How Much Sugar Is in Iced Coffee?
A medium sweetened iced coffee has about 20 g of added sugar — from the syrup and sweetened creamer, not the coffee itself.
in 1 medium (16 fl oz) · about 4.8 teaspoons
- Per serving
- 20 g
- Per 100 g
- 4.2 g
- Type
- Added sugar
- In teaspoons
- ≈ 4.8 tsp
A big chunk of a day's sugar in one serving.
Black coffee has essentially no sugar. A medium sweetened iced coffee, though, carries about 20 g of added sugar once you count the flavoured syrup, the sweetened creamer, and whatever's stirred in at the counter. None of it comes from the coffee — all of it is added on top.
The low per-100g figure (about 4.2 g) is a clue to what's happening: iced coffee is mostly ice and milk by volume, so the sugar feels diluted and easy to underestimate. Order it unsweetened or with light syrup and the drink itself contributes close to zero — you can always add sugar back a little at a time.
Lower-sugar swaps
- Ask for unsweetened with a splash of milk, and sweeten to taste yourself
- Cold brew with a little milk instead of a syrup-based iced coffee
Frequently asked questions
- Does the coffee itself have sugar?
- No — brewed coffee has essentially none. All of it comes from added syrup, flavouring, or sweetened creamer.
- Is ordering 'less sweet' enough?
- It helps, but asking for unsweetened or no syrup is the only way to know the number — cafes vary a lot in how much syrup 'less sweet' actually means.
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Sugar values from Typical nutrition label; actual amounts vary by brand, ripeness, and recipe. Last updated 2026-08-09.