Low Calorie Costa Drinks: The Best Lower Calorie Choices

Maintaining healthy eating and drinking on a diet can be challenging, especially when you’re out and about. However, you can make smart choices even when visiting popular cafes and coffee shops.

If you’re a fan of Costa Coffee, you’ll be pleased to know that there are plenty of drink options to enjoy while staying true to your health goals.

In this post, we’ll discuss some of the delicious and guilt-free beverages you can enjoy at Costa whilst staying on track with your diet and without missing out on your favourite drinks.

In This Article

What is the lowest calorie drink at Costa?

If you’re looking for the lowest calorie drink at Costa, keeping things simple is usually the easiest place to start. Black coffee and unsweetened tea are generally much lower in calories than drinks containing lots of milk, flavoured syrups, cream and toppings.

That doesn’t mean you need to resign yourself to drinking black coffee every time you go to Costa, though. There are plenty of ways to enjoy a milky coffee or something a little more interesting without automatically choosing one of the highest-calorie drinks on the menu.

The size you order, the milk you choose and any syrups, cream or toppings you add can all change the nutritional information considerably.

I also think it’s worth remembering why you’re looking for a lower calorie option. Sometimes I want a drink rather than a dessert in a cup, whereas other times the ridiculously indulgent drink is the treat I’m going to Costa for! Neither choice is inherently better – this guide is simply here to help when you specifically want a lighter option.

Costa changes its menu and recipes from time to time, so check the latest nutritional information if knowing the exact calorie content of your drink is important to you.

Black Coffee

A cup of black coffee is a great choice for those watching their calorie intake. A regular-sized black coffee at Costa contains minimal calories, making it an ideal choice for a low-calorie beverage. Feel free to add a natural sweetener or a splash of milk if you prefer a milder flavour.

If you enjoy black coffee anyway, it’s one of the simplest choices when you’re specifically looking for a low calorie Costa drink because you’re not adding the calories that come with milk, cream or flavoured syrups.

Of course, there’s absolutely no point ordering black coffee purely because it’s lower in calories if you hate black coffee! A drink you actually enjoy with a little milk may still be a perfectly reasonable choice.

Herbal or Green Tea

If you prefer tea over coffee, Costa has a range of herbal and green tea options that are perfect for those on a diet.

Choose from a variety of flavours like Citrus Zing, Mint and Spiced Apple, or green tea, all of which are virtually calorie-free.

These teas will provide a refreshing boost and offer numerous health benefits, including aiding digestion and promoting relaxation.

Tea can be an easy option if you want something warm to sit and enjoy without having a particularly substantial drink.

Just remember that what you add to it matters. A straightforward tea is very different nutritionally from a drink that has syrups, sweeteners, milk or other extras added.

Skimmed Milk Latte

A skimmed latte can be a great compromise for those who crave a creamier option. Made with skimmed milk, the calorie content is reduced considerably compared to a latte made with full-fat milk.

The frothy texture and rich coffee flavour make it a satisfying choice without sacrificing too many calories.

If Latte isn’t your coffee, you can also ask for a skimmed Cappuccino, Mocha, Cortado or Flat White to lower the calorie count.

Is a Costa skinny latte low in calories?

A skinny latte can be a useful option if you want a milky coffee while keeping the calories lower than some of the more indulgent drinks on the Costa menu.

The important thing to remember is that size still matters. A larger drink contains more milk, so don’t assume every skinny latte has the same calorie content simply because the word “skinny” is in the name.

Flavoured syrups and other additions can change things further.

If I’m choosing a lower calorie drink, I tend to think about the whole order rather than getting too hung up on whether one individual ingredient is “good” or “bad”. Sometimes simply choosing a smaller version of the drink you actually enjoy is a much nicer compromise than ordering something completely different because it has the fewest possible calories.

Whipped coffee in a small glass with a black straw.

Iced Coffee and Tea

An iced coffee isn’t automatically low calorie simply because it’s cold.

A straightforward iced coffee can be relatively simple, but once you start adding larger quantities of milk, syrups, cream and sauces, the nutritional content can change considerably.

So if you’re looking specifically for a low calorie Costa iced drink, look at the ingredients rather than assuming that “iced” means “lighter”.

Personally, I’d choose the iced drink I actually like and then see whether there are easy changes I can make to it – perhaps a smaller size or less syrup – rather than choosing purely by calorie number.

Hot Chocolate

If you have a sweet tooth but want to watch your calorie intake, a skimmed Hot Chocolate might be the perfect choice.

Request it to be made with skimmed milk and a reduced amount of chocolate powder; this guilt-free treat will satisfy your cravings without sabotaging your diet.

Just be mindful of portion sizes and enjoy it as an occasional indulgence rather than a daily habit.

Can you get a lower calorie hot chocolate at Costa?

If you fancy a hot chocolate, you don’t necessarily need to abandon the idea simply because you’re looking for a lighter drink.

The size, milk and extras you choose can all affect the final calorie content. Cream and additional sauces or toppings are obvious things to consider if they’re not particularly important to you.

But hot chocolate is also a good example of why I don’t like describing food and drinks as “good” and “bad”.

If you really want a hot chocolate with cream, have one and enjoy it. If you simply want something warm and chocolatey and aren’t fussed about the extras, choosing a simpler or smaller version may suit you perfectly.

Frappe or Fruit Cooler

Costa has you covered if you’re looking for a low or non-caffeinated drink or want to mix things up. Stay hydrated and satisfied with their selection of frappes or fruit coolers.

Fruit coolers with real fruit juice and sparkling water offer a fruity, tangy indulgence while keeping calorie counts low. Although made with milk, Frappes can be made using skimmed, semi-skimmed, coconut or oat milk. These are all delicious and lower in calories.

Be sure to request these as otherwise; Costa has the standard of using whole milk quite often!

Fruit-based drinks can sound like an automatically lighter choice, but that’s not necessarily the case. The best approach is to check the nutritional information for the specific drink and size you’re considering.

The same applies to frappes. Different recipes can contain very different ingredients, so I wouldn’t make a blanket statement that Costa frappes are either high or low in calories.

If you’re ordering one because you really fancy it, choose the one you’ll enjoy. If your priority on that particular visit is finding one of the lowest calorie Costa drinks, simpler coffees and teas are generally where I’d start looking.

Coconut or Oat Milk

For those following a dairy-free or vegan diet, Costa has options to cater to your needs. Try a coconut or oat milk variation of your favourite drink for a creamy and indulgent beverage without dairy.

These alternative types of milk add a unique flavour to your drink while lowering the calorie count.

Drinks Under 120 Calories

If you’re looking for a low-calorie drink in Costa, here are some drinks under 120 calories.

Large Americano – 23 kcal
Medium Skimmed Latte – Hot 109 kcal / Iced 112 kcal
Medium Skimmed Cappuccino – Hot 115 kcal / Iced 83 kcal
Skimmed Flat White – Hot 98 kcal / Iced 98 kcal
Small Coconut Latte – Hot 68 kcal / Iced 81 kcal
Caramel Cortado – 79 kcal

What makes some Costa drinks higher in calories?

The calorie difference between two Costa drinks can be surprisingly large, and it isn’t necessarily the coffee itself that’s responsible.

A few things can make a particularly big difference.

Drink size

This is probably the most obvious one, but it’s easily overlooked. A larger drink generally means more milk and potentially more syrup or other ingredients too.

If you love a particular Costa drink but want to reduce the calories, ordering a smaller size can be one of the easiest changes because you’re still having exactly the drink you wanted.

Milk

Milky coffees can vary in calories depending on both the amount and type of milk used.

I wouldn’t choose milk purely according to which has the lowest calorie number, though. Taste, dietary requirements and what you actually enjoy matter too.

If you’re lactose intolerant, vegan or simply prefer a particular plant-based milk, for example, that’s probably going to be considerably more important than saving a handful of calories.

Flavoured syrups

Those lovely caramel, vanilla and other flavoured syrups can add more than flavour to your coffee.

If you enjoy flavoured coffee but want something lighter, check whether Costa currently offers a suitable sugar-free option or consider having fewer pumps of your usual syrup.

Cream and toppings

Whipped cream, sauces, chocolate and other toppings are part of what makes some Costa drinks feel more like a treat.

They’re also one of the obvious differences between a straightforward coffee and some of the more indulgent drinks on the menu.

If you don’t particularly care about the cream or topping, leaving it off can be an easy change. If it’s your favourite bit, I’d rather have the drink less often and actually enjoy it than order something disappointing every time!

Blended drinks

Frappes and similar blended drinks can contain considerably more than coffee and milk, so I wouldn’t automatically compare them with a basic latte.

If you’re choosing one because you want a treat, that’s fine. If you’re simply thirsty and looking for a low calorie Costa drink, there will usually be much simpler options.

Does Costa have sugar-free syrups?

Costa’s syrup range can change, so check the current menu to see which sugar-free flavours are available when you visit.

If you enjoy flavoured coffee, choosing a sugar-free syrup can potentially be an easy way to alter your usual drink without giving up the flavour you like.

I wouldn’t assume that “sugar-free” automatically means “zero calories”, though. If the exact nutritional information matters to you, check Costa’s current figures for the drink and syrup you’re ordering.

And remember that changing the syrup doesn’t magically make everything else in the drink disappear! A large milky coffee with cream is still a large milky coffee with cream, regardless of which syrup you put in it.

Customise your drinks

One of the easiest ways to find a lower calorie Costa drink is to adapt something you already like rather than hunting for the lowest number on the entire menu.

Choosing a smaller size is an obvious starting point. You get the same flavours and don’t have to convince yourself that an Americano is your new favourite drink when what you really wanted was a latte.

You can also consider the milk you choose, particularly with drinks containing a lot of it. Check Costa’s current nutrition information because the lowest-calorie option isn’t necessarily what you’d assume.

Syrups are another area where you have some flexibility. If you normally have several pumps of flavoured syrup, you could try less, or see whether there’s a sugar-free alternative available for the flavour you enjoy.

Then there are toppings. Cream, sauces and sprinkles can be lovely, but if you’re not particularly bothered about them, leaving them off is an incredibly painless change.

I think that’s the key to making lower calorie choices sustainable generally. Change the things you don’t care about and keep the things you do.

There’s little point saving a few calories if you’ve spent £4 or £5 on a coffee you don’t even enjoy.

You can enjoy any of your favourite drinks in Costa; making a few slight changes makes them a healthier choice without compromising their taste. Why not

Try a dairy alternative drink – Request a plant-based drink and substitute the milk for coconut, oat or soya.
Go sugar-free – Choose from different sugar-free syrups without added calories.
Downsize your order – Order your favourite drink but in a smaller size.
Have less syrup – Ask for less or no pumps at all.
Try the light whip – This vegan alternative to cream is light, tastes great and only has 76 calories per serving.

Remember that any drink you purchase has an approximate calorie value and should be used as a guide only as they are made to order, so there may be slight differences.

Sticking to a diet doesn’t entirely mean giving up your favourite coffee shop treats. At Costa, you can still enjoy a delicious and satisfying beverage while staying on track with your health goals.

There are plenty of options, whether you prefer a classic black coffee, a latte, or a refreshing iced tea. Remember to be mindful of your choices; if desired, you can customise your drink with skimmed milk, sugar-free syrups, or natural sweeteners.

If you have specific dietary requirements or concerns, checking with the barista for detailed nutritional information or ingredient lists is always a good idea.

Alternatives to Costa

If you go to Costa with good intentions but then get easily tempted by drinks such as the Popcorn Frappe, cream on your hot chocolate or a good drink with a cake, then why not make excellent coffee at home instead?

Flavoured coffee

You can buy some great flavoured coffee granules, which are just as low in calories as plain coffee granules. My favourites are:

Irish cream flavour Beanies coffee
6 jars of Beanies for around £15
Toasted Marshmallow, Toffee Apple and Toffee Nut Latte flavours
Caramel popcorn flavour coffee
Little’s flavoured coffee

Alternatively, why not buy some sugar-free syrups for your coffee? Here are a few choices you might like:

Monin sugar-free Salted caramel syrup
Rio Vanilla sugar-free syrup
Bulk Zero calorie barista syrup – various flavours
Simply Sugar-free butterscotch syrup
Routin premium sugar-free caramel syrup – various flavours
Nicks flavoured Stevia drops – various flavours
The Skinny Food Co barista syrups – various flavours
Matteo’s sugar-free syrups in various flavours
Jordans Skinny Syrups salted caramel sugar-free syrup – my personal favourite

Costa coffee pods for Tassimo machines

While these are not necessarily low in calories, they do work out a bit cheaper than going to a Costa shop and can be enjoyed at home.

Check the individual packs for the current calorie values, as these are subject to change.

Here are some of my favourite Tassimo coffee pods, including Costa varieties and others I love!

Perhaps you could make your own Tassimo pods? If you fancy investing in a Tassimo machine, we have the Vivy 2, which is so easy to use, used numerous times a day, and has lasted 18 months so far! Don’t forget to buy descaling tablets ready for when you need to clean it!

Top Tip: If you find something you like and buy regularly, use Amazon subscribe and save to get it cheaper!

Fruit and herbal tea choices

I sometimes like a nice fruit or herbal tea, depending on my mood. Here are some nice ones you might want to try.

Herbal Tea Selection
Pina Colada Tea bags
Fruity tea bags
Liquorice and cinnamon tea bags

Alternative milks to buy for your coffee or tea

I love coconut milk but there are other alternative milk varieties you might like to try which are lower in calories than cow’s milk. Here are some to consider:

What about Costa drinks on Slimming World?

If you’ve arrived here after searching for Costa Syns, you may be looking for information based on an older version of the Slimming World plan.

Slimming World has since replaced Syns with Swips, so I wouldn’t recommend using an old list of Costa Syn values to decide what fits into the current plan.

Costa’s drinks can change too. Recipes, sizes, syrups and seasonal menus aren’t necessarily identical from one year to the next, which makes old lists particularly unreliable.

If you’re currently following Slimming World, check your exact Costa drink using the latest information available to members rather than relying on a Syn value somebody calculated several years ago.

You can still use the rest of this guide to find lower calorie choices, of course. Calories and Swips aren’t interchangeable, but knowing what’s actually in your drink can help you decide what suits you.

Low calorie Costa drinks FAQs

What is the lowest calorie coffee at Costa?

If your only priority is keeping calories as low as possible, a straightforward black coffee is generally going to be among the lowest calorie coffee choices because it doesn’t contain significant quantities of milk, syrup, cream or toppings.

If you don’t enjoy black coffee, though, don’t feel as though that’s your only option. A smaller milky coffee or an adapted version of your usual drink may be a much more enjoyable choice.

Check Costa’s latest nutritional information for exact figures because menus and recipes can change.

Which Costa milk is lowest in calories?

The nutritional content of different milk options varies, and Costa’s recipes and available milk choices can change.

Rather than giving you a figure here that could quickly become outdated, I’ve included the current information in my table above.

I’d also choose milk based on your dietary needs and what you actually like. Saving a small number of calories isn’t particularly useful if you hate the resulting coffee.

Is an Americano a low calorie Costa drink?

A plain Americano is generally a simple coffee choice because it’s essentially espresso and water.

What you add afterwards can obviously change that. Milk, sugar and flavoured syrups all contribute something to the finished drink, so an Americano can range from very simple to considerably less simple depending on how you order it.

Can I have Costa when I’m trying to lose weight?

Of course.

Losing weight doesn’t require you to stop going to coffee shops.

If you’re monitoring calories, knowing what’s in your usual order can be useful because drinks are sometimes easy to overlook. You can then decide whether you want your usual drink, a smaller version or something lighter.

Sometimes I specifically want the indulgent coffee. Other times I’m just meeting someone for a chat and I’m equally happy with something much simpler.

It’s the overall pattern of what you eat and drink that matters far more than whether you occasionally go to Costa.

Low Calorie Costa Drinks: What Are the Best Choices?