Quick Answer
A 16 oz Dutch Bros cold brew coffee contains 0 calories and 0 grams of fat. Dutch Bros cold brew is unsweetened black coffee that only contains coffee and water. So a regular sized 16 oz cold brew from Dutch Bros contains minimal calories and fat. However, Dutch Bros offers many sweetened options like flavored syrups, milk, sweet cream, etc that can add calories. Customizing your cold brew with added sugar will increase the calorie count.
Calories in Dutch Bros Drinks
Dutch Bros is a popular West Coast coffee chain known for its energy drinks, smoothies, cold brew coffee, and specialty coffee drinks. Dutch Bros has over 500 locations across several states.
While their cold brew coffee is low calorie on its own, many of Dutch Bros’ specialty drinks are high in calories due to added sugar from syrups, creams, milks, and whipped creams.
Here are the calorie counts for some popular Dutch Bros drinks in a 16 oz serving size:
| Drink | Calories |
|---|---|
| Cold Brew | 0 |
| Cappuccino | 140 |
| Caramelizer | 470 |
| Smoothie | 260-360 |
| Rebel Energy Drink | 200 |
| Vanilla Latte | 210 |
As you can see, basic cold brew from Dutch Bros contains 0 calories, while their specialty coffee drinks, energy drinks, and smoothies contain 150-500 calories per serving.
Ingredients in Dutch Bros Cold Brew
Dutch Bros makes their cold brew coffee by steeping coarse ground coffee beans in cold or room temperature water for an extended period of time, usually 12-24 hours. This long steeping time extracts the oils and flavor from the beans without the bitterness that comes from hot water extraction.
The ingredients in a regular Dutch Bros cold brew are simply:
– Coffee beans
– Water
That’s it! No added sugars, syrups, milk, creamers, or other calorie-containing add-ins.
This is why an unsweetened Dutch Bros cold brew only contains minimal calories – from the coffee beans themselves. Coffee beans naturally contain very few calories, about 5 calories per 8 oz serving.
So in a 16 oz cold brew from Dutch Bros, you’re only getting about 10 calories, all from the brewed coffee beans.
Calories Added from Customizations
While a plain Dutch Bros cold brew is nearly zero calories on its own, their menu offers unlimited ways to customize your drink with flavors and extras that add calories.
Some popular Dutch Bros cold brew customizations that add calories include:
Flavored Syrups
Dutch Bros has many flavored syrups like caramel, mocha, vanilla, hazelnut, and more. Adding these sugary syrups will add 60-80 calories per pump. Just a couple pumps of syrup can add over 100+ calories to your drink.
Cream and Milk
Adding a splash of cream or milk to your cold brew adds about 20-40 calories per 2 oz. Full cream options like whole milk, sweet cream, or half and half add even more at 60+ calories per 2 oz.
Whipped Cream
Topping your cold brew with whipped cream can add 50-100 calories depending on portion size.
Sweeteners
If you add regular sugar or other sweeteners like honey, agave, or simple syrup, these add 15-20 calories per teaspoon. A couple teaspoons can add up fast.
Extra Shots
Adding extra espresso shots to make your cold brew stronger will incrementally increase calories. Each shot adds about 5 calories.
Low Calorie Customization Options
Luckily, Dutch Bros allows you to customize your cold brew while keeping calories low. Here are some options:
– Sugar-free syrups – Adds flavor without the sugar and calories. Dutch Bros offers sugar-free cinnamon, caramel, hazelnut and more.
– Light milk – Options like nonfat milk or skim milk add creaminess for just 35-40 calories per 2 oz.
– Sugar substitutes – Zero calorie sweetener options include stevia, Splenda, Equal. Or low cal natural options like monk fruit or erythritol.
– Sugar-free whipped cream – Adds creamy foam for just 10-15 calories per portion.
– Extra ice – Fill up your cup with extra ice instead of higher calorie add-ins.
Lowest Calorie Dutch Bros Cold Brew Orders
If you want maximize flavor while minimizing calories, here are some Dutch Bros orders to try:
– Iced cold brew with just a splash of nonfat milk and sugar-free cinnamon dolce syrup
– Black iced cold brew with no sweeteners or cream
– Cold brew with sugar-free caramel and a little skim milk over ice
– Shaken cold brew with a pump of sugar-free vanilla and ice
– Cold brew with stevia and a light splash of sweet cream
No matter what you customize it with, cold brew from Dutch Bros is alower calorie option than their lattes, frozen blended drinks, and espresso drinks. Enjoy it over ice or blended for a refreshing low calorie beverage.
Nutrition Facts for Dutch Bros Cold Brew
Here are the nutrition facts for a 16 oz Dutch Bros regular cold brew, based on a brewed coffee analysis:
| Dutch Bros Cold Brew (16 oz) | Calories |
|---|---|
| Total Fat | 0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g |
| Trans Fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 10 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Caffeine | 160 mg |
As you can see, black cold brew on its own contains minimal calories, fat, carbs, protein and sugar. The only nutrient present is small amounts of caffeine from the coffee beans.
Calorie Differences in Sizes
The nutrition information provided above is for a regular 16 oz cold brew. Dutch Bros also serves smaller and larger sizes with different calorie amounts.
Here are the estimated calories for Dutch Bros cold brew in different sizes:
– 8 oz = 5 calories
– 12 oz = 8 calories
– 16 oz = 10 calories
– 20 oz = 12 calories
– 24 oz = 15 calories
As the serving size increases, so do the calories – but only by a very small increment since black cold brew itself is zero calories.
In comparison, a 16 oz serving of a sugary Dutch Bros drink like a Caramelizer contains 470 calories – a massive difference versus just 10 calories for black cold brew!
Tips for Ordering Low Calorie Cold Brew
If you want to keep your Dutch Bros coffee order low in calories, here are some useful tips:
– Stick to cold brew and avoid blended or hot specialty drinks which tend to be higher calorie
– Get the smallest size available to limit calorie intake
– Avoid any syrups, sugars, creams or toppings
– Go for sugar-free flavor options like sugar free cinnamon or sugar free vanilla if you want flavor
– Opt for skim milk or nonfat milk instead of cream, half and half or sweet cream
– Request light ice to get more coffee and avoid filling up on empty calories
– Ask for no whipped cream or substitute sugar free whipped cream
– Sweeten with zero calorie artificial sweeteners instead of regular sugar
– Dilute with extra water if you want a lighter, lower calorie drink
Following these guidelines when ordering can allow you to enjoy delicious Dutch Bros cold brew while still watching your calorie and sugar intake.
Health Impact of Calories in Cold Brew
The calorie content of your coffee order can make a significant impact on your overall health, weight, and chronic disease risk.
Some health effects to consider:
– Higher calorie drinks like blended coffees, frappes, and lattes contribute excess calories that can lead to weight gain over time. Black cold brew has a calorie advantage.
– Added sugars in flavored and sweetened coffee drinks spike blood sugar levels, which can increase diabetes risk. Unsweetened cold brew does not impact blood sugar.
– High calorie coffeehouse drinks provide empty calories with little nutrition. Cold brew provides antioxidants and caffeine without unnecessary calories.
– Calories from high-fat additions like whole milk, heavy cream, and whipped cream contribute to heart disease risk. Cold brew prepared with skim milk or just water avoids this issue.
– Excess calories from sugary drinks are linked to obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and other negative health effects.
So if weight loss, blood sugar control, heart health, or avoiding obesity are health priorities for you, minimizing calories in your coffee by sticking to black cold brew is advised.
Cold Brew vs. Hot Coffee Calories
How does Dutch Bros cold brew stack up against hot coffee in terms of calories?
A 16 oz hot coffee from Dutch Bros contains about:
– 5 calories for black coffee
– 40 calories for coffee with 2 oz of cream
– 60 calories for a coffee with 2 oz of whole milk
– 100+ calories for flavored lattes and mochas
So plain black hot coffee has a similar 5 calorie count as black cold brew. However, hot coffee is often consumed with add-ins like cream, milk, syrups and sugar that increase the calorie count.
Cold brew on the other hand is more often consumed plain or just with milk since the cold temperature balances out the bitterness.
This means cold brew coffee tends to be lower calorie overall compared to hot coffees with add-ins. Getting your caffeine fix from an icy cold brew is the smarter choice calorie-wise.
Cold Brew vs. Espresso Calories
How about cold brew versus espresso – which has more calories?
A solo 1 oz espresso shot contains about 5 calories. In comparison, a 16 oz cold brew comes in around just 10 calories.
So calorie-wise cold brew and espresso are fairly similar. However, espresso drinks commonly contain added milk, sweeteners and flavorings that increase the calorie count.
A 16 oz latte made with 2 oz espresso and steamed whole milk has about 190 calories. A mocha latte with espresso, chocolate and milk has around 240 calories.
Plain cold brew is the lowest calorie option compared to sugary and creamy espresso drinks. Cold brew also provides more caffeine kick than a solo espresso shot.
Cold Brew vs. Frappes Calories
Finally, how do cold brew calories compare against blended coffee frappes and frozen drinks?
A 16 oz Java Chip Frappuccino from Starbucks contains 420 calories – mostly from added sugar. Meanwhile a 16 oz Mocha Frappuccino has 400 calories.
Dutch Bros also offers chocolate, caramel, and vanilla frozen blended drinks with around 300-600 calories each.
In comparison, a 16 oz cold brew from Dutch Bros or Starbucks contains about 10 calories.
So cold brew clocks in at far fewer calories than popular frozen coffee blends which are essentially liquid desserts. If you’re counting calories, cold brew is undoubtedly the best bet.
Conclusion
When you order a basic Dutch Bros cold brew coffee, you can expect it to contain minimal calories – just 10 calories in a 16 oz serving. This is because cold brew is prepared by steeping coffee grounds in water, without any added sugars, creams or flavorings.
However, the calories add up quickly if you customize your cold brew with syrups, milk, sweeteners, and toppings. Your best bet is to stick with sugar-free customizations like sugar-free syrups and skim milk to keep calories low. Or opt for the pure black cold brew with no add-ins.
Overall, simple cold brew is one of the lowest calorie coffee options at Dutch Bros and any coffee shop. Choosing cold brew over hot coffee drinks, blended frappes, and espresso beverages can make a big impact on your daily calorie intake and overall health.
