Calories in a Cup of Masala Chai and Filter Coffee
A cup of masala chai in the morning, a tumbler of filter coffee after lunch: no table lists "a cup of chai", because it is milk, water, tea and sugar, and each person's cup is different. This guide builds a cup from rows we can source: whole cow and buffalo milk from IFCT 2017, and black tea, brewed coffee and granulated sugar from USDA FoodData Central. The cup size, the amount of milk and the teaspoons of sugar are our assumptions, and the page shows the arithmetic so you can redo it with your own recipe.
The short answer
By the records below, black tea and brewed coffee are 1 kcal per 100 g, so the calories in a chai or a filter coffee come from the milk and the sugar. A level teaspoon of granulated sugar (4.2 g, USDA) is about 16 kcal; whole cow milk (IFCT L002) is 73 kcal per 100 g and whole buffalo milk (IFCT L001) 107 kcal per 100 g. By our arithmetic, a small 100 g cup with 70 g of cow milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar is about 68 kcal, and a 178 g cup (USDA's 6 fl oz portion) with 90 g of cow milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar about 83 kcal. Our reading: one teaspoon of sugar adds about 16 kcal and each 10 g of cow milk about 7, so how much milk and sugar you put in moves the number far more than whether the drink is tea or coffee.
The records, and how we build a cup
Indian lab values (IFCT 2017) have milk but no tea, coffee or chai row that we found, and IFCT prints no household weight for milk. The five USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy rows give the kcal per 100 g as printed on each record, and the household portions printed on the record page: a level teaspoon, packet or cube of sugar, and a 6 fl oz or 8 fl oz cup of tea or coffee. Nothing else on this page is from a record. The rest are our assumptions: a small cup of 100 g (we take 1 ml as 1 g, and it is the same 100 ml cup our chai and biscuit guide uses), a larger cup of 178 g (USDA's 6 fl oz tea and coffee portion), the grams of milk in the cup (50 or 70 g in the small cup, 90 or 120 g in the larger one), and 0, 1 or 2 level teaspoons of sugar. The sum for one cup is: milk grams times the milk kcal per 100 g, divided by 100, plus the tea or coffee water grams times 1 divided by 100, plus the teaspoons times 4.2 times 387 divided by 100, rounded to the nearest kcal with half rounding up. Tea and coffee are both 1 kcal per 100 g in the records, so the grids below are the same for a chai and a filter coffee. Spices such as cardamom and ginger, jaggery, condensed milk and cream are not in these rows.
| Ingredient | Source | kcal per 100 g | Portion (where the weight comes from) | kcal per portion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milk, whole, cow | IFCT 2017 L002 (Table 1, PDF page 57) | 73 kcal (305 kJ) | 100 g (IFCT prints no household weight) | 73 kcal |
| Milk, whole, buffalo | IFCT 2017 L001 (Table 1, PDF page 57) | 107 kcal (449 kJ) | 100 g (IFCT prints no household weight) | 107 kcal |
| Sugars, granulated | USDA FDC 169655 | 387 kcal | 1 tsp, 4.2 g (USDA) | 16 kcal |
| Sugars, granulated | USDA FDC 169655 | 387 kcal | 1 packet, 2.8 g (USDA) | 11 kcal |
| Sugars, granulated | USDA FDC 169655 | 387 kcal | 1 cube, 2.3 g (USDA) | 9 kcal |
| Beverages, tea, black, brewed, prepared with tap water | USDA FDC 173227 | 1 kcal | 6 fl oz, 178 g (USDA) | 2 kcal |
| Beverages, tea, black, brewed, prepared with tap water | USDA FDC 173227 | 1 kcal | 1 cup (8 fl oz), 237 g (USDA) | 2 kcal |
| Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water | USDA FDC 171890 | 1 kcal | 6 fl oz, 178 g (USDA) | 2 kcal |
| Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water | USDA FDC 171890 | 1 kcal | 1 cup (8 fl oz), 237 g (USDA) | 2 kcal |
Calories per cup, cow milk
Whole cow milk, IFCT L002, 73 kcal per 100 g. Milk, cup size and sugar are our assumptions.
| Cup (ours) | 0 tsp sugar | 1 tsp sugar | 2 tsp sugar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 g cup, 50 g milk + 50 g tea or coffee water | 37 kcal | 53 kcal | 70 kcal |
| 100 g cup, 70 g milk + 30 g tea or coffee water | 51 kcal | 68 kcal | 84 kcal |
| 178 g cup, 90 g milk + 88 g tea or coffee water | 67 kcal | 83 kcal | 99 kcal |
| 178 g cup, 120 g milk + 58 g tea or coffee water | 88 kcal | 104 kcal | 121 kcal |
Calories per cup, buffalo milk
Whole buffalo milk, IFCT L001, 107 kcal per 100 g. Same cups and sugar as above.
| Cup (ours) | 0 tsp sugar | 1 tsp sugar | 2 tsp sugar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 g cup, 50 g milk + 50 g tea or coffee water | 54 kcal | 70 kcal | 87 kcal |
| 100 g cup, 70 g milk + 30 g tea or coffee water | 75 kcal | 91 kcal | 108 kcal |
| 178 g cup, 90 g milk + 88 g tea or coffee water | 97 kcal | 113 kcal | 130 kcal |
| 178 g cup, 120 g milk + 58 g tea or coffee water | 129 kcal | 145 kcal | 161 kcal |
One cup worked out, so you can redo it
Take the 100 g cup with 70 g of cow milk, 30 g of tea water and 1 level teaspoon of sugar. Milk: 70 x 73 / 100 = 51.1 kcal. Tea water: 30 x 1 / 100 = 0.3 kcal. Sugar: 4.2 x 387 / 100 = 16.254 kcal. Total 67.654 kcal, which rounds to 68 kcal, the cell in the 1 tsp column above. For your own cup, replace 70 and 30 with the grams of milk and of tea or coffee water you use, 73 with 107 if you use buffalo milk, and 1 with your teaspoons of sugar.
What stands out in the numbers
- Sugar is the steady part. One level teaspoon is about 16 kcal and two are about 33; USDA's packet is about 11 kcal and its cube about 9.
- Milk is the variable part. Cow milk is 73 kcal per 100 g and buffalo milk 107; in our 100 g cup with 70 g of milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar that is about 68 kcal with cow milk and 91 with buffalo milk.
- Black tea and coffee are close to zero. At 1 kcal per 100 g, USDA's cup of 237 g is about 2 kcal and its 6 fl oz cup (178 g) about 2 kcal by our arithmetic.
- Our chai and biscuit guide. It estimates a regular or cutting chai of about 100 ml, with full-fat milk and 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar, at 50 to 70 kcal. In the grids above, the 100 g cup with cow milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar is 53 to 68 kcal, so it agrees there; with 2 teaspoons it is 70 to 84 kcal with cow milk, and with buffalo milk and 1 teaspoon 70 to 91 kcal, at or above the top of that range. The sum on this page shows what moves the number.
- Cups per day. Several cups add up the same way the chai and biscuit guide describes; multiply your own cup, not a table value, by how many you drink.
How to log it so the numbers hold
- Measure the milk and the sugar. Pour the milk into a cup once to see its volume, and use a level teaspoon (4.2 g in the USDA record); a heaped teaspoon weighs more.
- Log milk and sugar as separate foods. Our spoon guide has the sugar and jaggery teaspoons, and our sugar guide and jaggery guide cover the sweetener side.
- Toned milk, jaggery and cafe drinks are other rows. Toned or skimmed milk, jaggery chai, condensed milk, a latte or a cappuccino are not these rows; read the pack or use the closest row.
- Powders and sachets. A ready-mix chai or instant coffee sachet has its own label: not these rows.
Where NYUS fits (our app)
We make NYUS, so read this as ours. NYUS is an AI fitness and nutrition coach in early access on Android, with no ads and no data selling. You log foods and drinks yourself by searching 8,900+ Indian and global foods or by barcode, and a weekly check-in adjusts your calories, macros and step goal once enough is logged. Barcode coverage of Indian packaged foods is not complete, so search by name when a scan finds nothing.
What this page leaves out
- A calorie or sugar target, and any statement about caffeine: we have not looked up one for any person and the records we use print none, so we give none.
- Protein, fat, caffeine and other nutrients: this page gives energy only.
- Toned, double-toned and skimmed milk, jaggery, honey, condensed milk, cream, ghee, spices, masala chai powders, instant coffee, lattes and other cafe drinks: not covered here.
- Brand pack labels and FSSAI figures: not used, so the page does not mix label numbers with the records above.
- Anything about weight, health or what tea, coffee, milk or sugar do to your body: the page adds up food data and makes no claim about it. If you have a medical condition, ask your doctor or dietitian.
Sources
- ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017). Table 1, energy per 100 g edible portion, read from the PDF on 27 Oct 2026: L002 (milk, whole, cow, 6 regions, 305 kJ) and L001 (milk, whole, buffalo, 6 regions, 449 kJ), PDF page 57.
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 169655 (Sugars, granulated): Energy 387 kcal per 100 g; household portions printed on the record: 1 tsp 4.2 g, 1 packet 2.8 g, 1 cube 2.3 g, 1 cup 200 g (read 27 Oct 2026).
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 173227 (Beverages, tea, black, brewed, prepared with tap water): Energy 1 kcal per 100 g; household portions: 1 cup (8 fl oz) 237 g, 6 fl oz 178 g, 1 fl oz 29.6 g (read 27 Oct 2026).
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 171890 (Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water): Energy 1 kcal per 100 g; household portions: 1 cup (8 fl oz) 237 g, 6 fl oz 178 g, 1 fl oz 29.6 g (read 27 Oct 2026).
- nyus.in, the NYUS landing page, read on 27 Oct 2026 for the app statements in the NYUS section and the CTA.
The 100 g and 178 g cup totals, the milk amounts of 50, 70, 90 and 120 g, the 0, 1 and 2 teaspoons of sugar, the sums, the rounding, the kilojoule to kcal conversion, the comparison with our chai and biscuit guide and every sentence starting "Our reading" are NYUS's own assumptions, arithmetic or opinion, not from IFCT or USDA. The teaspoon, packet and cube weights and the 6 fl oz and 8 fl oz cup weights are USDA's, printed on the record pages above. Names in the Ingredient column are our matching to the record names listed above.
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Join the NYUS waitlistFrequently asked questions
How many calories are in a cup of masala chai?
It depends on how much milk and sugar go in, so we show the arithmetic. IFCT 2017 L002 (whole cow milk) prints 305 kJ per 100 g, which is 73 kcal at 4.184 kJ per kcal; USDA SR Legacy 173227 (black tea, brewed) prints 1 kcal per 100 g; USDA 169655 (granulated sugar) prints 387 kcal per 100 g and 1 tsp as 4.2 g, about 16 kcal. For a small cup of 100 g (our assumption) with 70 g of cow milk and 1 level teaspoon of sugar: 70 x 73 / 100 + 30 x 1 / 100 + 4.2 x 387 / 100 = about 68 kcal. With 50 g of milk it is about 53 kcal, and with 2 teaspoons of sugar about 84. The milk and the cup size are ours: redo the sum with your own.
How many calories are in a cup of filter coffee?
Filter coffee is the same sum with coffee in place of tea: USDA SR Legacy 171890 (Beverages, coffee, brewed) prints 1 kcal per 100 g, the same as the tea record, so a cup built the same way gives the same number. For a 178 g cup (USDA's 6 fl oz portion) with 90 g of cow milk (ours) and 1 level teaspoon of sugar it is about 83 kcal, and with no sugar about 67 kcal.
How many calories are in black tea or black coffee?
USDA SR Legacy 173227 (black tea) and 171890 (brewed coffee) each print 1 kcal per 100 g and list 1 cup (8 fl oz) as 237 g and 6 fl oz as 178 g, so by our arithmetic a cup is about 2 kcal and a 6 fl oz cup about 2 kcal. Milk and sugar are the rest of a chai or a filter coffee.
How many calories are in a teaspoon, a packet or a cube of sugar?
USDA SR Legacy 169655 (Sugars, granulated) prints 387 kcal per 100 g and lists 1 tsp as 4.2 g, 1 packet as 2.8 g and 1 cube as 2.3 g, so by our arithmetic a level teaspoon is about 16 kcal, a packet about 11 and a cube about 9. A heaped teaspoon weighs more than USDA's level one, so weigh it if you want the exact number.
Is chai made with buffalo milk higher in calories than cow milk?
Per 100 g, yes in the IFCT 2017 rows: L001 (whole buffalo milk) prints 449 kJ, which is 107 kcal, against 305 kJ, 73 kcal, for L002 (whole cow milk). In our 100 g cup with 70 g of milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar that is about 91 kcal with buffalo milk against about 68 with cow milk. Toned or skimmed milk is not in these rows.
Can I log a cup of chai or coffee in NYUS?
NYUS is our app. You log foods and drinks yourself by searching 8,900+ Indian and global foods or by barcode; log the milk and the sugar separately for the best match. NYUS is in early access on Android: 30-day free trial, then plans from ₹499 for one month, paid once with no auto-renewal, no card needed to start.