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Low Calorie Iced Coffee

I love coffee. Even when I went off of caffeine a way back when, I still drank decaf because I just love coffee. However, when I started to take a cold hard look at my diet, I realized that added sugars were a problem. I had talked myself into believing that it wasn’t an issue because I don’t drink soda – I keep in natural! Well, I hate to break it to me – and you – but natural and organic junk food is still junk food. UGH, that sucks!

So as I began my fitness journey, I decided that I was going to have to cut back on the coffee. A large cup of coffee with sugar and milk (not even cream!) can run like 170 calories a pop. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather eat those calories.  Just when I thought all hope was lost and that I was doomed to my beloved coffee just 2-3 times a week, I made a batch of iced coffee with the intention of drinking sparingly.  After a couple weeks I noticed that I really didn’t use much sugar or milk and coffee is calorie free, so instead of being lazy and basing it on a cup of regular coffe, I actually added the calories up.  With sugar and milk I was using about 65 calories vs the 170 in a standard cup of coffee.  I can totally afford 60 calories a day, though I still try to make up for it since it is still added sugars.

Inspired by some friends and various recipes online I whipped up a new batch of coffee with renewed love for my caffinated friend.  Here’s what you’ll need:


Iced Coffee Concentrate

  • 1 Gallon Beverage Container (with a tap!)
  • 1 Package of Coffee (I think I used a 14 oz bag)
  • 1 Gallon of Water (I used tap)
  • 1 Square of fabric (or cloth napkin) – washed
  1. Pour your coffee into your gallon beverage container.  Add water, stir and let sit over night.
    Special Tip: Grind your beans at the store on the “course” setting to make straining a breeze! 
  2. In the morning, grab another large container, measuring cup or jug and place your washed cloth napkin over the opening with plenty hanging over.  This is going to be your filter, so don’t use your favorite white napkins because this can stain.
  3. Begin to pour the coffee over the filter.  If the coffee starts to strain too slowly, you can give it a rinse in the sink and start again.  Once you have filtered all of the coffee, pour any remaining coffee grounds out of your beverage container (these are great for your compost!).  Rinse your ‘strainer’ and set aside.
  4. Rinse our the beverage container well and let water run through the tap if yours has one as some grounds may be caught in there.
  5. Place the cloth napkin strainer over the opening of your beverage container and pour the coffee back into your container, giving it one final strain.
  6. Place your coffee back into the refrigerator to cool!

Low Calorie Iced Coffee

  • 1 16 oz Reusable Cold Cup
  • 4-6 Ice Cubes
  • 2 Tsp Organic Sugar (15 calories per tsp) (I heat 2 tsp up in a bit of water to dissolve. Takes about 30 seconds in the microwave.)
  • 1/4 Cup 2% Organic Milk (33 calories)
  • Coffee Concentrate (see above) to Fill

This iced coffee is just 63 calories per delicious 16 oz  cup.  You can save a few extra calories by using less sugar or a lower fat milk.

If you’re looking for a lower cal frappe recipe, check out my DIY Frappe Mix.  It’s super yummy and it’s easy to swap out ingredients to make it even lower in calories!

Enjoy your caffeinated bliss and special thanks to Laura for her iced coffee pic – which was taken while parked!

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