With the November chill deep in the air and Halloween long gone, the countdown to Christmas is in full swing – and coffee chains across the UK are launching their festive menus to the delight of many fans.
From Toffee Nut Lattes to coffee infused with eggnog, many drink lovers will be heading to their nearest high-street retailer in search of a sweet caffeine buzz to take away and enjoy during lockdown.
But indulging in these seasonal treats may wreak havoc with healthy eating intentions, with the largest Christmas coffee racking up nearly 500 calories and a whopping 57g of sugar – almost twice a UK adult’s recommended daily allowance.
US chain Starbucks, a trendsetter among the festive set, have launched their Christmas menu to the delight on many fans this year.
Their Iced Gingerbread Frappe, is the most sugary high street offering with 373 calories and 57.7g of sugar.
NHS guidelines recommend no more than 30g of non-natural sugars, meaning it has almost double the daily recommended intake.
Meanwhile, their Starbucks Gingerbread Latte has almost a quarter of an adult’s daily recommended calorie intake, with 491 calorie of a huge 48.8g of sugar.
Also on the list is Greggs’ Mint Hot Chocolate, which has 334 calories and 46g of sugar and Costa’s The Quality Street®- The Purple One Latte which has 303 calories and 34.4g of sugar.
Here, FEMAIL reveals which Christmas drinks have the most sugar and calories if you’re planning to indulge.
Starbucks are the trendsetters amid the festive drink set, with many retailers following in their footsteps to launch Pumpkin Spice Lattes during the autumnal months. The biggest US owned American coffee chain operating in the UK, Starbucks lattes are among the most sugary on the Christmas menu, with their drinks taking up the top six spots of the 25 tested my Femail. Pictured is their Iced Gingerbread Frappe with 577.g of sugar (left) while their Peppermint Hot Chocolate has 477 calories, and 55g of sugar (right)
Starbucks Eggnog Latte is the most sugary hot drink this year, and has 451 calories and 56.3g of sugar (left). While the Toffe Nut Frappucino has 382 calories and 52.g of sugar
Meanwhile, their gut-busting Toffee Nut Lattes (right) which are made from syrup combined with Starbucks espresso, steamed milk and sprinkled with a toffee nut flavoured topping, boast a colossal 494 calories and 47g of sugar. While their sugar-laden truffle hot chocolate (left) has 388 calories and 37.1g of sugar
Gingerbread latte (left) has 491 calories and 48.8g of sugar while the Iced Eggnog Latte (right) has 332 calories and 40.9g of sugar
The Iced Toffe Nut Latte, a popular treat with festive fans, has made with oat milk has 367 calories and 37.6 of sugar
Costa Coffee delighted last month by announcing their highly anticipated Christmas drinks menu – which includes an array of chocolaty treats, including a Quality Street Purple One® Hot Chocolate, After Eight Hot Chocolate and and Terry’s Hot Chocolate Orange
But the level of luxury comes with a sugary price, with their Terry’s Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate coming in at a whooping 44.6g of sugar and 384 calories (left) while The Quality Street®- The Purple One Latte with Light Dairy Swirl which has 303 calories and 34.4g of sugar (right)
However, its Gingerbread Latte, at the bottom of the sugary list, has 334 calories and 14.4g of sugar – which is less than last year’s recipe which had 399 calories and 29g of fat, with 18.8g of sugar (shown left) .Also on the list this year is After Eight® Hot Chocolate with Light Dairy Swirl which has 348 calories and 34.8g of sugar (right)
Costa’s Irish Velvet Cream Latte has a massive 461 calories, 29.5g of fat and 31.7g of sugar – more than an adult’s total recommended daily allowance (left). Meanwhile, their Irish Velvet Hot Chocolate has 443 calories, and 36.3g of sugar (right)
Costa Cinnamon Spiced Cappuccino is among the less sugary on the list and has 23.2g of sugar and 211 calories
Commuter favourite Pret has a smaller menu than most, offering just two festive lattes and a Christmassy hot chocolate. Their Gingerbread Latte is a twist on its classic recipe, with added flavouring, a swirl of whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon. It’s also offering a Salted Caramel Latte with whipped cream and brown sugar. The chain’s Gingerbread Latte (right) is almost a small meal, with 312 calories, and 29.5g of sugar, while its S’mores Hot Chocolate has 418 calories and 42.5g of sugar (centre). Meanwhile their Salted Caramel Latte has 312 calories and 26g of sugar
Greggs has also delighted customers with the release of its festive range last week, including the return of the festive bake, and in a festive first for Greggs, the 2020 Christmas menu is available for delivery via Just Eat. They’ve also welcomed two festive drinks, the Mint Hot Chocolate (right) and the Salted Caramel Latte (left). However, the Salted Caramel Latte has 223 calories and 28g of sugar and the mint hot chocolate comes in at 334 calories and 46g of sugar
Just like many coffee shops, McDonald’s is also launching its own festive drinks – including a Salted Caramel Latte for 1.69. While the American chain isn’t exactly known for it’s healthy reputation, their drink is among the least sugary on offer and is the least calorific and sugary of all the Salted Caramel Lattes on offer. Still a substantial amount for a drink, the coffee is 206 calories and has 25g of sugar