A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on Starbucks Calories in the US and I was pleasantly surprised to find out quite how many low-calorie Starbucks drinks there were to pick from – but, what about the UK. What are the lowest calorie drinks in UK Starbucks?
So, I decided to find out. If Starbucks is a normal part of your morning routine, this guide to UK Starbucks calories includes a full list of all the low-calorie drinks in UK Starbucks that you can choose from. We class low-calorie as anything under 100 calories – and there’s a pretty good selection.
This has been updated in March 2023.
The Wellness Nerd contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase from one of these links I earn a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
TL:DR: The Absolute Lowest-Calorie Drinks in Starbucks
If you’re standing in the queue at Buckies right now and just want to know what to order NOW, the absolute lowest calorie drinks in UK Starbucks, are these…
A black Cold Brew has just 1 calorie while a Short Americano or Espresso has just 5 calories and a one-shot Espresso Macchiato with any milk has less than 9 calories.
If you prefer your coffees milky pick either a short Cafe Misto, 36 calories, or a Short Cappucino, 36 calories, both made with almond milk.
If would prefer an iced drink, go for a short Iced Americano at 10 calories. Or, coming in at zero calories we have Shaken Iced Hibiscus Infusion Tea, and Shaken Iced Green Tea. Have whatever size you’d like!
A little bit higher are the sweeter versions, the Shaken Iced Green Tea Lemonade and Shaken Iced Hibiscus Infusion Lemonade. A short version of any of these has just 38 calories.
Tea drinkers are spoilt for choice with a whole load of black and herbal teas in Starbucks that have no calories at all. English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Hibiscus Blend, Emperor’s Clouds and Mist, Mint Citrus, Youthberry, Chai tea, Jasmine Pearl, Mint Herbal Blend and Chamomile – all drunk without milk. If you add a splash to your English Breakfast you’re probably looking at adding about 15 calories max.
Not feeling like any of those today – then look at the rest of our list. This pinpoints the lowest calorie option for each drink type – and, considering the Starbucks drinks list in the UK is 61 pages long, it’s not something you’re going to have time to scour in the queue!
Even our post in a bit long for that. So either use the Table of Contents above to quickly click to get numbers for your favourites, or, in a real hurry, just follow these general rules.
How to Order Low Calorie in UK Starbucks
As plain tea and coffee are naturally very low-calorie drinks, what determines whether your drink of choice is likely to be low-calorie in Starbucks depends on three other factors…
Select Your Serving Size
For fear of stating the bleeding obvious, your highest chance of getting in under 100 calories is to order a Short.
Adapt the Milk You Choose
As a general rule, if you want to pick the absolute lowest calorie version of any of the many, many drinks in Starbucks, then choose almond milk as your milk of choice – whole milk is the one that will add the most calories (but is also more nutritious than some of the lower calorie alt milks).
Skimmed milk has the second lowest calories – and choosing skimmed milk over whole milk could save as many as 130 calories a drink in something like a Venti Cafe Latte where milk makes up most of the calories.
Careful With Additions
The rule is the plainer the better, tea is fine, coffee is fine, milk is good but whipped cream, flavoured syrups, caramel swirls and sugar will all dramatically increase your Starbucks calories. Basically, if your normal order in Starbucks is a Frappucino, unless it’s the Mini Espresso, we have bad news!!
If your favourite isn’t listed and you want to find out exactly how many calories it contains, then check out the UK Starbucks nutrition facts here.
And, if you’ve stumbled across this post wanting the US calories, then click here to find that list.
So, with those little housekeeping notes out of the way, here we go – all the drinks you can order in UK Starbucks for under 100 calories…
Drinks Under 100 Calories in Starbucks UK
As I said, the current list of Starbucks drink nutrition is 61 pages long so the following is a pretty hefty list! To use it, find the type of drink you want – coffee, iced coffee, tea, iced tea etc – and then look for your normal order. It’ll then give you the exact calories for the lowest calorie option.
Because there are literally hundreds of permutations of drink type, milk and size on the Starbucks menu, I’ve only listed calories for the milk options and the smallest and largest sizes that fall under 100 calories for each drink type (if there’s a size in between assume it’s roughly halfway between the two).
If a drink, a larger size or specific milk option isn’t mentioned in the list below, that’s because it tips you over the 100 calorie limit.
Low-Calorie Starbucks Coffees
It’s what they are known for and, as you might expect with quite so many coffees on the menu, there’s a lot of potential choices. Remember, coffee itself is super low in calories – it’s all the things you add to it that make it potentially calorific, therefore, the more straightforward the brew you drink the better.
Caffe Latte
Because this is mostly milk, with just a shot of Espresso, it’s not surprising that the milk you choose is what makes the biggest difference to a Starbucks Latte calories.
Almond milk gives you the biggest bang for your buck – pick a Caffe Latte with almond milk and you can go all the way up to Grande for just 92 calories (a short is just 43).
If you choose any other type of milk as a base for your Caffe Latte you’ll need to stick to a short to get under 100 calories, but if you do, here’s what you’ll be consuming.
Skimmed milk – 63 calories. Semi-skimmed milk has 82 calories. Soya milk has 72 calories, Coconut milk has 75 calories. Oatmilk is 99.
Latte Macchiato
A Latte Macchiato is aerated Milk with coffee poured on top, and you can enjoy a Short Skimmed Milk Latte Macchiato for just 63 calories.
If you choose semi-skimmed milk, a short has 82 calories.
Cortado
This is on the Starbucks nutritional information, but isn’t on their menu…. hmm, have I found something on their secret menu? Not sure, but, I’m including it on here just in case there’s something I don’t know!
If you like your coffee concentrated, this mix of ristretto – a concentrated espresso and milk could be your go-to. It only comes in one size and, no matter what milk you order it with, it’ll come in under 100 calories.
The absolute lowest option is a Cortado made with almond milk which has 33 calories – the highest is whole milk at 72 calories a shot.
Espresso Macchiato
Super-low in calories, a solo one-shot version of this is just 6-9 calories with skimmed, semi-skimmed, almond or oat milk.
The most calories will be found in a double shot ‘doppio’ with whole milk which adds up to 22 calories.
Caramel Macchiato
When I read the description of this which included words like vanilla syrup and caramel sauce – I first thought yum, and then I thought, there’s not going to any of those under 100 calories – WRONG!
A short Caramel Macchiato with Almond milk has 79 calories, Choose it with skimmed milk and it has 95 calories.
Cafe Americano
Literally, just coffee and water I’m surprised that this contains any calories, but a short Cafe Americano has 5 calories while a Venti has just 21 calories – although it also has 132mg of caffeine, so you might not want to have more than one of those a day no matter how low in cals it is!
Cappuccino
If you’re ordering a short size, you can have any milk you like – as with many of the other coffees, oat milk has the highest calories at 100 for a short size Cappuccino with almond milk is the lowest at 35.
If you want dairy, rather than alt milk, a Short Starbucks Cappuccino with skimmed milk has 50 calories.
If a short isn’t going to satisfy your need for coffee, stick with almond milk – a Tall is 65 and a Grande is 74.
Misto
As someone who doesn’t drink coffee, I find it fascinating there can be so many ways to make different things with just coffee and milk, but still they keep coming…. a Misto mixes coffee and milk in a half and half ratio – that means it has slightly lower calories than the other milky coffees.
You can have a Short or Tall Cafe Misto made with skimmed milk for under 100 calories. A short Misto has just 48 calories, a Venti has 92.
Most sizes made with almond milk also come in under 100 calories – with a short Almond Misto containing just 37 calories. A Grande has 81.
With the others – semi-skimmed milk is 50 a short, 67 for a Tall. With Whole Milk is 64 for a Short, and 86 for a Tall.
The only one where things increase a little is oat milk – there you have to stick to a 70 calorie short if you want to come in at under 100.
Flat White
Only comes in one size – and you can have all of the milks except whole milk and oat milk for under 100 calories. The lowest calorie choice is almond milk at 51 calories a cup.
Cold Brew
If you’re a coffee aficionado, you might be leaning toward the cold brews on the Starbucks menu – and there’s a few that come into our low-cal Starbucks category.
The lowest is a plain black Cold Brew which has just one calorie.
Moving on from here, you could add milk and make a Cold Brew Latte. These combine Cold Brew and milk – and you can have skimmed milk, semi-skimmed, almond or soya milk for under 100 calories..
Nitro Cold Brew is infused with nitrogen to give it a smoother taste. Why this then bumps up the calories I don’t know – but, a short black Nitro Cold Brew has 28 calories!
If you prefer milky coffee, Nitro is also a good choice for you. All three sizes of Nitro Cappuccino use skimmed milk and, even a Venti has 86 calories.
Iced Coffees
There’s a few of these in the list of low-cal Starbucks drinks and because they are served in larger sizes (to fit the ice I guess), you might feel as if you’re getting more for your calories if you pick one of these.
Iced Latte
You can choose a Tall Iced Caffe Latte with skimmed milk for 76 calories or upgrade to a Grande for just 17 more.
If you pick almond milk, you can even go as large as Venti and come in under budget. A Venti Iced Caffe Latte with Almond Milk is 78 calories – the Tall has just 54.
A Tall Coffee Latte with soya milk, Coconut Milk or Semi-Skimmed Milk also come in under 100 cals.
Iced Cappuccino
The lowest option is a Tall with Almond Milk at 54 calories, a Venti is 78 calories.
Choose a Tall with Skimmed milk for 76 calories or upgrade to a Grande for 17 more.
Soya, Original Nut Milk and Coconut milk are also okay.
Iced Americano
Super low calorie, a Tall serving has just 10 calories. A Venti has 21 but again, watch the caffeine.
Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso
A drink with sugar in the title that comes in at under 100 calories – yep, we’ve got that!
But yes, you can get a Tall cup of IBSSE, with skimmed milk for 74 calories. And both a Tall and a Grande with almond milk are under 100 calories.
Iced Latte Macchiato
Espresso, milk and ice isn’t a hugely calorific combination and so you can order a few different combinations for under 100 calories – but your biggest choice is with almond milk where you can try a Tall for 54 calories, a Grande for 65 calories or a Venti for 78 calories.
As with many other options, you can also have a Tall skimmed milk, coconut milk or soya for under 100 calories.
Low-Calorie Mochas and Hot Chocolates
Oh, we were doing so well – and then we get to the section I would need to order from as I don’t like coffee – only to discover that sadly, when it comes to Starbucks Hot Chocolate calories there is not one option under 100 in the whole group.
Closest I can get is a short Classic Hot Chocolate with almond milk at 148 calories.
Low-Calorie Teas in Starbucks
Like coffee, tea basically has no calories in it’s ‘naked form’ and so I had high hopes for lots of entries in this category. And I wasn’t disappointed.
The Zero Calorie Teas
If you want to pick the lowest calorie drinks in Starbucks – go for the teas. There’s a couple of pages of these in the list that actually have no calories at all – that’s right, zero. No matter how big a size you order.
Pick from black teas, greens teas and also herbal blends – like English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Hibiscus Blend, Emperor’s Clouds and Mist, Mint Citrus, Youthberry, Chai tea, Jasmine Pearl, Mint Herbal Blend and Chamomile – all drunk without milk.
If you prefer you tea with black, even adding a large splash to your English Breakfast will see youadding about 15 calories max.
Matcha Tea Lattes
If you want your tea more gussied up though, the calories increase.
A Matcha Tea Latte mixes green tea with steamed milk and so, as with the flat white and the milky coffees, the milk and size you choose determine how many calories it contains.
But order a Short and no matter what milk you choose you’ll come in under 100 calories.
And, as we’ve seen before, the lowest calorie option is almond milk at just 33 calories. Skimmed milk has 48 calories. The highest calorie choice under 100 calories is whole milk at 83 for a short.
If you want the Iced Tea Matcha Latte, calories are a little higher – it’s 54 calories for the Short Almond Milk version
Chai Lattes
Chai Latte mixes chai tea with milk – but, this one also has extra sugar and so contains more calories than the matcha does. If you’re trying to sneak in under 100 calories, your only choice in the world of the chai latte is a short almond which has 92 calories.
The Iced Chai Lattes all come in over 100 calories.
If you’re a chai latte fan, you might also want to check out our piece on whether chai latte is healthy.
Iced Teas
Iced tea is something I traditionally associate with the US – and I also tend to associate it with lots of sugar – but, while some of the blends do contain a fair bit, others are both sugar and calorie free. So, here’s goes…
Coming in at zero calories we have Shaken Iced Hibiscus Infusion Tea and Shaken Iced Green Tea. Have whatever size you’d like!
The next lowest at 38 calories for a Tall, 52 calories for a Grande and 56 calories for a Venti are the Shaken Iced Green Tea Lemonade and Shaken Iced Hibiscus Infusion Lemonade.
Lastly, the Peach Black Tea has 53 calories for a Tall and 94 for a Grande.
Frappuccino Calories
There are a lot of pages of Frappuccinos in the nutrition list. There are not many that come under 100 calories – but hey, at least you have some. I couldn’t find any when I listed the US ones.
Forget the idea of carrying a cup as big as your head though.
So, if you want a Frappuccino for under 100 calories, you’re looking at ordering the Mini Espresso Frappuccino with any milk.
So there you go, my guide to calories in Starbucks drinks in the UK and a pretty long list of all the drinks in UK Starbucks that you can order for under 100 calories – and a heap are even under 50 calories – that will fit into any diet plan. See you don’t have to give up all your treats just because you’re watching your calories.
What to Read Next
At this point you might also be wondering whether any of these drinks are also good for you. In that case, have a look at our post on the health benefits of chai tea and chai lattes here
Or, if you’re more of a coffee lover, you might want to have a look our post on instant coffee and whether it’s good for you or not.
And, sticking with the hot drinks theme, we’ve also investigated that bedtime favourite Horlicks and looked into whether it really can make you sleepy – and some other Horlicks health benefits.
Who is The Wellness Nerd?
My name is Helen Foster and I’m a health journalist and wellness author. Publications I’ve written for include Women’s Health, Reader’s Digest, Body and Soul, Good Health at the Daily Mail and more. I have also written 16 books on health and nutrition.