergen guide.
The Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino contains 443 calories
I think this is probably the most surprising figure in the whole comparison, not least because it contains 59g of sugar as well.
That’s nearly 15 teaspoons of sugar if you divide the total sugar content by four grams per teaspoon, although obviously nobody is standing behind the counter spooning fifteen teaspoons of granulated sugar into your cup! The sugar comes from the various ingredients used to make the drink.
The research originally supplied with these figures compared the sugar content of festive coffees with glazed doughnuts. Using its estimate of around 11g of sugar per doughnut, the 59g in this drink is roughly equivalent to the sugar in 5.4 glazed doughnuts.
Five doughnuts and a bit more!
I think that’s quite an eye-opening comparison because most of us would give it some thought before sitting down and eating five doughnuts, but it’s very easy to finish a large drink without feeling as though we’ve had much at all.
Of course, that doesn’t mean a Frappuccino is nutritionally identical to five doughnuts. It’s simply a way of illustrating how much total sugar can be in one drink.
The 443 calories are also just over 22% of the standard 2,000-calorie daily reference intake for adults. Individual calorie requirements vary, but it gives you a useful idea of the amount of energy involved.
If you’re trying to lose weight and carefully planning your meals, you can probably see why knowing about those extra calories might be helpful.
The Peppermint Chocolate Cream Frappuccino is almost identical
At 442 calories, the Peppermint Chocolate Cream Frappuccino contains just one calorie less than the Peppermint Mocha version.
It also contains 56g of sugar, which is slightly less but still quite a substantial amount.
Would I choose one over the other to save a single calorie? Absolutely not! I think that would be taking calorie counting to a rather ridiculous extreme.
If you prefer one flavour, that’s the one I’d choose. There are plenty of things worth thinking about when you’re trying to lose weight, but a difference of one calorie isn’t one of them.
The Eggnog Latte might surprise you
The Eggnog Latte contains 354 calories and 41.5g of sugar, putting it above several of the more elaborate-looking peppermint and toffee nut drinks.
I think that’s interesting because we often judge how indulgent something is by how it looks. A drink piled high with cream and sprinkles might seem like the obvious high-calorie choice, but a rich, creamy latte can contain plenty of calories too.
Eggnog always sounds very American to me, although it’s certainly become one of those flavours that people associate with Christmas here as well.
What about the Gingerbread Latte?
The Gingerbread Latte is the lowest-calorie Starbucks option in this particular comparison, containing 244 calories and 29g of sugar.
That’s 199 fewer calories than the Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino.
I think gingerbread is a lovely Christmas flavour anyway, and if you’re someone who enjoys it, this could be a useful option when you want something festive without quite so many calories.
It still contains sugar and calories, of course, but that’s the point of comparing the drinks rather than just assuming they’re all roughly the same.
Costa Christmas drinks 2026: Which are the most calorific?
Costa’s Christmas menu launched on 22 October 2026, and I have to say that chocolate lovers are rather well catered for this year.
Alongside returning favourites such as the Terry’s Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate, Black Forest Hot Chocolate and Gingerbread Latte, there are some new additions that sound more like puddings than coffees.
The Ultimate Yule Brownie drinks are inspired by a chocolate Yule log, while the Golden Hazel Latte comes with chocolate and hazelnut flavours, whipped topping, golden sprinkles and a Ferrero Rocher.
I do wonder how much more they can possibly add to a coffee before they have to start serving it in a bowl with a spoon!
You can see the full seasonal range in Costa’s official Christmas 2026 menu announcement.
Here’s how the Costa Christmas drinks compare using the corrected nutritional information.
| Costa Christmas drink (Medium) | Calories | Sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Yule Brownie Hot Chocolate (takeaway) | 411 | 50g |
| Ultimate Yule Brownie Chocolate Latte (takeaway) | 405 | 48g |
| Terry’s Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate (takeaway) | 366 | 42g |
| Black Forest Hot Chocolate (takeaway) | 294 | 32g |
| Golden Hazel Latte with Ferrero Rocher | 273 | 27g |
| Caramel Nutcracker Latte | 251 | 27g |
| Gingerbread Iced Matcha | 233 | 24g |
| Gingerbread Latte | 221 | 16g |
These figures use the specified Medium recipes. The Gingerbread Iced Matcha figure is for the standard recipe with semi-skimmed milk and Light Whip. Nutritional values can change with customisations.
Ultimate Yule Brownie Hot Chocolate: 411 calories
I think the name alone tells you that this is going to be an indulgent drink!
Costa’s Ultimate Yule Brownie Hot Chocolate contains 411 calories and 50g of sugar in a medium takeaway serving. It’s topped with chocolate whip, brownie pieces and a little meringue, which sounds rather delicious if you’re a chocolate fan.
But at more than 400 calories, I think it’s fair to describe this as a dessert-style drink rather than something you’d necessarily have as your ordinary morning coffee.
One interesting thing I discovered is that Costa lists different nutritional figures depending on whether you’re having the drink in-store or taking it away.
The medium takeaway version contains 411 calories, while the in-store version is listed at 388 calories. That’s a useful reminder that even when two drinks have the same name, the serving format can make a difference.
Ultimate Yule Brownie Chocolate Latte: 405 calories
If you prefer your chocolate with a coffee flavour, Costa also has the Ultimate Yule Brownie Chocolate Latte.
This contains 405 calories and 48g of sugar in a medium takeaway serving, just six calories less than the hot chocolate.
I certainly wouldn’t choose between the two based on six calories. If I fancied coffee, I’d have the latte. If I wanted hot chocolate, I’d choose that instead.
The bigger consideration is probably whether you want a drink containing around 400 calories in the first place, especially if you’re planning to have something to eat alongside it.
Terry’s Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate: 366 calories
Does anyone else associate Terry’s Chocolate Orange with Christmas?
I know you can buy them throughout the year, but somehow they always remind me of Christmas stockings, presents and someone trying to break one into pieces by banging it on the table!
Costa’s Terry’s Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate contains 366 calories and 42g of sugar in the medium takeaway version.
It’s certainly one of those drinks that sounds lovely if you’re a chocolate orange fan, and I can imagine it being a popular choice for a festive shopping trip.
Black Forest Hot Chocolate: 294 calories
The Black Forest Hot Chocolate contains 294 calories and 32g of sugar in a medium takeaway serving.
I think this one is interesting because it sounds every bit as indulgent as the brownie hot chocolate, with its chocolate and cherry flavours, but contains 117 fewer calories.
That doesn’t necessarily make it a healthy drink, of course, but it shows how much the different recipes and toppings can affect the final figures.
Costa also states that this drink cannot be made dairy-free simply by swapping the milk because other ingredients contain milk. That’s worth knowing if you have a dairy allergy or intolerance.
Costa Gingerbread Latte: 221 calories
The lowest-calorie Costa drink in this comparison is the Gingerbread Latte, containing 221 calories and 16g of sugar.
Interestingly, this is also lower in both calories and total sugar than the Starbucks Gingerbread Latte listed above.
The Costa Gingerbread Iced Matcha is another option, containing 233 calories and 24g of sugar in the standard medium recipe.
You might have seen lower figures for the Iced Matcha elsewhere, but Costa’s current nutritional information lists 233 calories for the standard drink with semi-skimmed milk and Light Whip. That’s why it’s important to check which version of a drink is being compared.
Starbucks vs Costa Gingerbread Latte: Which is the better choice?
If you’re a gingerbread fan, this is probably one of the most useful comparisons because both coffee shops offer a similar festive flavour.
| Gingerbread Latte | Starbucks Grande | Costa Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 244 | 221 |
| Sugar | 29g | 16g |
The Costa Gingerbread Latte contains 23 fewer calories and 13g less total sugar than the Starbucks version in this comparison.
Now, I wouldn’t automatically say that makes Costa healthier, because the drinks aren’t identical sizes and the ingredients differ.
However, if you’re someone who regularly enjoys a gingerbread latte and visits both coffee shops, it’s useful information to have.
I actually think the difference in sugar is more interesting than the difference in calories. Twenty-three calories is fairly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but 13g of sugar is a more noticeable difference.
If you’re interested in how your daily calorie intake relates to your weight-loss goals, my calorie calculator can help you estimate your individual requirements.
How much sugar should we be having each day?
This is where things can get a little confusing, because the sugar figures you see on nutritional information aren’t necessarily the same as the sugar we’re advised to limit.
According to the NHS guidance on sugar, adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars per day.
Free sugars include sugar added to foods and drinks, such as the sugar in syrups, sauces and sweet toppings. They don’t include the naturally occurring sugar in milk.
That’s an important distinction because coffee shop nutritional information normally shows total sugar, which includes any naturally occurring milk sugar.
So, although the Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino contains 59g of total sugar, we can’t automatically say it contains 59g of free sugars or that it exceeds the NHS recommendation by a particular percentage.
Even so, I think it’s worth being aware of how sweet some of these drinks are, particularly if you’re having them regularly alongside other sugary foods.
It’s also worth remembering that sugar isn’t the only thing contributing to the calories. Cream, chocolate and other ingredients can add fat and calories too.
Can you still have Christmas coffees when you’re trying to lose weight?
Absolutely, and I think this is where it’s important not to get too carried away with the numbers.
Having lost a lot of weight myself in the past, I know how easy it is to start thinking that every decision about food has to be the healthiest possible one.
You find yourself looking at menus and automatically choosing the lowest-calorie option, even if it isn’t what you really want, or feeling disappointed with yourself because you’ve had something you hadn’t planned.
I’ve learned over the years that I don’t want healthy eating to feel like that.
If you love a Christmas hot chocolate and look forward to having one every December, I really don’t see why losing weight should mean you have to miss out.
The important thing is understanding how it fits into your overall eating habits.
For example, if you’re having a 400-calorie festive coffee every single morning, that could make quite a difference to your daily calorie intake. Over five days, that’s 2,000 calories from drinks alone, before you’ve considered any meals or snacks.
But if you’re having one occasionally when you’re out Christmas shopping or meeting a friend, that’s a very different situation.
I think it’s much more helpful to look at what you’re doing over the course of weeks and months rather than worrying about one individual drink.
If you’re trying to understand your own calorie requirements, my calorie calculator may help you work out a sensible starting point.
And if you enjoy coffee shop drinks regularly, you might also like my guide to lower-calorie Costa drinks, which has more ideas for choosing something that suits your goals.
What if you’re following Slimming World?
If you’re following Slimming World, it’s worth remembering that these Christmas coffees can contain several ingredients that need counting.
A plain coffee with milk is quite different from a drink containing flavoured syrup, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and biscuit pieces.
The exact SWIP value will depend on the drink, the size and any changes you make to the standard recipe. I wouldn’t recommend guessing based on calories alone because the Slimming World system isn’t simply a calorie conversion.
Check the current official information for your order, and remember that you can still choose to enjoy a festive drink as part of your overall plan.
I think being realistic about occasions like Christmas shopping, meals out and birthdays makes it much easier to develop habits you can actually maintain.
Five simple ways to make your festive coffee a little lighter
If you’ve looked at the figures and decided you’d rather have something with fewer calories, there are a few easy things worth considering.
Try a smaller size
This is probably the simplest option because you can still have the drink you actually want.
If you normally order a Grande or Medium, consider whether a smaller serving would be enough.
Sometimes I think we automatically order the same size out of habit, especially if we’re stopping for a coffee while we’re out, without really thinking about whether we want that much.
Ask for less syrup
Depending on the drink, you may be able to ask for fewer pumps of flavoured syrup.
That could be particularly useful if you enjoy the taste of gingerbread or peppermint but sometimes find coffee shop drinks a little too sweet.
It won’t necessarily work with every recipe, but there’s no harm in asking.
Think about the whipped cream
Some people absolutely love the whipped cream and toppings, while others aren’t particularly bothered.
If you’re not fussed about the cream, leaving it off may reduce the calories.
On the other hand, if it’s your favourite part of the drink, I wouldn’t suggest removing it just to save a few calories and then feeling disappointed with what you’ve ordered.
Check the milk options
Different types of milk contain different amounts of calories, fat, protein and sugar.
However, plant-based milk isn’t automatically lower in calories, and changing the milk doesn’t necessarily make the whole drink dairy-free.
Some festive sauces, toppings and creams contain milk regardless of which milk you choose for the main drink.
If you have an allergy or intolerance, always check the full allergen information rather than assuming a milk swap makes something suitable.
Decide whether you actually want cake as well
I think this is one of the easiest things to overlook.
You go into Costa for a coffee, spot a lovely cake in the display and suddenly decide you need that too!
There’s nothing wrong with having both, but if your drink already contains 400 calories, adding a cake could turn your little coffee stop into something containing as many calories as a substantial meal.
Sometimes you might genuinely fancy both. Other times you might realise you’re perfectly happy with the drink on its own.
I think asking yourself what you actually want is much more useful than following a rigid set of rules.
Are Christmas coffees bad for you?
I don’t particularly like describing individual foods and drinks as good or bad because I think it makes healthy eating unnecessarily complicated.
A Christmas hot chocolate isn’t automatically unhealthy because it contains 400 calories, just as a plain coffee isn’t automatically the best choice for everyone.
What matters is your overall diet, how often you’re having these drinks and whether you’re getting the nutrients you need from the rest of your food.
If you’re regularly having drinks containing large amounts of sugar, it’s worth thinking about your teeth as well as your calorie intake. Frequently sipping sugary drinks can increase the risk of tooth decay, so having them less often and with a meal rather than sipping them over a long period may be worth considering.
The NHS advice on cutting down on sugar has some useful practical suggestions.
But I certainly wouldn’t want anyone reading this to feel that they have to avoid coffee shops for the whole of December!
Which Christmas coffee would I choose?
Looking at the figures, I think the gingerbread drinks are particularly appealing.
They’re festive without being quite as calorific as some of the chocolate creations, and I do think gingerbread is one of those flavours that makes a coffee feel Christmassy.
The Costa Gingerbread Latte contains 221 calories, which is considerably less than the Ultimate Yule Brownie Hot Chocolate at 411 calories.
Having said that, if I was really in the mood for a chocolatey treat, I can absolutely see the appeal of the brownie hot chocolate. Chocolate whip, brownie pieces and meringue sound rather lovely, especially on a cold day when you’ve been wandering around the shops.
I think that’s the thing with treats, though. There’s no point having something you don’t really want just because it contains fewer calories.
If you’re spending your money on a festive coffee, particularly with coffee shop prices these days, you might as well choose something you genuinely enjoy!
My thoughts on the Starbucks and Costa Christmas drinks for 2026
Having looked through the figures, I think the biggest surprise is just how much the calories and sugar can vary between drinks that are all sold as Christmas coffees.
At one end of the comparison, you have Costa’s Gingerbread Latte containing 221 calories. At the other, there’s Starbucks’ Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino with 443 calories.
That’s a difference of 222 calories, and both are drinks you could easily pick up during an ordinary shopping trip.
I also think it’s interesting how many of these drinks are really more like desserts. Once you start adding chocolate, cream, flavoured syrups, brownie pieces and sprinkles, you’re getting something very different from an ordinary coffee.
And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a dessert!
What I wouldn’t want is for anyone to read these figures and feel that they’ve somehow ruined their diet because they had a festive hot chocolate.
I’ve had enough experience of weight loss to know that being overly restrictive can make things far more difficult than they need to be. I would much rather people felt confident making choices that suited them, whether that means choosing a lower-calorie drink or enjoying their favourite Christmas creation occasionally.
If you’re buying one every day, it’s probably worth paying attention to the calories and sugar. If you’re meeting a friend for a Christmas coffee and fancy something indulgent, enjoy your afternoon.
Christmas is supposed to be enjoyable, and I don’t think we need to turn every little treat into something to worry about.
Now I’m curious: are you team Starbucks or team Costa? And which Christmas drink would you choose? Are you someone who orders the same gingerbread latte every year, or do you like trying the new flavours as soon as they appear?
Let me know in the comments because I always love hearing what everyone else orders!
Nutrition information: Figures are based on the specified 2026 Starbucks UK Holiday Nutrition & Allergen Guide recipes and Costa Coffee’s published nutritional information, supplemented by the original comparison data. Starbucks figures relate to Grande servings and Costa figures to Medium servings, with takeaway values where indicated. Recipes, milk choices, toppings and serving formats can affect the nutritional values. Check the latest official information for your exact drink before ordering.
